Kibler's Longrifles Knowledge Base

Were original Hawken lock parts case hardened?

They likely were. Original locks of that era were made of wrought iron, which is soft, even softer than modern mild steel, except for the springs which were steel. For wrought iron lock parts to hold up and function, case hardening was generally required, so original Hawken style locks were most likely case hardened, aside from possibly the very cheapest examples.

Category: Company HistoryTopics: Hawken|Case Hardening|Video Transcript

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