#3 Hawken Full Stock

[sean30ber]

Been hemming and hawing on the next build. Finally decided on a full stock Hawken. After researching I picked A Don Stith parts set. Full stock curly, .54 DeHass tapered barrel. Been emailing Don back and forth. Real nice guy to deal with, He is hooking me up more than can be asked for and from you guys came highly :bow: recommended. I see why now. Going to be a couple weeks till it gets here but cant wait. Done a couple documented builds here and if there is interest ill post this build here also. Here is a picture of a Selb built Stith set I hope to emulate. Unfortunately I don't have the capability to case color harden so it will get browned.

 

[Vaino]

Besides having quality, HC parts sets, Don Stith is so helpful w/ any questions about his "kits". I built one of his S. Hawken half stock parts sets and he even sent pics of originals to help me in shaping the tang area.

That Stith fullstock Hawken that you're going to build will be "handsome" to say the least and w/ the tapered bbl, will be a nice hunting rifle. Good luck on the build and please post pics......Fred

 

[galamb]

Nice choice, in both the supplier of parts and the style of rifle.

A full-stock Hawken is on my "to do" list down the line a bit.

I built a half-stock (Kit Carson) as one of my first rifles but my tastes have changed and now only build full-stocks - so gotta have one when I get a couple of others out of my system first.

I would appreciate you posting up your progress - might save me a "whoops" along the way when I get there.

You mention browning. I think if you ask Don you might find that "rust blue" was somewhat (common) on original Hawken rifles - if you are looking to stick close to an "original".

 

[wattlebuster]

Looking forward to seeing it :hatsoff:

 

[fleener]

you can send the lock plate to classic guns in IL, they will do the color case for you.

they are reasonable and fast

fleener

 

[sean30ber]

Now there is an idea. Thanks for the company name. Just looked them up. Nice work. I was thinking Lock plate, Butt plate and trigger guard.

 

[galamb]

Just be careful - if you make it "too pretty" you won't want to take it out and get some "battle scars" on it :grin:

 

[sean30ber]

Rookie question.

I'm going with the L&R late English Percussion and have to order the 1/2 inch powder drum, nipple, and nipple install tool. I've never installed one before so not sure which one to order. There is one that is pre-drilled for a clean out screw on the end and one that has an install lug that you cut off after the install. On the lug one, is there a hole for taping for a clean out once cut off, do you file the lug square for later removal like the old Leman lugs. Or just cut it off, file it flat and have a perm. install. Does it mater for correctness what style. I cant find good pictures of Hawken percussion conversions, The one I did find has the Leman square but it was noted that the install was half-A@@. I figure the style would have depended on the converter back then. Opinions!! Thanks

 

[gunmaker43]

Lots a old ones don't have the "clean out" screw, take the nipple out to clean--same thing...Tom

 

[LaBonte]

The reason you won't find many original Hawkens with a drum and nipple is because there are only a handful converted thusly such as the Smithsonian Hawken which was poorly converted - the majority of original Hawkens were either made originally as percussion or when/if converted either had a lug brazed to the barrel or they cut the barrel down from the breech end and replaced the breech plug...

 

[sean30ber]

I didn't even think about it being re-breeched.My choice is to be able to direct swap to the late English Flint, unscrew the drum and screw in a vent liner if I so choose to do down the road. I guess my choice is just personal. I would have gone with the snail breech but that eliminates the quick and easy option. This all helps me decide. Thanks guys.

 

[galamb]

Don't know if this will help with your decision or not.

It is a Hawken converted to percussion, but one built by Jake and Sam's father, Christian.

I suspect it could be considered a "correct" or a typical conversion of the day.

This one clearly has a square'ish (filed) end on the drum with no clean out screw.

Also, since you will be using a "Leman" lock in place of the flint, I would go with the squared end - after all, there is no way to know "who" would have converted a flint to percussion - could have been the brothers themselves or any gunsmith...

 

[sean30ber]

Got my parts set in from Don Stith today. Nice parts put together and a beautiful grained stock. Then I saw the crack running along the length of the comb. It was already circled so I don't know if he thought it would come out in final shaping but I'm guessing in the Arid climate in AZ it got worse in shipping. The cracks cross sections at the butt is over a 1/4 inch deep and its running past his pencil marks almost to the front of the comb now. I've shot him an email and I'm sure he'll take care of me. I wasn't sure if there was a way to fix this or is it better to just have it replaced. Looks bad to me but I've never dealt with a cracked stock before. This is certainly not a gripe post. I havent even heard back from him. Everone says he is outstanding. Just curious how this is usually taken care of. If its cracked to bad

 

[galamb]

You should have that replaced - you are not going to work around/remove that.

Possible that it was detected at the shop to be set aside to sell as a second or something and somehow ended up getting shipped to you.

I can't imagine Don shipping this out "knowingly" unless you bought it as a second.

(too bad, the figure looks pretty nice)

 

[sean30ber]

No seconds. He gave me this nice figured stock at regular price because that was the only one set up for the .54 DeHaas he had. I'm sure he will square me away. I figured it was to bad. I'm not stressing it. Things happen. I'm sure ill hear from him soon. Just wanted to hear weather or not it was fixable. Like I said, I have never dealt with cracks before.

Im only sad because it is beautiful wood. SO SAD

 

[sean30ber]

Don is hooking me up with a new stock :grin: . Just have to wait till its shaped. I can get her breached and get the castings filed out in the mean time.

 

[30coupe]

If he is sending you a new stock, does he want that one back? I think that stock could be saved, but I would certainly not want to pay full price for it...or even close. I'd use a syringe to inject a thin epoxy (Acraglas comes to mind). Then clamp it as tightly as possible. I've used surgical tubing on stocks like that with good results. It takes a lot of tubing, but you'd be surprised how much you can close the crack with it. Start wrapping the tubing at the comb and work back to the butt, stretching it as tight as possible. Then I'd put a couple of brass threaded rods through the area under the butt plate to stop movement at that end (Brownell's carries the rods). They wouldn't show and should keep the crack from growing. As pretty as the grain is, it would be a shame to render it to the scrap pile. Just my two cents worth.

Russ

 

[Rifleman1776]

Unfortunate.
But shipping wood from one type of climate to a different one can do that. I used to sell some wood for turning. Red cedar always arrived cracked and I had to discontinue selling that.
Glad he replaced, not a 'saver' IMHO.

 

[sean30ber]

Trigger guard question? The front pin on the trigger guard is round. It appears in the blue prints that it is threaded and screwed into the trigger plate. Is this correct? Or is it slipped into a drilled hole in the trigger plate and peened over like a rivet. Or is it cut off and Screwed from the back side like the rear of the Guard. If its threaded can someone tell me where to get a single 1/4x28 Die. All ive seen are sets. Thanks


30coupe. I'm probably going to keep it if he doesn't want it back. If not you'll be the first to know.

 

[sean30ber]

Here is a pic of that round tab. Im assuming its 1/4 by measuring it. I have plenty of time to prep steel. Should have it all but finished before the stock comes in.