Kentucky Colonel's 1970 GRRW Half-Stock Hawken is finished....

[Buck Conner1]

Kentucky Colonel's 1970 GRRW Half-Stock Hawken is finished and in the mail, expected at his home this coming Wed. afternoon.

Carl Walker (first and former employee of Green River Rifle Works), was one of two employees that would have originally shipped this "kit" gun out from Roosevelt Utah. The "GRRW Kit" has floated around the country changing hands several times before John (Kentucky Colonel) acquired the gun.  KC thought the name "Traveler" would be a good handle for his newest toy.


Shown below is a picture of the builder Carl Walker and another picture of the famous Doc White with Carl holding KC's Hawken.

​

Carl Walker with "Traveler"​

Doc White (left) Carl Walker (right) "Traveler" in the middle.​

Once I get more pictures I'll post them to this topic.

 

[Muley Hunter]

Very nice. I'm jealous.

 

[Buck Conner1]

Very nice. I'm jealous.

These two look pretty good for Doc being just 81 and Carl is 82 years of age. They have improved their skills over the years to primo. Wish I could say that, oh well sh.. happens.   :shock:   :twisted:

___________________________________​

If you are interested in seeing Doc White's current list of GRRW.CA Guns Sold, Completed and For Sale. Send me your email and I can take care of that for you. At the same time I can also sign you up for past and current newsletters of the GRRW and GRRW.CA information, history and pretty good articles published in the "Green River Gazette" - an excellent FREEBIE.


Contact: [email protected] - ask for: 

1). Doc White's current list of GRRW.CA 
2). Past and current issues of the "Green River Gazette" 

:cheers:​

 

[Muley Hunter]

Does Doc still hunt?

 

[Buck Conner1]

I was just asked "how tall is Carl, the gun looks really long"?  Carl on a good day is 5' 6" so that half-stock Hawken will look long on him, but looks correct for length next to Doc at 6'1". 

 

[Buck Conner1]

Does Doc still hunt?

We have been talking among ourselves and can't figure where or how a man of Doc White's age (just made 80) gets his energy. His drive, work ethics or just plain go power to crank out the number of guns he has been doing for more years than some of you have been on the ground.
 
Les Bennett GRRW.CA gunsmith (Doc's old friend, hunting and fishing buddy) said "not only does he build fine guns, he hunts every season, fishes as much as possible plus works at his practice 25 hours a week. And still finds time to be a husband and father."


Damn, I have trouble just getting dressed some days??? I better make an appointment with Doc for some his energy treatment drink! I'm wearing out writing about this guy........

 

[Muley Hunter]

I hear you Buck. I have to take caffeine pills.

 

[Kentucky Colonel]

It is here. 

I just spent the last hour unpacking it, ogling it, and rubbing it with a cloth. 
It smells wonderful. I hooked the browned barrel into the stock, set the hand made 
pins, and stared at it. I held it up and looked down the sights that Carl made for this 
rifle. Heavy barrel, I thought. Seven inches longer than my Hawken, I suddenly realized.

I am really quite unable to describe my reaction with any clarity. 
I can try later. It makes me smile.

Those pics of those two with Traveler are fantastic.

 

[Buck Conner1]

It is here. 

I just spent the last hour unpacking it, ogling it, and rubbing it with a cloth. It smells wonderful. I hooked the browned barrel into the stock, set the hand made pins, and stared at it. I held it up and looked down the sights that Carl made for this 
rifle. Heavy barrel, I thought. Seven inches longer than my Hawken, I suddenly realized.  I am really quite unable to describe my reaction with any clarity.   I can try later. It makes me smile.

Those pics of those two with Traveler are fantastic.

KC, glad this has met what you were expecting, Carl is a top of the line craftsman, he's excellent in gun building and silver working, antique restoration, plus a good collector of odd items.

Take pictures of you and Traveler, send them to me and I can download them with pictures of the GRRW kit before growing up into a rifle.

 

[RonRC]

Congratulations, K Colonel! Looks like a fine rifle.
Ron

 

[Buck Conner1]

Congratulations, K Colonel! Looks like a fine rifle.
Ron

 I was hoping for shades of purple Ron ......   :joker:

 

[Kentucky Colonel]

... news to report:

1. I still grin when I look at it.

GOOD.

2. ... the old GRRW blue prints and catalogs that arrived with the original 1970's kit for this gun. 

KEEP THE BOX AND PAPERWORK IN A DRY PLACE (NOT ON A CONCRETE FLOOR).

But, he is right about one thing. This rifle feels like it means business. 

3. This St. Louis Hawken is significantly longer than I had realized it was gonna be when I looked at the kit parts. It is not that Carl is short. Traveler is like a steroid Hawken compared to my own .50 cal CVA Hawken. It is longer than my Traditions .50 cal Kentucky long rifle!

NO COMPARSION - APPLES AND ORANGES !

4. ... I wondered if the wood stain was the same as the staining formula listed on the original GRRW blue prints. I may ask Carl later.

ASK CARL.

5. I am awfully fond of the barrel stamps... Carl Walker's, GRRW, GRRWCA H05, S. Hawken, St. Louis, and Traveler.


GOOD THAT WAS WHAT YOU ASK FOR KC.

6. I am beginning to prefer browned over blued.

YOUR NOT ALONE.

7. This one may be a bit odd as it is a feeling and not a fact. But, when I imagine hefting this rifle, for the first time, it feels 'out West' rather than the 'Southeast.' 


THAT'S TRUE, THAT WAS WHERE IT WAS USED.

I'll be back with pics later. Jim and I are going fishing this weekend. Wish us luck!

WE'RE WAITING 

BUCK​

 

[BrownBear]

He threw the rifle to his shoulder and said, "Pretty wood. This is heavy. .58 calibre... Geez, its a brute!" I told him not to talk that way to a lady.  


You'll be happy with the weight when you pass 100 grains of powder in 58.  Along with the heavier ball, the extra powder starts moving things around. My original GRRW Hawken 58 (36" barrel tapered 1 1/8" to 1") tips the scale at a little over 12#.  And it just LOVES 140 grains of 2f.


4. The browning process/formula and the staining process/formula was of interest to Jim (and me). 
We both wondered what it was. I wondered if the wood stain was the same as the staining formula listed on the original GRRW blue prints. I may ask Carl later.

Can't say about the stain, but Ron Paull had me rub in a couple of coats of BLO when I got my Leman Squirrel Rifle.

As for the browning, process/formula, that was a proprietary mix from GRRW. Ron still has some and used it on my Leman. It's a perfect match for my original GRRW Hawken.  Both are distinctly different (and better) than other browning I've seen. And nope. Ron isn't talking about what's in the browning formula.

 

[Buck Conner1]

As for the browning, process/formula, that was a proprietary mix from GRRW. Ron still has some and used it on my Leman. It's a perfect match for my original GRRW Hawken.  Both are distinctly different (and better) than other browning I've seen. And nope. Ron isn't talking about what's in the browning formula.

All of the GRRW Collector Association smiths use the same formulas as they used 40 years ago at GRRW. I keep all the formulas on file in case someone gets a brain fart.   :study:

 

[BrownBear]

Ron didn't go into detail about it (and I'm not pressing to know), but it's clearly different than any I know of in use elsewhere today.  Definitely adds that extra little bit of "something" to the guns and helps them stand out. 

The GRRW CA guns are most definitely worth the price of admission. In the bigger world of custom guns they're truly a bargain even without all the history behind their design and construction.

 

[RonRC]

Congratulations, K Colonel! Looks like a fine rifle.
Ron

 I was hoping for shades of purple Ron ......   :joker:

The GRRW rifles are getting more and more interesting.
I have one rifle made by one of the old GRRW staff, Neill Fields, and I think it has a GRRW barrel, but no full-fledged GRRW firearm is in my arsenal. I may have to find ways to pad my hobby fund piggy bank.
Have to keep up with the Jones'. Those young guys, BigAl52 and Kentucky Colonel, two fine fellows, are already on the band wagon and Phil Meeks has been on that wagon for some time.
Ron

 

[BrownBear]

The GRRW rifles are getting more and more interesting.
I have one rifle made by one of the old GRRW staff, Neill Fields, and I think it has a GRRW barrel, but no full-fledged GRRW firearm is in my arsenal. I may have to find ways to pad my hobby fund piggy bank.
Have to keep up with the Jones'. Those young guys, BigAl52 and Kentucky Colonel, two fine fellows, are already on the band wagon and Phil Meeks has been on that wagon for some time.
Ron

Might wanna rush it a bit. Talking to Ron Paull, the waiting list is growing, and that's without any waiting time for parts. I'm talking to him about a trade gun, and he said there's at least a 6-month waiting period for the barrels before he can even pick up a chisel. I dodged a wait-list bullet on my Leman when I found just the right barrel in stock after checking half a dozen other outlets who promised long waits for delivery. Took me two days to collect all the parts rather than a year, and that was before wedging myself into Ron's schedule.

 

[Buck Conner1]

The GRRW rifles are getting more and more interesting.
A GRRW firearm is in my arsenal. I may have to find ways to pad my hobby fund piggy bank.

.... before wedging myself into Ron's schedule.

That's GRRW Collectors Association for your arsenal Ron. No cost to get in line (waiting list).

There wasn't much "wedging" by BrownBear, both him and Ron Paull live a stone throw from each other, so it was a perfect fit when scheduling. 

I try to pick a smith and client that are close to each other.   :2 cents:

 

[BrownBear]

There wasn't much "wedging" by BrownBear, both him and Ron Paull live a stone throw from each other, so it was a perfect fit when scheduling.

Ah but wait....  Ron's a busy guy and so am I! And Alaskans tend to run around with airplane wings hanging out their....  ears. 

In between the "yeses" from both of us, Ron spent 6 months out in the Aleutians and I hied myself off to Florida for most of the winter (with the good fortune of Homer Dangler as a winter neighbor). Now Ron is off again for 3 months on the Kenai Peninsula and I'm off for the west coast in a few days. 

Just keep kinda circling each other, but we do cross paths.  Funny thing is, last time we sat down together it was at a coffee shop named Fly By on the lake that serves as our municipal float plane airport!

 

[Buck Conner1]

He has scheduled 3-4 rifles plus one that's 80% done with a client that can be questionable with his demands.   :cry: