Hawken squirrel rifle

[markh]

Last fall I asked for recommendations for a light weight, hooked breech rifle project. I wanted to build a rifle my teenage daughter and the 4H kids in my shooting sports club would find easy to handle and clean.
I settled on a set of squirrel rifle parts from Don Stith. I've worked on the gun on and off since February and it's now ready for the range.
It's .45 caliber, with the recommended L&R
lock and my first attempt at a poured pewter forend cap.

 

[Sidney Smith]

Beautiful gun. .45 is a little big for squirrels although I've heard of larger calibers being used.

 

[sheriff john]

Beautiful rifle ! Congratulations. Good choice on .45 caliber - much easier to clean, especially between shots than say, a .32.

You can always "bark" a squirrel with a large bore - just shoot the tree below the squirrel's head and kill him with the flying bark. Or, shoot it in the body and have stew meat already in pieces.

Really like the long tang on the breech. Nice.

 

[Ray Settanta]

Looks good!

 

[deermanok]

Nice looking rifle. It could double as a deer rifle.

 

[hanshi]

Excellent job! That's a rifle I wouldn't mind owning.

 

[50cal.cliff]

That turned out real nice!!

 

[poker]

Great looking Hawken there.

 

[markh]

Beautiful gun. .45 is a little big for squirrels although I've heard of larger calibers being used.

Yes, I went with the .45 as it would make for a lighter weight gun compared to a .32 or .36

 

[nhmoose]

Great job!

 

[j2adams]

Great looking rifle sir!

 

[Marc Adamchek]

I'd like that sent to me, please! Great looking rifle in a great calibre

 

[Ajgall]

Looks good

 

[Barry Strickland]

I am glad you were able to contact Don Stith and get the parts from him. I tried contacting him numerous times through email and phone messages and never received a response.

 

[Terry Lightle]

Beautiful rifle,you should be proud of your new Hawken

 

[markh]

I am glad you were able to contact Don Stith and get the parts from him. I tried contacting him numerous times through email and phone messages and never received a response.

I ordered everything from him in late January, early February, after the Christmas shipping backlogs had cleared, and had a few good conversations with him. He did mention his wife was very sick at that time. I have heard people now say he is struggling with his health. I do hope not as he struck me as a very decent fellow. I am proud to have been able to use his parts.

 

[user 48679]