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[mjpchief]

Just purchased a Thompson Center Cal 50 rifle over the weekend and I am trying to determine approximately what year it was manufactured. It has a 5 digit serial number beginning with 43. There is no “K” in front of the number. It has a couple of proof stamps under the barrel in front of the breech plug that look like a spade. The rifling are .010” deep. Posting pictures of the gun. Any help with these questions is greatly appreciated.

Oh and I am not a fan of the sights. If I keep this rifle they will be changed.

 

[backwoodzboy]

I have one about that age. I think mine is from the 70’s.

 

[mjpchief]

Thanks. From info I found on this forum I’m thinking this one was from late ‘60’s to early ‘70’s. Is there any way to figure out who made the barrel. I’m thinking maybe it’s a Sharon.

 

[Winchester97]

As I understand it, the spade stamp was a Sharron Barrel stamp.

 

[bubba.50]

Mid 70’s, TC made the barrel, the spade is just one of sevveral inspector’s marks they used over thhe years..

Thanks. From info I found on this forum I’m thinking this one was from late ‘60’s to early ‘70’s. Is there any way to figure out who made the barrel. I’m thinking maybe it’s a Sharon.

The Hawken was introduced December 1970 starting with serial # 1000 the barrel was made by TC the spade is just one of several inspector stamps TC used over the years.

The stock has either been pretty significantly reworked or is from a later model.

 

[SDSmlf]

Duplicate.

 

[Winchester97]

Mid 70’s, TC made the barrel, the spade is just one of sevveral inspector’s marks they used over thhe years..


The Hawken was introduced December 1970 starting with serial # 1000 the barrel was made by TC the spade is just one of several inspector stamps TC used over the years.

The stock has either been pretty significantly reworked or is from a later model.

I have a completely bare unmarked .50 smoothbore barrel that fits my tc hawken, it's stamped with the same spade on the bottom flat. The guy I bought the rifle from said it was made by Sharron, thats what I was told anyway. Would be interested to know what the real story is on that.

 

[bubba.50]

I have a completely bare unmarked .50 smoothbore barrel that fits my tc hawken, it's stamped with the same spade on the bottom flat. The guy I bought the rifle from said it was made by Sharron, thats what I was told anyway. Would be interested to know what the real story is on that.

That “Spade means Sharon” urban legend has been floating around the webs for decades now. Cowboy, a member here posted an article from ‘The Blackpowder Digest’ l believe it was thhat contained an interview with Warren Center(the Center half of Thompson-Center) in which he said that at the very beginning they did use a few Sharon barrel blanks but that Sharon never made barrels for TC. I personally think part of the confusion comes from the fact that after the Hawken took off & everybody was jumpin’ in the game, Sharon marketed there own version of the Hawken that looked similar to the TC but was not a direct clone like the Investarms models.

 

[dragnetbill]

Mid 70’s, TC made the barrel, the spade is just one of sevveral inspector’s marks they used over thhe years..


The Hawken was introduced December 1970 starting with serial # 1000 the barrel was made by TC the spade is just one of several inspector stamps TC used over the years.

The stock has either been pretty significantly reworked or is from a later model.

Agree with bubba.50 here; I have spade stamped Hawken with a higher five digit serial number than this one and it has inlet barrel wedge escutcheons and (had) the early high cheek piece. I'm guessing that since this one appears to have surface mounted wedge escutcheons that the stock is newer than the barrel.

 

[mjpchief]

Thanks for the info guys. I haven’t shot this rifle yet but hope to this weekend. I have a T/C Renegade that I built back in the early 90’s. Will have to dig it out and compare the features of the 2 rifles.

 

[mjpchief]

So I took the T/C to the range today and was pleasantly surprised with the results. My targets have a 3” bullseye with 1” diamond in the center. The target was set up at 50 yds. Using 50 grs of 3f powder my first shot hit the top of the diamond. Second shot hit the bottom of the diamond. I pulled the third shot to the left but elevation was perfect. Next four shots were touching in the diamond. Then I pulled one to the right. Next two shots were back in the diamond. Probably the best I have shot in a long time. I think I will keep this rifle and beings it shot so good I will probably keep the fiber optic sights on it even though I don’t care for the way they look.