Putting together a set of parts for a second build

[bioprof]

I was planning on building a Dickert longrifle for my second project, but ran across a Hawkins precarved stock with a 50% discount because of a couple of small knots on the butt. It was listed as a plain maple stock, but I was surprised when I found that it was what they call their "fancy maple" stock. It only has curl over about 3/4 of the stock, which might be why they listed it as "plain" maple. Anyway, I consider it a bargain, and the knots remind me that it's a natural product, not one of them there plastic stocks.

I also picked up a 1" 54 cal. 36" Rice barrel on closeout for a bargain price. He had two left in 54 caliber, and I'm tempted to call him back and take the other one too.

I finished a Vincent Ohio rifle "kit" from TOTW not too long ago, and was very pleased with the results. In their catalog, they don't recommend the Hawkins rifle as a first project, but it looks like it should be easier to put together than the Ohio rifle because the tang is inletted along almost all of its length. The Vincent kit was inletted only part way for the tang.

My question is, what challenges am I going to be facing trying to build a Hawkins rifle over a Vincent half stock? Both have an underrib and both require the ramrod pipes to be soldered.

Have I been bitten by the bug or just too cheap to pass up a bargain? :hmm:

 

Have I been bitten by the bug or just too cheap to pass up a bargain?

Yes :crackup:

 

[rich pierce]

I found Hawkens (if you are trying to build something that looks like an original by J&S or S Hawken) the hardest guns to build correctly. Take this in the context that I was always scratch-building from a blank. Comparing building a Hawken to a "Kentucky" rifle, here are my thoughts:

Any plain gun is aesthetically pleasing solely because of the lines and fit and finish.

Fitting a highly curved narrow buttplate is more difficult and because it's iron, it cannot be persuaded to fit the wood by judicious peening.

The long tang is much more difficult to inlet than a flint style sort tang.

The hooked breech can sometimes be "loose" depending on the maker and the run and may need work (peening and case-hardening so it does not wear). Either way, it needs to be solid during inletting. Guys nowadays use superglue etc; I used solder back in the day to make it a fixed breech during inletting.

Barrel wedges are harder than pins to fit and regulate. Thankfully there are escustcheons to cover mistakes.

Properly fitting the lock to the snail is not easy. You may find this difficult. You want a near-perfect fit between the lock cutout and the bottom of the snail.

I'll repeat the first thing I mentioned- the lines are critical. The way the wrist flows in a Hawken is a thing of beauty.