Hawken on the cheap

[rfd]

I wanted to dabble in a caplock for eventual 100 to 200 yards but didn't wanna toss out too much coin (I prefer flintlocks). I went for a bit more dollars on a DGW Investarms (Italy) .50 Hawen kit because the cheaper Traditions and CVA (Spain) kits wouldn't allow breech plug removal without buggering the barrel. The 29" barrel has a 1:48 twist to reasonably well accommodate both patched balls and bullets (Lee R.E.A.L.).

I stuck on all the brass parts and sanded and filed everything to fit. That was kinda fun and didn't take too long at all. I spent very little time on the brass, just cleaned up any flashings but didn't do any fine filing or abrasive work. When it all fit and looked well, I wicked in water thin CYA to the barrel and lock inlets to help seal from the oil and water and bp residue, then I rubbed in a few coats of MinWax wipe-on polyU to the walnut stock. I left the barrel in-the-white, I kinda like that look and will allow it to patina on its own. The parts went together fairly well even though the large bag of assorted screws had no legend as to which one went where - kinda just took an educated guess and it turned out ok. The lock was another issue. The coiled mainspring stop arrived busted clear off the lock plate ...

http://i.imgur.com/XBvjVxW.jpg

... so while I was working on the furniture and wood, DGW made good and sent out a replacement. However, it didn't align with the nipple and was about 1/16th inch to the right and down ...

http://i.imgur.com/AbfjjG9.jpg

With the lock on the rifle I scribed a pencil line where the cock met the stock, then completely disassembled the lock, put the hammer in a vise so the scribed line was below the vise jaws and gave it a few whacks on its right side with a 5lb machinist's hammer. There, that took care of the lateral alignment. Getting the cock to lift up 1/16th was entirely another matter and required heating the cock and cup cherry red and grunting it up with a large ViseGrips - took three tries to get it as close as I could, but it finally yielded a good cock/nipple alignment that covered a #11 cap ...

http://i.imgur.com/LaYggqX.jpg

I'm used to the peep sights on my BPCR rifles so that was a requirement for this kinda-sorta-Hawken. I removed the existing barrel rear sight and drifted out the front blade sight, installed a Lyman GPR rear peep on the tang and drifted in a Lyman 17A globe to the front.

http://i.imgur.com/MMx5s5c.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/PBCkHQa.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/jpycjC5.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/8q4zMBw.jpg

I had a very small window of time to maiden it last Friday, and got off 7 patched ball shots at something a tad over 25 yards, using light powder charges of 50 to 60 grains, but clearly load development needs committed time and effort that I won't have 'til next month. The two holes in the 2" aiming spot were the last two shot, with 60 grains of Swiss 3F. Hey, it's a start .... 8-)

http://i.imgur.com/sRzpueJ.jpg


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJr9NjtuhxY

[54bore]

Fine looking rifle you have there!

[Beerd]

A 5 lb hammer and a Vice Grip will fix about anything!

And it turned out to be a nice rifle.
..

[RogerDat]

Hmmm Used 5# ford screwdriver - check. Vice grips - check. Wait? No duct tape?
Please tell me you shimmed something with a folded up piece of duct tape and I will know all is right with the world. :kidding:

Nice looking rifle you have there. Braver than I like to be at making modifications but some good results.

[rfd]

sorry, no duct tape was used whilst deflowering the li'l boomer. :)

but i might need it when i use the 18" corp wrench to pull the breech plug. ;)

http://i.imgur.com/PMQ1Ep5.jpg

it was and still is a cheap ml, so i had no problem hitting it with files and hammers and torches. the torch did kill off the cock's case color, but i don't care as long as she works the way she's s'posed to work. and that she do, so far. i need a lot more range time with it, and particularly interested in working with those 320 grain REAL bullets. i cast a few dozen and then dip lubed them in the same gato feo lube i use for bpcr and punched out a buncha 1/2" cardboard wads to stick 'tween the powder and bullet. the hope is that this rifle will have some decent accuracy out to 200 yards with bullets, not balls.

on the other hand, i'm LOTS more careful with my new muskrat & holland .45 flinter :D 8-) ...

http://i.imgur.com/jEchxsJ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/nAg926n.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/fUmDEnF.jpg

[Nobade]

That new flinter is pretty sexy! Looks like fun work on the other one, too.

-Nobade

[Beerd]

duct tape and bailing wire are only temporary until you get back to were the tools are.

I like the flinter better.
..

[C. Latch]

Why would you want to remove the breechplug?

[Gtek]

Congrats on the Hawkenstein, nice save. The other one I cannot find the right word, nice!, wow!, ooooh!?

[FrontierMuzzleloading]

I see no need to pull the breech plug. Not sure why guya go and do such a thing.

[rfd]

i ***ALWAYS*** want access to the breech plug and will NEVER have an ml that won't allow breech plug removal.

why???

WHY NOT!!! this allows some good things that give control to ME and not the firearm ...

1. there will be instances where you simply can't remove a dry ball. you never dry ball? really? you also must believe in the tooth fairy! :)

2. breech plug and chamber cleaning and inspection - particularly those pesky patent breech plug tunnels found on most commercial ml's.

3. access to the touch hole or nipple bolster - they might need servicing or replacement or a plain touch hole drilled for a plugged one.

4. breech plug replacement - admittedly rare, but ....

first thing i'll do with a new gun is the pull the breech plug, clean the threads, and replace using anti-seize compound to insure that the plug can be easily removed. bp residue WILL get into those threads and lock that sucker on tight for near impossible removal some few hundred shots later. a good gunsmith will already have done this, as in the case of the M&H flinter above.

http://i.imgur.com/x3l024A.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/i2GHncS.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/gBXPeNA.jpg

[C. Latch]

Looks like you've got it figured out, then.

[LuckyDog]

RFD,

I'm like you. I want access to the breech too. I have a CVA Bobcat and know that's a no-go. (My first ML)

I now have a T/C Hawken and two Pedersolis.

Can I safely remove their breech plugs?

[rfd]

...

I now have a T/C Hawken and two Pedersolis.

Can I safely remove their breech plugs?

dunno about the t/c, probably.

i pulled the breech plug on an old and rusted pedersoli kentucky flinter but it wasn't easy, particularly since (like almost all commercial guns) the plug wasn't properly lubed with some form of anti-seize. it took an 18" reed rcorp smooth jaw wrench with a 2 foot pipe extension to get the leverage needed to crack that plug. not fun. this is why a gun's plug should be pulled and anti-seize lubed from the get-go.

[Nobade]

I've never pulled the plug on a Pedersoli but the TC ones are no problem. You'll be impressed at how poorly the factory fits those plugs.

-Nobade

[Eddie2002]

Hey RFD,
I picked up the same rifle from Cabella's about ten years ago as a .50 caliber flinter Hawkens kit made by Investarms. Lots of fun putting it together and shoots just fine. Nice job on fine tuning your caplock and that rocklock is a work of art.

[rfd]

eddie2002 -

just ordered the DGW investarms .50 hawken flinter kit. i like the ease of maintenance on a hooked and pegged barrel. but mid to late 18th century full stock flinters are still my fave ...

http://i.imgur.com/pjQyoyI.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ZyLnhPr.png

http://i.imgur.com/82h6XyQ.jpg

[Eddie2002]

Real nice collection there RFD, beats anything I have by a good country mile. Just picked up an older CVA .50 caliber Hawkens caplock for 75 bucks which is about all I can afford for my toys right now. It needs a little TLC but so far looks like a shooter.
Have always lusted after a full stock flinter.

[rfd]

i really like my flinters best of all my black powder firearms, including bpcr. i just had an itch to scratch about finally owning and shooting a .50 caplock. i'm glad i went through this build and exercise, but i think it's time to let it all go and get back to rocklocks. oh well. i had fun, for sure. :)