Navy Arms Hawken Rifle

[Okie Hog]

Recently bought this Navy Arms rifle. The tang and breech plug are one piece.

Rifle may have been assembled from a kit because it had some issues. The hammer would not stay cocked. The trigger was adjusted. The lock bolt was interfering with the tang screw: That was fixed.

The bore is perfect. And the rifle groups very well, about 1 1/4" at 50 yards.

Firing patched round ball, the rifle was shooting about 7" high at 50 yards with the rear sight in the lowest notch. Made a new taller front sight from a nickel. Gun is shooting about 5" low presently. Next time out i will file down the front sight again and get the rifle zeroed.

i owned a Navy Arms Hawken nearly like this one in the 1970s. That rifle had the dovetail barrel and tang.

When was this rifle made?

 

[Ronnman]

Based the pic, it appears someone added a different trigger and trigger guard. I don't remember the Navy Arms hawkens fitted with set triggers. The original trigger guards were threaded into the front of the trigger plate and screwed to the stock in the rear. Yours appears screwed to the stock both front and rear. Is the barrel stamped Navy Arms? My guess on age is late 70s to early 80s.
Ron

 

[Okie Hog]

Thanks.

The barrel is stamped: Navy Arms Co. Ridgefield, N.J. U.S.A.

 

[Ronnman]

See below a page from the Navy Arms catalog, circa 1977. Your gun would be item K.
Ron

 

[Okie Hog]

Thanks very much. Will get it sighted in this weekend.

 

[Mr. Troll]

140 gr of 3F and a 377 gr bullet....wow, that's quite a load! The one above it will load up to .458 magnum specs?. :surrender:

 

[rich pierce]

No fun to shoot a load like that, for me.

 

[Okie Hog]

Can you imagine what that butt plate would do to the shoulder with the gun loaded with 140 grains of powder.

i remember when Val Forgett of Navy Arms took his big .58 caliber rifle to Africa.

 

[azmntman]

I would not shoot 140 gr with a slug. I am old n a weinie. I like to shoot abouy 15 or 20 shots when I go muzzleloading and doubt after 5 I would be seen loading #6 :shocked2:

 

[Mr. Troll]

I can just imagine what it would be like. When I load my Hawken with 400 gr. GPBs, and 80 gr of 3F, it is a pretty impressive push....Might have to try one like that just to see what it's like....Picked up some 350 gr. TC maxi hunters at the Gander Mountain going out of business sale....

 

[Okie Hog]

Just checked the twist rate; it's about one turn in 28-30 inches. After the gun is sighted with patched round ball i'll try the 320 grain and 370 grain Maxi Balls using about 80 grains of powder.

 

[timothy prouty]

HEY any of you guys have a crack in your stock by the lock

 

[Jumpshot]

Your sure that's the same rifle? I'm comparing the two pictures and I see several differences.

 

[Ronnman]

Differences noted in my post on 6/20. Tell us what your other noted differences are.
Ron

 

[Jumpshot]

I was just curious. But I did see some things. The slope from the comb to the wrist is a sharper angle. The wrist is longer. The distance between the thimbles is shorter, and the front thimble is not as close to the muzzle and the front sight. The rear sight is longer, and it appears to be mounted in a different location, much loser to the lock. It looks like it's mounted between the lock and the barrel key rather than above the key. Besides the gun having the wrong trigger, it also seems to be a bit farther back, behind the hammer rather than directly under it.

The barrel/thimble arrangement looks more like that of item J rather than K. But that still doesn't explain the differences in the trigger, comb, wrist, and sight type and location.

But like I said, not a big deal. I figure maybe it's just another variant from whatever year. I turned up the brightness to make it a bit easier to see.

 

[Okie Hog]

The barrel is 7/8" across the flats. The tang is permanently attached to the breech plug/barrel.

The rifle had some issues:

The nipple was bad. Got a new one from TOW. The threads are 5/16 coarse. TOW lists the nipple for the Navy Arms Hurricane Hawken rifle.

The lock bolt was hitting the tang screw. i fixed that problem.

 

[Ronnman]

Okie,
Does the barrel have a date code? This should be 2 letters in a box stamped in the barrel. See web link below: http://powderhombre.com/mbpproofmarks.pdf

Is the rifling in the barrel wide and shallow or typical square bottom rifling?

Jumpshot, I suspect this gun may be a later production than the 77 catalog pic.
Ron

 

[Jumpshot]

Jumpshot, I suspect this gun may be a later production than the 77 catalog pic.
Ron

I figured it was something like that. Still a good looking gun.

 

[Okie Hog]

There is no date code. There are no other markings.

The lands and grooves are the same width and grooves are rounded. Depth of grooves is about the same as that of my TC New Englander.

 

[Okie Hog]

Thanks everyone.

A gentleman informed me that this rifle barrel was made in the USA by Navy Arms. Not sure of the time frame probably late 70s - early 80s.

It's a decent rifle. i'll get it sighted in for deer season. Last trip to the range i forgot a file for the front sight. Will sight the rifle in using black powder.