A surprise gesture by T/C Arms

[jim gray]

Congratulations on your hunt and your new knife. I am really glad to see that T/C treats their loyal customers so well, and on top of that they actually have a factory in America. They are definitely a unique company.

 

[bob1961]

Hey Bob, when ya gonna fess up to the fact that your wife shot that groups using your rifle? :crackup: :crackup:

shoooooot the cats outa the bag now :cry:..........bob

 

[roundball]

Good story--and you deserve it--you have been a good [free] advertisement for TC products on several ML sites with your many reports of successes with TC guns and on their quality, performance and service--they ought to give you a salary!! :imo: :thumbsup: You will love the knife--it is a great all around outdoor design.

Well, when I got started in flintlocks 3 years ago, I was just venturing in by myself, nobody local to look at other flintlocks, already had TC Hawken percussions, so it seemed easiest to migrate to a TC Hawken Flintlock...talked to TC and learned that they'd made these design changes, and saw first hand that they were in fact 100% reliable.

Than as I began using ML boards, I realized a lot of TC owners didn't know about the design changes and/or others who had heard bad things about TC's locks in the past were still repeating that story like it was still gospel.

So I'll admit to trying to set the record straight for anyone who raised the issue, particularly for those who had a TC Flintlock stuck back in the closet or something because it was not as reliable as it should be...and in the process, clarified for those who had simply been repeating what they'd heard years ago, that reliability issues were a thing of the past.

The good news is that I've had Email exchanges with about a dozen folks now who have dragged theirs back out, sent the lock to TC who made them right, and they now enjoy shooting them with proper reliability.

I know TC Hawkens are not period specific of course, but for a regular working guy like me, they're a lot of gun for the money, parts are interchangeable, don't need a gunsmith to work on them, and they're 100% reliable...I've gotten a lot of enjoyment out of them, both at the range and deer hunting.

The knife will be a little over the top for me...never carried a knife that cost more than $45-50 and thought it was extravagant when I bought them...but I'll carry/use the TC knife...no point in putting it up to "save it"

:winking:

 

[CG6018]

Great post, Roundball! The recognition was well deserved. Your post makes me regret selling my first flintlock, a T/C Hawken flintlock in .50 cal. back in the early 80's, but as a lefty, I really wanted a rifle with the lock on the opposite side. Four lefty flintlocks, and a gazillion dollars later, I'm content. Again, congratulations to you, and a sincere, "WELL DONE" to Thompson Center! :thumbsup:

 

[Bob J]

Good shootin'! Do you hunt with the same load?

 

[sebago]

Congrats roundball, it's well deserved! I've used their products for a number of years, a couple of Contenders with a variety of barrels as well as a Renegade but I never paid much attention to their Hawken until I started reading your posts here. Thus inspired I bought two, one caplock and one flint, I love them both.
T/C really is a great company in my mind. The Fox Ridge store is about an hour away from me and I can say they are as friendly and helpful in person as they are on the phone.

 

[cayugad]

Congratulations Roundball.. because of your advise, I sent in my .50 caliber Hawkins Flintlock and they updated it (for free I might add). The rifle is a great shooter with out a doubt and one of my favorite. I was not blessed with a shot at a deer this year with it, but that only makes me want to try again next year..... :thumbsup:

 

[Tahquamenon]

Great story Roundball! :thumbsup:

Thompson/Center is top shelf in my book!

 

[brushbuster]

Good story--and you deserve it--you have been a good [free] advertisement for TC products on several ML sites with your many reports of successes with TC guns and on their quality, performance and service--they ought to give you a salary!! :imo: :thumbsup: You will love the knife--it is a great all around outdoor design.

Well, when I got started in flintlocks 3 years ago, I was just venturing in by myself, nobody local to look at other flintlocks, already had TC Hawken percussions, so it seemed easiest to migrate to a TC Hawken Flintlock...talked to TC and learned that they'd made these design changes, and saw first hand that they were in fact 100% reliable.
I know TC Hawkens are not period specific of course, but for a regular working guy like me, they're a lot of gun for the money, parts are interchangeable, don't need a gunsmith to work on them, and they're 100% reliable...I've gotten a lot of enjoyment out of them, both at the range and deer hunting.
:winking:

thets why i have wanted one for years and now i gots one :winking: :winking: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
may your new knife give you many years of good dervice and thanks for shareing

 

[Eric Krewson]

I am glad so many people have had good experiences with TC. My experiences with them have been totally negative. I bought my first TC flinter 3 years ago, right out of the box the barrel wouldn't even go in the barrel channel. $20 in shipping later they fixed the problem. Later when I learned a little more about flinters I realized the touchhole on my gun was placed in the back corner of the pan, not centered like it should be. The gun hang fired a good bit so I spent another $20 on shipping and sent it back again. To me this is one of those manufacturing defects they claim to give a life time warranty against.When I discused the matter with their gunsmith he aggreed with me the this wasn't the proper location and said to send it back. They sent it back, said it went off OK,I think they worked on the lock because it was faster when it came back, no mention of the touch hole location. Then there was the issue of all priming powder falling between the pan and barrel when I tilted the gun. When I pulled the lock I found the inletting fit had been done with hot melt glue instead of proper inletting. I removed some of the glue and got a good lock to barrel fit.

I won't buy another TC gun. I have owned at least 5 of them and all were great except this last one. Had the company stood behind their warranty I wouldn't have soured on them.

 

[roundball]

I am glad so many people have had good experiences with TC. My experiences with them have been totally negative. I bought my first TC flinter 3 years ago, right out of the box the barrel wouldn't even go in the barrel channel. $20 in shipping later they fixed the problem. Later when I learned a little more about flinters I realized the touchhole on my gun was placed in the back corner of the pan, not centered like it should be. The gun hang fired a good bit so I spent another $20 on shipping and sent it back again. To me this is one of those manufacturing defects they claim to give a life time warranty against.When I discused the matter with their gunsmith he aggreed with me the this wasn't the proper location and said to send it back. They sent it back, said it went off OK,I think they worked on the lock because it was faster when it came back, no mention of the touch hole location. Then there was the issue of all priming powder falling between the pan and barrel when I tilted the gun. When I pulled the lock I found the inletting fit had been done with hot melt glue instead of proper inletting. I removed some of the glue and got a good lock to barrel fit.

I won't buy another TC gun. I have owned at least 5 of them and all were great except this last one. Had the company stood behind their warranty I wouldn't have soured on them.

Over my years of experience with TC, I had a couple of those situations very early on when dealing with whoever I happened to be connected to in the repair department when I'd call.

Then I made two permanent decisions:
1) I never call to discuss any kind of repair issue over the phone "with someone in the repair dept."...I just ship the item priority mail / delivery confirmation;

2) And when I ship an item, I only ship it directly to the attention of TC's service manager (Tim Pancurak) with a memo explaining what I want done...100% satisfaction since then for 15 years.