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Some of their early rifles are known to have been used by the mountain men active
in the Rocky Mountain fur trade c. 1830-1840, including by General William Henry
Ashley and the American Fur Company. Afterwards, Hawken rifles continued to
be in demand as migration to the West increased with the California gold rush
and the opening of new territories for settlement. In this period, famous scouts
like Jim Bridger and Kit Carson depended on their Hawken rifles. Many continued
to use their Hawken rifles into the late 19th century, with a few like Tom Tobin
photographed with their trusty Hawken rifles around 1900. Hawken rifles remained
treasured artifacts of the Old West throughout the 20th century and continue to
be treasured by current firearms collectors. The half-stock version of the Hawken
rifle became particularly popular thanks to the use of a reproduction in the iconic
film “Jeremiah Johnson.” A J. & S. Hawken marked full stock rifle was chosen by
John D. Baird to be in his portrait on the back of his books “Hawken Rifles: The
Mountain Man’s Choice” and “Fifteen Years in the Hawken Lode” and on the first
page of his “Full Stock Hawken Rifles” chapter in the former. The Latter Day Saints
Church History Museum in Salt Lake City, Utah, also has a full-stock J. & S. Hawken
rifle attributed to Mormon pioneer John Brown, and that rifle is shown on pages
38-40 of Bob Woodfill’s recent “The Hawken Rifle” book. The “S. HAWKEN ST. LOUIS”
marked full-stock rifle in the Buffalo Bill Center of the West is also a noteworthy
reference for this rifle and is shown on the museum website and pages 77-80 of
Woodfill’s book.
CONDITION: Very good with dark brown patina, mild oxidation and pitting, distinct
barrel markings, replaced front wedges, and moderate overall wear. The stock is
good with repaired breaks in the wrist and breech section, piece absent ahead of
the lock, and moderate wear including scratches and dings. The set trigger needs
adjustment, but the rifle otherwise functions. While we have had the fortune
of bringing multiple full-stock Hawken rifles to auction recently, these remain
extremely rare, and it could be many auctions before another becomes available.
Provenance: Ray & Lilian West to Earl & Lilah Hazelton; The Hazelton Family.
Estimate: 55,000 - 85,000