Author Topic: A mountain - Hawken - Creamer Rifle (Read 3330 times)

HighUintas · « **on:** July 16, 2023, 06:18:34 AM »

Hi All,

My rifle is finished, with the exception of the engraving. It will take me a long time to learn that and I'll get it added eventually, so I'm calling this rifle ready to start getting beat up.

It started as a Jim Beckwourth rifle, and then became something inspired by the William Clark rifle made by Philip Creamer and the famous Hawken rifles. It is supposed to be an 1825 rifle, maybe made by a new gunsmith in southern Illinois that was impressed by Creamer and Jake Hawken.

This rifle is supposed to be as new or slightly used. Bright steel but with a bit of Birchwood Casey's brass black rubbed mostly back. I left the rear sight much darker to dull the shine in full sun, even though it is obviously darker than the barrel. 36" colerain 58 cal., 7/16" rod. Chambers late ketland lock with the rear tire removed from the plate. Stock blank provided by Allen Martin. Davis triggers. Hawken butt plate and highly modified Ohio guard. The Ohio guard sort of throws this our of the time period, but I was hoping it would be modified far enough away from being "Ohio" that it would just be a good looking guard. Plain pipes that I modified. I made the keys, escutcheons, inlay, toeplate. Made the patchbox side plates from sheet and the finial/door was a kit hinge. Patch box is copied from the Creamer/Clark rifle. Finish is gilsonite in turp, then LMF Lancaster maple, permalyn sealer as sealer and finish.

Feel free to critique as much as you see fit for things that could be improved, based on what I've stated. There's a few obvious goofs I'm aware of that I didn't have the skills to fix properly... Off side lock panels lock bolt hole #1, mis-drilled tang bolt.

Thank you everyone who answered the many questions I had. I love this forum and all the gentleman and women that keep this art alive. I'd especially like to thank Herb Troester and the late Louie Parker.

It's my first and certainly won't be my last!!

HighUintas · « **Reply #1 on:** July 16, 2023, 06:26:52 AM »

HighUintas · « **Reply #2 on:** July 16, 2023, 06:32:46 AM »

HighUintas · « **Reply #3 on:** July 16, 2023, 06:36:34 AM »

scottmc · « **Reply #4 on:** July 16, 2023, 02:08:29 PM »

That is one beautiful, we'll executed rifle! I'm working on #10 and I can't get the tight inletting you have on #1. Your lines are great, I think.

Roger B · « **Reply #5 on:** July 16, 2023, 02:35:12 PM »

Just a beautiful job!

TommyG · « **Reply #6 on:** July 16, 2023, 03:08:42 PM »

Beautiful work. Very well done.

Dwshotwell · « **Reply #7 on:** July 16, 2023, 03:29:24 PM »

Very nice work. It’s been fun to follow along over the last several months.

Bob Roller · « **Reply #8 on:** July 16, 2023, 04:30:48 PM »

Nothing not to like.I like the single cross bolt holding the lock and the very tight inletting contributes to that. I have made a few of these locks using the Chambers externals and two with the reenforced :cock"from the Ketlands I once made and it,to me at least makes it better looking.I tried to talk Jim Chambers int making up some so a wider choice can available.Philip Creamer made some superb guns.I made a special caplock for Bob Browner several years ago and he made a Creamer pistol copied from one owned by one of the presidents.
Keep up with the quality work.
Bob Roller

Turkeycreek · « **Reply #9 on:** July 16, 2023, 04:33:27 PM »

The only critique I've got is that she needs to be taken out and carried and hunted with so she starts getting some patina! Excellent work my friend!
TC

Kevin Houlihan · « **Reply #10 on:** July 16, 2023, 05:09:41 PM »

Your rifle turned out great! You should be proud of yourself!!
Kevin

BJH · « **Reply #11 on:** July 16, 2023, 05:16:45 PM »

Super nice clean build. BJH

flatsguide · « **Reply #12 on:** July 16, 2023, 05:31:52 PM »

Beautiful rifle...no nits to pick on this one and not a tool mark in sight. They look kind of neat in the white. Start engraving lol.
CheersRichard

Grischi · « **Reply #13 on:** July 16, 2023, 05:55:15 PM »

Extraordinarily nice build. I like it much.

Christian

J. Talbert · « **Reply #14 on:** July 16, 2023, 05:55:32 PM »

So far so good…

Nice work,
Jeff

BOB HILL · « **Reply #15 on:** July 16, 2023, 06:16:56 PM »

Very nice work. Thanks for sharing.
Bob

stan57 · « **Reply #16 on:** July 16, 2023, 06:19:13 PM »

An aspiration/inspiration. A percussion version is bouncing around in my brain.

Herb · « **Reply #17 on:** July 16, 2023, 07:05:45 PM »

HighUintas, you do better work than I can, and I've built 0ver 200 ML rifles. I can learn from you. Really fine work!

D. Taylor Sapergia · « **Reply #18 on:** July 16, 2023, 08:41:36 PM »

Your workmanship is just splendid. Fit and finish is excellent. You should be delighted with the rifle.

The only issue and it's a personal thing with me, is your choice of a butt plate. It has no heel! From the top line of the patchbox lid up to the top of the heel is virtually a straight line...the pleasing curve of the lower part ends there. And that's pretty small beans in the overall rifle, but like I said, just a personal thing.
And while I'm at it, I'd like to see a rust blue or brown on the iron...again, just persona preference.
Excellent work, Sir.

HighUintas · « **Reply #19 on:** July 16, 2023, 09:53:52 PM »

Thank you gentlemen for the kind words. It means a lot coming from such talented builders.

Quote from: D. Taylor Sapergia on July 16, 2023, 08:41:36 PM

Your workmanship is just splendid. Fit and finish is excellent. You should be delighted with the rifle.

The only issue and it's a personal thing with me, is your choice of a butt plate. It has no heel! From the top line of the patchbox lid up to the top of the heel is virtually a straight line...the pleasing curve of the lower part ends there. And that's pretty small beans in the overall rifle, but like I said, just a personal thing.
And while I'm at it, I'd like to see a rust blue or brown on the iron...again, just persona preference.
Excellent work, Sir.

Taylor, I agree on the butt plate. I actually did want to have a heel on the plate, but couldn't find one that represented what would have been a thinner steel two piece (the Creamer plate or earlier Hawken plates) that has good width. There's a couple good looking Hawken plates out there, but they're all pretty narrow. I've also found in shooting it that it would be more stable with a heel to lock it into by shoulder/arm better.

I'll be doing a rust blue and making my own butt plate and trigger guard on the next one

As I learn how to engrave, I'll be trying to determine if I want the engraving to be copied or similar to the Creamer or more similar to a folk style like some of the Hawken buffler engravings

rich pierce · « **Reply #20 on:** July 16, 2023, 11:04:28 PM »

Great design and execution. Louie Parker must be smiling in heaven.

mountainman · « **Reply #21 on:** July 16, 2023, 11:55:08 PM »

That's a nice job well done!!!

Bob Roller · « **Reply #22 on:** July 17, 2023, 12:47:33 AM »

The quality of the inletting is stunning like the rest of the rifle and its components.
Bob Roller

mgbruch · « **Reply #23 on:** July 17, 2023, 02:03:57 AM »

Very, very nice work! And I'm a lover of the .58 myself.

elkhorne · « **Reply #24 on:** July 17, 2023, 07:42:11 PM »

Very nice clean lines and your inletting is to be envied. You did a very fine job on your first rifle, better than I did on my third! You are going to do great things in the rifle building world. Congratulations on a fine and historical piece!

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Author Topic: A mountain - Hawken - Creamer Rifle (Read 3330 times)