This fullstock Hawken .54 caliber percussion rifle is stocked in curly maple. The stock has a large gouge on the left side of the forearm. The barrel, lock, and iron furniture are finished to a smooth brown. The bore is bright and has been well maintained. This rifle is fitted with a Griffith breech and percussion lock, along with triggers by the late Dru Hedgecock. The rifle weighs in at 9.8 pounds and has a trigger reach of 13-1/2" making it well suited for today's average size shooter.

The 36" long 1" straight octagon .54 caliber Green Mountain barrel is cut rifled with eight equal sized lands and grooves with a slow twist for shooting a patched round ball. The bore is bright and has been well maintained. The barrel is finished to a smooth brown and shows a few bright spots from normal handling and cleaning. Fitted with correct traditional sights, the front sight is a browned blade dovetailed 1-1/2" behind the muzzle, and the rear sight is a classic semi-buckhorn rear sight dovetailed 10-1/4" ahead of the breech.

Correctly trimmed entirely in iron, this rifle has a modestly curved early buttplate, to minimize the recoil from the .54 caliber bore. The maple stock was finished with chromium trioxide, a popular stain during the 1970's. Over time the stain ages to a greenish tint. This rifle does have a very distinctive greenish tint when viewed under florescent lights. The stock has nice figure from the toe up through the forearm on the lower half of the stock. We note a large gouge on the left side of the forearm between the forward two barrel keys. The early Hawken "straight" hooked breech by the Griffith Tool Company allows easy cleaning. To dismount the barrel remove the three barrel wedge keys, and the barrel can be lifted from the stock for cleaning. The keys pass directly through the stock, without the use of escutcheons. The wedge keys are well fitted and we recommend a small hard wood or brass drift to apply pressure to them. The wooden ramrod is fitted with a .54 caliber cleaning jag that we could not unscrew. We recommend our #RAMROD-C-36-10 to service this rifle.

Notice the long tang, with two tang bolts that anchor the tang to the long trigger plate, reinforcing the wrist, a classic feature of rugged Hawken rifles. The smooth chocolate brown finish of the barrel, lock, and iron show wear and bright spots from normal use. Our bottom view shows the classic Hawken toeplate that protects this delicate area when loading. The long trigger bar can be seen that accepts the two tang bolts from above, sandwiching the wrist and adding strength. Our back view shows the early square cheek piece and the single lock bolt that is surrounded by an early Hawken sideplate escutcheon, a classic Hawken feature.

Made by the famous Griffith Tool Company, the lock, plug, and tang have the correct early style geometry, ideal for this fullstock percussion rifle. The well tempered parts include a strong mainspring, stirrup link, and a fly detent to allow set triggers. Careful inspection will reveal the rounded inside corner at the front of the lock, similar to the lock plate shape of earlier flint locks. Later Hawken percussion rifles were made with a square inside corner at front. The double set triggers, by the late Dru Hedgecock, are made with very long trigger bar. We note the lock can only be fired from the set position. The triggers are set back to favor the set trigger and the lock will not fire with the front trigger. The snail style breech is fitted with a hardened iron 1/4-28 nipple for No. 11 percussion caps.

This fullstock Hawken rifle has a bright well maintained bore that is ready to shoot. It will be perfect for your next big game hunt in the deep woods are high up on the side of a mountain. 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.