John Brown, Mormon soldier used a 66 cal. fullstock Hawken with scroll trigger guard and Tennesse cheek piece. The "super" Hawken Sam recalled at an older age was maybe .69 caliber and made to defend against Arikaras shooting down on their keelboats when William Ashley's group was attacked. We don 't know if it was full or half stock or flint or percussion. Myths die hard. The old belief that all fullstock Hawkens had flat to the wrist trigger guards and Tennessee cheek pieces and all later half stock Plains Hawkens had scroll trigger guards and beaver tail cheek pieces doesn't hold water.. There are examples of actual rifles to dispel these stereotypes. Also evidence that the 1803 half stock Harper's Ferry rifles never went wirh Lewis and Clark's Corp of Discovery. Later half stock Sam Hawken Plain rifles would have been 53 caliber and 1 in 48 inch twist accordingly to Art Ressel of the modern Hawken Shop formerly in St. Louis. Jim Gordon's book of Great guns of the Old West shows some of the many original Hawkens from his museum - both full and half stock. Jim Kibler's Hawken kit will be decided from a myriad of possible artifacts. Can hardly wait to see.
