almost enough money saved!!

I've almost enough money saved to order my GPR .54 flinter! I found a kit on the web for $301.00. I wish I could find a used one, because I want to drop it in a TOW fullstock. I like the look of the fullstock, I want to make it a 13.5 inch reach, I'd like to put a patchbox on it, also considering stripping it myself. Does anyone know where I could find a picture of a Hawken fullstock I could use as a reference? Has anyone ever dropped their GPR in the TOW fullstock, just wondering how difficult? I've put together a .50 GPR kit and Trapper pistol. I just need a project for the winter.

Midsouth has the kit for $301.36 (I always check there first).

As far as an image, there is one in the Smithsonian that was converted from percussion to flint. Full stock Hawkens were like iron-mounted Lehighs. No one can prove they didn't exist (you can't prove a historical absence) but they agree they are passing uncommon.

Here is an "interpretation" of what one might have looked like.


[url] http://www.xmission.com/~drudy/mtman/museum/guns/guns.html[/url]

Now, you would think if they said "full stock" they would have shown the full stock in the image.


[url] http://donstith.com/j_s_full_stock.html[/url]

There is a dood photo of a Hawken fullstock on Don Stiths page.
[url] http://www.donstith.com/j_s_full_stock.html[/url]

I know that you don't want to hear this, but, I suspect that this project won't be a drop in proposition. This type of conversion usually becomes a royal pain that will sour you on ever building another gun.

I suggest saving a little more...ok, a bunch more and get one of Don's parts kits. The kit probably won't be any more difficult to assemble than trying to jury rig parts that are not meant to work together. And, in the end you will have a reasonably accurate copy of a full stock Hawken rifle.

I might add that changing the LOP of a precarve aint gonna be easy, since there isn't enough wood to continue the lines of the stock to full dimension to the butt plate. The butt plate will have to be cut shorter than an original, sometimes a lot shorter, depending on how much length you remove from the butt. This ruins the architecture of the butt. Makes 'em look kinda funky.

Just something to think about.
J.D.

Stumpkiller said:

As far as an image, there is one in the Smithsonian that was converted from percussion to flint. Full stock Hawkens were like iron-mounted Lehighs. No one can prove they didn't exist (you can't prove a historical absence) but they agree they are passing uncommon.

Click to expand...

Dang Stumpy,I knew I was slow, but didn't think I was that slow. I began my last post before yours was posted and finished 7 minutes later. :snore:

There are existing examples of full stock Hawkens. I have seen a couple and handled one. However, there are no examples of full stock Hawken plains rifles in FLINT.

The one existing Hawken full stock flint rifle is either an Ohio or Maryland style rifle, my feeble old brain can't remember which, made by Christian Hawken.

J.D.

That's OK. I have a cherry-stocked iron-mounted Lehigh. :-D Truly a fantasy piece.

It's what I wanted and I still think it is attractive and practical. If the lazy archeologists and historians haven't uncovered any that's their problem. Until every rifle made between 1770 and 1790 has been accounted for and cataloged I've still got an argument. ;-) Most folks don't notice it's not just grungy brass and it looks "on purpose". It gets most of it's use anymore in my back yard and it has full acceptance there.

You have to weigh what you want vs. what is historically correct vs. how much you really care.

When all is said and done, it's your judgement call. You might lose points or peer acceptance at certain events and levels, but if that's not what you're in it for then it doesn't much matter.

Great statement Stumpy. I have no problem with fantasy/ undocumented guns. I only get upset with people trying to pass off a steer, as a prize Bull, and those that say if they had it they woulda. Life is too short to get into p****** contests. If yer into black powder, yer ok with me. If god wanted us to shoot percussion, and suppository guns, he woulda put caps and brass cases in the creek beds with the flints.

Bill

I love my wife, it's so nice to have that someone special to annoy the rest of your life.

Have you check with Dixie gun works.

Thanks all for your input! I don't know how much fun this hobbie would be without this site? I've been muzzleloader hunting for only seven years now, and prb for only the last three. I've only killed one deer with prb, so I've got a lot to learn. I want a flinter bad, but I don't want to spend a ton of money on one. PC isn't a concern for me right now, for I don't personally know anyone else that shoots traditional equipment, even though I only live a half hour from TOW. Hopefully once my kids get older I can join a traditional shooting club. For now I think I'm going to stick with my dicision to purchase the GPR flinter kit, but may have to visit the folks at TOW and see for myself how much work their fullstock would be, they seem to be very friendly and helpful there. Thanks again everyone!

why not just spend a hundred dollars more and get a pedersoli kentucky from cabelas? (if you do not mind .50 cal)

the Black Spot said:

why not just spend a hundred dollars more and get a pedersoli kentucky from cabelas? (if you do not mind .50 cal)

Click to expand...

IMHO, he would be better off shooting himself in the foot. I have a FRontier in 32 that is a pain to shoot. I should get rid of it, but it's such a POS that I can't pass it off of some unsupecting slob, with a clear conscious.

Again, if he does not find a decent production gun, then save up and get a quality semi custom or custom piece. IMHO, Pedersoli products leave a too much to be desired.

J.D.

JD has a point about a semi or custom gun. Many many moons ago, right before I got out of the Army the first time, (I retired the second time) I was getting interested in BP. A guy who just got to our unit from Alaska had two rifles built by Bill Fuller. They were exactly the same except one was percussion and the other a flinter. I was hot to buy a TC Hawken at the time. This guy gave me some advice and that advice was to be patient and wait until I got home and look around for a rifle maker. I did that and I ended up with a custom Hawken with very nice wood, an excellent barrel (Douglas XX) Ron Long lock and triggers and some nice inlays along the top flat of the barrel and around the muzzle. My patience paid off. I have a rifle I can be proud of and one that is one of a kind. It took about an extra year to get, but for me it was worth it. There are some good guys out there who don't necessarily charge an arm and a leg, and some will let you pay it off as you go along so it's not always so painful. Just a suggestion to check it out. Hope you get what you want and have a great time shooting it.
Chris

I'm torn right now!! All I'm sure of right now is that I want a .54 cal. flinter. I finally got out hunting this weekend for muzzleloader opener and nailed her clean. This pilgram used his GPR .50 cal. caplock to down a nice little buck that was running right at me on the ground, only ran 20 yards after the ball went though his wind pipe and the top of one lung and settled in hide on the far side. Should have had doe but powder didn't ingnite!!! I don't want to get something so nice I'll be afraid to take it hunting. Another consideration is I have never fired a flintlock, and am not positive I would like it in a hunting situation. I've read at another post that Lymans flintlocks are unreliable. Also I hunt in cold weather and would like a shorter buttstock, again PC isn't my first concern. Keep throwing ideas at me guys. Thanks

Both the Lyman and T/C commercially made rifles in flintlock are good shooters. Any claims that flintlocks are difficult to fire in cold weather is a pile, indicating the ignorance of the person making the statement. All MLs are difficult to shoot in rainy weather, but I have had, and seen far more problems keeping a percussion gun able to fire in wet weather than my flintlock, ever. One year, we had 7 hunters i camp on opening day. At the end of a long, wet, rainy day, both flintlocks fired off their loads at the first drop of the hammer. 5 different percussion guns all failed to fire the first time the hammer was dropped, and in one case, I had to loan the owner the use of MY nipple wrench, and some priming powder to put under the nipple, before he could fire his gun. ( BTW, after about 20 minutes passed following the last gun shot, and as the very last streaks of light were disappearing in the western sky, the ONLY buck any of was to see came within 100 yards of the fire we were all standing around, and cut across an open field for us to see. Not a loaded gun in camp! :blah: :rotf: )

I'm in complete agreement with Paul. I've fired more than 100 rounds through my .54 GPR in sub-freezing conditions. In fact, a few shooting sessions were on days that my hands were in pain just seconds after removing my gloves. The GPR shot just like it does in the middle of summer.