Hawkens East?

I’ve been studying on this and I wonder if some didn’t go back east. Hear me out now. What’s to say someone didn’t buy a Hawken and head west only to find its to tough for them. They turn back east taking that new Hawken rifle back with them. I know we think of everyone in those days as being tougher than a pine knot, but that’s not realistic. The law of averages says that some percentage of those folks turned back.

Stykbow said:

I’ve been studying on this and I wonder if some didn’t go back east. Hear me out now. What’s to say someone didn’t buy a Hawken and head west only to find its to tough for them. They turn back east taking that new Hawken rifle back with them. I know we think of everyone in those days as being tougher than a pine knot, but that’s not realistic. The law of averages says that some percentage of those folks turned back.

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That is a valid point. Not even a question of toughness in every case. Many probably just found out they liked their old environment better. Where there were no Comanches.

Hermit Tim said:

That is a valid point. Not even a question of toughness in every case. Many probably just found out they liked their old environment better. Where there were no Comanches.

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Exactly!

Or they couldn’t find that valley thick with beaver like the old chief said. Seriously though, your idea makes a lot of sense.

You'd be surprized what shows up on NZ - I've seen a J J Henry (missed out on getting it myself - dammit); A Derringer Rifle; I briefly had a couple of Springfields; I have a rifle almost certainly by Levi Smith Sandusky County Ohio and another could be by Stilgenbauer. All sorts of 'exotica' show up on top the usual English which you'd expect. I've yet to run across a Hawken though. Had the privilege of selling an original Colt Revolving Rifle for a client a while ago.

Stykbow said:

I’ve been studying on this and I wonder if some didn’t go back east. Hear me out now. What’s to say someone didn’t buy a Hawken and head west only to find its to tough for them. They turn back east taking that new Hawken rifle back with them. I know we think of everyone in those days as being tougher than a pine knot, but that’s not realistic. The law of averages says that some percentage of those folks turned back.

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One did turn up hanging over a honktonk bar in Arkansas back in the 1970s. I would bet some one bought it and used it in the west returning to homestead in Arkansas then in later years it just became an old gun that went to a junk store and bought for a decoration