American Bushman

"If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write things worth reading or do things worth writing." —Benjamin Franklin

Friday, January 19, 2007

Thinking about building one of these

Cabela's Hawken Rifle Kit

Cabela's offers the unfinished Hawken Rifle in both .50 and .54 with solid brass hardware, adjustable double-set triggers, and a 29" octagonal barrel. I suspect it'll be darned heavy.

I envision the Hawken with oil-rubbed brass, a dark stain on the wood, and lots and lots of hand rubbing to bring out the grain and give the stock that old-world look and feel. The barrel will need to be blued and I'll investigate just how the Hawken brothers would have done it in the early 1800's to try and get something similar.

I've had a fascination with the mountain men for quite some time and, as many of them would have carried Hawken rifles, this will allow me to better experience some of the same things they would have experienced on a hunt.

Saving my pennies...

B

3 Comments:

At 8:31 AM, Blogger sam said...

Is that similar to the Kentucky rifles of the civil war? I don't know too much about flintlocks really.
I guess they must make fairly nice hunting guns if you get them bedded in well.

 
At 8:52 AM, Blogger American Bushman said...

Sam,

I believe it is the next generation of the Kentucky Rifle. The Hawken brothers improved the aesthetics of the stock and thickened the wrist which is where the Kentucky Rifles would break if the shooter fell off of his horse.

I like the Hawken because it was good enough for Kit Carson and Jim Bridger and that makes it plenty good enough for me.

Looks like I might not be building one however as the kits appear to only be right-handed.

B

 
At 7:05 AM, Blogger Panday said...

I was looking at getting one of these, myself, as a retirement present in another 9 years.

The first I ever saw the Hawken gun was when I watched the movie "Jeremiah Johnson". Great old flick about a rugged pioneer.

 

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