Good old Renegade - I hope

[ryoung14]

Picked up a .54 Renegade on gunbroker. It arrived today. Looks very good.

Externally it's 97 or 98%. A few gun cabinet dings on the wood, A couple of small spots on the blueing where it's wore done to the bare metal. No rust anywhere, inside or out and the bore is smooth, clean, not ringed, and not loaded.

I'm tempted to say it's unfired, but the T/C's I've bought new have a dirtier bore than this one has. Though the barrel is the standard 1 - 48", 26" long .54, it seems to have deeper rifling cuts than what I'm used to seeing...rifling really stands out at the muzzle.

The sights are the patridge type, which I prefer and the snail/bolster where the nipple is mounted is the simplified style that looks like a rocking chair from the side. It also has a slotted cleanout screw which isn't boogered at all. S/N on barrel is 32xxx. If I'm not mistaken, the patridge sights and cleanout screw date it to '70s production. If anyone has a better date, let me know.

It wasn't a steal....paid $225 for it, which I think is fair for the condition it's in. Buying sight unseen on Gunbroker, I've learned to avoid the 'steals'. Those folks aren't fools and only junk goes cheap.


Took a chance on buying a Renegade. The only other one I'd shouldered was a NIB single trigger version I had a chance to buy about 7 years ago. Couldn't get my face down far enough on the stock to align the sights. This one sets on my shoulder and lines up just fine.

Hope it shoots as good as it looks. GM .58 RB barrel is next on the list.
Bob

 

[Slake]

It should be a fine gun...I've noticed that 54's seem to have awesome rifling I think it's simply because the call is so big you can see in there better

 

[Toomuch_36]

Sounds like you got yourself a prety good deal there Short Start. The 32xxx serial # would put it right around the later '70s while they still had a respectable depth to the rifling, so with a little load experimentation you should have yourself a prety good shooter.

Toomuch
..........
Shoot Flint

 

[charlie45]

:grin: A great gun and you will enjoy it. Take your time and work up your load, ball & patch combo and that old thumper will get her done. Mine liked 65 gr. og goex 3f .530 ball & .018 pillow tacking.

 

[buzz bait]

Sounds like you got yourself a prety good deal there Short Start. The 32xxx serial # would put it right around the later '70s while they still had a respectable depth to the rifling, so with a little load experimentation you should have yourself a prety good shooter.

Toomuch
..........
Shoot Flint

i got a renagade 54 cal in flint. the ser.#13xxx. just wondering when that one was made

 

[Toomuch_36]

Sounds like you got yourself a prety good deal there Short Start. The 32xxx serial # would put it right around the later '70s while they still had a respectable depth to the rifling, so with a little load experimentation you should have yourself a prety good shooter.

Toomuch
..........
Shoot Flint

i got a renagade 54 cal in flint. the ser.#13xxx. just wondering when that one was made

13k would put it about the '71 to '73 area. This is the transition period when T/C started making their own barrels. You might just have one with the G. R. Douglas 1:66 roundball barrel.

Toomuch
...........
Shoot Flint

 

[ryoung14]

Thanks for the load, Charlie, I'll give it a try. If the gun turns out to be accurate, I'll call it "Ol' Thumper"...so thanks for the name idea too. The creative juices having just about dried up here; I can use all the help I can get. :grin:

I appreciate the help in dating the piece, Toomuch. Alot of water's gone over the dam in the intervening years. Wish I'd kept my looks as well as it has. :shake:
Bob

 

[dispatch 510]

:thumbsup: Congrads on your new Renegade,I to just traded for one,I will be trying to work up some loads for mine,maybe we can swap info. My ser# starts with 18.What years would it have been made?

 

[Walks Alone]

13k would put it about the '71 to '73 area. This is the transition period when T/C started making their own barrels. You might just have one with the G. R. Douglas 1:66 roundball barrel.

Toomuch
...........
Shoot Flint

Toomuch -

Great to see someone with the approximate manufacturing data on the TC's and sharing it. Thanks. :hatsoff:

#13XXX as 1971-73 must mean mine was made by TC when they were still using stone hammers and bone chisels in their manufacturing then maybe. Got my Renegade 54/12 GA 2-barrel capper still LNIB 2 years ago, and it has a 4-digit serial number - 65XX. The NIB (literally) 32 Cherokee I pickup up at the same time is #101XX, but the semi-custom Hawken 36/45/50 3-barrel/both lock switcher I picked up a couple of months later is #K145XXX.

By any chance is there a site somewhere that has the data where I can run these to get their respective approximate build dates?

 

[ryoung14]

Oh, man. A NIB 4-digit Renegade and a NIB Cherokee. You must be living right, Walks Alone. If you keep finding these things and need help disposing of them, let me know.

Yeah, Dispatch, I'm up for swapping load data. I normally shoot Pyrodex RS and P, but recently picked up a couple lbs. of 3f Goex. Might try that first using Charlie's load. Hope to get to the range with it on Monday.
Bob

 

[Walks Alone]

Oh, man. A NIB 4-digit Renegade and a NIB Cherokee. You must be living right, Walks Alone. If you keep finding these things and need help disposing of them, let me know.
Bob

Short Start -

Just takes lots of patience and diligent looking once you know exactly what you want. They are out there, although not always easy to find. One of my early CVA Squirrels (36) was bought NIB too 3-4 years ago, and an old Siber 45 too. And I have 2 or 3 of every 32-54 mould TC made, many bought NIB by always being on the look out for them. Only TC anything I am still looking for is a nice Seneca 36. Have found quite a few 45's (including a mint one I missed by literally only 5 minutes for only $50 once at a local rondy sold by some nimrod that wandered in), but so far have only found two 36's. One was badly hacked up (modified) and the other not in anywhere near good enough condition to even think about considering the $450 the gent was asking for it. Keep looking long enough and you'll stumble into some great buys.

 

[Toomuch_36]

By any chance is there a site somewhere that has the data where I can run these to get their respective approximate build dates?

Short of contacting T/C directly and seeing if they will give you the information I am unaware of any other record keeping source that would have this. What meager information I have has come from years of serviceing these firearms and seeing the differences that have taken place over the years.

Toomuch
..........
Shoot Flint