The last Hawken rifle I will have during my life.

[firewater forge]

I am looking for a "Hawken" rifle to replace all my others, I just want to have one. So, I want the Pedersoli but don't have an extra kidney laying around to get the money for it. I have had cheap Spanish guns that actually were quite good for what they were, one is 35 years old and has been shot many hundreds of times. I am thinking a T/C might be a meeting point between higher quality and affordability.
What I am looking for here is advise on decent and affordable "Hawken" rifles and your experiences. Additionally, information on any weak points on the T/C would be helpful.
My appreciation in advance.

[ArizonaGunOwners.com]

[coelacanth]

Are you looking for a completed rifle or a kit from which to build what you want?

[firewater forge]

Are you looking for a completed rifle or a kit from which to build what you want?

I'd prefer a completed gun but would consider a kit depending on who made it. Done a couple of kits from Spanish manufacturers and did'nt have a fun time.

[coelacanth]

Yup.  Unfortunately you get the quality you pay for - even if you are doing a lot of the finish work.  Does this need to be a new production gun or would something gently used work for you as well?  Also, you use the term Hawken rifle but that covers considerable territory.  A little more detail might be helpful. 

My experience with the TC guns has been hit or miss over the years.  Some were very nice overall and others had annoying traits or flaws I wouldn't want to live with long term.  The older models seemed to be better made in terms of fit and finish with things like canted or misaligned sights not usually encountered.  The newer stuff seemed to be a harder field to find a perfect specimen in. ( that said, the quality of the sights did improve over the years as more modern sights replaced traditional styles ) Triggers were never outstanding but could be improved.  Wood to metal fit was OK - functional but not pretty.  Stock fit was always my biggest complaint as few of their guns ever fit me well right out of the box.  It was hard for me to find a stock that came to the shoulder and pointed naturally for me so I was always crawling the stock or shifting my grip to get the sights aligned properly.  YMMV. 

[firewater forge]

Yup.  Unfortunately you get the quality you pay for - even if you are doing a lot of the finish work.  Does this need to be a new production gun or would something gently used work for you as well?  Also, you use the term Hawken rifle but that covers considerable territory.  A little more detail might be helpful. 

Thanks for the info on the T/C. I use quotation marks around hawken for exactly that reason. There are a lot of interpretations of them out there. As long as it is "Hawken-ish" I would look at it, not a purist here. Actually, I would prefer a gently used one over new by a margin. BP guns are like automobiles, the moment they drive off the lot (or shot), they loose a chunk of resale value. As long as it has been taken care of by someone who knows what they are doing.

[coelacanth]

There are some folks who seem to specialize in black powder guns over at the site I'm going to give you at the end of this reply.  I have dealt with people on this site several times over the years ( not specifically black powder ) and have always been satisfied with the results.   They seem to be pretty good at self policing and their "Verified Seller" ratings appear legit.  A lot of the sellers are dealers and FFLs but it puts you in a much expanded marketplace when you are looking for something. 

If you go to the alphabetical index page you will see muzzle loading firearms broken out by categories and there is also a separate section below that for the TC muzzle loading guns.  Oddly enough there is a seller in Montana advertising a NIB TC "Hawken" style flintlock rifle so maybe that is something you would want to take a look at. 

https://www.gunsinternational.com

Good luck with your search.

[firewater forge]

There are some folks who seem to specialize in black powder guns over at the site I'm going to give you at the end of this reply.  I have dealt with people on this site several times over the years ( not specifically black powder ) and have always been satisfied with the results.   They seem to be pretty good at self policing and their "Verified Seller" ratings appear legit.  A lot of the sellers are dealers and FFLs but it puts you in a much expanded marketplace when you are looking for something. 

If you go to the alphabetical index page you will see muzzle loading firearms broken out by categories and there is also a separate section below that for the TC muzzle loading guns.  Oddly enough there is a seller in Montana advertising a NIB TC "Hawken" style flintlock rifle so maybe that is something you would want to take a look at. 

https://www.gunsinternational.com

Good luck with your search.

I appreciate it, will give them a look.

[ExCal]

Have you tried here? https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/

I sold off my Hawken when I came across a very nice J Garner signed left handed flintlock. I need to get another one so the grandson can do some 1800s fur trapper rendezvous re-enactments. His gg etc grandfather was Pierre Laclede Liguest the founder of St Louis who built a fur trading empire. https://www.legendsofamerica.com/mo-stlouis/



The Hawken factory/store in St Louis.

[Rocklock I]

Lyman is what you want . Probably 5 or 6 hundred . They are pretty close , but a Hawken purist would pick out a few issues ,

[ArizonaGunOwners.com]