Quality of the Stain and Oil - Is the color of the stock even? Rock Island Auction Company had another original Hawken rifle at the CGCA show in Denver this past May (see for an S. Hawken rifle also at the show). Samuel Hawken of St. Louis is arguably the most famous pre-Civil War rifle maker of the now famous half stock so called Hawken Rifle. Fit of the Hardware - Does the hardware fit the stock of the rifle without gaps. Quality of the finish comes down to how much money you are putting down on the hawken rifle. Here's a link to the listing. The description says it's. The stock has been varnished during period of usage and remains in very good condition with moderate handling wear. The barrel and under-rib have a smooth, dark brown patina with sharp edges.
It is a typical Hawken in all respects. The rifle bears no other markings. While traditionally, most of the original Hawken rifles were built as percussion lock muzzleloaders, we do see a lot of modern flintlock hawken models produced. Site Terms, acknowledged our. The lock is marked "ADOLPHUS MEIER & Co. " According to Hanson in The Hawken Rifle: Its Place in History, "Adolphus set foot in St. Louis March 2, 1837 (Edwards and Hopewell, 123). " The side plate is a period replacement. Samuel had established his own enterprise in Xenia, Ohio, but after the death of his wife and father, he relocated to St. Louis, where he formed a fresh business, separate to that of Lakenan (his earlier partner) and his older brother Jacob. So far, my Investarms kit is going together a bit nicer than the Traditions kit I did, out of the box the inlets are all perfect and require very little work. Quality of the Metal finish - Much like the quality of the stain/oil, is the color even?
Historic Accuracy - Is the rifle representative of an original Hawken rifle? The percussion nipple is a modern replacement. The barrel is described as 39 1/2 inches long, which may be its original length. The rifle has a maple stock attached to the barrel by two wedges with oval iron escutcheons. You are 18 or older, you read and agreed to the. At it's sub $400 price point, and admitedly the lowest build quality of the modern Hawkens being discuss, this rifle is an amazing piece. This article is not sponsored or paid for, and the opinions within are my personal opinions combined with opinions I see in mass online. Is there an even oil, wax, or polyurethane finish over the stain?
This lot is closed for bidding. I've not finished my Investarms Kit, but hope to get some first hand feed back on the lock performance this winter. As far as the 4 major Hawken rifle brands go in 2021, all build a great rifle, but there is a hierarchy of quality that is generally accepted among the community. Brass furniture includes trigger guard, nose cap, buttplate, and rear rod retainer. The stock has a simple beavertail cheekpiece, cast iron forearm cap and a crescent iron buttplate. The iron forearm cap, tang, trigger guard and buttplate have the same dark, untouched, patina as the barrel and lock. A rifle that truly represents the early Westward Expansion.
October 22-23, 2019 Extraordinary, Sporting & Collector Firearms. © 2006 - 2023 Gun Values Board. It shoots straight, fast, and accurately. Stocks have darkened with age and has usual handling marks but free of cracks or chips. Youtube is a great resource, try to watch several videos on each brand, you'll be able to get a better feel for them. The barrel has a 5 3/4 inch, tapered, iron tang attached to the stock with two screws and distinctive fenced bolster found on late Hawken rifles. Sights are a wind drift rear and rocky mountain front blade. This is an original example of a highly sought after Hawken Plains Rifle that was made by Samuel Hawken between 1850 and 1861. Viewing the rifle at the CGCA show, I don't think there is any question it was originally a full stock. The nose cap is pewter and not the typical Hawken shape due to the lack of an entry pipe. CONDITION: All iron parts a homogeneous soft patina.
There are currently no customer product questions on this lot. It's stocked in walnut. The lock plate, hammer, tang and trigger guard are identical in configuration to the drawings shown on page 54-56 of "HAWKEN RIFLES" by John D. Baird. It's also a more comfortable profile, where the Traditions rifles are very straight, the Investarms has more drop and a beefier stock profile. The John Brown Hawken also has an Adolphus Meier lock. The top flat on the heavy octagon barrel on this rifle is simply stamped "S. Hawken " which would indicate that this rifle was built after Jacob's death which dates it from 1849-1855. The "S. LOUIS" marking is crisp. Of all of the Hawken rifles I have seen both in person and online, there is a scale of quality, in the end, you will generally get what you pay. It has a square cheekpiece that is, as far as I know, exclusively seen on J&S full stock rifles. Save your passwords securely with your Google Account. The rifle has a heavy, 36-inch,.
The configuration of the rifle is very similar to that of the Hawken Rifle owned by Kit Carson and pictured on page 7 of "HAWKEN RIFLES". Where to find a Hawken Muzzleloading Rifle. Are there drips or runs in the stain that degrade the look of the rifle? The John Brown rifle and the subject rifle could be contemporaneous. That's not to say they are terrible, but they aren't great either.
As far as production percussion lock Hawkens go, I've not experienced any issues with my Traditions St. Louis Hawken percussion rifle. This means the historic accuracy of the build, the fit of the hardware (are there gaps in the inlets/do the parts fit well), the quality of the stain and oil, and the quality of the metal finish. This rare and desirable rifle is typical of the rugged, functional rifles made by Jacob and Samuel Hawken in St. Louis, Missouri for the fur trade from about 1840 - 1860. Where to buy a Hawken Muzzleloader.
Typical walnut halfstock with cheekpiece. And you understand that your use of the site's content is made at your own risk and responsibility. When talking about build quality, you'll notice two big topics when these Hawkens are being discussed, the first being the quality of the finish and the second being the lock quality. He bought the rifle as he and several other young men were en route from Mississippi to Nauvoo, Illinois to join the Nauvoo Legion. The top barrel flat is stamped with the "S. HAWKEN ST. LOUIS" marking used by Samuel Hawken after the death of his brother Jacob Hawken in 1849 until his retirement in 1861. Features include a 31 - 1/4" heavy octagon barrel.
It was originally a full stock but had been converted to half stock sometime in its working life. This probably establishes the earliest possible date for this rifle, but Meier maintained his business into the 1860s, so the lock doesn't provide a very narrow bracket of for the date. There is a old break in the left edge of the hammer. Actual bore measures approximately. The iron lock plate has no exterior or interior markings. 58 caliber, octagon barrel with an under-rib and iron ramrod thimbles and finial. Used muzzleloaders are a great way to save money, but I don't recommend them as your first muzzle-loader because it can be difficult for newcomers to muzzleloading to identify the quality of the rifle.
None of these businesses have compensated me for being included in this article, I'm recommending them because I've ordered from them for years and had great experiences. Legends are sharp as are edges. Newcomers to the muzzleloading sport will find themselves most familar with the contemporary made "Hawken Muzzleloader" as one of the easiest ways to get into the sport, but finding your first muzzleloader can be tricky. It can be overwhelming to shop from a list of distributors, so here is a list of some of the shops I use and recommend.