T/C .50 Cal Hawken bore size

[SDSmlf]

My old Dixie Gun Works catalog says the .50 caliber Thompson Center Hawken barrel has a bore size of .500. The rifling groove diameter is .510 making the grooves .005 deep.

The bore on my TC .50 cal Hawken measures .501 at the muzzle and I consider it to be totally safe to shoot. The outside of the barrel measures .938 or, 15/16" across the flats of the octagon.

I'm mentioning this 15/16" because Lyman also uses a 15/16" octagon barrel and makes it in both .50 caliber and .54 caliber. IMO, if Lymans GPR can use a .54 caliber bore in a barrel that size, a few thousandths of an inch oversize in the TC barrel's bore means nothing. I'm sure the TC barrel is made from a steel that is every bit as strong as the Lyman barrels.

Folks like Bobby Hoyt who rebore barrels will take the 15/16” TC up to 54caliber and the 1” TC up to 58 caliber. One of the big determine factors is the depth of any tapped holes or key ways.

 

[Springypond]

My old Dixie Gun Works catalog says the .50 caliber Thompson Center Hawken barrel has a bore size of .500. The rifling groove diameter is .510 making the grooves .005 deep.

The bore on my TC .50 cal Hawken measures .501 at the muzzle and I consider it to be totally safe to shoot. The outside of the barrel measures .938 or, 15/16" across the flats of the octagon.

I'm mentioning this 15/16" because Lyman also uses a 15/16" octagon barrel and makes it in both .50 caliber and .54 caliber. IMO, if Lymans GPR can use a .54 caliber bore in a barrel that size, a few thousandths of an inch oversize in the TC barrel's bore means nothing. I'm sure the TC barrel is made from a steel that is every bit as strong as the Lyman barrels.

I agree, my bore is.500 and .507, we measured a newer Hawken and the bore is like yours .500 and .510. Definitely not unsafe! Thanks

 

[mooman76]

I have a Cabelas 58 with a 15/16 barrel. Whoever that was at S&W obviously doesn't know what he's doing.

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

Will a spring and guide rod from Lyman fit? Has anyone tried?
Sm

 

[Springypond]

Will a spring and guide rod from Lyman fit? Has anyone tried?
Sm

Unknown but I bought an original off of eBay.

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

Unknown but I bought an original off of eBay.

Spring good luck and enjoy

 

[Springypond]

Spring good luck and enjoy

Thanks will do!

 

[Bledfor Days]

Wow! T/C and Smith and Wesson just lost 2 customers. You and I .
What did they offer you for a new gun and how much did they discount ?

Well that does it. I'll never buy another TC muzzleloader.

 

[Boommeup]

What a crock of BULL POO!!! My 50 T/C barrels on my bench. I’ll be back, I’m going to go slug my barrel.

 

[Springypond]

What a crock of BULL POO!!! My 50 T/C barrels on my bench. I’ll be back, I’m going to go slug my barrel.

Thanks, anxious to see the results!

 

[jager43478]

I have a .50 Cal Hawken, early model, ser # 60035.
Recently sent to TC/ Smith &Wesson because the main spring guide broke.
TC-Smith returned it to me saying it was obsolete and that the bore was oversized and unsafe! No details have been provided.
I had the bore measured and compared with an unfired Hawken-ser# 234706.
Results: bore on both-lands-.500
Grooves- ser# 60035-.510
Unfited - ser#234706-.507
The our side barrel was also inspected for bulges and irregularities-none found!
Does anyone know how this could be considered unsafe?
I have fired both with excellent accuracy and feel the company just doesn’t want to honor the warranty.
Thanks

From what you are saying they do not want to honor the warranty.

 

[Boommeup]

Well! That didn’t work as well as I thought. Tried to drive a maxi ball through the barrel with a wood dowel. Don’t have any cerrosafe! (sp) My barrel may be shot, tight then loose then tight again! Ugh! This is what I came up with on my third attempt .501 on the lands and .575 on the groove.This was almost two inches into the bore. Doesn’t make sense to me. Sorry, If I had you seating on the edge of your seat waiting...

 

[Springypond]

Well! That didn’t work as well as I thought. Tried to drive a maxi ball through the barrel with a wood dowel. Don’t have any cerrosafe! (sp) My barrel may be shot, tight then loose then tight again! Ugh! This is what I came up with on my third attempt .501 on the lands and .575 on the groove.This was almost two inches into the bore. Doesn’t make sense to me. Sorry, If I had you seating on the edge of your seat waiting...

It was a good try, I expect there are some experts out there that can give us the scoop.
im thinking a measurement could be taken using a wax cylinder attached to a dowel.
The best I have heard is the barrel should be .510 and .500 , mine is .507 and .500.

 

[Boommeup]

Yes! I wasn’t impressed with my finding. And I REALLY wasn’t impress with that maxi going hard then easy then hard again. Need to really play with it some more! Good Luck

 

[Cattman]

thanks zonie.

 

[mooman76]

I could be wrong but I don't understand a go-nogo gauge in a ML. I understand in a cartridge rifle for the chamber, but a ML is completely different and I wonder if there is such a thing, or if he just used something from a cartridge gun thinking it would work the same. Some guns with bad rifling have their barrels refreshed to make it shoot good again and that would slightly enlarge the bore and that is not unsafe.

 

[Springypond]

I could be wrong but I don't understand a go-nogo gauge in a ML. I understand in a cartridge rifle for the chamber, but a ML is completely different and I wonder if there is such a thing, or if he just used something from a cartridge gun thinking it would work the same. Some guns with bad rifling have their barrels refreshed to make it shoot good again and that would slightly enlarge the bore and that is not unsafe.

I think as said by others, s&w just didn’t want to honor the warranty! They claimed the technition had over 40 years experience. Who knows!!

 

[Kansas Jake]

Looks like a CYA letter from S&W and trying to get you to buy one of the new whizz bang wonders.

 

[Boommeup]

Was he a techey or a GUNSMITH???

 

[dlidster]

. . . The best I have heard is the barrel should be .510 and .500 , mine is .507 and .500.

Mine, as close as I can measure carefully, appears to be .508/.500. That seems reasonable for a button-rifled barrel. A groove depth of .004 is typical most of the way through the cartridge rifle world -- .308/.300, .264/.256, etc.