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exMember

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Got this in the other day and was going to sell it as it is, but decided that she just needs to be treated right and so I am going to strip it down and give it a complete make over! CVA Hawken .50cal 1:48 twist, 28" barrel. This was made in 2000 and pretty much the last year they stopped selling sidelocks. I'll brown all the metal, replace the ramrod with hickory, replace the ugly factory junk sights with traditional sights ( everything is ordered already ) and then refinish the stock to a polished 1000 grit finish and do a hand rubbed finish. I think I will do a dark stain, then top it off with some brass nail decoration on the forearm for some extra grip. POSSIBLY on the wrist as well. Not sure yet! That brass nail work takes many many many hours of careful work.
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50 yards, 70gr Alliant Black MZ, .490" round ball, .020" patch ( Forgot to mention I did a light coning job on the muzzle already ) CCI #11 Magnum caps. First shot on a clean bore, high center, next 2 are pretty obvious. Super happy, tells me that she's going to be a shooter. Now it just time to put a little time and effort into making her look pretty!
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I'll try to clone this Hawken I built several years ago. This one looks amazing with a super dark walnut finish and a little shine.
 
Since it's a shooter on the range you definitely want to keep it. Do your magic FG and transform it into one of your beautiful, custom creations.🙂
 
lol man Marty if I kept them all, I'd be sleeping on the couch due to not having any room. I like to fix them up, make them something to be proud of, then turn them loose to a new owner.
 
Nice. Enjoy the final product. That stock looks amazing. You’re giving me some ideas for my CVA.
👍🏽
 
The finished one looks amazing and could use a good clone. They certainly are fine platforms for reworking.
 
The rifle looks great Jon after your touches have been applied.

TC, Traditions, CVA and others need to readjust their thinking on the names they use for their products, this being a good example - Hawken Rifle. To the Collector Societies it has become a joke when one of these firms misuse a name of an original firm that built these fine now antique arms. The Hawken boys, Henry E. Leman, Edward K. Tryon and others must roll over in their graves ...... daily. ☹

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The rifle looks great Jon after your touches have been applied.

TC, Traditions, CVA and others need to readjust their thinking on the names they use for their products, this being a good example - Hawken Rifle. To the Collector Societies it has become a joke when one of these firms misuse a name of an original firm that built these fine now antique arms. The Hawken boys, Henry E. Leman, Edward K. Tryon and others must roll over in their graves ...... daily. ☹

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True. It seems the modern industry has been capitalizing on historic success of the name "Hawken Rifle".
 
TC started first and was hammered by "Buckskin Report", "National Muzzle Loaders", and a few others. They had deep pockets with the atitude that they could call the shots. I know that was a big push for the custom builders to sell their wares. The Hawken, Leman, and Tryon reproductions came to life.
 
80gr Alliant Black MZ, .020" patch, .490" round ball at 50 yards today. Super low as expected with the new sights, but shes a shooter. I used a wet alcohol based lube I made up and it did very well at reloading without stopping to swab the bore. Later I switched to eastern maine shooting patches in .020 and they fit a lot more snug. I took 7 more shots.
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Every patch looked beautiful and new.
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Jon, you do great work.

Yep, the "collectors" look down on regular folks . They don't want the name "Hawken" disgraced by companies who sell affordable guns to mere mortals.

When the beloved Santa Fe Hawken came out, my wife had a good job and i, a soldier, worked part time. So i bought said Ithaca Santa Fe Hawken rifle with my re-enlistment bonus. Yeah, it was a nice rifle but it shot no better than cheaper TC Hawken style rifles that cost half as much.
 
Just curious, Jon. Why in the Cowboy Hell are you using those great looking tires for a backstop?

-Joe
 
They were new but 17 years old and full of cracks on the side wall. Careful with new old stock.
 
decided to hang on to this one for a little while longer. Took it out yesterday and shot, filed down the sight, shot a group, filed down the sight until I got it into the bulleyes. 80gr Black Mz, .490 round ball .020" patch @ 50 yards. I had one flier out of the bullseye but that was most likely me due to the wind yesterday. Shes a shooter! 3fg goex REALLY shot well too but I only had a few shots left of it, so I will have to buy some more.
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