Hawken Rifle

The history of the Hawken Rifle is intertwined with the opening of the western frontier of America. This muzzle loading, double trigger long rifle was a trusted companion to many of the men who settled the West when it was still a very new, and quite dangerous, region. A black powder rifle made in St. Louis, Missouri, the Hawken Rifle was made to accommodate a rather large caliber ball, usually around .50 or .53 caliber.

Jacob Hawken was born in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia in 1786, His brother, Samuel, was born in 1792. The pair were trained in gumsmithing by their father as they grew up. Around 1818, Jacob Hawken moved to Missouri and began a gunsmithing partnership with James Lakemen. Samuel Hawken, in the meantime, had established his own business in Xenia, Ohio. It was not until after Lakeman's death in 1825 , as well as the deaths of Samuel's father and wife, that he moved to St. Louis. At this point, the Hawken brothers entered into a partnership and began to manufacture Hawken Rifles.

Also known as a Plains Rifle, or a Rocky Mountain Rifle, the Hawken Rifle was first made circa the year 1823. Each Hawken Rifle was fashioned by hand, rather than being mass produced. Typically made with just a half stock, though sometimes made with a full stock, the Hawken rifle had a heavy barrel with plenty of heft. It was still light enough, however, to carry around when exploring unfamiliar territory where it might be needed quickly. Although the Hawken rifle was plain in looks, it was a cap lock gun that was well made.

The Hawken Rifle was shorter than the Kentucky rifles that were popular at around the same time. The Hawken rifle was a higher caliber gun as well. They weighed about 10 pounds with barrels measuring between 33 and 36 inches. The stocks of the Hawken rifle were made of maple or walnut, and the guns usually had a double trigger.

This double trigger feature of the Hawken rifle was particularly handy when exploring the frontier. The trigger to the rear readied the trigger to the front, making it able to be tripped with just the lightest touch. Using the front trigger without the rear trigger engaged meant a much firmer pull was necessary in order to pull it.

The Hawken rifle was a popular gun up until about the middle of the 19th century. It had a well deserved reputation for both long distance as well as accuracy. Hunters during the era of the fur trade and mountain men grew to rely on it. By around the 1850s, however, breech loading guns that were being mass produced, like the Winchester Rifle, as well as rifles with lever action, began to replace muzzle loader guns such as the guns made by the Hawken brothers.

After Jacob Hawken's death in 1843, Samuel continued to manufacture the Hawken rifle until 1855, the year of his retirement. The Hawken Rifle company was handed over to Samuel's sons who sold the company in 1862. The year of 1884 saw the manufacture of the last gun by a Hawken.

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