Chapter 3

Taking one of these rifles apart is fairly simple. With the Hawken the only large part that doesn’t need to be removed is the tang. Small parts that can stay are the barrel lug escutcheons, the nose cap, buttplate and beavertail and the trigger guard ... unless the trigger assembly needs to be looked at.

In this case, I needed to look at the lock. If I didn’t find the problem in the lock then the barrel and trigger assembly would need to be disassembled.

The lock wouldn’t cock.

The hammer rotated so I needed to remove the lock plate. On the side of the stock opposite the lock there is ... in most cases ... a single straight slot screw head. The lockplate bolt is mounted in a beaver tail escutcheon. Hawkin plates use one bolt ... some other makes use two.

Righty tighty ... lefty loosey.

The top of the screw driver needs to turn the lockplate bolt to the left ... counter-clockwise. Several full revolutions are needed to detach the screw from the lockplate. Generally the fit and finish are such that it is necessary to tap on the loosened lockplate bolt to jar the lock loose from the stock. If the lock doesn’t just fall out, screw the bolt in the place a couple of turns before you hit the bolt head. This keeps the threads in good shape.

Remove the lock.

Inside the lock are springs, screws and a tumbler. The tumbler has a boss ... an extension that goes through the lock plate. This extension attaches to hammer with a screw that holds the hammer to the extension. A long Vee spring secured to a bolster mounted on the interior face of the lock provides the power to force the hammer to strike the percussion cap. The long leg of the Vee spring rests on the hardened metal complication that is the tumbler.

The tumbler does many things. A tongue holds the vee spring in tension, notches in the tumbler hold the sear in half cock or full cock, an adjusting screw holds the sear in ready. Turning the screw in or out allows the sear to regulate the pressure needed to cause the trigger to release the sear. There is a fly to allow the tumbler to ‘fly’ past the half cock. Without the tumbler one would need to strike the percussion cap with a hand held hammer.

On examination I realized the the dead man in the cave/tunnel was murdered. The sear had been altered. The lock would not cock because someone had filed the tip of the sear off. No accident. The filemarks were evidence enough to convict.

Could I do anything?

Report a nearly two hundred year old murder to the police?

Right!

I would lose the rifle ... held as evidence.

Instead I took measurements of the ruined sear, used a hacksaw to cut a new sear from a piece of iron bed rail, files shaped it, hardened the new sear at my improvised forge, installed the sear in the lock, put the lock back in the rifle and took the rifle to my backyard.

BANG

She shoots!

Some adjustment required.

The lock came out after every shot.

20 or so shots later I was satisfied.

A thorough cleaning, boiling hot soapy water, numerous patches, cleaning the lock, lock mortice and stock lock area. A good wipe down with hot boiled linseed oil

The whole matter took a long day. I was EXTREMELY careful. No burred screwheads, no lost barrel wedges, no misplaced screws.

In a normal situation ... with a new used gun ... I would take the entire rifle apart ... to the last screw.

Not This Time.

Even replacing the sear would knock a thousand dollars off the price.

If I sold it.

I spent a deal of time holding the gun, throwing it up to a shooting stance, sighting at distance objects, admiring the feel, fit and finish, ordering parts to build an exact copy, taking measurements and transferring those measurements to full sized paper.

As for the accouterments, the powder in the horn was still good. A small ... teaspoon sized pile ignited as easily as a similar pile of 3F from a new can.

The ‘possibles bag’ had the standard J&S Hawken tool kit, a hundred oxidized lead balls, a couple of wax sealed tins of percussion caps ... still good, an assortment of precut patches and the cutter, a couple 30 or so inch lengths of cotton patch cloth, an ivory scaled folding razor, a small ‘patch’ knife ... guessing on that one. A partial tin of corroded and useless caps. Two unopened pint bottles of 12 year old Canadian Whisky and one pint sipped from. Several butcher knives (Trade or gifts) a single shot 32 caliber flintlock muzzleloading pistol and assorted smuts and dust.

A leather drawstring bag with a selection of worn American gold coins newest was 1815, total face value of the coins was $122.50 (Supposition ... sold his furs?)

The wool capote was wearable but moldy.

I wonder if I dare sell the coins?

I wonder what they’re worth?