T/C Hawken Old vs. New

[Swampman]

I'm assembling a .54 caliber T/C Hawken using a Green Mountain .54 caliber 15/16" roundball barrel. The stock is a brand new factory finished stock, and some of the holes aren't even drilled. The tang that I'm using was attached to it's old stock using wood screws. The new stock looks like there would be a machine screw going through the wrist and into the trigger group. I'm probably going to just glue a dowel in the hole and use the wood screws. Any thoughts on this? Here's the older Hawken I started out with. There won't be much of it left when I'm finished.

 

[Mad Professor]

Mark, have not heard from you in a while glad you're back!

They did change the TC stocks to a through screw from the tang that ties into the trigger group plate. Not sure when, Roundball probably knows. This was to minimize stock cracks in the wrist area.

 

[Swampman]

I'm guessing I'd have to buy a new trigger group to take advantage of this new feature.

 

[retired]

Mark,Quite a few TC stocks crack at the lock bolt hole, i beleive it happens at the lower limit of the front tang wood screw. the new TC tang bolt is threaded into the trigger guard, it passes through the front of the trigger plate via a hole but is not threaded to the trigger plate itself.
You can buy just the new trigger plate and front trigger spring, the other parts fit the new plate.
I was not keen on tapping into the brass trigger guard so i opted for a different approach.
I threaded the hole in the front of the new trigger plate and installed a filler plug, i then made a small metal block to fill the space left in the stock under the front of the trigger plate where the original front trigger spring was. Then i drilled and tapped both the block and trigger plate as one assembly. My 2 cents but i believe it to be stronger.

 

[Swampman]

I wish this thread hadn't died.

 

[Pork Chop]

That is a nice looking rifle. Why are you ditching the original stock? Is it damaged? If you need to dispose of it, I could help you out with that!

On the screw issue, I believe that TC found that connecting the tang to the trigger helped strengthen things.

 

[Mad Professor]

I wish this thread hadn't died.

Well, question was answered, weak part of the stock is wrist/lock hole and TCs solution explained, a good one I think.

If you have a similar crack and it is not too severe I've had good luck gently spreading the crack and using Gorrila glue, did not "upgrade" to a through screw. This was a Renegade stock (a little bulkier) but the gun is still a tack driver with a GM barrel.

As others have said if that is your stock and you do not have a need for it PM me....good luck!

 

[Swampman]

Neither stock is cracked. The one in the picture was kit built, and while it looks nice whoever did it didn't maintain some of the sharp lines.

I think I'll just fill the hole with a dowel and put it together the old way. I don't have a machine shop to do the other work.

I don't shoot magnum loads so maybe it won't break through the wrist.

 

[Swampman]

I epoxied an oak dowel into the hole which I had carefully fitted and stained to match the walnut. After it had set I carefully drilled the holes to match the old stock. I also had to remove a little wood to get the set triggers to work properly. There is still a lot more meat in there than the old stock had. When everything was working properly I sealed the new inletting with Formby's Satin Finish Tung Oil. When I get the new 15/16ths .54 caliber Green River barrel (supposed to arrive tomorrow from TOW) I may bed the tang with some epoxy to make sure it's good and solid. It looks like a brand new factory rifle. I will post a new pic when it's finished.

 

[Swampman]

Here's the finished product....