US Hawkin ''Rocky Mountain'' .54 Caliber Rifle

By Crusader1307

The classic weapon of those North American Frontiersmen known as "Mountain Men", The Hawkin "Rocky Mountain Rifle", was so named for The Region that was frequented by those "brave and hearty" Outsiders of early 19th Century American Society. Also called "The Buffalo Gun", it was invented and produced my an independent pair of Gunsmiths, Jacob and Samuel Hawkins in 1823. The Hawkins Rifle was 10 to 15-pounds in weight. There was both a smoothbore and later rifled versions. As a smoothbore, The Hawkins fired a .54 Cal. Round Ball. Conversely, there were both Flintlock and Percussion types. The maximum range was 600-yards. A powerful charge of 200-grains of black powder was sufficient to bring down the "Big Game" of both Buffalo and Black Bear. Reliable and easy to maintain, The Hawkin Rifle was a vital component to a Mountain Man. The Hawkin Brothers stopped manufacture in 1870. By the 1890s a Hawkin Rifle was still considered a "prize", even in the Age of Cartridge. The weapon can still be purchased today and is popular with Traditional Hunters.