bronko22000
Sounds to me like you might be ready to order a set of plans [copy of the Hawkins in the museum in ST Louis] from the St Louis Museum, and go to work. The satisfaction of shooting a very close copy is great especially when you have built it your self.

Traditional rifles and I go way back. I started with a .54 T/C Renegade. The Renegade is still one of my favorite rifles, although I do like the T/C Hawkins. Some other nice traditional rifles are the T/C New Englanders. As for being "period correct" I could care less. I just love to shoot and see what I can make them do.

Lee I've been looking at them for sure but the prices are pretty salty. I need one more T/C to pretty much complete my set and that is a T/C Hawken Cougar. I currently found one and have an offer placed on it waiting for a response.

I'm getting close to ordering one of these to build. It's as close to a real Hawken as you can get.


http://www.donstith.com/kit_carson.html

That 1 1/8 tapered to 1 inch barrel will be pretty heavy....I built a .54 back in the 80s before swamped barrels became popular and it's 1 1/16 ro 15/16s...Mine is 38 inches long and it's not too bad but I've often wished I had stuck to my guns on a swamped barrel...

I know you'd prefer a Hawken style but you can get a .54 from Jim Chambers in his Isaac Haines gun...That would make a nice, light weight hunting rifle...

I thought about a long rifle. My plans are to join up with the AMM, and they have a good active Colorado group here. In looking at all the pictures they posted they all seem to use long guns. Which I read was the majority of what the mountain man used.

It's so hard for me to get away from the Hawken. I love the gun, and it is PC for some MM. If you look at the Kit Carson gun Don makes it comes with a 31" - 34" barrel. The real Kit Carson was 31". That shouldn't be too heavy.

I do know i'll need a flint to be accepted with the AMM. It seems to be all they use. Which wouldn't be PC for the later Hawkens.

Everything is riding on being accepted with the AMM. On my own i'll go Hawken. With AMM i'll go long rifle in a flint. We'll see how it pans out.

I wouldn't mind having that Lewis and Clark rifle. Would be fun to shoot and own.

I too have a .54 Hawkin Rifle, made by Lymann for Cabelas. Had it since around 86, great gun, fun to hunt with still shoots good.

Lyman doesn't make guns.

Investarms makes guns for Lyman and Cabelas.

IIRC Investment Arms barrels come from Italy and Italy has some of the best barrel quality control of any country. Some of the Cableas guns are made by Pedersoli (also Italy) and they are extremely high quality......usually.

IMO it would be hard to go wrong with either brand. Im not a big sidleock fan but IF i ever buy one it will be the Cabelas Sporter Hawkens carbine in 54cal. While not a true traditional, its a nice big boomer. :D