Please help me identify my new gun

[slou92]

Can someone help me identify this gun. My neighbor gave it to me and couldn't tell me anything about it. It has 2 triggers, 8 land and grooves, and is marked 45 cal on top of the barrel. The bottom of the barrel is marked G CASWELL # 15. No other marks are on the barrel that I can see. I didn't take the lock apart yet to see if there's any markings there. It appears to have a screw in breech.
How does the set trigger set up work? The rear trigger doesn't seem to do anything. Also, what's the set screw between triggers?
I can post more pictures if anyone wants to see something else.
Thanks for any help.
Brian

http://i891.photobucket.com/albums/ac114/slou92/DSCF0004.jpg

 

[Kentuckywindage]

looks like a TC hawken with most likely a custom barrel :hmm:

 

[DEWB]

It does look like a TC but all of the TC hawkens that iv'e seen have a capbox on them. The back trigger is a set trigger. You pull it to set the front trigger which will make it go off with very little pressure. That is what the little screw is for,to determine how light or heavy you want the pull of the front trigger to be when the rear one is set.

 

[Zonie]

Welcome to the Forum.

I can't help much with who built your gun but as for the set triggers I'll try to answer your questions.

Double set triggers like yours consist of the forward trigger which will fire the gun just like a normal trigger.
If the triggers are "set", it also releases the lock but it does this by releasing the rear trigger.

The rear trigger isn't a trigger at all. It is the lever for cocking a heavy spring that is built into the triggers.
To "set" this heavy spring, pull back with quite a lot of force. When the rear trigger is pulled far enough, you should hear a faint "click" as the front trigger latches the rear trigger into the "set" or cocked position.

Once done, the slightest pressure on the front trigger will release the cocked rear trigger.

When this happens, the rear trigger hits the sear in the lock and causes the hammer to fall.

The amount of pull on the front trigger is only a few ounces and it cannot be adjusted for pull weight.
It can be adjusted for travel, that is, the amount it needs to move to release the rear "set" trigger. This is what the screw between the triggers is for.

By screwing it in, it reduces the depth of the "latch" the front trigger has on the rear trigger.
Screwed in too far and the front trigger won't even be able to latch the rear trigger in the set position. In other words, you won't be able to get the rear trigger to remain cocked.

Screwed all the way out will allow the front trigger to fully engage the rear trigger when it is pulled.
As I said, this doesn't change the amount of force needed to move the front trigger when the rear trigger is set but it does increase the amount of movement needed on the front trigger to release the rear trigger.

I don't recommend having a finger on the rear trigger when you pull the front trigger.
If you do have a finger on both triggers, when the rear trigger is released it will move forward very fast and most fingers don't like to be whacked like that.

Hope this helps you.

OH! I almost forgot.
You can cock and "fire" the rear trigger as often as you desire without hurting the gun AS LONG AS THE HAMMER IS DOWN.

If the hammer is at half cock, setting the rear trigger and "firing" it can break your lock.
Never set and "fire" set triggers when the lock is at half cock.

Also, in order for a lock to work with set triggers it must have a special little toggle built into its tumbler. This part is called a "fly".
It's job is to keep the nose of the sear from entering the half cock notch as the hammer falls from the fully cocked position.

Because of this fly, the hammer CANNOT be lowered from the Full Cock position to the Half Cock Position without lowering the hammer almost to the fired position and then raising the hammer up to the half cock position.

Raising the hammer from below the half cock position is the only way to have the lock engage the half cock notch.

 

[slou92]

I looked inside the lock and there is no markings there. I'm impressed with the wood inletting and the barrel seems like it is very well made.

 

[slou92]

Looks like it's a T/C trigger at least. At least it looks like it judging by the pictures on ebay auctions.

The set trigger is broken so only the fwd trigger works. Where can I get parts for that? Looks like there is a little tang on the fwd trigger that the rear one engages when pulled. That's broken off. The fwd trigger works well with about 3 1/2 to 4 pounds pull. I'd like to fix the set trigger though, but only if I can do it for not a whole lot of money.

Also, any suggestions on where to start for a load. Never shot PRB, but I've read enough here to understand that I want a ball/patch size combo that shoots well. I currently shoot with the N-SSA, so I'm used to the Minne.

Thanks for the help,
Brian

 

[tv_racin_fan]

You don't know it is broken. With a set trigger action you can adjust the screw so that the set doesn't work for hunting. Now some will argue that hunting is the exact time they want the set feature and some will claim that they only want it for target shooting. Makes no difference to me what you want it for or how you use it. All I know is that the set trigger setup I had allowed me to decide if I wanted to be able to use it and at what weight/length I wanted it to work. SO give the screw a couple turns out and then try to see if it will set then try a few turns in and see if it will set, the previous owner may have adjusted it so it doesn't set for hunting purposes due to cold weather and glove useage.

OOO my bad, the set trigger may well have been broken by someone who didn't know not to set it and fire it at half cock. Guess thats what happens when ya don't read the whole thread before runnin ya big ole mouf...

 

[shdwlkr]

From the pictures it appears to be a kit Hawken and the builder left the patch box off. Look and see if it has a serial number on the barrel if it start with a "k" it is a hawken kit gun.
The second possibility is that it has a Green Mountain drop in TC barrel and it was made from parts of a hawken like the trigger assembly, the lock, etc.
First thing is to clean it real good and then to see what needs to be done to get it to work. If it is a TC hawken that has set for a while things will need to be worked again very carefully to get them functioning again.
Just my thoughts

 

[slou92]

I couldn't find a serial number on the barrel. The only marking I saw (besides 45 cal) is the G CASWELL # 15 stamped on it.
Thanks,
Brian

 

[robtattoo]

Probably a dumb question, but one I need to ask after being 'bitten' twice myself;
Have you checked to make sure it's not loaded?

 

[slou92]

That was the first thing I did. I checked with the ramrod first, then with a bore light.

 

[robtattoo]

Sorry :redface: didn't mean to be condescending!
Looks like you got yourself a real nice little deer gun there :v

 

[slou92]

I didn't take it as condescending , just good advice! Thanks.

This is a nice gun, but I have a few percussion guns so I'm thinking of trying to sell/trade this for a flinter (always wanted one of those). That's why I'm trying to find more info about it so I know a little about value.

Of course, I may just take it out and work a load up for it first...

Brian

 

[RedFeather]

Aren't there some double set triggers that you have to cock before the rear will set? Or is that only on older guns? The shape of the comb doesn't look like from a T/C kit unless it's been taken down. And the kit I had was inletted for a patchbox.

 

[PreglerD]

Hello from Germany!

To me it looks like a Traditions/Ardesa Hawken. The .45 barrel is normally a 1in 66" ROT, so a good RB shooter. Clean it and refinish the stock, polish the brass and you will have a fine shooting rifle for target practice and deer-sized game!

Regards

Kirrmeister

 

[David W.]

I believe the entire rifle is a T/C. The lock and sights definately are so it should be a T/C barrel as well. If so, it has a 1:48 twist which is good for both PRB and conical, namely hollow based minies or Maxiballs.

How does the inside of the barrel look? I could not over look the rust on the outside. I would use FFFg powder in it.

Good find and great friend you have. I wish someone would give me one.

 

[Zonie]

As the front triggers catch is broken off you can call Thompson Center and order a replacement trigger.

 

[slou92]

Good to know about the trigger, I'll look into that tomorrow.

The bore is in fine shape, just some surface rust at the muzzle... no pitting.

I have a bunch of fffg (GOEX) and I'll start with that.

Thanks all for the help. I'm looking forward to shooting her and seeing how it groups.

 

[fyrfyter43]

If it is a TC, you may be able to get the trigger set replaced under warranty. If not, it may be a little cheaper to get one of the Davis Deerslayer triggers. They run about $40.

 

[Marc Adamchek]

A lot of this gun screams T/C, and yet.....What the heck is the story with NO serial #? What about G CASWELL #15 stamped on the very good looking barrel? A personalization done in the shop? Most of all, where the heck is ROUNDBALL!?He'd probably have this id'ed in 2 seconds, probably owned one himself.