Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. Announces Intent to Divest Thompson/Center Arms™ Brand

[BS]

Not sure what will be affected.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-rel...vest-thompsoncenter-arms-brand-301282504.html

 

[Ponderosaman]

Can't say what to think of that. First thing that comes to mind though is that the self-defence hobby is far more lucrative than the hunting hobby these days.

 

[nhmoose]

TC was toast a long time ago. S&W bought them for their barrel making equipment only.
They never had an intension of using the name or products or workers. That is now final of TC. Get used to it.

 

[leadhoarder]

Maybe someone will pick them up and make hawkens and renegades again?

 

[Notchy Bob]

Maybe someone will pick them up and make hawkens and renegades again?

That would be great, @leadhoarder ! ...but it would be even better if they would resurrect the Seneca. This was a nice, compact offhand rifle for men, but light enough and sized appropriately for women and older kids. Good for recoil sensitive shooters in .36 caliber, and adequate for deer-sized game in .45. It could handle a Maxi Ball for even more punch. The Seneca had nicer architecture, and was much more authentic-looking, than any other rifle T/C produced, in my opinion.

It would seem to me that with the Italians now making quantities of the type of "Hawken" that T/C created, if somebody were to get the company back into pproducing sidelock muzzleloaders, something like the Seneca, for hunters and recreational shooters, and/or the Cleland Match Rifle for serious competitors, would be the way to go.

Just pipe dreams, I suppose. It's a nice thought, though.

Notchy Bob

 

[hawkeye2]

I'll bet all the tooling for the muzzleloaders went to China for conversion to toasters and flatirons. S&W had little use for it.

 

[Grimord]

I would like to see "Henry" take over the T/C line and start making side locks again along with the Encore & Contender. They are an American company, and the T/C products would add to their lever action line.

 

[Crow Choker]

Maybe someone will pick them up and make hawkens and renegades again?

That would be nice. Even though the original TC's weren't true copies of the Hawkens, they were good quality and accurate shooters. I bought my 45 caplock TC in '74 and still have it. While the adjustable sights and single wedge, coil spring, and a few other things didn't bother me, be nice to see someone produce the Ol' org TC in both flint and percussion, iron sights, double wedges, and such. I despise and have no time for the so-called 'modern' TC's, CVA's, and other ones that pass as muzzleloaders. Seneca come back too.

I would like to see "Henry" take over the T/C line and start making side locks again along with the Encore & Contender. They are an American company, and the T/C products would add to their lever action line.

That would be a good move if Henry would go back to producing the TC Hawken and Seneca's of old, plus offer some of the changes I mentioned above. Henry is a top line outfit, making quality rifles. I have one of their golden boy 22's, every bit as accurate as my Marlin 39M, smoother action, quality piece. Even if whoever buys TC, if they wanna keep making the wanna-be muzzleloaders for the wanna-be muzzleloader shooters, hope they produce something of the old line.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

..., it would be even better if they would resurrect the Seneca. This was a nice, compact offhand rifle for men, but light enough and sized appropriately for women and older kids. Good for recoil sensitive shooters in .36 caliber, and adequate for deer-sized game in .45. It could handle a Maxi Ball for even more punch. ...,

Agreed. A flint version too...,

(Although the Pedersoli Scout does pretty well and is in .32 and .45 or .50 but not a hooked breech )

Sell the Seneca with a two barrel set. .36 and .45

I could also see them with a rifled .45 barrel, and a second, smooth .45 barrel... for some places shot is a better choice for small game ('specially squirrels) than even the little .350 pill.

IF I win the Power-Ball, I will likely start my own company of traditional BP guns, and then talk to Pedersoli, about producing a hooked breech version of the Scout, under my brand name, including the twin, smooth barrel/rifled barrel set.
(Maybe even a three barrel set, .45 smooth, .45 and .32 rifled? On the other hand have to watch end cost or would price beyond most of the market)

LD

 

[JohnnieT]

IF I win the Power-Ball, I will likely start my own company of traditional BP guns, and then talk to Pedersoli, about producing a hooked breech version of the Scout, under my brand name, including the twin, smooth barrel/rifled barrel set.
(Maybe even a three barrel set, .45 smooth, .45 and .32 rifled? On the other hand have to watch end cost or would price beyond most of the market)

If I win, I’ll go in half with you! It’s such a good idea that I might actually buy a ticket or two...

 

[Col. Batguano]

Manufacturing durable goods is generally a very capital intensive business if you want to be competitive. It takes a lot of expensive machinery to eliminate the need for hands (meaning expensive labor) to touch the product a lot during manufacturing. New machinery is 2x-4x more expensive than used stuff, and infinitely so more than that which you already have but aren't using. So it MAY be cheaper for you to buy the brand and then have somebody else make the product FOR you under a contract manufacturing arrangement. If all they have to do is add a shift to their production facilities, it'd be a win-win for them too.

 

[springfield art]

I would like to see "Henry" take over the T/C line and start making side locks again along with the Encore & Contender. They are an American company, and the T/C products would add to their lever action line.

You might be on to something. Henry is a great USA company; maybe they should be looking to make a Hawken-type thing; if AUTHENTIC, it'd be a hit. They have all the machinery, etc.

 

[Musketeer]

Ruger picked up Marlin and is supposed to be producing guns by the end of this year. TC might be another worthy acquisition for them. One can dream at least. Ruger certainly has the means and the manufacturing capabilities.

 

[Notchy Bob]

I hope some of the people in the industry are reading this...

@Loyalist Dave , please send me a PM when you win PowerBall and get your project rolling. I would like to be part of that!

Notchy Bob

 

[Zonie]

Well, we can hope that some group of investers who are fond of traditional muzzleloading guns will buy up the rights to the name and start making the same guns they used to make, perhaps with some improvements to their authenticity.

In the meantime, I'm not going to hold my breath. If any group buys them with the idea of producing muzzleloading guns, the guns are more likely to be the kind we don't talk about here on the forum. That's where the real money is.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

In the meantime, I'm not going to hold my breath. If any group buys them with the idea of producing muzzleloading guns, the guns are more likely to be the kind we don't talk about here on the forum. That's where the real money is.

IF I win a big enough Power-Ball prize, then I'm going to need a business that shows a "loss" and thus have a tax write-off.

LD

 

[gvandersluis]

That would be great, @leadhoarder ! ...but it would be even better if they would resurrect the Seneca. This was a nice, compact offhand rifle for men, but light enough and sized appropriately for women and older kids. Good for recoil sensitive shooters in .36 caliber, and adequate for deer-sized game in .45. It could handle a Maxi Ball for even more punch. The Seneca had nicer architecture, and was much more authentic-looking, than any other rifle T/C produced, in my opinion.

It would seem to me that with the Italians now making quantities of the type of "Hawken" that T/C created, if somebody were to get the company back into pproducing sidelock muzzleloaders, something like the Seneca, for hunters and recreational shooters, and/or the Cleland Match Rifle for serious competitors, would be the way to go.

Just pipe dreams, I suppose. It's a nice thought, though.

Notchy Bob

The TC Seneca was imho the best ML rifle ever made. I will never sell mine. Judging what I read about the numbers of people wanting one and unable to find one a company reproducing them again ought to do well. Come on Pedersoli!!

 

[gvandersluis]

Oh and while their about it the Patriot pistol as well

 

[Elgatodeacero]

Friends, I believe all the tooling and equipment for making the traditional TC muzzleloaders was destroyed in a 1996 fire several years before S&W purchased TC Arms (in 2006 S&W paid $120,000,000 for TC Arms).

 

[rusticbob]

Friends, I believe all the tooling and equipment for making the traditional TC muzzleloaders was destroyed in a 1996 fire several years before S&W purchased TC Arms (in 2006 S&W paid $120,000,000 for TC Arms).

The fire was limited to the woodshop where the stocks were made. The fire never made it into the main production departments. T/C went to hell when Warren Center retired, long before any fire. When none of the owners or principals of a gun company do not shoot, the business is doomed.