New to me TC flint 54

[Nativearizonan]

I just bought a made-from-kit TC Hawken flintlock in .54. The serial number is k12xx. So does that make it a really old one? I read on one thread that TC started making the Hawken at a serial number of 1000. I don't know if kits in .54 were among the first things they made or not?

It has a 28' barrel, 1 inch across the flats, and all it says is Thompson/Center Arms, Rochester New Hampshire, Caliber 54. The only other stamping I found on the barrel was the serial number, but I have not removed the sight or the rib to see if there is anything under them.

Any info would be appreciated.

It has a few spots of rust in the barrel, and the fellow I got it from had run a bunch of bore butter down it and left it there. He said the rust was worse when he got it, and he never shot it. I got home with it yesterday and have been scrubbing on it and now the patches don't snag nearly so bad, although you can still feel the spots, they are not so obvious. It is shootable now, I think, but I would like to get it even better.

It seems to spark pretty good.

 

[PaulTBarton]

Pull the barrel, look at the open space of the barrel bottom for any stampings or symbols at all. This may give a clue as to who made that barrel. Good luck with shooting this one. :wink:

I am looking for a .54 cal flint barrel myself.

BartSr

 

[Nativearizonan]

Nothing on the bottom of the barrel unless it's hidden under the rib. I had the barrel off all morning and in a vice (padded with leather) while I was scrubbing on it. I thought it never was going to come clean, but I finally started getting fairly clean patches and decided that was enough for the time being. I've never owned a .54, so I am going to have to find some RBs for it. The only thing I've found locally is some conicals, and I decided to wait and orders some RBs from TOW. They are 1/10th the price per shot, and I am sure they are more fun to shoot than the 495 grain conicals.

 

[don hepler]

On early production guns, 4 digit is a low number, but I don't know about kit guns. Early guns had a spade or maltese cross stamped on the bottom flat back near the breech. Early flint guns had the hammer (cock) and frizzen, with the," case harden look", like it appears on the lock plate. Later guns had solid black frizzen and new geometry on the cock. There are a number of other differences, such as rear sight, wedge plate, what is written on the barrel, and etc.

 

[Nativearizonan]

This one has the case-hardened-looking hammer and frizzen. The only on the barrel that looks like it could be a stamp looks somewhat like a poorly stamped "M". I'll see if I can load a photo of that and the writing on the barrel.

I would be interested in knowing if the kit serial numbers are in the same series as the finished ones. I can't imagine two separate series. If it is in the same series, and the series started at 1000, which someone posted on another thread, then this was one of the first 250 produced.

 

[Nativearizonan]

 

[Kansas Jake]

My kit TC has a K preceding the serial number. So do a number of other kit guns that I have looked at over the years.

 

[Nativearizonan]

Yes, this is a kit gun and has the k prefix before the numbers 12xx. The question is about the numerals, are they a different series than the numerals on the manufactured guns. It seems odd they would have something like a serial number 12345 and another barrel with the serial number k12345. The "k" on mine does not look like it was stamped at the same time as the numerals, as it is slightly out of line with them and set with a lighter strike, so I think they might have stamped the barrels as they were made and then added the "k" if they went into a kit; but I don't know this, it is only supposition on my part.

 

[don hepler]

I don't know about the serial number, but it is an early gun. I might be seeing things, but where I see the M, it appears it be a faint J and I . Maybe inspected by Jim. It might just be the lighting on the photo. The spade and maltese cross are generally found back near the breech plug.

No one can really be sure, as the records were destroyed by fire.

 

[Nativearizonan]

It must be the lighting, because nothing but the M shows on the barrel, and even the left side "post" of the M is very faint. There is nothing by the breechplug and the barrel doesn't look to have been sanded.

 

[don hepler]

The flintlocks are hard to find, around here. Nice rifle, and good luck.

 

[PaulTBarton]

I'm waiting for a range report. :wink:

BartSr

P.S. Here's mine from today:

 

[Nativearizonan]

Nice shooting Paul,

I'm still waiting for something to shoot. I ordered a .530 Lee mold instead of cast RBs, so it will take a bit of time to get some balls cast and get out and shoot it. I've got plenty of lead, so I figured why should I pay the high price for having someone else to cast them. The mold with handles didn't cost much more than 100 round balls. I will post it once I've shot it, probably early next week.

 

[Nativearizonan]

I shot this thing today.

I got some balls cast yesterday, my first attempt at casting lead. I weighed several and only selected the heaviest 1/2 of the balls. Of these there were some that were about .2-3 grain heavier than the others, so I selected 5 of these to be my first trial. I brought along the other heavier balls from the first cut and tried some of them later. Here are the results on a windy day with my first batch of cast balls ever. I thought it was pretty encouraging:

The first five shots are on top, then I turned the box over and shot three more shots (so you have to stand on your head to see it like I saw it). Of the first five, I called the two that were furthest left as I saw the sight picture move to the left after the hammer came down but before the charge ignited.

On the lower three (which were the upper three with the upside down box) I called the one to the left as I had done with the other two I pulled to the left. The only true flier was the high shot on this group, as I did not call it and don't have an explanation for it except the ball was a bit harder to seat, so maybe a little more pressure?

Anyway, if you imagine both groups combined it would be one ragged hole of six shots and two fliers, even counting the two I called to the left, which were only slightly to the left. I was using a .530 rb and .015 spit patch with 50 grs of FFFg Goex. I didn't wipe between shots and had no problem with fouling.

I did have to knap the flint a bit, twice during the 8 shots.

I think the barrel is a keeper. If I'd have done my part I think it could have put them all in about the same hole.

 

[Christophero]

Good to see your barrel is shooting so well. What yardage were you shooting at?

 

[MSW]

nice group! by way of suggestions, you may want to get some black English flints - those agate gadgets really don't get the job done (in my experience, anyway). also, you should get a copy of Dutch Schoultz' method. Here's a link: http://www.blackpowderrifleaccuracy.com/

this is far and away the best non gun shooting purchase I've ever made. If you follow his instructions, your groups will shrink - guaranteed!

Good luck with your project, and

Make Good Smoke!

 

[don hepler]

You may or may not get better results if you go with black English flints. That lock is an early lock, which has the geometry designed around the cut flint. The cut flints can be enhanced by sharpening with a diamond file. If you do go to natural flints (black English or amber) try to select ones that are close to the same size as the cut flints. Otherwise, it will strike the frizzen at an angle that might shatter the flint. I use black English flints in my TC, but it has the later cock and frizzen. Might have to experiment a little.

 

[Nativearizonan]

25 yards.

 

[PaulTBarton]

And you shoot, where?

BartSr

 

[Nativearizonan]

And you shoot, where?

At whatever dirt bank I find convenient at the time.

Ranges are a long drive from here, except for the indoor range in Camp Verde, and it is pricey.