hawken 58 update

[davy]

W'all thim south Texas Horny Toads is a rough bunch fer shore! :shocked2:
Onlyiest stuff I know ya put on and not need ta use sandpaper afore ya apply tha finish! :grin:

John H. does know "somethin or other" about that Bluin' bidness so ya mite run it past him! Course him gettin up thar in age ya mite hafta run it by more than oncet! :rotf:

Davy

 

Looks good Rabbit. The lock panels are tapering back real nice and the panels are shaped pretty good too. The slow rust blueing would be a good way to finish 'er up.
The next one's goin'ta be a .58 ya say. I'm building another .58 right now tapered from 1 and 1/8th to 1 1/16th in 34" long. Feels pretty good so far. I got the idea from the specs on the Modena rifle.

 

[rabbit03]

yeah ol John is still a gettin it but every now and then you can hear the choke a stickin. But then he comes right back a revin er hard.

rabbit03

 

[rabbit03]

Hi Cooner appreciate the input and the compliments. It is coming along. I sent John L. Hinnant a web address on a Medina Rifle that a fellow makes it had some real nice photos and a write up too. If I find it I will post it here below for you. I too like the idea of a tapered barrel and after shooting the Big 58 I am not sure if anything else will ever do. It is EXTREMELY accurate. But being able to off hand a bit lighter rifle in the same configuration as the I am building here but with a shorter barrel sounds REAL gooood.
[url] http://myweb.cableone.net/davidlorenz/BLR-index_files/Page618.htm[/url]


rabbit03

 

I forgot to tell ya...I also like the fact that you put a low profile cheekpiece on your rifle. It doesn't stick up 3/4" off the stock. Nice job Rabbit. :thumbsup:

 

[rabbit03]

Hi Cooner how goes it. I appreciate all the compliments thanks.

The stock profile looks good although it looks a little 'FAT' if you will around the stock from the wrist to the butplate area. This is based on some photos of originals. I had a discussion with John L. the other day about some of the differences in original Hawkens. We came to the conclusion that there are minor differences in each Hawken primarily because there were different artisans working on each rifle during the life of the Hawken Rifle making years. And for this reason you will find perhaps one Hawken wtih a slight degree of difference in a line here or a taper there in all of them. There is no mistaking a Hawken but there are still differences in them all. So the conclusion I came to was if mine is a bit different than what is (SUPPOSED) to be HAWKEN then that is ok. And anyone who would say that "Well a Hawken didn't look like that" might be limited in his knowlege of Hawkens for certain. Granted there are defintiely Hawken Traits but there are variations also.

I am very pleased with the way it is turning out and could not have asked for a better rifle. The wood, the fit up (for my ability), the way it shoots and handles are all shaping up just as I had hoped it would.

Today I filed the under-rib for the ramrod thimbles and will solder them in place tomorrow. The ramrod is a bit warped (imagaine that!) so I am planning to place it in a piece of 1/2 inch copper tubing with a cap on one end of the tubing and fill it with diesel fuel and cap the other end. This will hopefully do several things for me. It should straighten the ramrod over time, should preserve it with the diesel and make it bendable also by being impregnated by the diesel too.

I am still not sure if it will be blued or browned but for now I may leave it in the white untill I come back from hunting in NY. Still don't want to rush anything on the rifle.

I have learned another GOBB of things on this project as with the other rifle I built and hope that it will make the next rifle a better rifle than this one. More photos to follow hopefully tomorrow after installing the rod pipes.

rabbit03

 

[davy]

Well you COULD just leave it out in the weather for a few weeks .. that would most certainly take care of the browning problem right nicely! :shocked2: :rotf:

Davy

 

Funny thing that ya mention the subtle differences in Hawken architecture over the year that it was in production. They have similarities but all different. I was thinking about this today as I was looking at the Hawkens I have built and comparing them with the pictures I have collected of original Hawkens. At a quick glance they all look alike but when you really look at the details they are differing from maker to maker. And decade to decade. I saw a S. Hawken that was made in the 1850's. It was halfstock and a so called late triggerguard. It turned out that it was stamped J.&S. Hawken St. Louis. So it had to be pre-1849. I am convinced that it is very hard to absolutely date a Hawken by looking at the furniture alone. Architecture has more to do with dating a Hawken than the furniture it has on it.
Let us know how that diesel soak works out for ya on your ramrod and good luck on your NY hunt.

 

[rabbit03]

I agree I agree I agree! I have said to John L. on several occasions wouldn't it be great to go back and be a fly on the wall for even a day! What you would learn would be mountains of info about all of this. And most likely you would find that your right about the architecture being more of a date than the furniture. And most of all I think you woeld find that they had no idea what so ever that after 150 years they would be so popular. They were businessmen just like all businesses to day, just wanting to turn out a quality product that sells.

I plan to be up in NY about the middle of Sept and sure will let everyone know how it goes good or bad. Can you have a bad hunt? I doubt it.

I tried to silver solder the rod pipes on today and between my tourch catching fire and the heat not being hot enough it turned out like a S__t sandwinch, I got full but didn't like the taste! I cleaned it all up and will get it soft soldered tomorrow.

rabbit03

 

[davy]

Rabbit ... be sure and use an extry lsrge napkin when ya eat them sandwiches! They CAN BE very messy! :hmm:

Davy

 

[rabbit03]

Good advice Davy thanks. Amen

rabbit03

 

[Zonie]

"...wouldn't it be great to go back and be a fly on the wall for even a day!..."
__________________________

Buzzzzzzz "I think I'll just land right here" Buzzzzit. "Boy, I'm hearing the actual guys talking about what to make and what to change...
Yes! I knew Sam didn't like that but I never though I'd actually hear him say it!... Sam is agreeing to make a light half stock for some guy back on the East coast!..."
"Boy! I can hardly wait to fly back to the future to tell the guys on the MLF about what I've seen and heard! I'll bet they will be tickled pink to get all of this good informatiSWAT! "

You really want to be a fly? :rotf:

 

[davy]

Thim flys is pesky critters alright! :hmm: :rotf:

Davy

 

[rabbit03]

Well I ended up soft soldering the ramrod pipes in place and I have done better but they will do for now. It is about time to start shooting and sighting in the rifle for hunting. It got late and I didn't take any photos today but hope to tomorrow for those who are following the progress.

rabbit03

 

[rabbit03]

Well here are two pics and I appoligize for the poor light and quality of them. It was near dark and I will have some better ones up soon.

The ramrod pipes are on with soft solder (just like the way ol' John L. told me to do it the first time) although I need to do some touch up work on the solder joint underib area still. The ramrod slipped out of the stock a bit in the one photo (it was not cut off that far out in front of the muzzle) :shocked2:

There are still things that need to be done yet like bedding in a few spots that need colored bedding and final sanding/finishing of the metal parts for the blueing prep. Time is nearing though to go on the big hunt and I feel the need to get to shooting soon and may forego doing the little things I need to do so I can get some more time in shooting. Don't want to miss that critter when it comes time to shoot.

Well more photos soon to those following along, hope yall have a great weekend

rabbit03

 

[davy]

Nice lookin riflegun Rabbit! :hatsoff:

Davy

 

[faw3]

its 101 here in north Texas, tell me that isnt snow under your feet? havent seen sand that white since we moved back here from the " Key's" blaine...... dad ask if youv started Hawken 4 yet?

 

[fw707]

Now that's a rifle!!!
Very nice! :thumbsup:

 

:shocked2: WOW!!! :shocked2:
How long is the barrel on that rifle, Rabbit?

 

[JOHN L. HINNANT]

Good Morning Cooner54,

Toney's barrel is 42 inches long. and is great for shooting The X-Stiks matches.

I have a similar project underway but in 50 caliber and a walnut stock. It took Dunlaps a year plus to cut, sort, and find a walnut blank to meet my criteria. it was deliver late this past Friday.

Was not looking for anything fancy, but wanted the proper grainflow through the forearm and wrist.

Speaking of long barrels; was reading through an old issue of MUZZLE BLAST. Had a great article about an old time mountain man by the name of Tom Tobin.

The article makes mention of his Hawken rifle with 45 inch barrel. There are two photos of him holding the rifle upright with the butt on the ground. No doubt about the barrel being very long.

The unconfirmed rifle of Francis Parkman, made by Campbell, has a 43 inch barrel. There are other rifles one made Campbell, the other made by Hawken with 40 inch plus long barels.

It woud seem long Hawken barrels were not that uncommon or unheard off.

Bet they were not too handy from the hurricane deck of a horse.

Best regards and good shooting,

John L. Hinnant

If you are not a NRA or NMLRA Member, why not? I am carring your load.