low number tc hawken .50

[David S Kendall]

I picked up a used .50 hawken awhile back and didn't realize how early it is. The serial number is 1920. Has anyone seen a lower TC Hawken than this? Any idea when it was made?

 

[FishDFly]

All the T/C records are gone due to a fire, that is the lowest number I have seen posted here. Do like the early stocks and locks better than the later ones.

 

[David S Kendall]

Before anyone asks.

 

[dragnetbill]

I picked up a used .50 hawken awhile back and didn't realize how early it is. The serial number is 1920. Has anyone seen a lower TC Hawken than this? Any idea when it was made?

I had a flinter .45 that was, I believe, in the 1400 range of serial numbers. Probably made in the early 1970s.

 

[deermanok]

What kind of finish is on the barrel? Is it in the white?

 

[bubba.50]

I picked up a used .50 hawken awhile back and didn't realize how early it is. The serial number is 1920. Has anyone seen a lower TC Hawken than this? Any idea when it was made?

From bits & pieces gleaned from the interwebs & various sources, the TC Hawken first appeared around December 1970 starting @ serial #1000 so, if it's the standard Hawken barrel it woulda been made probably early 1971.

A full length picture would help but from what I can see you have a first year barrel on a later stock as the first year guns had a small fully inlet lock-bolt escutcheon and a case-colored triggerguard among other little differences.

I've personally had one in the 1700 range and one in the 4000 range. Don't know exactly how many made in the first year but I do know that by the 7000 range they'd switched to the brass triggerguard.

 

[Pork Chop]

I'd like to see a side by side of the early versus the later TC stocks. I don't know the difference.

 

[bubba.50]

I'd like to see a side by side of the early versus the later TC stocks. I don't know the difference.

Unfortunately, declining health combined with the economic downturn have caused all my Hawkens and just about everything else to leave for greener pastures.

But, a few things to look for : the early ones had a higher comb with a more pronounced corner at the wrist, a 1/2 inch longer length of pull, fully inlet lock bolt escutcheon and wedge escutcheons, a single screw in the nose cap and for a few years the rear foot on the triggerguard was almost the full width of the flat bottom of the stock. And first year Hawkens had the aforementioned case-colored triggerguard.

 

[David S Kendall]

All very good info.
And thanks.
I will see about posting some full shots of the rifle in the next day or so.
The barrel is brown, though it may have been blued originally. It, like my other .50 hawken, a hopkins and allen, is a very good shooter. I am in the process of finding a mount for it so I can install my long leatherwood scope on it.

 

[David S Kendall]

pics

 

[bubba.50]

Goin’ by the pictures, your gun has also been converted from flinchlock to percussion.

 

[SDSmlf]

Goin’ by the pictures, your gun has also been converted from flinchlock to percussion.

Agree with @bubba.50 ‘s observation.

A suggestion to the OP, you want to have the Sun (aka, the light source) behind you, instead of in front of you when taking pictures. It will improve your photographs.

 

[renegadehunter]

The rear sight looks like it isn't a TC sight, but I can't see it real well and am not real confident about my statement. The real early rear sights were rounded on the front, then they went to a sight around the same overall length but with a square front, and then they went to a longer overall sight that still had square front corners and a bit differently shaped sighting notch. Your pic looks like it has some kind of screws on each front corner of the rear sight, I don't think I've ever seen that from TC.
The first rounded front corner rear sights also had a shorter bolt spacing pattern than the later ones, just fyi for you. I've read that TC only changed the bolt spacing pattern once, from a pretty reliable source, but I believe it was changed twice. The very first ones had a significantly shorter spacing pattern, then they went to a spacing just over 3/4". But when looking at Williams sight advertisements for TC they say that they have two different bolt spacing patterns, .758" for "older" ones and .836 for "newer" ones. This doesn't make sense that TC only changed the bolt spacing pattern once because the very early ones have a spacing that is quite a bit shorter than .758".
I also notice that the tang has the second tapped hole with a filler bolt in it for mounting a tang sight. I'm not familiar with the era of rifles that they did that but bubba.50 or someone else will likely know. I believe TC didn't make all of them with it though, so that can help with identifying its age a bit too.
It does have the "high hammer spur" lock, I believe around 1990 they went to a hammer spur that was lower and more rolled back.
I believe it may be a "newer" rifle (1980's perhaps) with a very early older barrel that was converted from flint to percussion dropped into it? Not real surprising with the amount of times you hear of a good looking rifle that has a bad bore due to folks that didn't clean or store them properly.
It appears to be well taken care of. If the bore is in good condition that would be all that really mattered to me. My above comments are just meant to help you gather some info about it and I'm in no way trying to take away anything from your rifle.

 

[FishDFly]

To borrow a word from Zonie, lots of T/C's have been frinkled with. It is very hard to find an early T/C that is pure original from the factory.

 

[David S Kendall]

Great guys!
I thank you all for your replies.

 

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

My TC Hawken has the filler plug in the tang. I still have the Vernier Tang Sight for it. The rear sight looks pretty close to mine, but can’t say for certain. Mine is from the early to mid ‘70’s.

 

[foxfirejem]

To borrow a word from Zonie, lots of T/C's have been frinkled with. It is very hard to find an early T/C that is pure original from the factory.

I have a flint Hawken bought NIB and the only thing that I have done with it is to shoot it. I need to dig it out of the safe to check the SN since I bought it back in the early 70's. Still have the original box & paperwork too. 100 gr. FF and a 360 gr. Maxi Ball & dead-on at 50 yards. Shot the antler off a real nice 8 point when hunting in Clarion Co., PA. But that's another story.