TC Firestorm Flintlocks

[Flintlock58]

Do any of you use TC Firestorm Flinters for hunting /shooting? Do you like them? I also have traditional poorboy flinters in 11 ga smooth and 58 rifled. I would like to add a TC to my collection for hunting. I have had TC sidelock percussion rifles in the past that took a few deer. I really liked them, but sold them to get into flinters. Thanks in advance!

 

[GregC]

If a stainless steel flintlock with synthetic stock is your thing, go for it.....

 

[ebiggs1]

Actually I was not going to post this but since you asked, what the heck?
As you may know I am new and having reliability problems with my new .50 cal. TC flintlock. Getting lots of suggestions and not any solutions I thought the flash hole may be out of position and the problem. The only store in my area that has any flintlock stuff is Cabela’s. I have yet to talk to a ”˜live’ person that shoots a flintlock! So I drove the 65 miles to look at what they had in the rack. They had a GPR, a Deerstalker and a TC Firestorm. All had their flasholes pretty much centered in the pan. So I sent mine back to Thompson Center and started quite a tirade on the subject of factory gun vs. custom gun. This post will probably add fodder for the gristmill! I thought about the Firestorm all the way back home where I searched the net for info on it. Well it got the better of me and I drove the 65 miles back to Cabela’s. After a twenty-minute wait, holding my number, I asked the clerk if they had a Firestorm new in a box. He said no they didn’t have any Firestorms. I said, “You do there is one in the rack.” He said, “Show me.” I went and got it and, oh well, making this short story long they gave me $50 bucks off being the last one plus it was missing it’s flint!
I have shot it and shot it. It has performed flawlessly. It shoots black powder, Prodex, PinnAcle, 50 gr. round ball, or 150 gr. maxi ball. Plus it has a removable breech. Actually had I got this gun first I would have never joined this forum.
So I would say if you like it, get it.
The custom guys won’t like that!?!?

 

[paulvallandigham]

If you are saying that this gun shoots Substitute powders with its flintlock action the same as it does Real Black Powder, you have a far different idea of what a quick ignition is than I do. Best of luck to you with that Firestorm. :surrender: :thumbsup:

 

[ebiggs1]

Oh no, my friend, I did not say they were equal. Only that they went boom. Unlike my .50 cal. Hawken which did not go boom some of the time. They say the Firestorm will make the pellets go boom too. But I can't bring myself to buy them to try it.

 

[R.M.]

Now this is interesting. I can't wait to see where this is going to go. :hmm:

 

[ebiggs1]

You might be right! I have been the brunt of things here lately. But here we go again, this is my reasoning. The vent hole is just a barrel wall's thickness from the pan. That has to be good!? I have no idea, or enough experience to know if that conned breech plug helps or not.

 

[boar]

You went this far, buy some pellets,you might like them better. I shot my first deer with a TC .54 cap hawken and a max-ball. Shot 5 with a .50 TC flinter and max-hunters and 7 or more with RB 50&54. Last season used a TC cheapshot,.50,killed 2 with 2 shots, the last one went tru a 3inch salping and still killed the deer, went clear in to the heart. Never was able to do this with a RB.80grs of 2ff. Case closed. Dilly

 

[ebiggs1]

So, you didn't experience any of the ignition problems other have eluded to here? I would not be afraid of trying them in the Firestorm because the breech plug comes off so easily. But the Hawken TC would not be so easy to unload if they didn't work.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

Do any of you use TC Firestorm Flinters for hunting /shooting? Do you like them? I also have traditional poorboy flinters in 11 ga smooth and 58 rifled. I would like to add a TC to my collection for hunting. I have had TC sidelock percussion rifles in the past that took a few deer. I really liked them, but sold them to get into flinters. Thanks in advance!

Why not hunt with the guns you already have? It would seem to be pretty hard to improve on them, and for the price of the T/C, you could buy enough GOEX and lead to keep yourself shooting for a long time.

 

[wildmanssg]

Own a firestorm and love it. Very nice design. An excellent combination of old and new. Tried different powders, usually worked. Tried pellets. Best way is 2 50g pellets. Drop 3g of FFFFG in barrel, then pellets. best chance for good ignition. Now I use only BP in it. 80g ffg ignited by 3g ffffg works better than any other combo. Black Powder not that hard to deal with. Swab bore lightly bewtween shots helps, like it does with any other powder. used power belts, good shooters, but unstable with heavy powder charge.I suspect 1/48 twist has something to do with that, T/C should offer with 1/24. Not sure what to use in CA now, as animals shot with lead bullets are discriminated against, according to the euro-rino. thinking about 185 g .45 cal DPX. Like this rifle. :wink:

 

[boar]

I wouldn't use in the Hawken. As I tried prodex in one of mine and didn't work good. The pellets have a side that has black powder base to set then off. TC made a pellet flintlock for use in Pa. Not sure if that is what you have? Dilly

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

I wouldn't use in the Hawken. As I tried prodex in one of mine and didn't work good. The pellets have a side that has black powder base to set then off. TC made a pellet flintlock for use in Pa. Not sure if that is what you have? Dilly

T/C lists the Firestorm as a "modern flintlock". The breeching system is different from the true and traditional flintlock. The breech plug is removable like most other modern muzzleloaders. In reality it looks sort of traditional with the exception of its plastic stock, and it probably sucks in a lot of newbies who have no idea what a traditional flintlock is and have no interest in learning how to use one. They get to tell all their friends that they shoot a gun just like Dan'l Boone's without actually using a patched ball or real black powder. Most of them probably think the old timers used pellets and sabots anyway. And it only costs about $500. Too bad T/C hasn't developed a fake wood for the stock--then the deception would be complete!

 

[Darkgael]

The breeching system is different from the true and traditional flintlock.

All of my MLers are traditional but I'm curious about this. Is it possible to describe the difference? The most that I could find through Google was this:

T/C's exclusive Pyrodex Pyramid, which directs the ignition fire 360 degrees around the base of the pellet. As the pellets move forward, the flame is drawn up through the center of the pellets, creating a "fire storm" in the breech for reliable ignition. Loose FFg black powder or Pyrodex may also be used in these new rifles....

Don't plan on buying one but am curious, especially given the strong belief that a flintlock won't light Pyrodex.
Thanks.
Pete

 

[ebiggs1]

The removable breech plug has a cone on it. I have one and it shoots anything you through in it! It is as fast as my cap lock when you use real black powder. But I am a new guy and don't know any better. But had I got this Firestorm first off I would never found this forum. i do think it is harder to clean, however.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

Go to T/C's website. They have a cutaway diagram of the breech there. It's a kind of flintlock zipgun.

 

T/C lists the Firestorm as a "modern flintlock". The breeching system is different from the true and traditional flintlock. The breech plug is removable like most other modern muzzleloaders. In reality it looks sort of traditional...

I wouldn't even call it "sort of". It's an abomination IMO.

 

[Darkgael]

Russ: Thanks for that note. It was interesting to see.
It reminds me of my first MLer - a little CVA caplock carbine. Does it only come with a composite stock? It's a little nicer in blue.
Pete

 

[tg]

I don't understand the need to build such a gun, it seems it was specialy built for a market in Penn. which is for flinters only,the flintlock is a very simple design and is very easy to use, why the need to try and improve or make it easier? I think Knight made the (modern ML style) for some folks who were unable to make a caplock function when on an out of state hunt,this also seems a bit odd it seems we have a percentage of hunters that cannot learn the basics of using primitive ignition type guns/projectiles but have likely been out in the wood shooting long range/high powered centerfire guns earlier in their hunting outings, it is kind of scary in a way. :shocked2:

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

I didn't want to say that as I didn't want to damage my widely known image for tact and kindliness in my posts. However, you are quite correct. :thumbsup: