I am a longtime blackpowder enthusiast and shooter (33 years), and have accumulated a number of different blackpowder arms ... flintlocks, caplocks, sidelocks, underhammers, rifles, shotguns ... from the mass-produced to custom handmades. There was one blackpowder arm I didn't have in my collection, though: A good example of the muzzleloader that sparked the modern renaissance of front-stuffing and made muzzleloading hunting what it is today: The Thompson-Center Hawken Rifle.
Yes, I know that they're not an exact copy of any period arm, particularly the work of the Saint Louis Hawken riflemakers, and I know that if anything, they are more representative of a New England sporting rifle of the 1840's era. I don't care. That elitist rhetoric matters not to me. I've always liked them for just what they are: a well-made, rock-solid, reasonably priced and attractive contemporary blackpowder rifle that honors the heritage of our past ... made of top-quality walnut and steel, and priced for the average man.
Thompson Center Hawkens are the F150 of traditional muzzleloaders; they are worthy of a spot in the history of gunmaking, and many an example languishes forgotten in a closet corner because of the recent surge in "inline magnum" popularity. More's the pity.
Many early TC Hawkens exhibited superior wood and fit and finish. Some fine old examples are still out there ... and I recently bought one from Track of the Wolf. It's a .54 caliber of early manufacture, and it is flawless. I'm glad to have found it. I had one when I was a teenager, but sold it to a friend of my brothers, and I've always regretted it. Now I've finally got another for my collection.
I love traditional-style blackpowder arms best ... and my assortment wasn't complete without a representative model of the rifle that brought modern muzzleloading into the limelight: the TC Hawken.
I am very pleased with it. It won't hang on the wall, either. I intend to take it hunting this fall, and kill some deer with it.
For those who'd like a look, check it out at TOC's website. They're known for their great pictures:
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/
Just choose Guns For Sale, then Percussion Rifles, then Page 4 ... it's the last one listed, # AAF-366.
Plan to touch 'er off tomorrow!
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)