T/C Stop Making Flintlocks?

Zonie said:

My information says Thompson Center stopped making sidelocks in late 2006. They were bought by Smith & Wesson in 2007.

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You're probably correct.

My memory is not as good as it used to be … if it ever was as good as I think I remember it was.

Those daRn shop fumes that mess up your memory! (even with a "gas mask") …

Looking back, I should have studied engineering and drafting (or even short hand, since computers had not been invented yet, and typing) in school, and worked in an office the first 15 or so years I was a member of the labor force.

Ah well … such is "life".
Maybe I'll get it "right" the next time around.

Until reading this thread I never realized that TC quality had gone down in their later years. I always felt that their quality was pretty good. Of course I never bought one of their $700 Hawkins to see if the quality was there or not. I have owned many TC’s over the years and can honestly say that only one I owned was a disappointment and that was a QLA that just didn’t group worth a darn so down the road it went!! Thinking back on it now, I guess that was indeed the newest TC that I ever owned. Hmmmm. Greg

good ole boy said:

What ever happened to the facility Rochester,N.H?

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See all the ruble inside the fence? That's TC pic taken 2 weeks ago

I wish I hadn,t asked.What,s with the sign?

good ole boy said:

I wish I hadn,t asked.What,s with the sign?

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Belly up??

The last TC flintlock I bought new had the lock held in the inlet with hot melt glue to fill the gaps, this was just before they quit making them. I said I wouldn't ever on another TC but ended up with a percussion Hawken from days gone by that is a nice gun.

Signs been hanging like that for a few years now. So much for TC eh?
S&W bought them for their rifle barrel boring and rifling stuff, Not for their product line.

Son and I took the pic when we were on a Pizza, Pizza run we do every 6 weeks or so as it is an 1 hour and a 1/2 from us.

AZ Muzzleloaders said:

L&R make a replacement flintlock lock for the Hawken and Renegade with a traditional V spring.

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I have replaced many Thompson Center locks with V spring locks. The Thompson Center quality was good until one got to the locks. The coil spring worked on percussion, but for flintlocks it is unreliable and some of them were just plain rough.
In 1970 I was introduced to a spanking brand new Thompson Center Hawkin, factory built. It was a flintlock and it would not function. I had just built a CVA 45 caliber flinter that out fired the Hawkin, I didn't really know what I was doing when I put the kit together and it was far from perfect. That Hawkin was expensive but it was pretty.