GPR vs. Hawkin

Hey all. I have played with civil war weapons for about 13 years but I am new to pre war guns. That being said I would like to know the difference in looks between a GPR and an actual Hawkin rifle. Like I said I am new to this era and am trying to learn :wink: Thanks in advance.

Marshall

I'm not expert on Hawkens but there are a few differences that are glaring. The GPR has a coil spring lock and the lockbolt sets in the center of side panel rather than the top. Most real Hawkens had a tapered barrel to give them a little better balance. The GPR stock has a pronounced "perch belly" to the stock that a Hawken doesn't.

There are other differences but those are the ones I can name off the top of my head. Lyman named it the Great Plains Rifle rather than a Hawken which I find commendable. They actually look more like a Hawken than most of the ones being marketed under that name.

Well I don't want to bust the chops of all those that plunked down $$$ for a GPR, from first appearances the two look about the same, the devil is in the details. The Hawken has a long trigger plate and the trigger guard is mounted on the plate, the tang on the breech plug also extends way back. I think the GPR has a 32" barrel but the Hawken was more 36"-39". The rear sight may be different- I'm not sure. I'm not certain if the middle and forward ramrod pipes are inlet into the under rib on the GPR.

on the whole they are close. close enough for most people. you would need a real hawkin next to it to make it stand out. the differinces are for manufacturing to keep the cost gown. about like a lot of c-w repros are not dead on.

they are a lot closer then the t-c rifle by that name.

In all fairness the LGP was not made or advertised as a Hawken repro, they are more representitive of the plains rifles of the 1840-60 era

I think that dollar for dollar it's as "Hawken" as you can get over the counter, easily made "more so" by unblueing and then browning or just letting the iron hardware age, and using different rear sight, replacing the front sight with something more Handmade/period. No one is going to mistake it for an actual Hawken (maybe putting a $2000-$3000 custom repo in the Lyman box?) but I sure like mine for "what it is" and anyone who sees it knows what it's supposed to be, a generic "cause I can't afford a real repo like I'd like and it'll have to do for now" shooter. You will find all sorts of preferences here for specific rifles and "which is best" but the Lyman GPR has a reputation as a good, accurate, reliable rifle

It's good to remember that Lyman has never touted its rifle as being a Hawken--it's a plains rifle. Some of the differences are subtle and some aren't. And not every Hawken was the same, either. Google the Hawken Shop and Track of the Wolf and check out the Hawkens there. Don Stith's site: St. Louis Plains Rifle Co. should help you see the differences clearly. Dan

Yep, as I said before I don't want to bad mouth the GPR, I think a few have won shooting matches right out of the box. And as noted, there are a lot of "plains" rifles by other makers but not all Hawkens are the same. A few Hawken flintlocks converted to percussion have a plain drum.

i like 'em both. each one is unique unto itself, and it all depends on personal preference. the one part I really like about the GPR is the double barrel wedges and how its parts are steel instead of brass.
as for accuracy, if you put in alot of time and effort, unless the gun is a complete dud, you can have her cutting dead center.

A Hawken generally has two barrel keys. At least the halfstocks--fullstocks tend to have three.

Thanks for all the replies. Been thinking about one for a while.

I gave the some differences between a Hawken and a GPR. That is not to run down the GPR. They are a fine rifle. The most bang for the buck on an over the counter rifle. It is the one I recommend for people looking for a first rifle.

I concur that the GPR is the best bang for the buck for a production gun. They are close to period correct and the accuracy is amazing for a factory gun. I replaced the rear sight with the primitive sight which comes with the rifle and I love it. I would also recommend the .54 caliber.