How many .32 Cherokee kits were made?

[Camel73]

Hello all,
I recently passed by a .32 Cherokee Kit, and, once home, I couldn't get it out of my head. so I started reading up on it.

After the phone call to have it set aside for me, I got to wondering...

How many .32 Cherokee kits were made?
When did they change triggers?
This one is Serial# K3xxx
The young lad I chatted with couldn't tell me much about it as it was sealed up again for sale after they saw the kit was untouched.
I don't believe this kit has a second barrel included.

I've had a 44" .62 Fusil for a few years now (love it!) and my .50 GPR will be arriving shortly. Both flinters.
I have a humble collection of, (some would say older) .22s and this .32 really appeals to me.

One last thing.... there was an article in a link that was posted here about the history of the Cherokee (and Seneca?), but the link seems to have changed to something else.

Anyway, stay warm!
We just had a -40's cold snap.

Sincerely,
Camel

 

[Gtrubicon]

Hello all,
I recently passed by a .32 Cherokee Kit, and, once home, I couldn't get it out of my head. so I started reading up on it.

After the phone call to have it set aside for me, I got to wondering...

How many .32 Cherokee kits were made?
When did they change triggers?
This one is Serial# K3xxx
The young lad I chatted with couldn't tell me much about it as it was sealed up again for sale after they saw the kit was untouched.
I don't believe this kit has a second barrel included.

I've had a 44" .62 Fusil for a few years now (love it!) and my .50 GPR will be arriving shortly. Both flinters.
I have a humble collection of, (some would say older) .22s and this .32 really appeals to me.

One last thing.... there was an article in a link that was posted here about the history of the Cherokee (and Seneca?), but the link seems to have changed to something else.

Anyway, stay warm!
We just had a -40's cold snap.

Sincerely,
Camel

I can’t answer your question as to how many were made, but congratulations on finding the needle in the big haystack! I have Cherokee rifles in 45 and 36, I love em.

 

[Indy Durtdigger]

If they don't want too much for it buy it. I've never seen a complete kit for sale outside of the webs. I found a factory one with .45 and .32 barrels years ago. Fun little rifle to shoot and great if you have small statured peeps around that want to learn the muzzle loader hobby.

 

[Camel73]

Maybe a week ago, Pops mentioned to me how he'd be interested in a- small caliber - kit - flintlock... just didn't think it'd happen so soon.
If he's hung up on the flintlock part.... well... he might have to get his own.

The box says "All steel parts finished and blued"

5,000?, 10,000?? --- 20,000?? made?

What's the latest serial number someone has seen on these?

 

[Camel73]

Funny thing is, I wasn't looking for it. It found me!

 

[Indy Durtdigger]

Maybe a week ago, Pops mentioned to me how he'd be interested in a- small caliber - kit - flintlock... just didn't think it'd happen so soon.
If he's hung up on the flintlock part.... well... he might have to get his own.

The box says "All steel parts finished and blued"

5,000?, 10,000?? --- 20,000?? made?

What's the latest serial number someone has seen on these?

Unless someone chimes in otherwise. I'd bet the records of how many they made were lost in the factory fire with everything else.

 

[Camel73]

Unless someone chimes in otherwise. I'd bet the records of how many they made were lost in the factory fire with everything else.

Ya, I heard about that. Sometime around '97.... very unfortunate.

I was thinking along the lines of:
Owners serial numbers should give an idea of the cutoff. Either for the double set trigger, or end of production.
I'm talking Kit guns here. Whether that would correlate with finished production guns... not sure. Not really sure about any of it, that's why I'm here asking lol.

I just saw an online sale pic (from years ago) that had a serial number of roughly K3100 that had double set triggers.

I just picked mine up.
K38xx
Single trigger

It'd be neat to see someone post about a late production number. From what I understand T/C quit making the Cherokee in '94. I have no clue what year mine was made.

I need more examples but... to me...the trigger situation is narrowed down to within a 700 number span. I only started looking last night.

 

[Indy Durtdigger]

Mine wasn't a kit rifle but to give an idea of overall numbers I'll include them. Don't know if the kit rifles had their own serial number range or just had the K prefix added.
.45 cal serial is 182xx
.32 cal serial is 92xx

Found mine used. Most or at least a number of these were sold with 2 barrels. No idea if both were sold with it when new or if one was added later. Has double set trigger. If I'm not mistaken the .32 barrels are the rarer of the three calibers and could explain the difference in the numbers.

 

[Camel73]

Thanks for that.
Interesting that there is no way to tell if it was a double barrel set or not.
There's lots to read about the serial numbers here so maybe with some more digging.
Mine only came with the one .32 cal barrel.

Late .32 K#'s are appreciated.
Or let them all rip if you want, lol.

 

[Indy Durtdigger]

Give this thread some time. TC ones usually bring out some that don't post very much and it takes a few days for em to see it.

 

[Camel73]

Just saw one in a 2006 thread at 14XXX.
Getting somewhere...

 

[Clint Meier]

I have one of two finished rifles that I purchased for my then young sons likely in the late 1970s or early 1980s. Its serial number is 379X and it has double set triggers. My youngest son lost interest in muzzle loading as a young adult and sold the rifle back to me. He now has a 13 year old son who is getting interested in shooting, and I'll bet he wishes he had it back! Some day!
Regarding some speculation as to whether or not this kit originally had a second barrel with it, or not, if the packaging that the seller sealed up is factory original, it would have a long slot or other provision for the second barrel to rest in, and I'd think the empty void would be very conspicuous.

 

[Indy Durtdigger]

The tag on the end of the box saying what was in it should say if it had multiple barrels, should have a date on it as well. If it's still there and not messed up.

 

[Camel73]

Thanks for that info Clint.
Last night I found pages of information, and debate, on different calibers of hawkins/renegades/etc....
It can get pretty confusing.


Not so much on the .32 cal Cherokee.

Compared to the other models and calibers, trying to solve this should be much easier.
If anyone has a 24" barrel in 32 caliber (with 13/16" flats only), please chime in.

Later numbers would have "Cherokee" stamped on the barrel.

I'm looking for the latest production numbers. With the letter K or without it.

Any .32 cal Cherokee numbers are welcome though!!! Something else you might want to include is what kind of trigger it had with it. Not sure if those are swappable or not.

 

[Camel73]

The tag on the end of the box saying what was in it should say if it had multiple barrels, should have a date on it as well. If it's still there and not messed up.

No, the tag doesn't mention a second barrel, or a year. I did find two sets of instructions and two barrel ribs inside though lol. So much for untouched!

 

[pacherokee54]

You might get in touch with the Thompson Center Collectors Association.

 

[Reds]

Mine is a factory gun dbl triggers and not stamped with Cherokee. 4 digit serial

 

[Indy Durtdigger]

The tag on the end of the box saying what was in it should say if it had multiple barrels, should have a date on it as well. If it's still there and not messed up.

I looked at the remaining TC boxes I have when I got home from work. They have a manufacturers date code on them rather than a date. They could have at least used a Julian date. Bummer.
As for barrel markings on mine while still not a kit. The high number .45 says Cherokee and the low number .32 does not.

 

[Camel73]

Well, since it's Friday night I thought I'd post up what I:ve got so far...
It's kind of fun looking at all of them and reading the stories when they're there.

dst - double set triggers
Cs - Cherokee stamp
K - kit
b - barrel only

Factory assembled...
26xx dst
29xx dst
74xx dst, Cs
85xx dst, Cs
92xx dst, No Cs!!??
106xx dst, Cs
107xx dst, Cs
109xx b, Cs

Kits...
K29xx dst, Cs
K30xx dst, Cs
K31xx dst, (Cs unknown)
K38xx Cs

 

[user 31257]

They sold kit barrels in addition to complete gun kits. The kit barrels I’ve seen were K marked, factory finished but not assembled.
.36 Cherokees are the least common.