Santa Fe Hawken on the Santa Fe trail report

[Joe Yanta]

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

 

[azmntman]

VERY cool. Twas good luck too, guessing the same powder charge the gun was sited to so many years ago!

 

[larry wv]

A very good original looking repair job. :thumbsup:

Larry

 

[nwtradegun]

that rifle looks almost the same as and original hawken with like repair

 

[Joe Yanta]

I appreciate all your comments. Thank you. Here are a couple of more pictures of the rifle.

Here is a better pic of the rifle rifle's full length.

Here is a detail picture of the elk rawhide around the rear sight.

The Uberti Santa Fe Hawken was first made available back in the late 70's. It was also available in kit form which I believe this one was. I don't think the barrel or iron furniture was ever browned. I think it was assembled bright. Time and weather was responsible for the rust brown and character it now has.

 

[MC One Shot]

The Uberti kits came in the white. The kit builder had a choice to brown, blue or leave it white. I browned mine.

 

[F.G. Ford]

Hi Joe,
Great job on the Santa Fe Hawken.
You would think it had surfaced at some long forgotten rendezvous.
You did a great job on the lock repair.
The elk hide was fine inspiration.
In many cases it is nice to handle a new and untouched rifle, but to experience one like yours would conjure all kind of thoughts of what happened, how did it happen, what kind of wrestling match did the owner have with some griz in some underbrush. You could have a great time making up some story, and changing it, each time you tell it.
A little like Kevin Cosner in Dances with Wolves.
Thank you for showing, wish I could see the rifle first hand.
Best regards!
Fred

 

[stantdm]

That is a great looking rifle. My Ithaca Hawken has held up well over the years but now has a crack in the stock. Your solution looks very correct to me.

Noticing that you have property down in SE Colorado I used to hunt quail west and south of Campo on the Comanche Grassland a long time ago when I lived in the front range of Colorado.

 

[Joe Yanta]

stantdm If I could make a suggestion about repairing your stock. Use a super glue to dribble down into the crack. If the crack needs to be pressed together use some surgical tubing or long rubber bands to pull it back tight while the super glue sets up and cures. Don't try to flood the crack with glue, dribble, press it, let it cure. After that you will just have to dribble a bead along the crack. You might have to do this several times.

Lacing a rawhide, sinew and hide glue wrap around the repair makes an incredibly strong and rigid repair. It has to be as good as fiberglass.

I've repaired cracks in heavy traditional longbows this way and it always worked perfectly.

BTW The nearest town to me is Thatcher. And about 4 miles from the Apishapa State Wildlife Area.

Good luck.

Joe

 

[Cowboy]

I appreciate all your comments. Thank you. Here are a couple of more pictures of the rifle.

Here is a better pic of the rifle rifle's full length.

Here is a detail picture of the elk rawhide around the rear sight.

The Uberti Santa Fe Hawken was first made available back in the late 70's. It was also available in kit form which I believe this one was. I don't think the barrel or iron furniture was ever browned. I think it was assembled bright. Time and weather was responsible for the rust brown and character it now has.

Joe, I think you did an amazing job on the rifle repair! Looks very genuine and original.

I don't know, to me she definitely looks like The Prettiest Girl At The Dance!

Nice job, and thanks for posting your great pics. of your Hawken

Respectfully, Cowboy :thumbsup:

 

[Docgp]

Fantastic!!! That beats a shiny new gun any day! Oh the stories you could tell!!

Doc

 

[BillinOregon]

Great job and great thread, Joe. Man, that photo of your target tacked to a juniper sure makes me think of that country. Fond memories of hanging around Bent's Old Fort.

 

[Rifleman1776]

We are here to preserve and relive history. Your restoration of that rifle is a story in itself. Kudos. You are enjoying living a bit of history. :thumbsup:

 

[Joe Yanta]

I think I should mention about the target and the tree. Although it might look like a living tree it is dead, dead, dead. And has been at least for the last 20 years that I'm familiar with. Trees are scarce in these parts and I wouldn't do damage any living tree. There are enough dead trees around here to provide years of camp fires.

There is a lot of history here. The Santa Fe trail, Bents Fort, Sand Creek massacre, early Spanish explorers and such. Like my brother in law stated "you can't hardly pick up a rock that doesn't have a fossil in it".

Wild life varies, Pronghorn, deer, elk, bear, turkey, quail, road runners, bob cats, rattle snakes and tarantulas. Over along the Apishapa there is a good size herd of Big horn sheep in the canyons. A badger took up residence over along my west fence. He must think he has deed to the place. Every time I see him he gives me a long nasty stare like I own him money or something.

J

 

[MC One Shot]

Of course its dead dead dead! You shot shot shot it for over twenty years...... :blah:

 

[F.G. Ford]

A badger took up residence over along my west fence. She must think she has deed to the place. Every time I see her, she gives me a long nasty stare like I own her money or something.

J[/quote]
Perhaps you do????
One of your dates, many moons ago, that you conveniently "forgot" to phone back, after a nights drinking and wooing. :wink:

I frequently got that badger look from some of my past dates.
:redface:


Fred

 

[stantdm]

Thanks for the advice on the glue up of the stock. I will follow that.

I used to hunt Turkey over west of Boncarbo but never took 350 over to La Junta.