TC rate of twist

[omarick1948]

Someone clear this up!...I have always thought that TC Hawkens in 54 cal. had a rate of twist from the factory barrel of 1:48 twist! Two people told me that they also had a 1:60 factory twist!

Rick

 

[BrownBear]

They also turned out some drop-in barrels that were longer and with slower twists. One of my hunting pards has one in 50, and it says Round Ball right on it. My recollection is that it's somewhat slower than 1:60, but my recollection has been wrong too often to count.

 

[cowpoke1955]

I have a .54 T/C Hawkens with the standard factory barrel with a 1:48" twist. Like BrownBear said, T/C did made some barrels with a 1:66" twist (I think) and were stamped "Round Ball". Those are far and few between and command a higher price. Green Mountain still makes a 32" long barrel with a 1:70" twist that drops in.

 

[majg1234]

1:48 was standard....I have a 1:66 in a flinter that is DEADLY it is a TC stamped "round ball"

 

[Mad Professor]

1:48 was standard....I have a 1:66 in a flinter that is DEADLY it is a TC stamped "round ball"

My .54 percussion has "roundball-twist 1:66" stamped just forward of the rear sight.

 

[longcruise]

Were those slow twists a TC product or a Fox Ridge?

 

[BrownBear]

My hunting pard's barrel came in a TC box.

 

[JMinnerath]

I bet one of those longer slow twist barrels from GM would be sweet on a T/C Hawken, but, whew!, a tad on the spendy side.

 

[sqqy14]

Last year I found a NIB Thompson Center barrel for a Pennsylvania Hunter. It has the 1:66" round ball twist. I shortened the under rib and it dropped right into my T/C Hawken. Great shooting barrel.

Bob

 

[Walks Alone]

TC and Fox Ridge Outfitters were one and the same, with their in-house products all made on the same equipment by the same people. So I doubt any barrels were marked FRO.

 

[tiger955]

You would win that bet, I bought one for my Hawken 10 years ago. The rifle shoots better than I ever will, and I have tried loads from 50gr of 2f up to 100gr behind a PRB with no loss in accuracy.

 

[MSW]

Rick- there are a number of ways to see what your rate of twist is. I put a bore brush on an old GI cleaning rod (use a muzzle bushing) and pull it out and count the turns. Do the arithmatic, and there you go.

I've heard that the 1:48 RoT won't work with roundball, but it does very well in my .50 cal Renegade.

As an aside, I would urge you not to get too terribly 'wrapped around the axle' over the theoretical- i favour the practical: just take it to the range and see what works best in your particular setup. If you really want tackdriving results, get a copy of Dutch Schoultz' monograph, wheich will tighten your groups faster than just about any gadgetor doohickey.

One guy's free opinion, and no doubt worth every penny.

 

[William O.]

My .50 is 1/60 and looks just like yours.

 

[Walks Alone]

If you 50 is actually 1:60 twist, it's not a TC barrel. Their 50 Hawkens were only offered with 1:48 and 1:66 twists.

 

[Mad Professor]

Mine is NOS TC for sure. Grooves are Much deeper than the 1-48 barrels, about 0.012". I can check again to be sure.

I don't think fox ridge ever had the ability to make barrels, just sold for TC.

SW has brought out TC, for their ability to make quality barrels, so there goes the GM myth......look for a 1-66 TC , with a much better finish and lifetime warrantee!!!!

 

[Leatherbark]

When T.C first came out with the "Round Ball" twist it was not marked with that banner on the barrel...........You had to look at the rifling and you could tell it was cut deep. I bought one of the first Pennsylvania hunters way back in the eighties and it was not marked but it was advertised to have 1/66 twist with ten thousandths inch cut rifling..............BTW it never did shoot worth a dang...........Maybe TC was in a learing curve with cut rifling back then. I still have that barrel. I couldnt bring myself to sell it to anyone. I still mount it occasionally on a TC stock and try to get it to shoot. I then want to puke and then retire it again. With its half octogon/round barrel its begging to be turned into a .54 smoothbore fouling gun.................Maybe it was made on Monday morning.........T.C told me back in 89 or so I needed to shoot several hundred balls through it and then it should do better.
Not angry at TC for sure. They make some fine products and I have had plenty of them............

 

[hardtimes]

Here is a chart from TC with their rates of twist for pretty much everything they made.
http://www.tcarms.com/firearms/chart_muzzleloaders.php

 

[Mad Professor]

If you sent the barrel back to TC, they would have fixed/given a replacement , free of charge.
:thumbsup:

 

[William O.]

If you 50 is actually 1:60 twist, it's not a TC barrel. Their 50 Hawkens were only offered with 1:48 and 1:66 twists.

Then it's a 1/66.