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Thank you...Very cool photos! Especially the one of that very decorated veteran who made your rifle. I also find it interesting the very different shapes that are made into the rear portion of the stocks. Can you tell from these designs who the makers was, or at least origin area?
Do you think the lightning struck tree wood being used helps with adding any power to your shots? Like the bat "Wonderboy" in The Natural...
I was very honored to have Doc Brown as a friend...he was a great guy..and very much missed.
So...
Stock shape and butt plate design can at times denote a particular maker ...or in the case of the American Long Rifle...
A specific maker or region where the rifle was made.
This is especially true in colonial times up to about the 1830's...in some cases this individualistic styling held on much longer ...
As in certain regions of the American south.
Many rifles of this time were indeed hand built by the rifle maker ...Lock , Stock and barrel , as the old saying goes.
However...
Even in colonial times...many gun parts were made overseas and imported into the US.
Often firearms were made to general pattern...and sold to be used by the masses.
Or to be used by a gun maker for the making of a gun.
With the advent of interchangeable parts , this became more wide spread.
In the case of those rifles shown....
Most of the butt plates were cast and sold to a rifle maker....and then made into a rifle that was then in style / vogue / or marketable.
The rifles shown are of the "Trade Rifle" type...a rifle made for use in the fur trade , either by a Indian or a trapper / trader / hunter.
( The first three in the upper photo..circa 1800 - 1840 )
The fourth one in the upper photo and the next two in the lower photo are "Plains / Mountain " rifles of the 1840's - 1860's period.
Getting back to the Hawken Rifle...
These rifles were made according to a general pattern...with many out sourced parts , like locks , butt plates , barrels...
And made in house by workers for Sam or Jake.....I have no doubt that Sam or Jake also built or helped in building said rifles.
Sorry for the long answer.
You asked and excellent question ...a decent answer requires details.
Andy
Edit to add :
Many locks and barrels are marked with a name or company.
It is wise to look at the whole firearm and not just the barrel or lock to determine who made the gun.
Jacob Dicket was a noted American Long Rifle maker....he made many rifles.
However...he also sold lots of barrels that he made or had his name stamped on.
Goulcher is a very common name on percussion locks....they made locks by the thousands....but not a whole rifle.
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