Hawken .54 Cal Plains Rifle

[Moonglow]

When my dad passed away in 2014 one of my brothers took home an old Investarms Hawken rifle kit still in the box and was supposed to get his 1859 Remington revolver but somehow it ended up in my stuff. Well he came down from eastern Kansas to spend some time with me for company and to help out around the house a little which was wonderful, helped pull me out of my downward depression spiral. He brought the Hawken kit with him and left with the Remington. He had never opened the Hawken box so yesterday I did, low and behold my dad had actually finished the kit, taken the barrel off and put the stock and barrel back in the box. The barrel didn't quite fit in the stock correctly so I ended up filing down part of the brass fore piece and sanded a small raised area of wood in the stock barrel inletting and now it fits perfectly.

While it is close to the originals it's not quite correct. The rear sight is incorrect (it's modern), the metal fittings were all steel and not brass and the fore-end of the stock was cut different.

It feels like your shooting a canon that will kick that shoulder hard enough to bruise, but I loved my Hawken. Just don't inhale after it fires because it'll choke yous what with the cloud of spent powder.I didn't do the kit I bought a finished one.
I also picked up a .30 buggy rifle with a hammer that was on the bottom of the stock in front of the trigger.

I've been shooting black powder most of my adult life, mostly .44 and .36 cal revolvers and .58 cal Springfields, Enfields plus my Cook and Brothers .58 cal short "artillery" rifled musket. I use real black powder not Pyrodex.

I used to shoot a lot as a kid but after the army and kids I just don't do it much anymore. My eldest son got a Tommy gun barrel fed .45 and I was disappointed how well it didn't operate.

 

[Ringel05]

When my dad passed away in 2014 one of my brothers took home an old Investarms Hawken rifle kit still in the box and was supposed to get his 1859 Remington revolver but somehow it ended up in my stuff. Well he came down from eastern Kansas to spend some time with me for company and to help out around the house a little which was wonderful, helped pull me out of my downward depression spiral. He brought the Hawken kit with him and left with the Remington. He had never opened the Hawken box so yesterday I did, low and behold my dad had actually finished the kit, taken the barrel off and put the stock and barrel back in the box. The barrel didn't quite fit in the stock correctly so I ended up filing down part of the brass fore piece and sanded a small raised area of wood in the stock barrel inletting and now it fits perfectly.

While it is close to the originals it's not quite correct. The rear sight is incorrect (it's modern), the metal fittings were all steel and not brass and the fore-end of the stock was cut different.

It feels like your shooting a canon that will kick that shoulder hard enough to bruise, but I loved my Hawken. Just don't inhale after it fires because it'll choke yous what with the cloud of spent powder.I didn't do the kit I bought a finished one.
I also picked up a .30 buggy rifle with a hammer that was on the bottom of the stock in front of the trigger.

I've been shooting black powder most of my adult life, mostly .44 and .36 cal revolvers and .58 cal Springfields, Enfields plus my Cook and Brothers .58 cal short "artillery" rifled musket. I use real black powder not Pyrodex.

Yeah, I do too. Pyrodex is more corrosive I have found.

Plus Pyrodex is more powerful with a 1:1 load. I found the kick isn't as sharp with black powder as it's slower burning and less powerful. Unless one overloads the charge........... Plus Black powder residue is easier to clean, hot soapy water down the barrel until it runs clear out of the nipple.

 

[Shawnee_b]

I've been shooting black powder most of my adult life, mostly .44 and .36 cal revolvers and .58 cal Springfields, Enfields plus my Cook and Brothers .58 cal short "artillery" rifled musket. I use real black powder not Pyrodex.

Me too. Love them smokepoles.

Great Plains is one of the very best. I built many of the Great Plains but the Lyman versions. Both are awesome, TC seems a bit more polished, Lyman more authentic. For instance the TC comes blued, Lyman plain and I brown them of course.

Kick? Buddy had a Zoave in 58 (yeah I got one of em too) and handed it to me to shoot. Kicked like a mother!!!! He saw it. I asked if he double charged, double balled and by looking at his surprise he didn't. We also saw something like a stick go flying out about 80 yards. When we went to reload it we couldn't find his ramrod. Hmmmm

 

[Shawnee_b]

Pure BP only. No synthetics here. Been doing pure BP over 50 years.

 

[Ringel05]

I've been shooting black powder most of my adult life, mostly .44 and .36 cal revolvers and .58 cal Springfields, Enfields plus my Cook and Brothers .58 cal short "artillery" rifled musket. I use real black powder not Pyrodex.

Me too. Love them smokepoles.

Great Plains is one of the very best. I built many of the Great Plains but the Lyman versions. Both are awesome, TC seems a bit more polished, Lyman more authentic. For instance the TC comes blued, Lyman plain and I brown them of course.

Kick? Buddy had a Zoave in 58 (yeah I got one of em too) and handed it to me to shoot. Kicked like a mother!!!! He saw it. I asked if he double charged, double balled and by looking at his surprise he didn't. We also saw something like a stick go flying out about 80 yards. When we went to reload it we couldn't find his ramrod. Hmmmm

Yup, fired a Zoave also. There are battlefield pictures from the Civil War that show ramrods stuck through trees so accidentally leaving the rammer in wasn't all that uncommon.

 

[Shawnee_b]

Yup, fired a Zoave also. There are battlefield pictures from the Civil War that show ramrods stuck through trees so accidentally leaving the rammer in wasn't all that uncommon.

I still have a Zoave (sp) In the 70's had a cut down Zoave called "buffalo hunter" what a wicked beast!

His leaving the ramrod in was not a result of heat of battle it was a result of good green bud!

 

[9thIDdoc]

Each to his own I guess. I used either the old "poly-patches" or patch material cut from cotton sheets or pillow cases lubed with bacon grease. With my Ruger Old Army I use a double layer of plastic bag (recycled grocery bags) for patch which is thin enough top allow 40Gr, Pyrodex P (by volume) per cylinder. My favorite rabbit gun for a few years was an original 10 Ga. Manton caplock ML s/s shotgun. I prefer Pyrodex to original BP because I think it fouls less is more consistent and less corrosive.

 

[Ringel05]

Each to his own I guess. I used either the old "poly-patches" or patch material cut from cotton sheets or pillow cases lubed with bacon grease. With my Ruger Old Army I use a double layer of plastic bag (recycled grocery bags) for patch which is thin enough top allow 40Gr, Pyrodex P (by volume) per cylinder. My favorite rabbit gun for a few years was an original 10 Ga. Manton caplock ML s/s shotgun. I prefer Pyrodex to original BP because I think it fouls less is more consistent and less corrosive.

Yup, to each their own. I'm an old living historian/reenactor, we focused strongly on authenticity. Showing up with Pyrodex would have brought down a storm of scorn and ridicule, I'm so used to using BP it's second nature to me besides the only thing I kill are targets. Not that I have anything against hunting, I just don't hunt.

 

[Shawnee_b]

Pyrodex and the fakes are not as volatile as BP. Spend time with some serious muzzle-loader hunters. The put in 10 grains BP first so the fake crap ignites.

 

[9thIDdoc]

I have to disagree. The load you mention is sometimes necessary in flintlocks; but not otherwise. I was a pretty serious ML hunter from the early "70s until age and disability ruled otherwise and found Pyrodex to burn cleaner, have better consistent accuracy/pressure shot to shot and clean up better and easier. It demands to be packed tightly but that is a good idea with black powder also.

 

[Shawnee_b]

I have to disagree. The load you mention is sometimes necessary in flintlocks; but not otherwise. I was a pretty serious ML hunter from the early "70s until age and disability ruled otherwise and found Pyrodex to burn cleaner, have better consistent accuracy/pressure shot to shot and clean up better and easier. It demands to be packed tightly but that is a good idea with black powder also.View attachment 379080

I can see what you are saying here, just preference and what we are used to I guess. Lots people use it, it's just not for me. Maybe I got turned off by pellets, I dunno.

Yup been shooting BP since the 60's, love it still. Got maybe 20# Schutzen and Swiss left ready to be burned up!

I don't pack my BP, seat the load and stop, consistency in seating is important.

You make that cannon? I made this mortar about 20 years ago, pop cans full of sand for projectiles. So fun.

 

[9thIDdoc]

The cannon was made by a friend. There was a group of us Vietnam vets who got together 1-2 a year and we would shoot it a few times each year. We usually fired potatoes into a forest. They would fragment harmlessly in the air. We were in Ga. and felt it was our duty to supply Ala. with heavenly french fries. This time one of the guys brought his Son along who decided it would be funny to substitute 3 golf balls in place of the potatoes and point at a motor home. The carriage had evolved by this time. Warning: Strong language and beverages involved.

 

[Shawnee_b]

The cannon was made by a friend. There was a group of us Vietnam vets who got together 1-2 a year and we would shoot it a few times each year. We usually fired potatoes into a forest. They would fragment harmlessly in the air. We were in Ga. and felt it was our duty to supply Ala. with heavenly french fries. This time one of the guys brought his Son along who decided it would be funny to substitute 3 golf balls in place of the potatoes and point at a motor home. The carriage had evolved by this time. Warning: Strong language and beverages involved.

Cool vid, thanks!

Been a cannon freak since a kid, actually got MORE active on an 8th grade trip to Boston, got a souvenir cannon from the Connie. Well cast base, brass bbl but only drilled 1/2 way. Sooooooooo for Xmas asked for a 1/4" variable speed reversible drill,,, got it and drilled it. What a cool little shooter! I was in CT. No fireworks. Dad wrote his Sis in KA and had her send me a brick crackers, 85 packs of 16. I was king of us delinquents. Dad made me a cracker cannon would fire a marble, only rule don't shoot the garage door. I didn't. But sure had good fun!!!

The mortar I made was an old mobile home axle cut off. 80 gr FF would put a can of sand 100 yards easy. Triple that they were up with Apollo in orbit.

Been shooting tater guns decades. Usually did the 4" chamber and 2" bbl. Then I tried 3" chamber and 1.5 bbl, added 100fps easy. Then one could shoot smaller taters, corn cobs, apples, heck I even shot pickled eggs. Should try 4" chamber and 1.5bbl, should be hot.

 

[9thIDdoc]

I think your mortar is great. Our cannon was machined from bar stock and the bore was not quite big enough for beverage cans. Two of the three golf balls fired in the video penetrated completely through both sides of the motor home taking out the cabinetry on both sides and are still going as far as I know, The third hit structural braces and didn't quite penetrate the off side. The kid who loaded them said: "Golf balls are bouncy; I thought they might make a dent but bounce off." The owner was somewhat less than amused.

 

[Shawnee_b]

I think your mortar is great. Our cannon was machined from bar stock and the bore was not quite big enough for beverage cans. Two of the three golf balls fired in the video penetrated completely through both sides of the motor home taking out the cabinetry on both sides and are still going as far as I know, The third hit structural braces and didn't quite penetrate the off side. The kid who loaded them said: "Golf balls are bouncy; I thought they might make a dent but bounce off." The owner was somewhat less than amused.

Thank you. Yes the axle was a perfect pop can fit, made a woosh while loading.

Wow, both sides! I'd be thinking on the bouncy and the fat balls. Impressive.