T/C Seneca

[Hawkin’]

Wanted to get a .45 Seneca for my daughter to deer hunt with this year. Found a beauty! Custom shop gun with beautiful wood.

 

[user 48679]

Those Custom Shop guns all had very nice wood, in addition to the high-polish bluing.

The one I has was a .32 Seneca, but I had to sell it, due to my fat fingers inability to load it easily.

Nice find, in this day/age ! !

 

[Africa58double]

Beautiful- just don’t load that .45 to hot of a charge. I’m sure you know- Tc offered there “Charges of suggestion” for them. I’d stay even lower and also oil inside of that old piece of beautiful wood

 

[Hawkin’]

Those Custom Shop guns all had very nice wood, in addition to the high-polish bluing.

The one I has was a .32 Seneca, but I had to sell it, due to my fat fingers inability to load it easily.

Nice find, in this day/age ! !

I’d love to find a .32, I’ve got a nice .36 Seneca too.

 

[Hawkin’]

Beautiful- just don’t load that .45 to hot of a charge. I’m sure you know- Tc offered there “Charges of suggestion” for them. I’d stay even lower and also oil inside of that old piece of beautiful wood

Yes sir, going to shoot a round ball load on the lighter side.
Will do, thanks for the suggestion.

 

[DocMarks]

That’s a stunner! My first gun was a .45 Seneca (non custom shop) still have her. Sweet shooter. I’d love to find one in .36

 

[DocMarks]

Beautiful- just don’t load that .45 to hot of a charge. I’m sure you know- Tc offered there “Charges of suggestion” for them. I’d stay even lower and also oil inside of that old piece of beautiful wood

I guess this is something I’m unfamiliar with; were the Seneca barrels prone to failure? Appreciate your insight.

 

[Africa58double]

Cracking of stocks from moderate to heavy charges has been documented more than often.

From what I’ve read, perhaps you have had other experiences. Yet this is why I’ve steered clear.

These are old dried stocks and these are Dainty Little rifles.

If it was me- I would shoot lite charges of powder only… In the .45s

 

[user 48679]

I guess this is something I’m unfamiliar with; were the Seneca barrels prone to failure? Appreciate your insight.

The barrels don't fail, but the stock can, if heavy charges are used.

The reason is that the Cherokee/Seneca has parts down-sized from the Hawken line, with slimmer stocks, locks & slimmer/shorter barrels.

These are early Seneca's, before T/C marked the barrels with the model name.

 

[Hawkin’]

I’ve heard the same and was just going to use light round ball loads.
I wonder if glass bedding the tang/barrel would help? Would certainly stiffen it up

 

[Africa58double]

I believe the Size rifle would be best in .32 or .36

Bedding could resolve problem, Oil stock inside barrel channel…. And hope for the best.

Yet regardless- Best not to shoot full charge .45s from such a small rifle.

I’m sure some have never had a problem… Yet some certainly have.

That’s why I like the carbine size Tc rifles. Still small/ yet robust enough.

I’ve certainly pondered the Cherokee/Seneca and passed on a few nice ones.

 

[Rifleman1776]

My wife has a TC Seneca and has won piles of awards with it. She also uses hunting charges with no ill effect, except to the deer. Hers is a .45 cal. BTW, very nice catch.

 

[Eric Krewson]

I recently completed a TC Hawken rebuild with a drop in GM barrel, I bought a stock with all the hardware. The stock looked good from the outside but once I removed the hardware I saw the results of someone shooting very heavy loads in this gun. There was a crack from the lockbolt hole to the sear hole and the lockbolt was bent, I suspect the previous owner was a Maxi ball fan and liked to "load em up".

Threaded brass bushings to replace the tang screws with bolts, all the cracked wood removed and replaced with new walnut or hickory dowels and and the stock is twice as strong and stable at the factory version. All of the repairs were internal, nothing shows on the outside of the stock.

 

[user 48679]

From the horse's mouth:

 

[Bassdog1]

I love my 32 Seneca and shoot it more than any gun that I own. Its a Squirrel gun for me and I only shoot 15 Grains of standard Goex most of the time although I have tested loads up to 30 Grains. Decided that the 15 grain group was more than accurate enough for hunting and that there was no need to waste powder with the heavier charges. Congratulations on your find great guns.

 

[DocMarks]

My plinking load is 40-50gr and hunting is 75 (goex/homemade roughly goex power factor or slightly less) all with PRB. I only used conicals very briefly 30 years ago or so when I first got it (new old stock). I haven’t experienced anything suggestive of excessive stress on the wood with the above loads. Does this sound like I’m in the safe zone or am I pushing it (from what you guys have seen/read?). I would hate to blow the stock out because this rifle has the most sentimental value to me. But truth be told I don’t shoot it often especially the last few years because of the cap shortage.

 

[Hawkin’]

I believe the Size rifle would be best in .32 or .36

Bedding could resolve problem, Oil stock inside barrel channel…. And hope for the best.

Yet regardless- Best not to shoot full charge .45s from such a small rifle.

I’m sure some have never had a problem… Yet some certainly have.

That’s why I like the carbine size Tc rifles. Still small/ yet robust enough.

I’ve certainly pondered the Cherokee/Seneca and passed on a few nice ones.

what type of oil do you suggest?

 

[Hawkin’]

From the horse's mouth:

Thanks!

 

[Africa58double]

I’m not a expert

Yet a Wood oil to assist keeping a old stock from drying out and cracking

what type of oil do you suggest?

 

[Sheephunter]

Beautiful rifle!