anyone attempted to make a TC Hawken correct?

[kobrakommander]

I have a TC Hawken and the single underlug and brass furniture bugs the heck out of me. Now I know I can get iron furniture from the Hawken shop but I am still left with a non correct single lug barrel. So has anyone attempted to add the extra lug and move the front lug and fill the center hole with any degree of success? I already filed the comb down to correct looking dimensions and will soon be adding to the rear tang by welding some flat stock to the old one to extend it. I am also kicking the idea around of swapping the lock out as well.

 

[Rifleman1776]

It's yer rifle gun. Do wat ye want with it. When I first got mine in 1970, I steel wooled the wood to take the shiny off. Then I rubbed the brass with my dirty cleaning patches to darken and patina it. I (crudely) put some inlays into the wood. And I replaced the factory sights with more traditional patridge style. Still looks like a TC 'hawken' but, at least it doesn't glare "factory made" from a distance. Really, to me, it sounds like you would be much happier with a custom built rifle that is really a Hawken style. Save yer pennies and go fer it.

 

[galamb]

There just isn't enough there to turn it into a a J&S or S. Hawken Plains rifle.

The stock is too short/slim and shaped wrong.

IMO you would end up with a worse looking version if you try and put iron/steel furniture best reserved for another rifle.

What you "can do" is make it more like one of Sam's "local" rifles (also called "plain", "turkey" or "squirrel" depending on the caliber).

These were "brass mounted", single keyed and do in fact look quite a bit like T/C and Traditions offerings (of yesteryear).

While you may be able to make a Lyman GPR look more like a Plains rifle from the brothers, your particular model just isn't quite there.

Anyhow, here's an S. Hawken squirrel rifle.

Another with the eastern style cheek

P.S. - that trigger guard, which is probably the "most common" on these style rifles is what Track of the Wolf calls a "Vincent" trigger guard.

(sorry - 1 more pic to add)

This is a Hawken Plains that had the barrel cut down to 27 1/2" at some point in it's life. Your T/C most probably has a 28" barrel.

This is what I mean by your stock being too short. Look how far the stock "extends" up the barrel - just way out of balance - but that's how much stock you need to balance two keys...

 

[Scota4570]

I worked one over. Cut the nonsense off the trigger guard. Nested new thimbles in the rib properly. Soldered the rib on. Added an entry pipe. Cast a pewter tip. let in the wedge escutcheons. Worked over the stock to look more period. Added an engraved eagle oval to the cheek piece.

The one real issue is that the drop of the stock is for the modern TC sights. Adding lower traditional sights won't work with a normal looking stock.

 

[shguns]

I might also add that the last picture Graham posted is of a Hawken with the barrel shortened at some point since it left the Hawken brothers shop, it is missing one ramrod thimble.

I have a replacement stock, curly maple, on order from Pecatonica for a Green Mountain barrel that is a drop-in barrel for a TC Hawken. I'm going to leave it as a one wedge key barrel. But I am going to use a steel trigger guard that is shaped like a late Hawken guard, I'm going to use the L&R replacement lock instead of a T/C lock and I'm using a Hawken style nose cap and an entry pipe, it gets a Hawken style steel buttplate too.

 

[Zonie]

If you haven't already read it, you might be interested in my topic about guns similar to the TC (and other) "Hawkens".

Follow this link
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/248316/

You will find that the single wedge muzzleloader was indeed popular during the mid to late 1800's.

Were they Hawken rifles? No but don't let anyone say rifles like the modern halfstock rifles with one barrel wedge never existed during the days of muzzleloading rifles.

 

[BrownBear]

You should make that a sticky, Zonie! :hatsoff:

 

[Zonie]

It already is.

It is at the top of the index page in the General Muzzleloading forum.

 

[BrownBear]

Shows you how observant I am! :redface:

Thanks, then and now. :thumbsup:

 

[necchi]

Nah,
I considered that same thing,, back about your age too.
Someone wiser than me convinced me that all I'd have in the end is a TC Hawken with extra stuff and a few changes.
By the time you stick that time and money into it,, your well on your way to affording a custom kit that you can make into what you want.

By all means keep the TC, it is a good decent rifle by itself for what it is.
But there simply isn't enough you can do to it that'll leave it unrecognizable as a TC to folks that know these rifles.
:idunno:

 

[kobrakommander]

Thanks for the replies. I was thinking about building one from a TOTW kit but it would cost me over $800 and I don't have a clue on how to inlet stocks or the tools to do it with :idunno: .
In an ideal world I want a fullstock hawken with flint ignition in a fancy maple stock with a Rice round groove barrel in .50 cal. I can dream I guess....

 

[necchi]

Oh I'm not trying to completely discourage you from doing some work to your TC to make it your own.
Re-furbing a rifle is always great practice and the personal results are rewarding.

I have a `98 S-10 with a 2.2 4cyl, 5 speed.
I could throw the ground effects on it, chop the top, tinted glass, custom 20" wheels, big$$ music system,,,,
Get where I'm going??

 

[mjulihn]

Oh I'm not trying to completely discourage you from doing some work to your TC to make it your own.
Re-furbing a rifle is always great practice and the personal results are rewarding.

I have a `98 S-10 with a 2.2 4cyl, 5 speed.
I could throw the ground effects on it, chop the top, tinted glass, custom 20" wheels, big$$ music system,,,,
Get where I'm going??

Yep, a sixteen year-old truck with 200K miles on it, faded paint and a sound system worth more than the truck! :thumbsup:

 

[Mickc01]

A Lyman GPR kit would allow some customization, be more affordable, and can give a pretty darn close to authentic looking rifle-gun,IMHO ....Mick. :hatsoff:

Also, you may want to search GPR here as several folks have done just as I suggest with amazing results.

 

[AZbpBurner]

It's a TC Hawken, shoot it and love it for what it is. Save your money to buy parts for that authentic looking Hawken you'll build someday.

I've got a 10 year old pick up. No matter how fast I drive it, and how tight I take the turns, it's still a pick up. It will never be a Maserati - not even if I give it fancy wheels and a slick paintjob.

Go out and work up an accurate load. Your TC will be a fine shooter if you do your part.

You won't be disappointed.

 

[Hawkwood]

I have two .50 cal T/C Hawkens. They're great USA made BP rifles that I think will be sought after in the future now that they're no longer made. One I have left as is from the factory. The other I replaced the brass screws with steel, trimmed the triggerguard, lined and engraved the patchbox and fitted traditional Hawken Shop sights. No, it'll never be "historical" but it was easy and cheap to do and it's mine.

 

[John Strong]

Just thought I would add some fuel to the fire. Try to copy and paste this in your web browser and look at this rifle.

http://www.nramuseum.org/the-museu...-plains-rifle/samuel-hawken-plains-rifle.aspx

 

[Vaino]

Some "plains rifles" were one wedge affairs and the brass on my TC Hawken is very dark due to many years of use...nearly as dark as browned steel. Never been polished and still looks attractive to me.....Fred

 

[BrownBear]

I did everything but replace the stock, then kinda ran out of steam rather than spend a lot more for a "custom" rifle built with TC parts. I replaced all the brass with steel parts from The Hawken Shop, then draw filed and browned the barrel and L&R lock. Swapped to a RE Davis Deerslayer triggers.

Started getting expensive with a mile or two to go yet before done. Bud bought it for the price of the gun and all the parts I'd installed, and I felt relieved to come off "so well" on the sale. He likes the TC stock but dislikes brass and stamped engraving, so never went any further with the conversion.

 

[shguns]

http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/280544/

Heres one with an extensive redo that used the TC parts not the stock though.