TC Hawken reworked

[morehops52]

Wow, very nice work all way round. I wish I had paid more attention in shop class.

 

[BadDaditood]

I really like the way you guys did the cheekpiece, and the captured key is a must.
I wonder why TC didn’t do that?!?

 

[dwarvenchef]

Back in the 80's I read an article where a guy modified his T/C Hawken with conversion kit parts that I believe are still available from the Hawken Shop and maybe Dixie Gun Works? It included a more historically correct looking steel trigger guard, nose cap, rear sight, and maybe butt plate. All of which he finished by browning. He also re-shaped the cheek-piece to look more like a historical Hawken.

He did a nice job on that rifle. I can't remember what magazine it was in, but wish I saved it.

Going to have to hunt those bits down, I love browned iron parts

 

[FishDFly]

I really like the way you guys did the cheekpiece, and the captured key is a must.
I wonder why TC didn’t do that?!?

Costs more to produce

 

[sturmkatze]

Back in the 80's I read an article where a guy modified his T/C Hawken with conversion kit parts that I believe are still available from the Hawken Shop and maybe Dixie Gun Works? It included a more historically correct looking steel trigger guard, nose cap, rear sight, and maybe butt plate. All of which he finished by browning. He also re-shaped the cheek-piece to look more like a historical Hawken.

He did a nice job on that rifle. I can't remember what magazine it was in, but wish I saved it.

Pretty sure it was a kit from The Hawken Shoppe. I don't know if it's still available.

 

[2 shots]

check the add at top of this page THE HAWKEN SHOP

 

[OldMaineWoodsman]

Here are some images of that T/C Hawken conversion kit from an old Hawken Shop catalog. I'm pretty sure it was also later sold by Dixie Gun Works. It appears to still be available with the current Hawken Shop in Washington State.

 

[frankie]

As much as I like these TCs there’s some details that I prefer to change. The cheek piece, wrist, inlays and such. Here’s what the changes look like.
IMG_0811 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

To this
IMG_0818 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

forearm and escutcheons
IMG_0809 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

IMG_0820 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

A few other details are the added toe plate, lock bolt escutcheon, reduced height of wrist at comb and reshaped lock panels. Also a bit of stain and Tru-oil finish.

real nice

 

[Mtman725]

That SHINE'S well done.

 

[Crazybear]

Great work!

 

[Dbasiliere]

I've owned a bunch of those TC Hawkens over the years and never regretted a one of them. I just think they are the best muzzlelstuffers a guy can play with.....they are attractive and shoot good and easy to work on when one needs something. I sure would like to see them back being sold again !!

Stony Brook, I have a TC Hawken that I made from a kit in the late 70s. It is a very good example. There is enough stock heft that it can be customized further. The barrel has been nicely draw filed and blued. The finish is True Oil that came with the kit. It could be a stained if a darker finish is desired. It is American walnut stock.

 

[Malamute]

Pretty sure it was a kit from The Hawken Shoppe. I don't know if it's still available.

They had the trigger guard in stock as of a few weeks ago, but be advised, they are not drop in parts by any means. besides the mold sprues to be removed, the mounting tabs are both undrilled and arent the same size as the TC parts, so they either have to be worked down to that size or the wood inletted to suit. The guard bow isnt exactly the same size and orientation to the tabs either, Im going to try to get mine as far forward as the tabs will allow so the trigger finger isnt cramped, like will happen if you index off the front end.

And ignore the location of the step that holds the trigger plate in place, its not going to give your trigger finger much room if you use that as an index point. It will still hold the plate in place if you start fitting at the back end of the part, the step is just not going to fit neatly on the front edge of the trigger plate.

 

[Codger Craig Wilcox]

Just got a NIB TC Hawken kit from a friend, plan to have some fun with it. First thing was to put a toe plate on it. Stock really has a thin bottom edge, but I'll make do. Browning the barrel with some Mark Lee Express Brown #2. I've had good success with it in the past.
Trigger and lock both are kind of clunky, but will see if I can get them working together a bit more smoothly.
Really didn't like the black silhouette of the front sight, so drilled a small hole in the round aiming point and am silver-soldering a piece of 18 ga fine silver wire. Should lighten up the view a wee bit.
Overall, I do like the rifle, but using my bore camera, found that there is an abrupt "drop-off" of the rifling at the chamber end. Have there been any problems with this? Am thinking it may be the cause of future fouling problems. And this barrel is in .50 cal - are any other sizes available?
Will appreciate any tips or advice - I am more used to making flintlock longrifles or pistols.

 

[Capnball]

As much as I like these TCs there’s some details that I prefer to change. The cheek piece, wrist, inlays and such. Here’s what the changes look like.
IMG_0811 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

To this
IMG_0818 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

forearm and escutcheons
IMG_0809 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

IMG_0820 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

A few other details are the added toe plate, lock bolt escutcheon, reduced height of wrist at comb and reshaped lock panels. Also a bit of stain and Tru-oil finish.

Really nice!

 

[Kabulrocks]

Here are some images of that T/C Hawken conversion kit from an old Hawken Shop catalog. I'm pretty sure it was also later sold by Dixie Gun Works. It appears to still be available with the current Hawken Shop in Washington State.

Here’s the kit at The Hawken Shop: Four piece conversion kit - The Hawken Shop

 

[vintovka]

The TC hawkens were ok at first when not much else was out there. I think they would have done better if they had been originally made with a 32" barrel with 2 wedges. The CVA Mtn Rifle sold well due to longer barrel and double wedges and its not hard to see the popularity of these features on the GPRs. Will say TC was of the highest quality, fit and finish for the time and the iron kits really looked nice. I even saw a drop in aftermarket iron patchbox offered for a very short time. Now that the "lifetime warranty" has essentially died the availability of factory new replacement parts for locks and triggers is starting to affect values as these wear out or break.

 

[sturmkatze]

Just got a NIB TC Hawken kit from a friend, plan to have some fun with it. First thing was to put a toe plate on it. Stock really has a thin bottom edge, but I'll make do. Browning the barrel with some Mark Lee Express Brown #2. I've had good success with it in the past.
Trigger and lock both are kind of clunky, but will see if I can get them working together a bit more smoothly.
Really didn't like the black silhouette of the front sight, so drilled a small hole in the round aiming point and am silver-soldering a piece of 18 ga fine silver wire. Should lighten up the view a wee bit.
Overall, I do like the rifle, but using my bore camera, found that there is an abrupt "drop-off" of the rifling at the chamber end. Have there been any problems with this? Am thinking it may be the cause of future fouling problems. And this barrel is in .50 cal - are any other sizes available?
Will appreciate any tips or advice - I am more used to making flintlock longrifles or pistols.

There are none available. They haven't made these guns in well over 10 years. Smith & Wesson bought T/C only to let it die. Of course, the had concentrated on cheater guns, aka inlines.

The reason the rifling drops off is it has a chamber thing back there.

 

[Codger Craig Wilcox]

Thought as much. Guess the ball can still sit on top of the powder load. Not about to try to de-breech it and smooth things out.

Overall, I do like the way it fits me. Stock is proving to be nice for rasping and carving - still undecided about putting a seashell on the wrist/tang. And maybe a thumbpiece of nice white holly.

 

[RhinoDave]

I refinished one of these a few years back. One of the main changes I made was to get rid of the stock trigger guard. (I don't like the extra finger hook) I wanted to stay with the brass furniture so I found one I liked from Track of the wolf. I had to drill the holes for the mounting screws and do some additional inletting on the stock.