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  1. plmeek

    Is that a Hawken?

    Notchy, I agree with your observations and concerns. Unfortunately, there is just so much one can tell from photos and the likelihood of being able to examine the rifle in person seems very remote. The person that wrote that piece isn't real knowledgeable about muzzleloaders which makes me...
  2. plmeek

    Lock I.D.

    Yes, the main spring was held in place with a screw that has broken off. Here are a couple of pictures that some other forum members have posted of their North Star Enterprises lock from the inside. I agree, I don't see any evidence that your lock has ever been on a gun.
  3. plmeek

    Lock I.D.

    Your lock was meant for a Northwest trade gun. It appears to be one of Curly Gostomski's locks from North Star Enterprises that he owned (see scan below from The Book of Buckskinning III). These locks (and parts for them) are no longer available due to health problems of the person that bought...
  4. plmeek

    Restore A Flintlock Pistol

    It certainly is cringeworthy.
  5. plmeek

    English Fowler ID

    TFoley, I have no disagreement with what has been said about current Gun Proof laws in the UK. I just don't think they are pertinent to the OP's question or his fowling piece. Looking at OldRust's avatar section, I see he lives in Pennsylvania, therefore he and his gun is not subject to...
  6. plmeek

    Brown or not to brown?

    According to surviving fur company records (Trade Guns of the Hudson's Bay Company 1670-1970 by S. James Gooding), barrels on trade guns were ordered bright, blue, and brown in the period you are interested in. Bright was probably most common followed by blue, then brown. The blue that the...
  7. plmeek

    Is that a Hawken?

    We do mangle words. And we are always inventing new words. Many immigrants came to America for new opportunities and freedoms and to escape economic and political constraints in their old country. Many chose to change their name, or at least, the spelling of it, as part of the process of...
  8. plmeek

    Percussion lock mainspring question

    I don't know if you can reduce it to a single number. The mainspring needs to be strong enough to consistently pop a cap and resist the blow back force so that it doesn't move the hammer back to half ****. Some may like it strong enough to hold the hammer and cap on the nipple to minimize hot...
  9. plmeek

    Is that a Hawken?

    No one is infallible. John Baird had his faults and made mistakes as is the case with us all. Our culture, on the other hand, doesn't seem to recognize this fact, and we often too readily condemn someone when they make an honest mistake. Baird dedicated Chapter 16 in his second book, Fifteen...
  10. plmeek

    Is that a Hawken?

    Josephg, Thanks for the link to the video. This rifle did sale at an auction on March 23, 2019 for $56,350 (Including Buyer's Premium). It was also featured in a Bob Woodfill article published in October, 2020 issue of Muzzle Blasts. In the article, Woodfill called it a Gemmer made "S...
  11. plmeek

    Octagonal barrel

    Yes, a 7/8" barrel would have flats 0.362" wide or 0.013" under his target 3/8". It might be better to be under size by that little bit if he is fitting an existing stock. We don't really know how accurately he measured the 3/8".
  12. plmeek

    Octagonal barrel

    A barrel 15/16" across the flats would be close to what you are looking for. Its flats would be 0.388" wide or just 0.013" wider than your 3/8" requirement. Actually, few barrels are made with all flats of a uniform width, so a 15/16" could easily fit within your tolerances.
  13. plmeek

    English Fowler ID

    There are a lot of misconceptions out there about British proof marks. I'm actually surprised that more research hasn't been done on them and a definitive book published on the subject. This thread, unfortunately, has repeated some of those misconceptions. David, aka ResearchPress, tried to...
  14. plmeek

    The Phantom

    Jim, There is not a lot more than what I posted here. They were mentioned in the advertisements of the mid-1850's. I showed pictures in that post of a S. Hawken marked rifle that I submit might be an example. Other gun makers at the time were calling some of their rifles "California" rifles...
  15. plmeek

    Rifles of the 1830s

    I do like that one, for a number of reasons. And some other people like it, too. It sold three years ago this month for $109,000! Lot Detail - HAWKENS, PRESENTATION RIFLE, NSN, 52, PROV It will be interesting to see what it brings this time. The GW Atchison rifle came to light in the...
  16. plmeek

    Is that a Hawken?

    For the serious Hawken student that wants more than just a picture book, I would add The Hawken Rifle: Its Place In History by Charles E. Hanson, Jr. to Zonie's and Notchy's list of books. This book is still in print unlike the other books and available from the Museum of the Fur Trade or from...
  17. plmeek

    Is that a Hawken?

    Ok, I get ya now, OldMaineWoodsman. Kinda along the same lines, this is one of my favorite cartoons from that period. It was published in March 1974 Buckskin Report.
  18. plmeek

    Is that a Hawken?

    They were purely decorative, Dude. They are probably connected to the Rococo designs that European and later Colonial gunsmiths used to decorate guns with. Kind of mini volutes.
  19. plmeek

    Is that a Hawken?

    Yes, Polecat, your rifle is the same as the Uberti made Santa Fe Hawken that Leonard Allen started importing under his Western Arms Corp. I've written up the full history here if you are interested. A number of different companies continued to import the Uberti Hawken after Western Arms Corp...
  20. plmeek

    Is that a Hawken?

    I agree that there was no standard regards to Hawken rifles in the modern sense of a standard. I tried to make a point in my first post in this thread that Jake and Sam were in business for over 30 years and that it is natural that their rifles changed over that time. In addition, all their...
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