T/C Hawken Rifle discontinued?

[josav]

As you all know I have been out of the loop for a long time. Too long!!!!
With my work schedule as busy as it is; and what little time I have for any recreation I have been slowly getting my 50cal. Thompson Center Hawken rifle that I built in 1982 and myself ready to start shooting again. After doing a little research I see that TC has discontinued making this rifle. Is this correct?
I am interested in hearing from any of you that may have some information as to when this took place and why. I can only speculate that the introduction of the “In-Line” muzzleloader took over the market.
I will go on record and state that: I will not own an In-Line Muzzleloader. They are just not for me.
I am not a re-enactor; “though I love the history part of it.” I just like guns! To me it’s just like buying a brand new fancy truck to drive; when what I really would rather be driving is a restored 1940/50/60’s pick-up truck. That’s just me.
Any info on the Hawken would be appreciated”¦..Thanks

 

[nit wit]

Smith+Wesson bought them out,closed the Rochester plant and moved it to their place in Massachussetts :cursing: . They have no love for the rifle that helped build the company. The other gun that helped was the contender pistol that had been replaced by the encore.
Parts have dried up and the warranty is not good anymore.
Warren Center would roll over in his grave if he knew what happened.
I think this all happened in the past year and a half or so.
Nothing is forever.
Nit Wit

 

[Rat Trapper]

I received an email from TC last month and yes they will still honor the warranty on the Hawken.

I think a lot of the reason the TC Hawken is no longer being made as TC put the much hated QLA on it and would not listen to those of us who knew better. Lots of people are still looking for the older hawken rifles, but the price was too high for the new ones with the QLA.

 

[cynthialee]

my guess and hope is that they will sell off the rights to make them some day

it is a good product name, if it just sits fallow it is a waste

 

[zimmerstutzen]

TC sidelocks were priced out of the market. They couldn't sell something better that was two or three times the price of the competition.

RMC had the right idea years ago of using quality locks and barrels on a production gun. Hopefully they return to that type of production.

Figured S&W would kill TC. Darn Shame.

 

[George T.]

I hate that! I sure do not see any "Bargin" cap lock's out there. What were they selling for when the stopped? Geo. T.

 

[josav]

Thanks folks, this info from you all is much appreciated. Hopefully one day before my time is up I will be able to build another rifle with the quality of this TC Hawken with my grandson or my granddaughter.
I am a little upset with this news but that's life.

 

[chazz1975]

Methinks they were running between 600-800 new when they were discontinued. There may still be a few new ones out there somewhere. Its a shame really.

 

[USMCGrunt]

So what exactly is the problem with the quick-load accurizer?

 

[Walks with fire]

I have a couple of barrels that have it and I sure don't like it for patched ball. It's ok on a RMC fast twist barrel I have but I don't shoot ball out of it. I can't say if it hurts accuracy any but the 2 barrels that have it and 66/1 twist aren't real hot accuracy wise; both TC by the way. I wouldn't buy another QLA barrel unless I was reaming it out or shortening it.

 

[Jamie from Alberta]

So what exactly is the problem with the quick-load accurizer?

Yeah? What is wrong with it? I have it on my Grey Hawk and my Endevour. Shoots excellent groups for me, I dont see any problem with it. I've read og others cutting them off??
QLA is a good idea IMO.
my .02 cents

 

[BrownBear]

Lotta folks really hate them, whether for performance reasons or the "spirit" of the fact they were intended for use with sabots. I have several TCs with QLA and several without, including a Big Boar with and a Big Boar without.

Not a whisker of difference that I can find among them. Since I cut patches at the muzzle, it doesn't complicate my RB shooting. I doubt anyone would know I'm using a QLA. If they do, they're breaking every safety rule in the book looking down my bore. :wink:

BTW- On the issue of TC dropping the line, I think the traditional muzzleloading community at large is guilty of messing their own nest. For all the years I've been on this site, there's been one persistent response to anyone proposing to buy a new Hawken:

"You fool! No one should buy new when there are so many used ones on the market for half the price!"

Do you think years of such advice had an affect on TC sales? :hmm:

 

[ebiggs1]

Do you think years of such advice had an affect on TC sales?

Quite possible? TC may have been a causality of their own success.
And I agree with you on the QLA mantra. It is simply ridiculous that someone would think the QLA destroyed TC.

 

[Carteret Kid]

Now watch the factory move southward in a few years.

 

[cynthialee]

correct me if I am wrong (I often am...)
but isn't the QLA just a variation of coning?

 

[buford87]

Cynthialee, that is what it seemed to me to be. The last T/C Hawken I owned was several years ago and it did not have the QLA. I do not understand if it was a problem and what the problem was either.........................watch yer top knot............

 

[smo]

I hate that! I sure do not see any "Bargin" cap lock's out there. What were they selling for when the stopped? Geo. T.

I had a friend who bought a new one in 2009.He paid $635.00 and some change. That was the first TC that anyone I know had bought new in years.Like others here stated there are so many good used ones around and even the "shot out" ones that could be had for a song,why buy a new one. :idunno: After all GM was spitting out drop in barrels for not alot of money and one could buy one rifle and change the barrels for different types of hunting and shooting.Still I hated to see the end of their production. :shake:

 

[54ball]

"You fool! No one should buy new when there are so many used ones on the market for half the price!"

Do you think years of such advice had an affect on TC sales?

Not as much as this....

Hey fellows I accidentally ran over my TC Renegade with my steam roller, what can I do?

Sweep it up in a dust pan and send it back to TC and they will make it right, their warranty is top notch, no questions asked. :hatsoff:

IMHO Thompson Center abandoned the traditional muzzleloading market, we did not abandon them. Here are some reasons for that.

1. The plant fire in the 90s destroyed the heart of their traditional production.
Gone was the tooling and patterns for many of their models. What was worse, gone too was their stock pile of stock wood, new traditional models would now require more capital to produce, more stock wood bought at market price, more capital to invest in new barrel profiles ect. ect.

2. The direction of the company changed. Instead of just side locks the company went in multiple directions with modern muzzleloaders, Swiss Army multi-caliber pistols and rifles and even a semi auto .22.
With all this going on and the capital required to develop all these models and the fact of the fire, side lock production was all but abandoned except for the Hawken manufactured mostly due to Nostalgia.
3. The market changed. You can "What if?" this subject to death but the market changed.
Modern hunters their core market, switched to the modern type rifles. Traditional types became more educated and wanted authenticity that the TC side locks could not provide.
Where the what if's come to play here is.
What if TC had developed a real longrifle?
What if TC developed a real Hawken?
What if TC reintroduced the Seneca and Cherokee to compete with the so-so Traditions Crockett?
What if TC developed a Trade type smoothbore?
Imagine a TC Brown Bess.

With the loss of their old factory and their diverse product line TC did not have the capital or interest to do such.

After the fire the traditional line was a dead soldier. The company sold out to S&W and only exists now in name only.
It's sad as TC side locks are special and hold a special place in history .

 

[nkbj]

TC's are probably a better investment than most!

 

[ebiggs1]

Why do you try and make this harder than it is. The reason TC is getting out of the side lock market is because there isn't one. No fire and no take over is the culprit. If there was a market, they would still be making them.
Look around,man. Small gun shops have none. Cabela's has over a 100 feet of CF counter rack slots and four slots for sidelock and one of them is empty! Bass Pro has none.