My "Ugly Duckling" Renegade

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Urban Coyote

32 Cal.
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Some years back, in resolving shipping damages with what turned out to be an unscrupulous dealer, I ended up with an older T/C Renegade .50 caplock in a condition not as described. The bore wasn't excellent, it has a few scattered rough spots. The trigger guard is pretty scratched up, the stock gouged here and the, the ramrod missing, and a sling swivel stud placed too far up on the butt stock. Functionally it seems okay but the lock plate stands proud of the mortise and the original rear sight had been replaced a Williams aperture sight set quite a distance rear of the factory sight position. The front sight was the original blade found on the Renegade.

Fast forward to the past couple of months. Smelling an opportunity to move this Renegade from a dusty corner to a new owner I cleaned the rifle and toted it to the range to check function and accuracy. I didn't want to send a problem on to anyone. Well, the gun grouped fine at 50 yards despite the awkward sighting arrangement but shot low by 9"-10" with the rear sight set to the maximum elevation. I contacted the folks at Williams Gunsight to obtain a correct front sight, the one intended for use with their rear aperture. The people at Williams were really helpful.

While all of this was happening my window of opportunity to sell was rapidly closing. The fellow who wanted a muzzleloader lives 600 miles away and the plan was for me to bring him the rifle on a visit I'd planned. I wasn't going to have the new front sight replaced in time. I ended up taking a very nice T/C Hawken .50 I sold him instead. So now my focus is getting the new front sight installed and getting the Renegade checked out.

I recognized long ago I'm pretty much all thumbs so I had a guy at my club install the new front sight. I met him at our range yesterday and retrieved the barrel. The sight installation was perfect. I slid the elevation to what I guesstimated a correct distance and set a target at 25 yards. I next discovered I'd not checked my shooting box before leaving home. I had just enough stuff to shoot a five shot group or two. I was able to get four shots off from an improvised rest before someone called a target check. Those four shots hit dead on for windage and elevation with two cutting a figure eight.

I'm heading back to the range in a few days, after the weather warms up. I'll be well equipped this time for an extended shooting session. I'm hoping my "Ugly Duckling" Renegade turns out to be a winner.

Do you have an "Ugly Duckling"?
 
Converted my Renegade to flintlock. It's my go to deer rifle. Saved my skin once when I confronted feral dogs trying to get my goats, yelled at them, then the damn dogs turned on me.

Resized_20220918_135523.jpeg
 
Urban Coyote said:
Some years back, in resolving shipping damages with what turned out to be an unscrupulous dealer, I ended up with an older T/C Renegade .50 caplock in a condition not as described. The bore wasn't excellent, it has a few scattered rough spots. The trigger guard is pretty scratched up, the stock gouged here and the, the ramrod missing, and a sling swivel stud placed too far up on the butt stock. Functionally it seems okay but the lock plate stands proud of the mortise and the original rear sight had been replaced a Williams aperture sight set quite a distance rear of the factory sight position. The front sight was the original blade found on the Renegade.

Fast forward to the past couple of months. Smelling an opportunity to move this Renegade from a dusty corner to a new owner I cleaned the rifle and toted it to the range to check function and accuracy. I didn't want to send a problem on to anyone. Well, the gun grouped fine at 50 yards despite the awkward sighting arrangement but shot low by 9"-10" with the rear sight set to the maximum elevation. I contacted the folks at Williams Gunsight to obtain a correct front sight, the one intended for use with their rear aperture. The people at Williams were really helpful.

While all of this was happening my window of opportunity to sell was rapidly closing. The fellow who wanted a muzzleloader lives 600 miles away and the plan was for me to bring him the rifle on a visit I'd planned. I wasn't going to have the new front sight replaced in time. I ended up taking a very nice T/C Hawken .50 I sold him instead. So now my focus is getting the new front sight installed and getting the Renegade checked out.

I recognized long ago I'm pretty much all thumbs so I had a guy at my club install the new front sight. I met him at our range yesterday and retrieved the barrel. The sight installation was perfect. I slid the elevation to what I guesstimated a correct distance and set a target at 25 yards. I next discovered I'd not checked my shooting box before leaving home. I had just enough stuff to shoot a five shot group or two. I was able to get four shots off from an improvised rest before someone called a target check. Those four shots hit dead on for windage and elevation with two cutting a figure eight.

I'm heading back to the range in a few days, after the weather warms up. I'll be well equipped this time for an extended shooting session. I'm hoping my "Ugly Duckling" Renegade turns out to be a winner.

Do you have an "Ugly Duckling"?
Click to expand...
Yup, only I call mine a "sewer pipe on a stick". The bore is rough. Don't even think of reading a patch cuz they're just dirty lint but darn if it won't shoot.

Many folks think a barrel has to be pristine to be good. I learned long ago to not condemn one until it's been shot for a bit.
 
CaptainVane said:
Cmon man tell us more. How did you resolve a pack of dogs with a single shot flintlock? Start using it as a club?
Click to expand...

I don't want to steal this fellows thread, so I'll give you the short version. I was lucky as there was only two feral dogs. I was hoping they would just leave, but once confronted, the dogs turned on me. Instead of leaving they started to pie out from me, with teeth showing, deep growls and heads lowered. I shot the bigger dog that looked like a malamute, then slide the rifle down and grabbed it by the barrel. Ready and willing to use the rifle like a Louisville slugger, however I didn't need too, the other dog that looked like a boxer, wanted no part of the fire and brimstone that sent his buddy under. As the smoke cleared, one dog down the other was in a hurry to leave. I now carry a backup gun with me while hunting.
 
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I've got one of those also, a Renegade with a silver-colored nose cap and a brass Hawkin butt plate. Neither is fit very well. It must have been a thing at one time.
 
I'm in process of a " Frankenrifle" build now. Have a beat up Senaca stock that previous owner added lots of decorative junk on and a shot out Cherokee barrel with Hawkens patchbox going together.
I think it's going be fun to be able to recycle these parts into a functional rifle.
 
My "ugly duckling " is my Zoli Zouave 10 gauge. I've nick named it "Junkyard" because there's some pitting in the bore and it fouls quickly. Fun shooter, though.
 
I have a couple of ugly T/C rifles myself. A .54 Renegade that in addition to being ugly and having a suspect bore has been drilled and tapped for scope mounts. I scrubbed the bore and fitted a Musket nipple and figured it would make a fair Lee REAL bullet gun loaded with some ancient Pyrodex. I have quite a bit of the Pyrodex bought from ChinaMart for $5 a pound on close out, and I loaded up on a 1000 Musket nipples back when the craziness started. Turns out the rough old Renegade is a superb launcher of Lee REAL bullets.

Also have an equally rough .50 Hawken, although it is thankfully not D&T. It was a kit somebody never really got around to completely finishing, but close enough to shoot. I had shot it some, enough to know it was a fine shooter, and took it for the Scouts to shoot a few weeks back. Several young lads and ladies shot it a couple of times each to good effect.

Near as I can tell, there are no “bad” T/C rifles, just some that don’t look to good.
 
I bought a 50 cal TC Renegade off gunbroker.com. I was pleasently surprised to find it in extremely good shape when it arrived. However, the stock had been replaced and was a poor fit to the barrel. Acraglas fixed that and now the barrel is perfectly mated to the stock. I have never been keen on the appearance of the Renegade. I prefer browning over bluding, I hate that finger hook on the trigger guard, I want a nosecap etc. I figured with the little amount of money I had invested, I could try and dress up the "ugly duckling". My before and after pictures are below. This may not be everyones taste, but I am thrilled with the outcome and it shoots fantastic groups.
IMG-0566 (2).jpg
IMG-0849 (2).jpg
 

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