Original Hawken with peep or tang sight?

[Dave Rosenthal]

Herb,

Thanks for your continued help!

I'm happy to report after an all-day round-trip to PA, that I saw an original Pennsylvania flinter with peep sight, circa 1830, made by J.H. Ford, a renowned builder of that style, with a 21 pound custom barrel, double set triggers, .50 cal, complete with a globe front sight too! It's hanging in Chuck Dixon's Muzzle Loading Shop in Kempton PA! It's not a Hawken style, but it proves my point! Dixon told me that peep sights first appeared long before the flintlock, on crossbows, complete with double set trigger releases around 1600 AD!

Back in the late 70's Chuck Dixon was a judge at the National's. This same subject came up during his watch. He told the person complaining about the use of peep sights he would grab his small sledge hammer and go around and knock everybody's sights off their rifles and to quote Chuck "The same fellows would win anyway, cause they know their guns and how to shoot them" That pronouncement quelled the problem and the shoot went on without any further troubles :shocked2:

I'm going to call that historian in NM for further info gathering--thanks!

If anyone else wants to add to this, I'd sincerely appreciate it. Since builders were putting peeps on flinters, it's not much of a stretch to assume that caplocks were made that way as well. Dixon has seen his share of peep-sighted rifles, flint and cap :grin:

Thanks again! :thumbsup:

Dave

 

[Mike in FL]

Wow. What an insightful thread. I don't think I will feel outside the era installing a peep on my Hawken.

 

[sheriff john]

Considering the thread is 14 years old, there might be some updated info, but what's there is really good. Tho' I didn 't see a reference to the fact that the Hawken business went bankrupt in March of 1857, nothing says the original Hawken Brothers didn't offer peep sights (or fit someone else's to their guns). Sam Hawken later teamed up with Gemmer who turned out some exceptionally fine guns on occasion in St. Louis for quite a while.

 

[Hermanoshawken]

Hello. It is Spain, which is where Ardesa manufactures its rifle
"Hawken Creedmore Match", which has a diopter and tunnel front sight with ring (peep shigts) there is no legal problem in using it in competitions, both to shoot at 50 meters, standing up, and lying down at 100 meters (called "Whitworth shot" per MLAIC rules). The barrel of that hawken has a Henry rifling, English or Scottish style, and a rifling twist of 20" (and shallow grooves). The latter is not vintage, since I have read American books about Hawken rifles and the rifling of them. It was deep and had a twist or turn at 48". What is not allowed in Spain are rifles with locks that have spiral or coil springs. That is why Investarm rifles are not sold in Spain (and I like the Lyman Great Plains in 54 caliber and 60" twist). Best regards from Spain.