High Plains Sporter

[Keppy]

:hmm: Does anyone know anything about this TC. It has a synthetic stock and round barrel. It looks similar to the CVA Bobcat. Its a 50 cal. Its new and never fired. What is it worth and what is the barrel twist? I think it has a 26-inch barrel. It has a single trigger. It has a big trigger guard which I like for hunting with glove. Any comments good or bad will be helpful.Thanks

 

[Pittsburghunter]

I am not positive but I think it is a plastic stocked version of the New Englander m/l. It is made with a longer barrel though.

Does that stock have a pistol grip?

 

[Keppy]

You shouldn't ask such hard question. :winking: I beleive it does. This a side lock rifle. I know that when I brought it up it came right in line and didn't have to move my head to line up the sights. He said he thought it was 1-48 twist. He had a Bobcat and we looked at the riflings on both and I think they were similar. The Bobcat had very high riflings and TC was shallow.

 

[Pittsburghunter]

Write down the serial# and call T/C. They should be able to give you all the info you need on the rifle.

 

[n8dawg6]

it's like a new englander, but with a pistol grip stock. i didnt know they ever made them in synthetic stocks. not sure what the twist was, but i think it was the ol' 1-48". heres a picture of one:
[url] http://discoveriesusa.com/discoveriesusa/images/Blackpowder/Rifles/RBPR1289.JPG[/url]

 

[Keppy]

Roundballshooter: Yes Sir that's the one. But this one has a synthetic stock. I don't really like the pastic stock. He's asking $225.00 and it is new with the box it came in. I will call TC and see what twist it is.
Thanks

 

Hacksaw, the rifle you're describing sounds an awful lot like the Firestorm.

 

[Landngroove]

T/C High Plains Sporter. Percussion cap lock. 26" round barrel, 1 in 48" twist. Came with single trigger, with wide bow trigger guard. Came in .50 caliber only. Came with a rear open style sight, or an optional tang hunting style peep. Came with a rynite, or walnut stock. Stock has pistol grip, not straight grip, as in New Englander. The only thing I'm not positive about is how long they were made. I am going to say 1992, and 1993, but could be mistaken. I have a walnut stocked version, with the tang peep sight. Just so happens I shot it this past weekend. Goex FFFG, 80 grains, my own patches, .018" Wally World Pillow Ticking, Hoppe's # 9 plus patch lube, hornady .490" round balls, Remington # 11 caps. This muzzleloader is deadly accurate with this load, at 50 yards. I do like the pistol grip stock, and tang peep sight. I only wish that they had made this ml in .54 caliber also. The rynite stock was not available in the 1992 version.

 

[Keppy]

Landngrove: I was wondering where you got the info on this rifle. You have discribed this rifle at this shop. I called TC today and was refered to this guy because he did all the work on them. He said it was never produced with a synthetic stock that he was aware of. 1-48 twist. He told me that they had ran out of the wood stocks after production and when a rifle was sent back for a stock replacement they would put the new englander stock on it. I guess the synthetic's wouldn't be sent back. Now this guy was a gunsmith at the shop 17 years. He said its a great shooter with PRB. He also said it was long time since its production. But as you said it has a pistol grip and I'm sure this one has a pistol grip. Memory is getting bad. So this maybe a new rifle. Did you buy yours new. I was wondering about price and you said yours shoots good at 50yds. Thats about deer range anyway. The wood stock sure looks better. Thanks

 

[Keppy]

Its stamped "High Plains Sporter" on the barrel.

 

[Pittsburghunter]

This rifle was made at the same time as the one you describe (the second one up from the bottom).

This is called the "Express .50" it is a long Renegade barrel put on a stock that has a pistol grip and has express sights on it.

I just sold this rifle to pay for the one above it. Well sort of sold it.

I know the new owner to be of this rifle has the High Plains rifle and has searched long and hard for the Express. It is a rare rifle you should snag it if not for anything other than having a bartering piece.

 

[Keppy]

Nice rifles. I was looking in a 1994 gun book and it had the high plains sporter in it. They talk about a walnut stock but said nothing about a synthetic stock. The rifle list for $345. I plan on stopping back to look at it again. I will pay more attention to the stock. The ram rod didn't look right either. Well he wants $225. and that to me seems fair for a new TC rifle. But also I want it to match. I get a feeling that this gun doesn't have the right stock on it. Have a good day and thanks for the info.

 

[Pittsburghunter]

Landngroove really knows his T/C catalogs I believe he is right about your rifle. When I called T/C after buying my Express I found little information about it and learned more about it on web sites like this.

Worst case scenario if you buy it is a brand new T/C for $225? What have you got to loose?

 

[Landngroove]

I bought a new T/C High Plains Sporter, back in 1992. Very regrettably I traded it three years later, toward a T/C inline muzzleloader. About four years ago, I started searching for another HPS. I did see a few on the gun auctions, that had Rynite stocks, but I wanted one that had a walnut stock, like the one I had owned before. I also was unaware that they were made with the Rynite stocks, till I had seen them on the auction. I finally was lucky enough to find one, about two years ago NIB, with a walnut stock, on one of the gun auctions. I snapped it right up! Both HPS, that I have owned/own, have pistol grip stocks. The info I got for the HPS comes from T/C catalog # 19.

 

[Keppy]

Well I check on the rifle today and it has a straight stock on it. I thought for sure it had a pistol grip. It looks new. But anyway I called TC back today again. I told them what it was and this is what they said. All HPS rifles were shiped from there factory with walnut stocks with the pistol grip. I asked how this one might have got a synthetic stock and was told that some rifles were sent in for stock repair and the new englander stocks were fitted because didn't have any walnut ones after production. He said they produced them for a short time two or thre years he thought. I thank all of you for your input and I may buy it. I guess my concern is that this rifle may not really be new as the shop says. But my 1994 book says the list price was $346 and believe to be the last year of producion. So at $225 I would say thats a fair price with that pastic stock. I would rather have a wood stock. I don't think a stock for that would be very easy to find. Thanks again. This forum is a mountain of info.

 

[n8dawg6]

sounds like what you basically have now is a new englander. if it is in mint or new condition, then $225 is a great price. the first blackpowder rifle i ever fired was a t/c new englander w/ a rynite stock that my uncle owns. if you buy it, you can always add on a 12 guage barrel from[url] www.foxridgeoutfitters.com[/url]. my uncle has both a .50 caliber and 12 gauge barrel for his. works great.

 

[Landngroove]

The Factory T/C New Englander that came with a rynite stock, had a 24" barrel. The High Plains Sporter barrel is 26". So it seems that it is somewhat of a hybrid, High Plains Sporter/New Englander.

 

[n8dawg6]

The Factory T/C New Englander that came with a rynite stock, had a 24" barrel. The High Plains Sporter barrel is 26". So it seems that it is somewhat of a hybrid, High Plains Sporter/New Englander.

that's right. however, i believe that the walnut-stocked new englander had a 26 inch barrel. the rynite new englander and the greyhawk had 24 inch barrels. not sure why the discrepancy.

so i guess your gun actually has TWO layers of hybridity! :grin: