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travelers or from design catalogues and literature is unknown, but the styling is obvious. The
patent breech, with its hooked tang, was invented early on by the better English gunmakers.
The Hawken variant is not so unusual that it is not seen in English and continental rifles and
shotguns. The scroll trigger guard is likewise a very English feature and was very popular in
England during the Hawken years. The fore-end cap was likewise English in styling. The
Percussion lock and the simple lockbolt plate on the opposite sidelock panel were also typical
of the understated English styling of the day.
An original heavy Hawken rifle once owned by Bill Fuller of Cooper’s Landing Alaska. At one
time he had a half dozen originals at his place. I got to know him well back in 1966-67.We
dissected all of them and shot most. He killed a black bear that was messing in his garbage
with a Hawken fullstock. This one was my favorite, 58 caliber, slightly swamped and tapered
barrel 38 inches long, 1 1/8″ at breech, 15″ pull to front trigger, 12 lbs., a big rifle made for a big
man. It fit me just right. I heard that Jim Gordon of Santa Fe has it in his collection now.
This is not to say that the Hawken brothers did not craft their own art into their guns. The most
prominent difference is in the buttplate, which was deeply curved rather than the shotgun style
butt of most English rifles. The use of a double set trigger is likewise an offset, as the English
preferred the single set trigger. This may have been because the DST was simpler and sturdier
than the SST. It was less likely to break down in the far West and could still be used as a single
trigger if it broke, something that most SST’s could not do. The fore-end cap, which was often
Ebony wood on English rifles, was most often silver plated iron in the Hawken, Every screw I’ve
ever seen was originally blued, though usually only traces of the blue showed. Barrels could be
browned or blued, bluing being far more common then than we think now, most of it having
faded to brown. Both made use of case hardening in color with breeches, tangs, trigger guards
buttplate and locks finished in brilliant case colors. Another difference was finish. Most Hawken
rifles were plain wood, obviously chosen for strength over figure and were painted with a
blackish varnish. Most of the known antiques show a little of it, some no finish at all. The
fullstock Hawken that Bill Fuller in Alaska used to kill a bear messing in his garbage was nearly
bare yellowish maple, all finish having disappeared with use and years. The finish on the
Bridger Hawken in the collection of the Montana Historical Society clearly shows the blackish
varnish in places not worn by handling. Hardly any figure shows through. It shows no signs of
refinish.
It is obvious that many of the details of the more famous of their rifles were gleaned from the
English rifles of the day. Whether or not this styling came from personal exposure to English
travelers or from design catalogues and literature is unknown, but the styling is obvious. The
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