Good looking rifle Muley. ;)

I believe it to be an original Hawken, so obviously I don't own it.

Sure wish I did, but i'd have to win the lottery. I think most of them are in museums.

I doubt it's an original Hawk. Damn fine repro by one hell of an artist though.

You sure? Here's a close up of the other side. It's Kit Carson's gun.

I can show you where to go to build a good solid fast twist 45 or even a 40 for a heck of a lot less. I love the Swinglocks but those are in the $4000 range now.

You can build a very fine SML on a Savage target action or one of the new Rem Ultimates for around half that price including a top shelf stock. Both will have full locking lugs just like a CF. Those new Rems are basically a Rem 40X action too.

LOL Pete, first pic and this one aint the same rifle. Totally different wear pattern. You aint going to find one worn completely down to the wood on one side and little to no wear on the other. That first pic is from a Kit Carson replica kit from WB Seleb Customs probably. The second pic is from the actual Kit Carson rifle with the worn DARK wood.

This here is Kits original last Hawk

https://www.flickr.com/photos/tsjcro...7623758126706/

Couldn't snag the pic without downloading then uploading to PB so just linked the site.

What caliber is that gun??? .52??

Well, where I found the pictures was misleading. They went back and forth between the real and kit gun. The guns are so close that it was hard to tell which was which.

It's not hard to make a new gun look like an original if you have the talent for it. A few guys do. Let's just say that kit gun is so close that it could be what an original could look like. Except for wear marks I can't tell the difference. Maybe an original is still in somebodies basement lost in rubble.

I'd have a heart attack if I ever found one.

The idea that TC barrels won't shoot conical is wrong any old timer that remembers all we did to make them shoot can. The exception would be the few that had off center QLA's and they did not shoot anything else well either.
I have shot them out of two Knights and an Omega, a Triumph and an Endeavor. I do have a Pro-Hunter in 45 that I have not shot them out of but I am confident I could if I found a need too.

I've read more than a few that had the QLA off center that wouldn't shoot conicals, but shot sabots fine.

What we see on forums is a very small amount of guns sold. How many had the problem that don't even know what a forum is?

There's 2 million muzzleloader hunters in the US. Don't ever take what you read on forums as the gospel.