De-modernizing the T/C Hawken

[Herb]

JK- I have an old walnut stocked Thompson Center Hawken.45 a friend gave me. Never shot it much, bad fit. Finally decided to overhaul it. Length of pull was 14 5/8 inches to the front trigger. I took the butt plate off and sawed about half an inch off the stock with a coping saw. Refit the plate and filed it a lot thinner (it is quite thick and heavy). Fit a short brass toe plate. Rasped the cheek piece in and comb line down until the sights came to my eye. Cut some off the bottom of the back trigger. Cut some off the front trigger and heated it red (top bar clamped in a vise for heat sink) and bent it back. LOP now 13 1/2 inches. Photo shows a factory trigger below the one I changed. Also bent the trigger guard some. Replaced those big thick sights with others I had. Rasped the top stock line in to about 1/16" wide at barrel. Rasped stock down so key escutcheons and side plate washer and tang were flush with wood. Butt stock and cheek piece came out surprisingly like a Hawken. Rounded the forend, sanded all, stained with dark brown leather dye, put on a coat of sanding sealer and 3 or 4 coats of low gloss tung oil. Still haven't shot it.

 

[tg]

The first thing I would do is to dovetail in a primitive rear sight and put a similar front blade, in those sights are what really scream...20th century! from there you can take it as far as your taste desires with all the good advise already posted.

 

[bob1961]

as soon as you drill or file dovetail grooves in the barrel you will void the warrinty.................bob

 

[Herb]

I had a globe front sight with interchangeable inserts I tapped into the dovetail, for testing purposes. Will put an open sight on later. For testing purposes, I took the rear sight off and made a temporary one out of a worn hacksaw blade. Drilled two proper holes and used the old screws, bent the upright and filed a notch in it. Will file one out of good steel later. Or maybe fit a tang peep where the tang stock bolt goes. So I didn't cut any slots or drill new holes in the barrel.

 

[rayb]

Quote: "Still haven't shot it."

Send it to Texas & I'll shoot it for you.

rayb

 

[blaster4]

i added a fullstock and iron parts save the triggerguard. i could not find any to match. i got the parts from TOTW. it was my first "project". luckily it dropped the first deer it was aimed at and didn't explode into splinters. LOL the next step is to get some more tradional sights. i ran out of time finishing the rifle before hunting season.

 

[tg]

I would much prefer a period correct gun over a pile of warrenty papers.........

 

[JKVirginia]

TG,

If I were that pressed about getting a really pc piece, I'd save all the money I've sunk into fixing up a TC Hawken and put it towards all the pennies I'd be saving towards something like a ToTW or Hawken Shop kit.

As it is, I just want something that's a bit less glaringly high-gloss reflective in the woods when I go stalking for deer or squill.

I may replace the rear sights with the "conversion" iron sight sold at the Hawken Shop, but it'll be because adjustables have a bad habit of going off whack at the worst moment (like when you have a bead on a 10-pointer), not because I'm that concerned with it being period.

Now if I ever get into rendevous/buckskinning events, I suspect I'll care a bit more. But for the moment, I'm just not that worked up about it.

 

[caionneach]

Who or what is TOTW that has Hawken Rifle parts and kits? I am familiar with The Hawken Shop, but not TOTW. Do they have a web address?

Very good thread. I have a Lyman Great Plains Rifle that I am considering refinishing to brown metal parts.

Kenneth Smith
Monroe, Louisiana

 

TOTW,.... Is "Track Of the Wolf", and yes they do have a web-site!!

YMHS
rollingb

 

[blaster4]

you can get a fullstock cut for the TC pieces or a half stock. upgrade the wood if you want to. as far as the iron parts i used i bought the ones that would be on a period hawken. none of it will fit the stock. in fact you have to inlet the buttstock and toeplate, the muzzle cap, entry pipes and pin them, drill your barrel for staples to be instaled so you can pin the barrel to the stock. there was a lot of meat on that stock as well. had to touch up the inletting for the lock and tang and i reshaped the round cheekpiece to square as i think it was more correct. i was so proud of it when i was done. but after seeing what others can do here it looks like club with aquafortise on it. it was very helpful as a beginner project as i did not have to shell ou a lot of money. i guess you can't put a price on experience.

 

[roundball]

Okay, I've snapped a few Before pictures for frame of reference and started going to work. Here's what I've decided on at this point;

Barrel--Strip down with naval jelly, lightly sand if necessary, and allow the in-the-white matte metal to age as it will under a light coat of grease. With luck I'll get the mottled deep grey of an aged carbon-steel knife blade (eyeballs his "Ol' Hickory" butcher knife)

Stock--Strip that &$%@@#%$# Polyurethane finish out of it. Sand it out and raise the really bad dings, but leave enough in for character. splotch-stain it with a water-based stain a few shades darker in the heavy handling areas (cheek-piece, grip, forearm,) and more lightly elsewhere. Then rub in linseed oil til I get tired or the missus says she'll leave me if I don't get my nose out of that damned hunk of wood

Lock-- Leave it the heck alone--The color case is the ONLY thing I like about the gun as is lol

Brass parts--Blacken them with brass black or permablue

Any thoughts before I perform surgery? I'll post some pics when I'm through

Stripping suggestion:

Sanding changes stock dimensions...I've dropped a few TC Hawken stocks off at an antique furniture place that has a chemical stripping booth...pick it up a few days later for $20...it's 100% clean to the pure bare raw wood with no sanding, no pain, no strain, no fumes, etc...

 

[roundball]

It's interesting the differences we all have as to what's attractive or not, whether something should shine or not...I'm from the school where every time after I shoot one of my TC Hawken flintlocks, I don't put it up until it's showroom ready again...see my teeth in the brass, etc...I fill my deer tags and 99% of them are close in the 25-50 yard range so the deer don't care...heck, maybe it even attracts them
eace:

 

[RussB]

I'm with you roundball....100mph, If my gun has brass, I want it to shine. If my gun has Iron, I want it blue.

But that's the beauty of things.............. If we all liked Chocolate Ice Cream, there would be no Vanila.....and I should be ashamed for "hating" chocolate ice cream! But I'd rather take an old fashioned butt whuppin than even "try" to choke down a bite of chocolate anything....some folks probably feel the same way about brass on their gun, and that is as it should be. :thumbsup:


Russ

 

[tg]

I belive that the hunter is much more concerned about any glare from gun parts than the game he seeks, many folks use highly polished "white" barrels and locks and do rather well hunting, same for shiney brass furniture as many here can verify.

 

[blaster4]

hey those pics that i posted. are they just a redX or can they be viewed? i'm new here please excuse my ignorance

 

All I see is a "RED" X!!

YMHS
rollingb

 

[Hud]

JKVirginia, I noticed your last post talking about the rear sight for the T/C. Here is a link to "The Gun Works" web page http://www.thegunworks.com/custprodgun.cfm?ProductID=283&do=detail&Cat2Option=yes for a "California" rear sight that will fit the T/C factory holes. I know its not 100% PC but I think its about 80-90%. I put this sight on my T/C and really liked it. They also sell one that is not adjustable, and one that is a Buckhorn type sight for the T/C. :m2c:

Hud

 

[Zonie]

Drake: They look like a mighty fine rifle to me.

 

[blaster4]

thanks Zonie. i still can't see them though. just a red X

next project shall be the jaeger in .62 i think. or a transitional in .58 cal or maybe a nice fowler, or maybe.......man this is hopeless. i'll probably be dead before i can build all of these. lol.