[Joeaksa]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

The rifle of America's westward expansion was the "plains rifle", a generic term applied to a style of muzzle loader that was initially developed during the fur trade era, the era of the "Mountain Man". These proved to be both inadequate and unwieldily to the fur trappers, plying the Missouri River in keel boats and the Rocky Mountains on foot and on horseback.

Such luminaries as Kit Carson, Hugh Glass, Jim Bridger, Marriano Medina, and others would carry nothing else.

Four of the most famous of these Hawken rifles survive today in various museums. The Kit Carson, Jim Bridger, Marriano Medina, and John Brown rifles are all still with us, and very well (indisputably) documented. The rifles produced today by the Hawken Shop are of the later pattern, similar to Carson's and Bridger's rifles. These were produced by Samuel after his brother Jacob had died. The Medina and Brown rifles are of the time in which Jacob was still alive, and represent a much more "custom" kind of a build. After Jacob's death, in order to ensure the company's survival, Sammuel adopted a more standardized "production line" approach. Far more of his rifles, stamped "S. Hawken St. Louis" survive than those built with his brother and stamped "J. & S. Hawken St. Louis".

Mine will be of the later "S. Hawken St. Louis" pattern, as continued by J.P. Gemmer. These are actually the more refined, more practical "shooters", so they are the ones that have carried through at the Hawken Shop. They have not really changed, however, from those produced in the 1850's - 1870's by Samuel himself and then J.P Gemmer. No real reason to mess with success, I guess.

Jeff,

Great thread!! I grew up reading about the Mountain Men and their lives West of the Mississippi. I still have my 1970's copy of John Baird's book "Hawken Rifles, the Mountain Mans choice."

One name to add to the above is Jedediah Strong Smith. An early Mountain Man and fur trapper, he was the first white man to trek from the plains over the Rockies and find a route to the Pacific.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jedediah_Smith

Cannot wait to see the finished muzzle loader!!

Joe A