Thompson center help

[mr. greene]

Hello all, new here and a total novice to the muzzle loader world. I have a question regarding a Thompson Center rifle, backstory on this is I found this at a shop in California about 30 years ago and bought it cheap for my dad because he wanted a wall hanger to decorate his man cave. It’s marked Thompson center arms Rochester New Hampshire Cal 50 between the hammer and rear sight and I can’t find any other visible markings, no serial number or anything. Is the serial number hidden on these or do they not have one. If you could provide any info I would seriously appreciate it. Thanks

 

[Anthony Johnson]

there should be a ser.# on the left side of the barrel in about the same location as the Thompson lettering on the right

 

[mr. greene]

Nothing there. Not sure what’s going on with this one

 

[nit wit]

Look on the left hand flat ahead of the nipple, it could be faint.
NW

 

[mr. greene]

I’ll take look

 

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

If it has a patch box, it’s a TC Hawken.

 

[mr. greene]

Well, I’ve taken the barrel completely out of the stock and looked with really bright lighting and I can’t see any signs of one ever being there. Not sure what this is all about, has anyone ever heard of this? A Thompson Center with no serial number,

 

[mr. greene]

If it has a patch box, it’s a TC Hawken.

It has a patch box

 

[Pirate's Son]

Not seeing a patchbox & no brass fittings you have a T/C Renegade. As to the serial numbers it is as previous posters noted. Should be on left hand side of barrel. I have two Renegades, one is a recent Frankenmuzzlestein project with a six digit serial number. The other is a kit I built in 1981 with a serial number "K1014”, both .54 caliber.

 

[Indy Durtdigger]

Not seeing a patchbox & no brass fittings you have a T/C Renegade. As to the serial numbers it is as previous posters noted. Should be on left hand side of barrel. I have two Renegades, one is a recent Frankenmuzzlestein project with a six digit serial number. The other is a kit I built in 1981 with a serial number "K1014”, both .54 caliber.

That pic isn't very good but blown up it has brass fittings and a patch box. She's a Hawken.

 

[mr. greene]

So just to be clear it does have a patch box and some brass fittings, they have patina from the years I tried to take some better pics

 

[morehops52]

Yep , a Hawken. Very highly regarded. If you can shine a light down the bore you can get an idea if it's shootable/salvageable. even if in bad condition it is possible to make it right.

 

[longcruise]

Patch box and nose cap. Hawken for sure.

 

[Crockford]

Probably couldn't sell this now in a shop in California. They would probably consider it a "ghost gun". I have never seen a TC without a Serial # that had the other TC markings. Definitely a little odd.

 

[LSLibelo]

Welcome from California.

Possibly an early TC.

The kit I purchased at a "garage sale" in Montana in 1988 did not have a serial number, only the New Hampshire manufacturer ID and location on the barrel.

 

[mr. greene]

Welcome from California.

Possibly an early TC.

The kit I purchased at a "garage sale" in Montana in 1988 did not have a serial number, only the New Hampshire manufacturer ID and location on the barrel.

well that kind of makes sense, just very unusual.

 

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

If you look inside the barrel channel on the stock, there might be the letter ‘K’ stamped into the wood. That would indicate it was a kit gun. If you look around the bottom flats of the barrel toward the breach end, there could be a ‘K’ there. If there are no markings like that, then it more than likely is a factory rifle, or the builder filed it off the barrel etc.

Still, a very good rifle. I’ve had mine over forty years, built from a kit. No worries or problems. Very accurate and reliable.

 

[mr. greene]

If you look inside the barrel channel on the stock, there might be the letter ‘K’ stamped into the wood. That would indicate it was a kit gun. If you look around the bottom flats of the barrel toward the breach end, there could be a ‘K’ there. If there are no markings like that, then it more than likely is a factory rifle, or the builder filed it off the barrel etc.

Still, a very good rifle. I’ve had mine over forty years, built from a kit. No worries or problems. Very accurate and reliable.

I’ll look underneath the barrel at the channel, doesn’t look like it had been filed down, the flats all look uniform and I really don’t see why someone would take the time to do that on a black powder rifle. I never thought anything of it because I have some old shotguns and .22 rifles that don’t have numbers on them but I was curious on this after seeing people post theirs. Anyway an interesting dilemma, worst case is I give it to my nephew that lives up in the mountains of Montana and traps and hunts I’m sure he’d get a good use out of it

 

[Kansas Jake]

Interesting on no serial number. Just a WAG, could the barrel have been replaced early in its life due to a defect? If it was, would the replacement barrel have had a serial number. TC did have the lifetime warranty.

 

[mr. greene]

A possibility I guess