I found this Uberti Santa Fe Hawken in a pawn shop about 10 years ago. The web between the barrel channel and the ramrod tunnel on the fore arm was split clear through from the nose cap to the rear barrel wedge. The lock mortise was damaged and I paid way to much for it. Sadly it hung suspended from the ceiling in my garage for years.
After thinking about on how to repair it I finally got down to getting it done. I decided to repair it in the style of a period, frontier expedient repair. The most laborious task was to stabilize the lock by meticulously fitting and filing a steel plate to anchor it.
A new ramrod was hewn from hickory using a small spoke shave. I then stabilized the crack in the stock with many applications of super glue and lacing an elk rawhide with buffalo sinew wrap around the repaired stock.
I took the repaired rifle down to my property along the Santa Fe trail in southeastern Colorado to see how it would shoot. Seems only fitting. Using a .520 round ball, .018 pillow ticking over 100 grains of an unknown FFG real black powder I was able to put 4 rounds in about a 3 1/2 group and an estimated 100 yards.
Not the prettiest girl at the dance. But I think it will still put them right in there for someone who has better eyes than mine.
Joe
After thinking about on how to repair it I finally got down to getting it done. I decided to repair it in the style of a period, frontier expedient repair. The most laborious task was to stabilize the lock by meticulously fitting and filing a steel plate to anchor it.
A new ramrod was hewn from hickory using a small spoke shave. I then stabilized the crack in the stock with many applications of super glue and lacing an elk rawhide with buffalo sinew wrap around the repaired stock.
I took the repaired rifle down to my property along the Santa Fe trail in southeastern Colorado to see how it would shoot. Seems only fitting. Using a .520 round ball, .018 pillow ticking over 100 grains of an unknown FFG real black powder I was able to put 4 rounds in about a 3 1/2 group and an estimated 100 yards.
Not the prettiest girl at the dance. But I think it will still put them right in there for someone who has better eyes than mine.
Joe