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Not exactly sure what I have

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Got this on GB a couple days ago for a pretty descent price as a project gun ( it's not here yet ) and other than the brass tacks it looked pretty good to me. The rifle was advertised as an "Uberti Great Plains 54cal. "nice clean bore, very nice condition, Uberti USA New Milford CT" ( on the top flat - hard to make out in the pic )
Now I've had several Lyman Great Plains rifles as well as a couple of Santa Fe Hawkens and to me it looks more like the latter perhaps built from a kit, as evidenced by the backward front sight. It's the barrel marking Uberti USA that has me confused. What do you think?



 
LEJ,

When you get the rifle, it could be informative to pull the barrel and see what other barrel markings it has.

It will be interesting to see what the serial number is if it has one. I saw on the GB description that it supposedly is lacking any Italian proof marks. This would be very unusual and would likely mean that the barrel was breeched here in the USA. Even the kit guns I've seen from Uberti have serial numbers and proof marks.

A few companies like American Western Arms got around the proof laws in Europe by importing the parts from their Italian company and assembling the revolvers in the USA.

In the pictures, it looks like a Santa Fe Hawken alright. Many companies imported these rifles from Uberti and some gave it different names.

I recall searching the web in the early 2000's and landing on the Uberti USA website. Back then they were still importing the Uberti Hawken, but I don't remember what they called it.

Another variant I noticed from the earlier Santa Fe model is this rifle appears to have a color case nose cap rather than the pewter that most Uberti Hawken sported in the 1970's through the 1980's.

I just looked in an old Dixie Gun Works Catalog No. 153 from 2004, and it listed a Uberti Santa Fe Hawken with color casehardened furniture including the breech & tang and nose cap. That's consistent and may help date your rifle to the early 2000's.

Phil Meek
 
Yup you nailed it Phil - I have the same 50th Anniversary catalog - page 69. :thumbsup:

Dixie%20Hawken_1.jpg
 
I did some research on the Uberti Hawken but mostly focused on the late 70's and 80's. I wrote up a lot that I learned and posted it on my website.

Uberti Hawken

I know they continued to make them in the 1990's, but I haven't done a lot of research in this period or the 2000's

I've seen Uberti Hawken rifles with serial numbers in the 9000 range that date to the late 1980's. As a conservative estimate, I think they made over 10,000 of these rifles.

That's why I would be real interested in the serial number on your rifle if it has one.

Phil Meek
 
I'll be posting more about this rifle when it gets here. From the pics it appears to have a 4 digit serial number but I can't make it out.

In the 70's I had a small business and an FFL so when I heard about them from Mr. Allen, I bought 3 "kits" for me and a couple of friends. At the time I paid $199 each as a dealer. They came preassembled in the white and could be fired straight out of the box. We all finished them as we saw fit and two of my friends still have theirs. I traded mine for a Dixie Tennessee Mountain rifle with flintlock conversion kit. Still have that one.
 
Mtn. Meek said:
I did some research on the Uberti Hawken but mostly focused on the late 70's and 80's. I wrote up a lot that I learned and posted it on my website.

Uberti Hawken

I know they continued to make them in the 1990's, but I haven't done a lot of research in this period or the 2000's

I've seen Uberti Hawken rifles with serial numbers in the 9000 range that date to the late 1980's. As a conservative estimate, I think they made over 10,000 of these rifles.

That's why I would be real interested in the serial number on your rifle if it has one.

Phil Meek


Phil, nice Web site. Are you related to Joe Meek?
 
Received the rifle today and it's very nice - nearly new inside and out except for a couple handling marks and the brass tacks which I can live with. Italian proof marks with "Made in Italy for Black Powder only" under the barrel. Date stamp for proofing is 1987. Serial number 9667 so all in all pretty happy with this Santa Fe Hawken made in Italy and assembled here by Uberti USA. ( fixed the poor fitting nose cap and the front sight first thing :wink: )
 
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