The "new" Hawken...

Picked it up today. Have disassembled it and found no markings on it, except for the underside of the barrel, which is shown below, and the inside of the lock, which is an L&R, not a D&L, as the lgs guy said.

Here it is...













Would love to know who made it, but not likely, given lack of any actual markings.

Looks like you have a half stock Hawken by Sharon Rifle Barrel Co. These were primarily sold as kits, which Sharon Rifle Barrel Co. introduced in 1976.





Since your rifle was likely assembled from a kit, and without some kind of makers mark, it's very unlikely to know the individual that assembled it.

Sharon sold a number of these kits before they went bankrupt in July 1978. A retail outlet called Old West Arms in Denver, CO may have purchased the remaining inventory of Sharon kits as they advertised and sold the kits for a couple years beginning in 1979.



Besides the markings on the barrel in your photograph, Sharon Hawken rifles are easily identified by the unique shape of the snail on the breech.



Sharon used L&R locks and triggers, but many of the other parts were their own design and manufacture. The lower entry pipe is also unique, but you can't tell the difference with it in place. The half stock kit came with a bar of pewter-like metal to cast the nose cap.

Sharon Rifle Barrel Co. made black powder barrels for a number of years prior to offering the kits, and they earned a good reputation for accuracy.

Phil

and without some kind of makers mark, it's very unlikely to know the individual that assembled it.

Click to expand...

That was pretty much what I said in the OP. However, whoever did the fitting on this rifle did a very good job, and it is in very good condition. May refinish the wood, and brown the barrel, lock, and furniture, except for the nose cap, which is a poured, pewter nose cap.

Not a bad looking rifle, what caliber is she??

.54 caliber

Thats a nice looking Hawken Rifle! How long is the barrel?

36", 1" across, and 1 in 72 twist.

A few more shots of the rifle...

I'm not a big fan of Hawken rifles, my preference running toward ealier stuff.
But.
If I could find a rifle half as good as the one you have for twice the price I'd snap it up in a heartbeat.
Never ever sell it. It's more than a fine rifle, it's a gloat trophy. You have a lot of people green with envy.

Nice. Even 1776 will have a hard time complaining that you didn't make it clear in your title that it was a reproduction...

That is one sweet lookin rifle! :thumbsup:

Thats a nice one for sure. I wouldn't refinish it if it were mine, as I think it looks great as is and has character. It's a good one either way :thumbsup:

On original Hawken rifles, what were the nose caps made of?
Pewter, steel, silver, gold?
Fred

If you mean the original Sharon kits, they were pewter.

I don't know what the original Hawken brothers' Hawkens used.

+1 on not refinishing.

Some people go to a lot of effort to get a rifle to look like yours. Kinda kills that "Greenhorn Look".

Nice rifle. I have one that I bought in 1976. Just as a FYI I had to replace the lock internals after about 20 years.
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/794/1/LOCK-LR-UPGRADE

Old Ford said:

On original Hawken rifles, what were the nose caps made of?
Pewter, steel, silver, gold?
Fred

Click to expand...

The vast majority of original Hawken made MOUNTAIN Rifles (not including the local "squirrel" rifles) used braised iron nose caps. According to Don Stith the very few original Hawken made mtn rifles with poured pewter caps are replacements and not original to the rifle.

On at least one the nose cap is made of silver but then the whole rifle is silver mounted....

Ditto!