URGENT: Key measurements of an antique rifle (Hawken)

[mahkagari]

Hi all,

I have an appointment next week to get a museum case opened to take measurements and pictures of an antique Hawken rifle that belonged to my 3x great grandfather.

I'm planning a project to build a replica. So, I'll be taking measurements of caliber, barrel length, etc. to get the right parts.

Can you help me with a list of measurements that I should keep in mind? Or any particular place I should look for maker's marks, etc.?

Here are a few, but let me know on details I'm overlooking.

Length of pull
sight distance
barrel across the top
barrel taper
ramrod length
caliber

 

[Swamp Rat]

drop, length of forearm, wrist dia ect.. I would get a drawing like this and mark your measurements. https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/822/2/PLAN-HAWKEN

 

[Swamp Rat]

dist between thimbles, buttplate width and height, side plate size and shape. I suggest plastic calipers as you go close to a gun with metal you liable to scratch.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

Amount of barrel flat showing?

 

[BrownBear]

Measure muzzle, breech, and several points along the barrel to ID taper or swamping.

And of course take pictures. Lots and lots of good quality pictures with a ruler in them for scale.

 

[Col. Batguano]

Would they let you lay it down on a large piece of white paper and use a pencil to make a tracing? You could then mark on the tracing the exact spots where you took your measurements, plus have the tracing to refer to when you do the actual build.

If there is any cast-off or twist to the stock (toe-in, toe-out) that might be nice to know too.

Take lots of photos with something in there (like a ruler) for scale too. Odds are you may not think of everything right away to measure, but the photos may let you come back to it later.

Depth (and shape) of rifling maybe. Odds are they won't let you disassemble it to look at barrel channel shape, or lock internals. that doesn't matter as much anyway, unless you're trying to make an exact copy of the historical gun.

 

[mahkagari]

If there is any cast-off or twist to the stock (toe-in, toe-out) that might be nice to know too.

I'm a newb. What does that mean?

 

[Swamp Rat]

cast off is angle of the butt in relation to the alignment of the barrel. It puts the eye straight in line with the barrel. Think bent at the wrist area(if right handed) to the right if looking from the butt to the sights. Toe out is (if right handed) the top of the butt plate closer to the body and the bottom of the butt plate (Toe) would be turned out from the body if holding the gun in a shooting position.

 

[galamb]

Shumway came up with a measuring (profile) to document rifles.

This is his basic method. With these you can recreate just about any rifle (this sheet has measurements for one of my Maryland builds, but you should see what you need from it).

 

[mahkagari]

Shumway came up with a measuring (profile) to document rifles.

This is his basic method. With these you can recreate just about any rifle (this sheet has measurements for one of my Maryland builds, but you should see what you need from it).

This is great, thanks!

 

[Donny]

If memory serves, Hawkens had some subtle features....
Slight perch belly ?
Swell on the lower forearm.
The front of the lock panels were wider than the rear section.
Sharper comb than one would think?
Nosecap material?
Engraving on the muzzle end.
Don Stith is the man.

 

[Rifleman1776]

What others said.
And, lucky you.
Worth repeating, take lots and lots of pictures with a scale. And, do post some pics.

 

[Zonie]

It might be worthwhile to take along a piece of 8 1/2" X 11" paper with a grid of lines at 1 inch intervals marked on it.

This could be placed under or next to the gun at critical locations for the pictures that are taken.

Later on, when looking at the photos, the grid on the paper will give you an easy way to figure out the sizes of things.

 

[Treestalker]

Zonie, you are a man of many talents! Thank you for your wisdom and insight. George.