Hobbies And Interests
Early Markets
The Hawken brothers primarily serviced the fur trade. Their earliest known mass-produced order was for 18 weapons for the American Fur Company in the 1820s.
Specifications
While the Hawken brothers did not mass-produce a single model, many of their weapons shared a few common features: a .50 caliber round, a 28-inch octagonal barrel and a hooked breech system. The rear sight apertures were fully adjustable. Typical weight was around 8 1/2 lbs.
Popularity
Hawken rifles were expensive for their time, but their popularity caught on and it became the standard rifle of the Midwestern plains from 1840 to 1855, according to the website Mountain Men and Life in the Rocky Mountain West.
Famous Users
Notable users of Hawken rifles include legendary scout Kit Carson and President Theodore Roosevelt.
In Movies
Robert Redford's character in the 1972 film "Jeremiah Johnson" carried a Hawken rifle.