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  1. plmeek

    1792 Contract Rifle in Original Flintlock

    I apologize for seemingly being hard on Mr. Clark. I wonder if my criticisms are really being directed at Mr. Clark. I kinda doubt the he is the author of that document about his collection. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that it had been written by an underclassman. I googled Lt. Gen...
  2. plmeek

    Questions about original Hawken Halfstocks

    Not common, but a few have survived. In addition to the rifle you linked, the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody, WY has a brass mounted Hawken rifle that otherwise fits the configuration of a Hawken Mountain Rifle aka a plains rifle in modern jargon. I'm not sure what caliber it is but appears from...
  3. plmeek

    1792 Contract Rifle in Original Flintlock

    According to Moller's tables, of the 1,476 Contract Rifles delivered in 1792, only 121 came from Philadelphia gunmakers. Lancaster gunmakers delivered 825 rilfes, York gunmakers delivered 404 rifles, and Berks county gunmakers delivered 126 rifles. Of the 2,000 Second Issue rifles delivered in...
  4. plmeek

    1792 Contract Rifle in Original Flintlock

    Gus, I offer a different opinion about whether imported locks, particularly English locks, had their lock bolt holes drilled and tapped and the plates hardened. I know that Gary Brumfield was highly respected as a talented and knowledgeable gun maker. And there is good reason to value his...
  5. plmeek

    1792 Contract Rifle in Original Flintlock

    As usual with these threads, they often go off in a lot of different directions that makes it kind of hard to follow. That said, there are a number of statements that I find confusing and others that appear to be down right misleading. First off, from the fuzzy photo and the meager description...
  6. plmeek

    Track of the wolf and the lefthand builder

    I need to correct myself in my previous post. I looked under "Left Hand Stocks" on Track's website and saw links to 5 different models of lefthanded pre-carve stocks. I didn't click on all those links until a little while ago. Only three of the five are actually available. The Leman Trade...
  7. plmeek

    Track of the wolf and the lefthand builder

    Darkhorse, You may not be looking in the right places on Track of the Wolf's website. It's true that under their "Gun Kits" they only list lefthanded full stock and half stock Hawken rifles, but they still offer all the parts to build most of the other types of rifles you listed. They haven't...
  8. plmeek

    Fusil de Chasse specs

    Concerning the stock wood, Clay Smith appears to be speculating when he says, He doesn't cite a source but rather refers to personal observation which reminds me of the parable of the blind men and an elephant. Just how many originals has he seen? In the book, The French Trade Gun in North...
  9. plmeek

    Green River Rifle Works Hawken

    Shootn, I was looking through some old records and thought you might find this information interesting about your GRRW Hawken rifle, serial number H-053. It sold on Track of the Wolf back on 6/14/2004 for $1,399. Here are some pictures of it then. It was listed again on Track of the...
  10. plmeek

    Pair of Green River Rifle Works Hawken Rifles

    They are pristine, Notchy. They appear to be un-fired and have practically no handling marks on them. Here are some more pictures. The Half Stock Rifle The Full Stock Rifle If any of you notice how similar these two rifles look, there is a good reason for that. These two rifles were...
  11. plmeek

    Pair of Green River Rifle Works Hawken Rifles

    After Shootn posted his thread about the GRRW Hawken rifle he finally purchased, I thought I would post about my most recent acquisition--a pair of GRRW Hawken rifles. The pair are a half stock Hawken and a full stock Hawken. Both rifles have 1" straight octagon barrels. The half stock has...
  12. plmeek

    William Chance Shotgun

    While I was typing, Rudyard posted essentially the same information as I have below. Howard L. Blackmore in Gunmakers of London Supplement 1350-1850 has this entry, Replacing the springs in locks could get expensive as they would likely need to be hand made to fit. I know a master longrifle...
  13. plmeek

    Shotgun barrels ?

    If you rotate the photo 180°, it is clear that those are post-1813 Birmingham proof marks. The "15" marks are the bore size. If these are muzzleloader barrels, the number represents the number of balls-to-the-pound and not the modern shotgun gauge. The bore size was added to the barrel...
  14. plmeek

    Calibers used in the fur trade era

    There is a lot of anecdotal data in period writings that suggest a significant range of calibers were used in the Mountain Man period. William Clark recorded in his journals that he took his personal .36 caliber squirrel rifle with him on the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Sam Hawken in his 1882...
  15. plmeek

    Can this rifle be helped?

    Can't comment on the stock and mounts since you haven't shown any pictures of them, but the barrel and lock are clearly antiques and obviously worn out. The tail of the lock plate shows signs of modification where the double engraved lines are partially missing. Probably not the original lock...
  16. plmeek

    Green River Rifle Works Hawken

    That's amazing, Notchy. I about wore out my original copy and found another copy on eBay a few years ago for a reasonable sum, though I don't recall just how much I paid for it. It's still a good book, but I can't imagine someone paying the current asking prices for a copy.
  17. plmeek

    Green River Rifle Works Hawken

    Shootn, Based on the few photos that you've posted, I believe the stock is plain maple with a honey brown stain that has a hint of red in it. I'm not sure what stain GRRW was using on these early rifles, but it's pretty distinctive. I have several early rifles in my collection with the same...
  18. plmeek

    Flintlock I Have had a Long Long time....

    That rifle was probably made by Dr. Gary B. White. aka, "Doc" White, the founder of Green River Rifle Works in Roosevelt, Utah. Doc is well into his 80's and still building rifles. Hard to say when he might have built that rifle, but it could be as early as the 1980's or 90's or as recent as...
  19. plmeek

    Green River Rifle Works Hawken

    Good decision. The rifle is a fairly early one with serial number SN H-053. They made and delivered 680 half stock Hawken rifles before they closed. This one would be what I call the "first standard" pattern. It would have a Cherry Corners breech and tang. The barrel would be 1" diameter...
  20. plmeek

    An Unusual Hawken

    MtnMan, I was aware of Bob Woodfill's new book and will likely order a copy. I haven't been very impressed with Woodfill's articles that he's had published in Muzzle Blasts over the last several years. The articles were mostly a regurgitation of Baird's work with a little of Hanson's research...
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