Investarms lock and barrel swapping.

[epichistorymaker]

Hi, I have a Cabella Hawken made by Investarms. .54 w/ 28" barrel 15/16. Its a flintlock.

Can anyone confirm if an investarm cap-lock would fit in the lock mortise?

More importantly, would the geometry line up with an investarms or TC barrel with a caplock breach?

It's much easier to get used barrels for caplocks than flint.

Thanks!

 

[Indy Durtdigger]

Depending on what barrel you need Muzzle Loaders.com - Official Website might have one in stock. The Investarms stuff I've messed with has been like TC offerings but the two brands are not readily interchangeable. Stuff will interchange but not always a perfect match up. I would add the caveat that Investarms has made so many things for so many companies for so long that there probably are many things out there that won't interchange at all.

 

[necchi]

The Investarms made cap locks will fit in the flint lock mortise.
Investarms cap lock barrels geometry will fit the lock, with-in your question, IF the barrel is made for the stock.
A Hawken is a Hawken, a Great Plains is that,
T/C and Investarms are not a direct swap/drop-in fit!
It can be done, but there are modifications that may need to be made. Geometry is close, It's the barrel fit to the stock that's issue.
* The hook/tang of Investarms vs T/C are a little different needing file work to be compatible.
* Position of and thickness of the front wedge vs the barrels under lug,,
* The breech overhang of the lock plate is different.
All that said, any modification will void all warranty.

Point is, Yes, folks have been swapping parts out for decades, but it's not always plug-n-play.
If yer handy, check the archives of other section of this forum that tend more towards your questions of modification or building.

 

[Indy Durtdigger]

I did not mean to imply that TC and Investarms parts will interchange. I simply meant that the two brands are very similar in that they are cookie cutter mass produced. Edited my first post to reflect that.

 

[Bad Karma]

Yep, you hate to void the lifetime warranty… paid good money for that!

 

[epichistorymaker]

Yep, you hate to void the lifetime warranty… paid good money for that!

I had no idea there was even a lifetime warranty.
That's honestly not even something I'm concerned with.

 

[epichistorymaker]

I did not mean to imply that TC and Investarms parts will interchange. I simply meant that the two brands are very similar in that they are cookie cutter mass produced. Edited my first post to reflect that.

No worries, I understood what you meant.

 

[epichistorymaker]

The Investarms made cap locks will fit in the flint lock mortise.
Investarms cap lock barrels geometry will fit the lock, with-in your question, IF the barrel is made for the stock.
A Hawken is a Hawken, a Great Plains is that,
T/C and Investarms are not a direct swap/drop-in fit!
It can be done, but there are modifications that may need to be made. Geometry is close, It's the barrel fit to the stock that's issue.
* The hook/tang of Investarms vs T/C are a little different needing file work to be compatible.
* Position of and thickness of the front wedge vs the barrels under lug,,
* The breech overhang of the lock plate is different.
All that said, any modification will void all warranty.

Point is, Yes, folks have been swapping parts out for decades, but it's not always plug-n-play.
If yer handy, check the archives of other section of this forum that tend more towards your questions of modification or building.

Thank you.

 

[Bad Karma]

I had no idea there was even a lifetime warranty.
That's honestly not even something I'm concerned with.

Yeah, since the company went under it’s a fairly moot point.

 

[longcruise]

T/C and Investarms are not a direct swap/drop-in fit!
It can be done, but there are modifications that may need to be made. Geometry is close, It's the barrel fit to the stock that's issue.
* The hook/tang of Investarms vs T/C are a little different needing file work to be compatible.
* Position of and thickness of the front wedge vs the barrels under lug,,
* The breech overhang of the lock plate is different.

I recently put a TC Hawken barrel into an investarms Hawken stock. I was told that it would not work.

In fact, it was a simple operation. The lug to tang fit took less effort than I've experienced fitting an IBS "drop in" barrel.

I used a TC barrel wedge which was a perfect alignment. The barrel lug aligned perfectly with the stock.

The breech overhang was a perfect fit.

The tang flats were slightly larger than the barrel flats and were easily filed down.

The underrib was about 1/16" too long and was filed to to prevent Interference with the nose cap.

I spent several days doing it a bit here and a bit there. Probably a total actual time of 75 minutes which included dismounting and polishing and remounting the brass.

 

[epichistorymaker]

I recently put a TC Hawken barrel into an investarms Hawken stock. I was told that it would not work.

In fact, it was a simple operation. The lug to tang fit took less effort than I've experienced fitting an IBS "drop in" barrel.

I used a TC barrel wedge which was a perfect alignment. The barrel lug aligned perfectly with the stock.

The breech overhang was a perfect fit.

The tang flats were slightly larger than the barrel flats and were easily filed down.

The underrib was about 1/16" too long and was filed to to prevent Interference with the nose cap.

I spent several days doing it a bit here and a bit there. Probably a total actual time of 75 minutes which included dismounting and polishing and remounting the brass.

View attachment 278373

Excellent.

Yeah it’s well within my capability to do a little bit of filing

 

[longcruise]

This was a cap lock so flint might be different.

 

[epichistorymaker]

This was a cap lock so flint might be different.

Right. Of course.

The lock itself is interchangeable between cap and flint locks in the mortise.

 

[Indy Durtdigger]

Right. Of course.

The lock itself is interchangeable between cap and flint locks in the mortise.

I'm still a tad unclear of what you're wanting to do. Investarms is still in business. Between the classifieds on these forums and the link I put in my first post there really isn't any need to try and mate a TC barrel and lock to yours.
For what a spare lock and barrel would set ya back you could grab a second rifle and eliminate the need swap out anything. Unless yours needs repairs/refurbish done then INV parts can still be had.
Investarms is like TC was. They use as much of the same stuff between rifles as they possibly can. Most of the costliest stuff on a rifle like the lock, trigger mech, barrels are cookie cutter regardless of who they made the thing for.

 

[epichistorymaker]

I'm still a tad unclear of what you're wanting to do. Investarms is still in business. Between the classifieds on these forums and the link I put in my first post there really isn't any need to try and mate a TC barrel and lock to yours.
For what a spare lock and barrel would set ya back you could grab a second rifle and eliminate the need swap out anything. Unless yours needs repairs/refurbish done.

Need spousal approval for another rifle.
A barrel, not so much.

That said, there are some really good prices on this website.

 

[longcruise]

That said, there are some really good prices on this website.

Yes, and elsewhere.

I got a great deal on the above TC barrel. It had exterior corrosion but an excellent bore. Immediately upon acquiring the barrel I test fired it in my tc stock. Excellent accuracy. Then along came the reasonably priced investarms stock with everything but a barrel and wedge key. I'm all about function and this project has made it possible to gift this rifle to a grandson.

 

[Indy Durtdigger]

Need spousal approval for another rifle.
A barrel, not so much.

That said, there are some really good prices on this website.

A-lot of parts get posted in this section of the classifieds. Shooting Accessories Sale/Trade/Wanted

That website also sells repair parts for Investarms. Barrels and locks. Investarm™ Gemmer Hawken Lock Plate Assembly Replacement - Percussion - Lock Plate Fits Lyman™ Great Plains Rifles - IAGH510

A quick search yielded that the Cabela's Hawken uses the same lock as the standard Inv. one and the Lyman GPR.

 

[Bad Karma]

Yes, and elsewhere.

I got a great deal on the above TC barrel. It had exterior corrosion but an excellent bore. Immediately upon acquiring the barrel I test fired it in my tc stock. Excellent accuracy. Then along came the reasonably priced investarms stock with everything but a barrel and wedge key. I'm all about function and this project has made it possible to gift this rifle to a grandson.

This, I probably have a half dozen rifles, well, the parts and pieces to assemble a half dozen rifles, laying around here. You pick up a barrel here, a lock there, pretty quick you’re looking for the rest of the rifle.

 

[Indy Durtdigger]

This, I probably have a half dozen rifles, well, the parts and pieces to assemble a half dozen rifles, laying around here. You pick up a barrel here, a lock there, pretty quick you’re looking for the rest of the rifle.

Just did that. Started out with a percussion GM .62 barrel for a TC Hawken that I stuck on a Renegade stock. One thing led to another then another and now I have the stuff to switch back and forth between Flint .54 and percussion .62 smoothbore on a Hawken stock I didn't have to begin with.

 

[Bad Karma]

Just did that. Started out with a percussion GM .62 barrel for a TC Hawken that I stuck on a Renegade stock. One thing led to another then another and now I have the stuff to switch back and forth between Flint .54 and percussion .62 smoothbore on a Hawken stock I didn't have to begin with.

Gotta love it. It’s been a while but eBay was a good source for cheap muzzleloading parts. No more, prices are crazy and I see stuff just not moving nowadays…