John Baird, editor of the "Buckskin Report" wrote a book entitled, "Hawken Rifles, the Mountain Man's Choice". The book was an obvious labor of love and is recommended reading for persons interested in building or owning a Hawken style rifle. Baird probably took the title for his book from the marker over the grave of Samuel Hawken (1792-1884) which reads,  "...the famous Hawken Rocky Mountain and Plains Rifle...for nearly half a century preceding the Civil War was the outstanding choice of the old mountain men, trappers and fur traders...".

There is much speculation about how the Hawken brothers decided on their rifle design. But most historians agree it was a rifle built and modified to meet the needs of its users. The early Harper's Ferry Rifle thought to have been carried by some of the members of the Lewis and Clark expedition might have played a part in the development of the early Hawken model. The first Hawkens were less stylized than later models and were Fullstocked. Later, the halfstock model, with full under rib, came to be recognized as a kind of trademark of the Hawken Brothers' operations in St. Louis.

Some other common features of the Hawken, a one-piece trigger with scroll guard secured, and generally plain, iron-mounted furnishings - including toe plate and buttplate.