It came to me for just $250 with a perfect bore -- hardly looked shot at all, and with no machining marks either -- but about 40% of the finish on the barrel and 60% on the lock had been scratched down to be silver/grey; most likely to get rid of some surface rust (by the prior owner) -- but luckily, there was no pitting on the metal or in the bore at all.
I cold-blued the barrel and lock, and then -- as I never really was a fan of bright brass Hawkens -- I proceeded to tarnish all the brass with the same cold blue formula.
Maybe it's "bruised" now -- black & blue, right?!
While some may not like it, I'm actually thinking it looks pretty nice finished like this (especially for hunting). I had an old Lyman tang sight sitting around without a home (it was for a Savage 99, as the sight's base was slightly bent and shortened when I got it many years ago); so I added that to the tang to get better accuracy. It's a .45 caliber -- and I can't wait to see how it shoots!
Old No7
( Click image to enlarge ) ps:
The peep is a Williams "Twilight" aperture; you still the sharp black center outer circle and aperture to center the front sight in, but in low-light early morning or late afternoon conditions, the small brass ring around the aperture helps you see the peep -- especially when the deer are in dark shadows or fir thickets.
