If you are a muzzle loading expert, you recognize this handsomely finished Hawken rifle as the work of the famous custom gun maker, Robert Hannahs, The House of Hawken, Kenosha, Wisconsin. Made in 1972, it is used with only a few scattered handling marks on the stock. Made for a 6'0" or taller shooter, this rifle has a full 14-3/8" trigger reach. Weight is 12.3 pounds, ideal from shooting from a rest or cross sticks.
G.R. Douglas (XX) premium barrels were the most costly of their day, and worth the price. Fitted with a 1-1/8" octagon full 36" length Douglas XX premium .54 caliber cut rifled barrel, the owner reports he has fired 1-3/4" groups, using a hand cast .526" ball from a Lyman mold, patched with blue stripe pillow ticking, with a modest 70 grain load of FFg. He reports that .530" balls shoot equally well, but require wiping between shots (which we recommend anyway). The bore is bright, clean, and looks brand new. The muzzle is polished bright and has a very smooth nice crown, not too deep, just enough to allow easy loading The rear sight is a classic tall Hawken buck horn sight, with a wide dovetail base under an attractive oval skirt. The front sight is a tall nickel silver blade in a brass dovetail base that has been fitted flush to the barrel. The top flat is signed by the maker in block letters: R. S. HANNAHS - MAKER.
This custom Hawken halfstock rifle is stocked in fine California claro walnut, with nice color and subtle figure throughout. The finish is a urethane that appears as a hand rubbed varnish with a satin smooth texture. We are impressed with the stock finish, especially considering the rifle's many years of use. Close inspection will reveal a few small handling marks, but they are very minor. It may give another hundred years of good service, with care. Fitted with traditional iron furniture, in classic Hawken style, the barrel and iron trim are browned, it looks almost blue brown. Not a high polish, not buffed, not a flat matte brown, nor a pitted finish, the barrel flats are satin smooth. The top view shows the proportions and nice shaping of this custom made Hawken rifle. Two tang screws are neatly fitted to countersunk recesses, and the screw heads align with the bore. Both tang screws engage the long steel trigger plate, forming a strong steel sandwich that reinforces the wrist from above and below. Two wedge keys retain the barrel. These keys are captured by retaining pins. They can be retracted with firm finger pressure, to unhook the barrel for easy cleaning, but the keys remain pinned to the stock. They cannot be lost in the field.
Smooth lines and graceful architecture are obvious in this bottom view. Hawken rifles are big powerful guns from the era of the Mountain Man and early western expansion from Saint Louis, but they are also an exercise in the elegance of simplicity. A sturdy 7/16" diameter hickory ramrod serves the rifle. The steel toeplate protects the butt end during loading. The forend cap is pewter alloy, and very nicely shaped. The cheek piece has the classic beaver tail shape found on most Hawken halfstock rifles.
This is the famous Hawken lock by Harold Robbins. His locks are as pretty inside, as outside. This lock is well inlet, flush with the lock panel. The upper front edge of the lock panel is a smooth transition from wood to metal, both shaped to blend together. The lock is retained by a single lock bolt in a recessed tear-drop sideplate escutcheon. The hand polished double set triggers work smoothly. The front trigger is straight, and the rear trigger is curved. Turn the adjustment screw between the two triggers inboard for lighter release. Properly adjusted this rifle fires from set or unset position, and cocks in any sequence. The Hawken triggerguard is a correct variation. The grip rail ends in a curl that is tipped back slightly, and mounted with a bullet-nosed screw that extends into the rear curl, exactly like early original halfstock Hawken rifles.
The 12/3 pound weight makes rest shooting is ideal, since the heavy weight absorbs recoil. The 100 yard and 130 yard Buffalo X-Sticks Match targets are not far away for this big .54 caliber round ball. Neatly fitted and finished, this rifle is a pure pleasure to handle. Order it for a ten day visual inspection. You will be delighted. Else if it does not fit you, return it in unfired condition for same-day refund. Postage is your only risk, when you order any one-of-a-kind gun from Track, whether new, used, or antique.
