[Jeff Higgins]

Ah, tabby... you should obtain a copy of Mr. Woodfill's book. Or, better yet, correspond with him. While you are at it, get in touch with Mr. Roberts, proprietor of The Hawken Shop. The first thing either will tell you is that there is only one absolute when dealing with these rifles - that there are no absolutes.

I pre-ordered one of Mr. Woodfill's books and, I believe, was delivered one of the first copies published. This, after having corresponded with him as one of the few noted experts in the field.

As far as Mr. Roberts (who, after having become friends over the course of this journey I now feel privileged to address as "Greg") he lives a scant hour north of me. We have discussed the intricacies of these rifles at length over the course of several years.

Yes, most had blued barrels. Some were browned. Yes, most had color case hardened locks, tangs, sometimes trigger guards and butt plates. And barrel keys and escutcheons. But, some were blued, some were browned, some left in the white. Some had the "fish belly" profile from the back of the trigger guard to the toe of the stock, but most actually did not. They all had this "fish belly" from the front of the trigger guard to the nose cap, an "authentication" feature you missed in your less than cursory research. These were "bespoke" rifles, built to order. Efficeincies were realized by ordering parts from the industry suppliers, but they were still very much what we would call "custom" rifles today. Triple the cost of the next ones down the ladder.

Other very significant features you missed (likely because they don't show up in a ten minute YouTube video) are the forward taper of the lock plate flat and the opposing flat on the left side. How about the soft solder filling of the gap formed by the concave top of the under rib against the bottom barrel flat at the muzzle? Or the slanted interface of the back of the barrel to the tang? Let's not forget the fact that the tang is actually through bolted to the trigger plate, thereby reinforcing the wrist in a manner provided by no other rifle, where the tang and trigger plate are held by separate wood screws into the wrist, providing no additional strength. These were notable identifying features of these rifles. There are many more. Maybe you can do some real research and let us know what the rest of them might be... Cheap reproductions lack these features...

Both men, the two foremost acknowledged experts in this field, will be very quick to point out the false "absolutes" too often espoused by those who desire to portray themselves as "experts" regarding all things Hawken. Congratulations, you managed to check most of their boxes.