Most 'Authentic' Hawken

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Yeah, wished I had better recall of those authentic Hawkens, but it was the '80s after all......

Kevin

Are we talking about original Hawkens or later repros? Confused....

 

[Mina]

All of them? Just looking in my Hawken books and no mention of bluing, but browning on the barrels. As to color case hardening? I could find no mention of that.

Ted Fellows built for me, to my exact specifications and with all American made components, the nearest copy possible of one of those heavy .54 cal Hawken plains rifles. Back then I didn't specify the treatment of the metal, let alone just the barrel. Turns out he rust browned the barrel. Bob Watts, in Stone Mtn. GA, put that barrel in a drum of oil and left it for days, he told me, "To stabilize". I saw it in that barrel with a few other barrels to boot in there.

 

[Mina]

And this thread is almost 20 years old…

It ages well.

 

[Grenadier1758]

All of them? Just looking in my Hawken books and no mention of bluing, but browning on the barrels. As to color case hardening? I could find no mention of that.

Color case hardening will fade fairly quickly over time. Sometimes the only evidence is under the butt plate or lock plate. The same for the brown barrels. We have seen several original Hawkens and recollections from one of the personnel of the original Hawken Shop support the case colors and blued barrels under the barrel when removed from the stock. Many of the book descriptions are observations of the rifles after years of use. It is true, Jake and Sam did not describe the rust inhibiting treatments such as case hardening or bluing on the rifles sold.

 

[Real1]

Are we talking about original Hawkens or later repros? Confused....

As I stated above, I was in the original Hawken Shop in St.Louis, MO, in the early 1980s. I'm a native of St.Louis. I was shown the reproduction parts they had in stock, and I held in my hot hands about six REAL Hawkens he had in his collection that they made the molds for parts from. And as I also stated, I drove up in a very expensive car(borrowed), and they gave me the grand tour because of it. They even commented about the car.

He also showed me a few reproductions that were completely assembled by someone else away from the store. As far as stores go, it was a hole in the wall and dark inside, but very stocked.

Yes, color case hardening, however beautiful fades over time and use. I used to collect LC Smith shotguns and the receiver/lock are color case hardened from the factory. It's very rare to find one in original colors. I had a few beauties and learned to color case harden to augment the ones that were faded.

Kevin

 

[Real1]

Color case hardening will fade fairly quickly over time. Sometimes the only evidence is under the butt plate or lock plate. The same for the brown barrels. We have seen several original Hawkens and recollections from one of the personnel of the original Hawken Shop support the case colors and blued barrels under the barrel when removed from the stock. Many of the book descriptions are observations of the rifles after years of use. It is true, Jake and Sam did not describe the rust inhibiting treatments such as case hardening or bluing on the rifles sold.

That sounds reasonably accurate. Rust blueing and color case hardening. I think it was common for the times and Sharps were the same. Rust blueing would certainly turn brown over time.

Kevin