Uberti Hawken, upgrades and modifications?

[S.Kenton]

I have a mystery Hawken rifle myself...a mystery as in I don't know who the maker was. The snail is very close to yours and the lock looks close. My stock is a little different..and was crudely made, I have sand scratches all over it, as a matter of fact mine, looks like about 10 miles of hard road compared to yours.. BUT I LOVE my rifle as you will yours, I'm sure. How long is your barrel? Also, whats the screwhead (?) on the opposite side of the nipple on the breech, for? I have one on mine as well and never knew what it's purpose was.
Anyhow, you have a fine rifle that will serve you well! Keep us posted on your progress!

 

[anj4de]

Hello all

This weekend we had some very nice weather for a change...so yesterday I went to a large flee market here in Munich. I came back home in the afternoon with a bag full of files and other useful tools, spent 24EUR all in all on them...
So last night while my wife was watching her favorite tv show...on the "happy girls" channel :td: :youcrazy: I went ahead and started. I first re-did the cheek to a much more rounded and more defined shape. Then I went on and made a paper pattern of the lock area as I wanted it and transfered it to the stock. I had a lovely "Weißbier" and became a bit brave...I took the files and gave it a go. To my surprise it was not as difficult as I had remembered it from Hawken #1 25 years ago...I have to say that the work the Italians delivered was more then sloppy. There was an area infront of the lock where the had sanded in a valley that was deeper then the rest of the forestock. You can still see the dark spots about an inch infront of the newly carved lock areas. There is still a lot of work to be done but I see a light at the end of the tunnel. The forestock will also need a bit of work since at the entry timble it's a lot thicker then around where the lock area starts...and it was like that already. All in all I have so far worked around 6-7h on the stock, it now becomes clear why factory guns are either super expensive or simply sloppily done. Here are some pics...

cheers
Uwe

 

[Richard Kemp]

I bought a kit-built Sharon Hawken whose stock is "too fat". It'll get the same treatment this winter that you have undertaken. I'm using the Hawken full size gun plan from TOW for dimensions.

 

[necchi]

Nice Job!
Well done Uwe

 

[Wes/Tex]

As we say in Texas, Yuh done good"!

Looks like a fine job of trimming and reshaping. Excellent work! :hatsoff:

 

[Herb]

Excellent photos and nice work. The trigger reach (length of pull) I measure from the deepest buttplate curve to the front trigger. If that stock is too long for you, now is the time to shorten it. Doing so will result in a less tall buttplate, but I would do it. Then you would need to shorten the cheek piece, but it looks too long as it is. Most of these "Hawkens" stocks are made with LOP's of over 14", The real Jim Bridger Hawken has a LOP of 13 1/4", which makes holding that 11 1/4 pound rifle easier than if the reach were longer. Track of the Wolf's new Kit Carson Hawken full scale plan drawing has a LOP of 14 5/8". Carson's actual rifle is probably about 13 1/4", he was a small man. I measured a Western Arms Corp. Sante Fe, N.M. Jedediah Smith "Hawken" with a 32" barrel and a 15" LOP. I like the looks of the metal. But the stamped barrel markings should be filed out, then you'll have to refinish (brown) the barrel.

 

[anj4de]

Hello all

@Herb...thanks a lot for your reply and your PMs...I am very grateful for your expert advise being the greenhorn I am.

This afternoon I cut the stock down by one inch to now 14 inches of pull. Now it's very comfortable. This was the first time I did such an operation and it was so far the most difficult part of the game. The sawing was done by an old carpenter with a professional band saw. Inletting the butt plate on the top was not too difficult but getting the curve done was very hard...and I messed up a bit there. I will leave it as is now since I am afraid of making things even worse. A question on the cheek piece...shall I move it forward a bit to reestablish the geometry I had before...maybe moving the round 1/2 inch forward. I was looking at a lot of modern Hawken cheek pieces lately and also found some were the cheek is rather big. Unfortunately there aren't many pictures of original Hawkens photographed from the left side around. I only have pics of the Brigger and the Carson gun's left sides.

The brown/gray color comes from a little vinegar experiment, since the stock is not finally sanded yet it will go away again.

thanks
Uwe

 

[Klaus]

Hi Uwe,

very nice work :bow:

my congratulation

regards
Klaus

 

[Mickc01]

Making a change like that to finished rifle takes a lot of guts. You did really well and my hat is off to you.... :hatsoff: