My "New" Western Arms Corp Hawken Rifle

[45Wheelgun]

I like it. Very nice rifle. How does it shoot?

I don't know yet!

I am waiting for .52 and .526 balls to arrive. Not something they stock at Walmart. Once I have what it takes, we will be out to the range to figure out which balls work best. I'll share the results when we are done.

 

[rickschreiber]

Aside from measuring the bore is there another way to tell the difference between the original Allen/Uberti (53 cal) and the subsequent Ubertie model (54 cal)? In what way are the original 53 cal better than the 54 cal? Thanks

 

[A10]

Mighty fine lookin smokepole you got yerself there! I like the silver furniture.

 

[2152hq]

Nice rifle. Looks like a slanted hook breech,,I think that was correct for the rifle/period.
The opposing flat drilled & plugged vent probably not true to the originals,,but perhaps so. I'm no Hawkin guy for sure. The Knock's breech did use the system though.

Nice workmanship. Fix that forward tang screw slot that someone decided was loose!
I think the screws on it were all 'qualified' when it left the factory, even the escutcheon wedge plates. A couple have probably been challenged over time as to wether they were tight enough.

53,,54 cal,,, That's interesting. Very unique that a mfg'r took the time to replicate the original spec like that. Much easier to take an off the shelf dimension that a bbl maker was already in production for.

FWIW,,Most M/L bbls (for round ball) are measured and quoted by true bore diameter.
The groove will be .010 to .012" more generally depending on the mfg'r.
A 50cal bbl will be .500" bore and (usually) .510" groove.

 

[canoeguy]

Nice rifle!

I have recently "Rediscovered" blackpowder shooting with a Pedersoli Hawken, .50 caliber, rifled for patched round ball. I've put about 50 rounds through it in the last month or so, using Pyrodex.

Black Powder is hard to find here in Virginia, very few stores carry it. I will be traveling to Northern Virginia next week, there is a store there "Clarks Brothers" that is reported to carry black powder.

I'm looking forward to comparing accuracy with black powder against Pyrodex, with Pyrodex I'm getting about 2" groups at 50 yards.

Just finished casting 50 .490 round balls (Lee Mould) from a pure lead Civil War ingot, given to me from a friend who dove on and recovered much lead from a Civil War blockade runner in 1963. The boat was sunk during the Civil War at the mouth of the Cape Fear River in North Carolina. He said each ingot weighed 190 pounds when he brought them up, and he recovered dozens of these ingots. He has been casting and shooting this lead since 1963.....

 

[45Wheelgun]

Aside from measuring the bore is there another way to tell the difference between the original Allen/Uberti (53 cal) and the subsequent Ubertie model (54 cal)? In what way are the original 53 cal better than the 54 cal? Thanks

Take this for what it is worth, I am not the expert, but have read a bit about these on the internet. (Oh I guess that does make me an expert )

My gun is not marked "Uberti" anywhere. There is the Uberti family crest stamped into the breach that you can't see when the stock is in place. Later models were marked "Uberti Italy" or something similar.

Also, there is the 1 of 1000 markings....my understanding was they were the original order and the only models in .53

I just used a micrometer on mine to verify, but also a .53 ball will not go into the barrel where the .52 will.

I am not sure there is an advantage to .53 over .54. Certainly not with my shooting skills. My understanding is that the original order for Kit Carson is in the Hawkin museum and is specifically ordered in .53

If anything the .54 would be preferable as you can get proper sized balls and molds just about anywhere. .53 you have to hunt and then mail order the .52's that you need.

I never followed up about shooting this, but is has been to the range multiple times. Like all of my guns it shoots better then I do. A true joy to shoot.