Hawkenized Thompson Center rifle

[reddogge]

I did this back in the 80s for my brother in law. He won this Fajen stock at a DU dinner and asked me to do it up for him. I decided to make it a little more Hawken like with iron furniture, etc. The parts didn't fit well and needed a lot of fitting. I was able to find a lot of parts and some I had to make like the thimbles, front sight, rear sight. I filled the rear dovetail and installed a more accurate fixed sight and the front sight was a silver nickel. The stock had the inlet for the Thompson Center patch box so I decided to just put an iron oval over it. Hindsight, I should have made another patchbox in the oval shape but didn't. Overall, the rifle turned out pretty nice in the end. Killer piece of curly maple. I hope I haven't posted this before. The old mind, you know.

 

[2 shots]

very nice

 

[Nobade]

I've been thinking about doing that to one of mine, using a Pecatonica stock and Hawken Shop parts. Not only does it look way nicer but with the added drop in the buttstock it would handle and shoulder better. Nice work you did there!

 

[Gtrubicon]

What a beautiful piece of wood.

 

[chorizo]

Beautiful piece of work. Well done. Well done.

 

[1950DAVE]

All very well done.

 

[hanshi]

That's a great "Hawkenish" rifle. And for sure you did an excellent job on it. The stock is undeniably beautiful.

 

[Yewbender]

Rich, if my memory serves me correct you have told me about this rifle one time when we were shooting our stick bows at a shoot. I got to say that is one sweet looking rifle buddy!!! You sure did an outstanding job on it from fit to finish!

 

[Thingamajiggy]

Looks great. Nicely done.

 

[appalichian hunter]

Best looking TC I have seen in a long time. Good job .

 

[bigted]

Always makes me laugh about the folks that say words like “HawkenISH” when remarking on a TC rifle. I have researched the Hawken brothers rifles and find photo’s of rifles that look remarkably like our modern TC Hawken rifle with a single barrel wedge and the nose piece. The finish and drop on the stock differs and the finish on the metal is off a bit but general lines and furniture are correct to my eye. The “conventional” looking Hawken’s rifle with the double wedges and longer barrel length are the image we all attribute to Hawken rifles. In fact the Hawken brothers put out several rifles that bear no resemblance to this general image of what the general opinion of what a “Hawken” rifle should look like. In fact the early Hawken’s rifles were flint and full stock guns bearing no real resemblance to the double wedge half stock cappers that folks expect when seeing a Hawken rifle.

meaning no disrespect to Hanshi here. I respect your opinion on most things sir but it tickles me that a glance at some genuine Hawken rifle pictures will appear [at least to my eye] that the appearance of “some” of the Hawken rifles produced by the brothers bear a striking resemblance to what TC did with their rifles.

This rifle pictured above is a striking gun with the wood and general shape with its furniture. I would be proud to own that rifle in all its splendor. Thanks for sharing it with us.

I will stand down now and remove myself from my self appointed pedistole and pipe down. Thanks for enduring a pompous ol fart and his blabbering unsolicited spewage.

 

[reddogge]

Always makes me laugh about the folks that say words like “HawkenISH” when remarking on a TC rifle. I have researched the Hawken brothers rifles and find photo’s of rifles that look remarkably like our modern TC Hawken rifle with a single barrel wedge and the nose piece. The finish and drop on the stock differs and the finish on the metal is off a bit but general lines and furniture are correct to my eye. The “conventional” looking Hawken’s rifle with the double wedges and longer barrel length are the image we all attribute to Hawken rifles. In fact the Hawken brothers put out several rifles that bear no resemblance to this general image of what the general opinion of what a “Hawken” rifle should look like. In fact the early Hawken’s rifles were flint and full stock guns bearing no real resemblance to the double wedge half stock cappers that folks expect when seeing a Hawken rifle.

meaning no disrespect to Hanshi here. I respect your opinion on most things sir but it tickles me that a glance at some genuine Hawken rifle pictures will appear [at least to my eye] that the appearance of “some” of the Hawken rifles produced by the brothers bear a striking resemblance to what TC did with their rifles.

This rifle pictured above is a striking gun with the wood and general shape with its furniture. I would be proud to own that rifle in all its splendor. Thanks for sharing it with us.

I will stand down now and remove myself from my self appointed pedistole and pipe down. Thanks for enduring a pompous ol fart and his blabbering unsolicited spewage.

The owner is my ex-brother in law and we are still friends. If I could go back in time and not have a full time job like in the 80s I would have gone the extra yard and put a working iron patch box in it. But I look at this rifle as one of my better jobs since it was all my ideas to covert it triggered by the awesome piece of wood from Fajen. He originally wanted me to just swap out the stocks, the standard brass furniture et all.

 

[Crow Choker]

Nice job 'reddogge'! Really nice looking TC Hawken. I to redid my TC (bought in '74) back in the 80's, although it is a percussion model (45), IMO I improved it. I cut off the finger spur on the trigger guard and darkened all the brass with cold blue then rubbed lightly with 4/0 steel wool. Stripped the stock and dyed the nice walnut with a dye made up from Brownells powdered dye's. Played around with different combinations until I found one that I liked. Applied a hand rubbed finish called Arrow and resulted in an improvement IMO to my original TC rifle. Have had alot of positive comments over the years from those familiar to how an original TC looks. The TC's are a great rifle, filling the gap when they were produced for those not wanting to invest in pricier custom or some of the more expensive offerings back in the day or now. Always rubbed me the wrong way when the naysayers would pick em apart not being true copies of an original Hawkin. Have had alot of enjoyment over the years shooting it and that's what counts.

 

[reddogge]

Nice job 'reddogge'! Really nice looking TC Hawken. I to redid my TC (bought in '74) back in the 80's, although it is a percussion model (45), IMO I improved it. I cut off the finger spur on the trigger guard and darkened all the brass with cold blue then rubbed lightly with 4/0 steel wool. Stripped the stock and dyed the nice walnut with a dye made up from Brownells powdered dye's. Played around with different combinations until I found one that I liked. Applied a hand rubbed finish called Arrow and resulted in an improvement IMO to my original TC rifle. Have had alot of positive comments over the years from those familiar to how an original TC looks. The TC's are a great rifle, filling the gap when they were produced for those not wanting to invest in pricier custom or some of the more expensive offerings back in the day or now. Always rubbed me the wrong way when the naysayers would pick em apart not being true copies of an original Hawkin. Have had alot of enjoyment over the years shooting it and that's what counts.

Actually, my second rifle after a Navy Arms Zouave was a TC kit. It was a nice functional rifle but I eventually sold it and went into an Ithaca Hawken kit which I still own. After that, it was scratch built flintlock rifles and smoothbores including this rifle. The TC kit was a good learning experience though.

 

[Rifleman1776]

drop on the stock differs

That is a major difference. The TC version does not fit or hold as well as the genuine article for many shooters.

 

[Sooty Scot]

If you did post this beauty previously, I must have missed it.
Hawken's aren't a personal favorite, but you did a fine job on this one.
The gorgeous grain in that stock, and who you made it for, obviously inspired you.

 

[reddogge]

If you did post this beauty previously, I must have missed it.
Hawken's aren't a personal favorite, but you did a fine job on this one.
The gorgeous grain in that stock, and who you made it for, obviously inspired you.

I sort of drift in and out of here depending on what hobby I'm concentrating on next so I don't remember a lot of my posts here. I guess it doesn't hurt to repeat some things.

 

[Bighorserider]

I did the same to my TC. Got the parts from the Hawkin shop in St Louis. I left the TC patchbox though and used reegade thimbles. Doesn't look as good as yours.