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Contacted Kibler about Hawkins rifle.

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springfield art said:
He uses locks from the high quality makers, I don't believe he makes his own locks; he supplies the best locks along with his kits. I'm sure he can source a percussion lock from the same quality makers. The 'traffic' I see lately here about a Kibler Hawken convinces me he's going to be successful if he offers one.
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You sir have not followed Mr. Kibler’s work. He has been producing his own locks since at least 2021. Supplying for both his own kit and to other people for their own creations.
He does have a web site and YouTube channel which keeps current customers and those interested in what is happening at his shop. I believe you can also sign up for email updates which will give you offered quick ship guns and links to new videos.
 
My heaviest rifle has a 15/16 straight .44 barrel that is 42" long, the rifle weighs 10# 3 oz. After toting TCs through the woods for 40 years, my gifted rifle felt like a boat anchor. I treasured this gift so I sold my TCs and hunted with it exclusively, in a very short period time I got used to the extra weight and didn't ever think about it. I hunted with this rifle for several years until I built a Lancaster style rifle and later a much lighter Haines with a 38" swamped C weight .54 barrel. Out of all the rifles I own, the Haines checks all of the boxes for being user friendly as well as balanced and comfortable to carry.

I put a deer or two in my freezer every year with my heavy rifle, I hunted with it exclusively for 5 or 6 years.

Silver nanny.jpg


After I made an attempt to build a rifle, I swapped over to using my new build, it was downright first gun ugly but has a fast lock and was very accurate.
 
brazosland said:
Yall complaining about an extra two pounds making the rifle unusable are embarrassing to me as a shooter and a proponent of the hobby/sport.

And the Men that used and carried these guns across thousands of miles of wilderness averaged 5’10 and 170 pounds…at best. The Nancy’s complaining about the weight of an actual reproduction should maybe find another dress-up hobby like Cowboy Action Shooting.

Why buy the gun if it’s just another watered down, sort of looks like a historical gun? Just enjoy your TC “Hawkins” and call it a day.
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First, the vast majority of guys here are older and don’t carry it every day. Why would you be so insulting? I guess you need to feel superior.
 
springfield art said:
He uses locks from the high quality makers, I don't believe he makes his own locks; he supplies the best locks along with his kits. I'm sure he can source a percussion lock from the same quality makers. The 'traffic' I see lately here about a Kibler Hawken convinces me he's going to be successful if he offers one.
Click to expand...
He makes the round faced English lock.
Not sure about the other one he calls the import lock. I think it’s in reference to the style though
 
Wncman said:
He makes the round faced English lock.
Not sure about the other one he calls the import lock. I think it’s in reference to the style though
Click to expand...
I think he initially used the Chambers Late Ketland in the SMR. It seems probable that when he started making his own locks that he would duplicate the Late Ketland in at least the major measurements. That would eliminate the need to re write the cnc code for the stock.

But that's just me swagging it. I don't know CNC from PVC.
 
longcruise said:
Well then you are wrong on both counts by attaching the "s" to both. 🤣 Just warming you up to the heat that will surround the Kibler Hawken regardless of the choices Jim makes!

I'd like to see a plains rifle somewhat like the GPR but with earlier features. But I think he'll do better with a Hawken no matter how he designs it.
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Actually there was a stamp used in the early 30's that was ; J. & S. HAWKENS .





7
 
I'm guessing the Hawken rifles had heavy barrels because they didn't have high grade steel like today. And I often wondered why octagonal barrels were so much the fashion when they involved a lot more labor. Then I realized an octagonal barrel is stronger than a round one.

Considering all that, I'd bet a 15/16ths barrel is probably stronger than the largest chunk guns from back then.

I'm on the other side of the fence from the guys who want an exact duplicate of an original Hawken - keep it functional and not over-engineered. Barrels had to be heavy back then, but not necessary now. Why make it 14lbs when 10 or 11 is more than sufficient? Just keep things in proportion and do what's necessary to pull that off.
 
Maybe the J & S Hawkens was their idea of plural? I don't recall how their predecessors spelled it.

Maybe they ordered a stamp and the maker made a mistake. "Eh, let's just go with it"
 
In John Baird's book "Hawken Rifles" on page 21 there is a photo of a well worn J&S Hawken stamp on a rifle. No "S". On page 25 there is a photo of a lock plate with J&S Hawken on it. This leads me to believe they never put an S on the end of their name.
 
Jim had some ash stocks back in june 2022 on display at their open house. They normally don’t do ash but Katherine told him to use it because they had some.
 

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