Finally a 54 cal. TC Hawken Flintlock

[White Oak]

After about a 2 1/2 year search I have found my TC 54 cal. Hawken flintlock. Oh I was able to find them but had to get passed the guys who thought they had museum pieces and were priced accordingly or the guns that were so badly abused that I wouldn't want them at any price. I have walked away from around a dozen of them during my search due to price or condition.
Caplocks were much more available in 54 than flintlocks and at more reasonable prices.50 cal. flintlocks are also more common. But I was stuck on a 54. My other 4 rifles are all 54s with the exception of one 58. The 54s have served me well.
Got a hit on an ad Saturday morning. The owner immediately offered his name and phone number and sent pictures as soon as I contacted him. I asked for additional pics of other areas of the gun and he supplied them. During a phone conversation I learned that it was a one owner gun purchased by his father to take part in a primitive hunt. Fired enough to sight in, used on the hunt, thoroughly cleaned and put away. The rifle has since been given to him and he has no interest in it.
It is an older gun with a 4 digit serial# and no warning on the barrel. I realize this also means it has the old style lock. Believe I will be buying an altered Lyman frizzen for it just in case. In the future an L&R replacement lock may become necessary. I do have the same lock on my Renegade flinter and since TC replaced the frizzen several years ago I have had no problems with it. There are a few small handling dings in the stock but nothing major.The bluing looks perfect and the lock looks very clean.
Getting her in July allows plenty of time to get well acquainted by fall. This will be my new deer rifle for both the regular rifle and the ML seasons.
Take care,
Ed

 

[Zonie]

Take a good look at your updated TC flintlock.

In addition to changing the frizzen, they changed the cock so it presents the flint to the frizzen at a slightly different (improved) angle.

The new cock (hammer) has a rather large amount of metal around the screw that attaches the cock to the tumbler.
The older cock has much less material in this area.

 

[White Oak]

Thanks for the reply Zonie.
I can only wish that TC had replaced the cock. Mine is definitely the original. All that was replaced was the frizzen. Remember I sent my gun in after S&W had taken over. I was hoping for a new lock as TC had apparently done on many other rifles.
My old frizzen appeared to be case hardened. The new frizzen is coal black.
To be honest, the lock has functioned very well.
I am no expert at this. The flint is striking the frizzen between 2/3 and 1/2 way up the face and scapes to the bottom. It produces a good shower of sparks. I use a 1/16 brass spacer between the flint and frizzen to locate the flint and keep it square to the frizzen face. There have been quite a few rounds through the gun and the frizzen face looks good to me. Seems to its job if I do mine.
I believe I understand what you intended. The soft frizzen was not the only issue with this lock. This I know and had hoped to find a rifle with the improved geometry of the new style lock.
If the new rifle will perform as well as my Renegade I will be satisfied. If it simply loses spark as my renegade did I will replace the frizzen with the altered Lyman. Worst case and expensive would be the L&R. I feel I got the rifle for a fair enough price that even a new lock would be an option. I am glad you brought this up as I can watch for the new style cocks and that is also a possibility.

Thanks for the input.
Ed

 

[Jumpshot]

For reference. New lock on the top, old one on the bottom.

 

[smo]

Thanks for posting the pics Jumpshot :hatsoff:

 

[Jumpshot]

I can't take credit for the picture. I saved it for future reference when I saw it posted here a few years ago. I don't remember who originally posted it, might have been Roundball.

 

[smo]

Thanks anyway :thumbsup:

 

[White Oak]

Thanks Jumpshot. I saved the pics also when Roundball posted them. Yes mine is the old style lock. Both my Renegade and the rifle I just purchased are old style.

Thanks again,
Ed

 

[Prairieofthedog]

Sent my old style lock into S&W last fall.Smashing Flints,no spark.They replaced the fly!No new Frizzen,just a part I didn't need in the first place!!