T/C Hawken kit vs. factory built

[sixty3.390]

Breaking out my T/C Hawken .50cal this year. Was purchased for me back in the 80's when I was young for x-mas as a kit gun. I look back now and realize shooting, regardless of caliber and firearm will always be part of my life. I'm so happy my parents realized and took the time to encourage my hobbies!

Doing a refresher course on this forum before I start shooting RB's down range. I didn't realize T/C had there own Custom Shop and assuming they built the factory rifles? I see mention of factory built and curious what if any differences other than the skilled & knowledgeable custom employees putting them together vs. a kid who had no clue what he was doing.

 

[mushka]

I've a TC kit, .54 cal Hawkin. I put it together about 87 or 88 and it shoots as well as any factory MZ rifle that I own. It looks and handles the way I want it, not what the factory put out. Yours is probably the same.

 

[Grenadier1758]

There won't be much difference between a factory and a T/C Hawken kit rifle other than the K stamped in front of the barrel's serial number. Most kits are left with far more wood on the forearm than what is necessary and there is that annoying flat next to the barrel (my kit T/C Hawken has this flat) rather than tapering to blend into the barrel. The T/C custom shop did a better job of finishing the stocks and the barrels were built with a round ball twist. A 40 caliber was available from the Custom Shop. The barrels also could be longer than the factory 28 inches. Sadly the Custom shop closed after T/C was sold to Smith and Wesson.

Ultimately, the difference between the kit and factory gun will be measured at the target range or in terms of hunting success. Shouldn't be much difference. How does your rifle shoot?

 

[Eric Krewson]

If you google TC kit gun pictures you get a wide variety of fit and finish in the builds, most bad. Most were slapped together with rough stock like it came out of the box.

I made one a couple of years ago but defined the wood a good bit instead of merely attaching the parts to the rough stock.

 

[sixty3.390]

Eric, I saw that post.
Mine was surly slapped together. I stained the stock, and put it together and later that year engraved " O'l Lady" on the bottom of butt stock. Can be easily removed and thinking possibly next winter doing a better job on the stock. If anything else I'm really surprised at the overall condition of how this lasted as well as it did. I didn't have a mentor to shooting and cleaning just did what the directions told me. Just borrowed a co-works barrel scope and was presently surprised. Really thought my bad practice of cleaning or lack of would have shown more. Mostly just used a water bath method and seasoned the barrel with butter bore.

 

[Crow-Feather]

I made one a couple of years ago but defined the wood a good bit instead of merely attaching the parts to the rough stock.

Beautiful work

 

[CTShooter]

This how my kit came out, my introduction to muzzleloaders about 20 years ago

 

[bubba.50]

The custom shop and the main factory may or may not have been under the same roof but, they are separate entities.

As others have said, the main difference in factory or kit depends on the skill, time and effort put in by the builder.

 

[ohio ramrod]

It just depends on how the kit was assembled. The parts were the same.I have seen some very roughly assembled kit guns and some that were as good or even better built than factory builds.I assembled several for friends in the seventies and found the parts to be the same as parts on factory builds.