Hawken trigger guard

[West Texan]

Any one here ever forge a Hawken style trigger guard. I would like to forge one for my investarms Hawken.

[gunmaker]

Do you have track of wolf's catalog ?  Use the full scale pic's in it to make up your own guard.  I start with a CRS strap 1/16" X 1/2" or 3/4" and cut all pieces out of that. For the bow I put a piece of 1-1/2" pipe in my vise & cold hammer it around the pipe form holding the end with a big pair a vise-grips against the form, this is the hardest part-getting a bow you like the shape of, then sometimes I'll squeeze it in vise to change the shape some. & weld 'em together.  File to your specs. & finish ......

[mongrel]

I've made a couple using oxy-acetylene as my heat source and 3/32" to 1/8" steel flats as raw material. The ones I was doing had to pass muster as the real deal, and honestly to get them right I would have been further ahead to spend, at the time, a little less than $20 apiece for investment-cast steel guards. However, if the general but not necessary exactly perfect style is what you have in mind, and especially needing to replace an existing guard using the existing Investarms inlets -- forging your own, designed to fit as it needs to, is the way to go. As Gunmaker said, getting the shape of the trigger bow to where you want it is the hardest part of the process.

[West Texan]

I have my forge up and running. I will keep you informed.

[Vintovka]

Takes a bit of skill. Would give it a couple tries.  I have done it but just too hard for me anymore and tend to burn self more often now.   When i did do it i scribed my pattern on a 1/4" hardibacker type cement board that wont burn or catch fire.     If you do wind up buying one do not get any sand cast "iron" ones.  Last one shattered even after annealing. Good luck.  go slow and be careful.

[West Texan]

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb108/RickFoster/5a088d8d1a48a49b7239e2e41e479a77.jpg
Here is my first effort at forging a trigger guard. It will do ok but may start over with narrower stock

[Red Badger]

At least you can get to your forge.... Mine is off limits until I can walk a bit better again, and the weather cools down!  Between school and these 105 degree days I can't do much outside without the doc giving me fits for overdoing the knee