Thompson percussion rifles

[Barry Strickland]

It was the right price at the right time. I was shooting a Turner Kirkland longrifle at the time they came out. I think that was about 1969 as far as I can remember. When I first got my hands on one to look over I was impressed with the quality of the rifle. People were desperate for a muzzle loader they could afford to buy rather than a custom made rifle and here it was. In the early 1970's the Central Florida Longrifles had over 150 members and at our monthly matches it was not unusual to have over 50 competitors on the firing line. I would say that about 75% of them were shooting TC Hawkins. When they came out with the Cherokee the women and kids had a perfect rifle for them. At the time many were using fiberglass ramrods and the muzzle wear on them was profound along with a drop in accuracy. TC replaced those barrels at no charge. Muzzle protectors then became a popular item. I only had one thing against them and that was a stock without enough drop for my use. They did have another problem that popped up later when their factory was destroyed and they farmed out the barrels to be manufactured for them. Those barrels were of poor quality and did not shoot well.

 

[shdwlkr]

The TC's I liked best were the seneca and cherokee. The most common senecas were the .36 and .45 calibers, I have heard there was a .32 seneca but have never seen one. The cherokee in .32 and .45 make a handy compact rifle.

 

[renegadehunter]

I have a caplock TC Renegade in .54 cal. I find that it is very reliable in going off, easy to take apart and clean, and parts can still be found if something fails...such as the sear that broke on me. I have little experience in shooting many other manufacturer's rifles, but I do like mine just fine.

It is pretty accurate, but I find it to be very picky about a decent shooting RB combo. It also requires a tight fitting RB/patch combo to get really nice groups, it takes quite the effort to load a second shot on a fouled bore using a hunting type lube without swabbing. I have yet to find a combo that it will maintain good groups without swabbing, mine simply must be swabbed to keep groups acceptable even for "minute of deer" accuracy. Two shots isn't bad without swabbing, but the third...yikes. I just swab every shot, not a big deal to me (it was in the beginning of my ML addiction for some reason), but something of note.

I've only tried one conical in it, a Hornady 425gr. GPB (now discontinued of course), and it shot them very well with the first charge I tried (100gr 2f). The lack of drop in the stock makes them quite the cheek slapper with a stout conical load, not a fan of that.

 

[RATROD56]

How do'es everyone feel about the Thompson made rifles? I have had 3 different thompsons , renegade, hawkin, new englander and only really hunt and target shot with them. I gather that some do not like them and would like to know why.

Thanks ya'll

I love my Hawken so far, I've never had a problem

 

[Crow-Feather]

I put about 10,000 rounds through a TC hawken, before the barrel just wore out, and would not shoot a group. Put a GM barrel on it, and back in business. Never a problem with the lock or any other part. My son has it now. I also have a couple of Senecas as loaners, and no probs with them either. Cant be beat for the money. All the tcs are percussion. I would still be shooting them if i hadnt gone all flinty a few years back.

My friend sent in his worn T/C barrel. T/C replaced it free of charge.

 

[Bledfor Days]

I'm a Thompson fan-boy. Actually a fan-boy of any muzzleloaders I get my hands on. There's not a huge amount of BP guns to choose from in Canada, so I'm thrilled to find a good TC at a fair price.

 

[Bill M.]

I like my 2 TC Hawkens. If buying again from scratch I would go with the Lyman GP rifles. Right now I am thinking about adding a .54 cal round ball barrel to the Hawken. Or maybe a Lyman rifle. Somebody said..."its all good".

 

[Critter Getter]

I have or have owned a total of at least 8 TC percussion rifles over the last 30 years or so. Only one of those I did not like at all and it had a QLA (?) barrel. I think that is what it was called anyway. I hated that barrel but all the rest of them were or are great shooters for me. I wish TC still offered them. Greg

 

[flntlokr]

My friend sent in his worn T/C barrel. T/C replaced it free of charge.

I put a Green River on it. Never had a barrel that loaded as smoothly as that one.

 

[longcruise]

When the purists bash the TC Hawken because it doesn’t look like an authentic Hawken, I could never understand why they are so upset with a name. I’m sure that a child with the name John doesn’t look like the same John from the bible, why not bash him? Then that same bashing carries over to the Renegade, as just being TC junk and not a real muzzleloader. The Renegade was not named after anything historical, so no angle to bash there, so lets just bash the fact it doesn’t look like anything PC/HC!
TC made a great product and I stand by every one I have, or currently own.
Walk

I had no idea who the Hawken brothers were or what their rifles looked like when i got a TC brand new at a Target department store. I read about them and I wanted to hunt with one. I proceeded to kill deer, elk and antelope with it. I didn't know for a long time how historically incorrect it was. Or how deficient a lock with a coil spring was. I still have it and intend to keep on hunting with it.

 

[dlidster]

. . . Only one of those I did not like at all and it had a QLA (?) barrel . . .

I find it interesting that most commentators dislike the QLA barrel. I have a .50 T/C Hawken with QLA and I do like it. I shoot nothing but PRBs and cut my patches from a strip at the muzzle. The QLA makes it easy to press the ball into the fabric till it's flush with the muzzle. Then a push with a short starter lets me feel when the rifling is engaged; a thump gets the ball started on the way down.

My T/C Hawken is quite accurate -- I doubt the QLA could be a detriment to accuracy. Is there a chance the negative feelings toward the QLA are based on the fact that T/C introduced it for projectiles other than PRBs? Is a coned barrel that provides the same benefit at loading acceptable because it's PC?

 

[Rifleman1776]

You have opened the flood gates with this question. Opinions are many and varied regarding the TC guns. I have to admit, when they first came on the market I was a little........well......a lot snobbish about these factory made rifles with coil springs in the locks, etc. Then I bought a 'hawken' and found it to be a fine rifle. Not satisfactory in it's representation of a true historical rifle but a good rifle nevertheless. I later modified mine with the addition of a Douglas barrel and some target sights, then did a similar conversion with my wife's Seneca. They were bought about 1970 and are still used to this day and perform flawlessly. With the conversions they have won many matches and several championships. Another thought on the TCs. I believe, these rifles coming on the market were very instrumental in reviving the sport/avocation of muzzle loading in this country. I know other factory made rifles have been around even longer than the TCs but they are a solid, good performing rifle countless shooters are proud to have and use. I believe that their time may have come where a few models, especially the 'hawken' is, or will be, recognized as an important part of American firearms history.

 

[Critter Getter]

My QLA barrel loaded easy........ I tried getting prb and Maxi balls to shoot accurately out of it but it would not come close to holding a candle to any of my other great shooting TC’s...........so I sold it!! Greg

 

[vince-m]

Rifleman1776

You put into words what I could not and I agree with every thing you wrote. I have always been very proud of my thompsons that are still great shooters.
Thanks for your comments

 

[LeonardC]

Thanks Barry. I broke my wood rod just before putting the rifle away for the Winter. I don't think I'll be getting a new wood rod from TC! I was happy I found the fiberglass one I bought when I first got the rifle. After reading your thoughts, I'm not so sure I'll use it out side of field use. I also have a couple of Al ones for use at the cleaning room that I can use most of the time.

 

[Bledfor Days]

I will shamelessly post another picture of my beloved TCs. For mass produced rifles, they sure came up with some nice wood on some of them. Whats a thread without pictures? Right? Lol.

 

[Greg Blackburn]

I have three TC flintlocks but haven't shot any of them. I hope to remedy that soon.

One I had Mr. Hoyt recut the rifling due to the Gunbroker seller out right lying about bore condition, offering a refund, then refusing it when I accepted the offer. There are real crooks out there, beware.

That particular one is a kit Hawken in .54, the one Hoyt was able to repair. It's a very low serial number so that's pretty neat. At some point I'll get the stock repaired but it should fire now.

I bid on a TC "Silver Elite"last week but was outbid. That thing sold for $1336.00! Crazy amount! I do wish TC still made those but in a flintlock with patchbox.

To make up for things, I did buy a gorgeous Ruger No. 1 in 7mm Mauser, the only hunting rifle I have ever bought, other than a lever action.

 

[Eric Krewson]

I had a lot of them, all good guns until the last few. When I bought my first flintlock, a TC Hawken new in the box, the touch hole was in the back corner of the pan, I pulled the lock and found the the lock was fit into the mortise with hot melt glue because the fit was so sloppy.

When I saw how the former great inletting craftsmanship had been replaced by hot melt glue I swore I would never own another. I will be danged if I haven't owned two since, a Renegade I built from random parts and an old kit gun Hawken I built a couple of years ago.

Between the hot melt glue gun and the current ones I did a couple of plank builds and a precarve or three so the TCs I put together were done right and are pretty nice guns.

 

[FishDFly]

I have numerous percussion and find them enjoyable

Favorite is a Hawken .45 with a 15/16' barrel. I changed the barrel out to a .45 Green Mountain barrel and it has proven to be a winner on the off hand line. The 15/16" Hawkens handle better than 1" barrels, better balanced and lighter.

Have a Seneca and really like it, nice and light.

Seems folks get hung up on the name Hawken, they had to name it something.

Some folks complain that the stock does not fit them, must fit a whole lot of folks with popularity of them.

Probably more records have been set with T/C rifles and Green Mountain barrels than any other combination.

Have a new/unfired T/C Celand, may have to get it out and shoot it soon.

 

[Nutnfancy]

I had a .50 cal. T/C Renegade kit for 35 years and only had three mishaps, all three were 'Operator Failures'; I had two dry balls and one "I didn't clean Bore Butter out of barrel before loading." Except for my mistakes the rifle never failed me.