Keep hearing about T/C stocks splitting.

[JimG]

Been asking around about the T/C Seneca I recently bought. All I'm hearing is "be carefull the stocks like to split"!! Honestly how delicate are the T/C gun stocks??

 

[1in48]

I don't think it's a big problem. I have shot several hundred RBs through mine but have not run more than 60gr through it. Our local shop made a statement about not trying to make do more than it was designed for, like elk hunting. He said to keep loads in the mid range. I don't know if he knew what was talking about but it made sence to me. This a great great rifle and much sought after and can only go up more in value. If you want more power then buy a bigger gun. Enjoy!

 

[gmww]

If it does split, I believe they will replace it.

 

[MSW]

i must admit that i've never hunted for elk, but if i were to do so, i would want something a good bit bigger than a .50, even loaded 'hot.'

having said that, i don't think that a T/C stock would be more or less likely to split than any other, and as previously posted by gmww, if it does, they'll replace it.

that is, of course, cold comfort if you're in the middle of a hunt and the stock breaks, but that's why it's called 'hunting,' and not 'going to the store to buy meat.' all sorts of things might go wrong; you might get to the place and find no game to hunt, the powder might get wet, the caps might not fire, the space aliens might abduct you just as you draw a bead on the Boone & Crockett ... well i digress.

you could do much worse to buy a Seneca: if properly cared for it will provide you a lifetime (and more) of faithful service. i would be willing to hazard that you'll forget what you paid for the gun long before it wears out.

 

[ebiggs1]

Right, if they have one.

I have lots of TCs and I have never split a stock. I even have the Patriot pistol in 45 cal and the stock is perfect. You do need a small amount of common sense when you shoot black powder and it will be fine.

 

[Ft. Jefferson]

My TC Cherokee stock has a crack at lock bolt hole on the left side because (I) tightened the bolt to tight. (I) is the first letter in IDIOT! Just don't say it to my face! I'll do that myself!

 

[longcruise]

Been asking around about the T/C Seneca I recently bought. All I'm hearing is "be carefull the stocks like to split"!! Honestly how delicate are the T/C gun stocks??

It's not the delicate stocks that are the source of the problem, but rather the poor metal to wood fit in the breech area. If there is any space at all between the breech (tang) and the wood, the breech (tang) will try to fill that space with each shot. The stress shows up around the tang bolt and the rear tang screw. If the tang bolt hole is a tight fit, the tang bolt gets shoved against the wood around the bolt. Same thing with the rear tang screw only moreso since there is no clearance as there is with the tang bolt.

This problem also pops up with the Lyman rifles as well.

The simplest solution is to glass bed the tang (the rear flat of the tang that the hooked breech fits into) to a perfect fit with the wood behind it. You may be filling in as little as 1/32nd of an inch, but that is 1/32nd of movement potential when the gun goes off. Hold the tang in place with the screw and tang bolt while the glass sets up. Be careful not to let the tang get permanently glassed into the wood! You may need to relieve a bit of wood and make the space a bit bigger before filling it in.

Now, the recoil of metal to wood will be absorbed by the wood in the back of the tang's hooked breech area rather than against the tang bolt and screw.

 

[Mad Professor]

Piece of wax paper does nicely to k :thumbsup: eep things from sticking

 

[longcruise]

Good idea! Keeping the glass out of the hook opening can be tricky. Am going to try the wax paper next time around. Thanks for the tip.

 

[sidelock]

Had mine since 70's. Shot 1000's rounds. Elk huntin loads.No splits yet.

 

[hardtimes]

My father has been shooting his Hawken for the last 30 years loaded with PRB and 80grs FFG. I am sure that rifle has seen a 1000 rounds by now with out a hitch. I just picked up my first Hawken, but I am sure I will get years of service out of it.

 

[CoyoteJoe]

If it does split, I believe they will replace it.

T/C has no stocks for the Seneca, they are history. T/C never brought them back after the fire because they never had been a big seller. Now that they are no longer available people claim they are the best thing since gunpowder, just like every other discontinued gun. :haha:

 

[longcruise]

No doubt many do go on for years without a problem and many if not most never split. It's all a matter of how close the clearances are from the factory. They do not hand fit these. Many will fit perfect and others will have problems. I split both a TC Hawken and GPR stock before I realized what the problem was. TC replaced their stock and I repaired the GPR stock. Both had a poor fit in the breech area and both have been going on for many years since being glass bedded with no problems.

 

[rabjr]

I actually saw a few of those whose stocks split and one was a friends. We took a day and ran up to the plant and got his replaced along with a new ramrod, course this back in 86'ish. Hell my Renegade split too.

 

[mjones1579]

My TC Cherokee stock has a crack at lock bolt hole on the left side because (I) tightened the bolt to tight. (I) is the first letter in IDIOT! Just don't say it to my face! I'll do that myself!

I'm fixing a New Englander stock right now that is cracked in the bolt hole. I think it is a pretty common problem.

 

[rabjr]

I'd venture to say cracked stocks was probably the worst problem T/C had to deal with from the 70's to 90 anyway. Not sure when they finally changed the bolt hole design. So it's no wonder the smaller lighter gun designs were the first to be discontinued.

I also remember a simulated wood synthetic thumbhole stock on one of their first unmentionables that was a disaster and all were recalled. We had 3 in the shop and sold em, I know 2 ended up with cracked stocks.

 

[JimG]

Hmmmmmmmmm.......My Seneca has no tang bolt per say. Both are identical small wood screws. I'll check the fit when I get home.

 

[rabjr]

Most cracks I've seen originated at the Lock bolt.

There was a fix at some point where T/C moved the hole for tang bolts if I rember right. If or how this has anything to do with the gun you have I don't know. I have seen more Renegades with cracked stocks that any other model but like I said in an earlier post I have seen a handful of broken Seneca's. I would suggest not to full throttle it, and just find a nice accurate load to have some fun with it. :thumbsup:

 

[longcruise]

Screws will actually be more likely to cause a split than the tang bolt. A tang bolt has a bit of clearance whereas a screw is tight to the wood and transfers even the smallest bit of backward movement of the barrel and breech plug to the wood around the screw.

When my GPR split it was not at the tang bolt, but at the screw behind it.