Thomson Center .50 cal rifle questions

[EastoftheBay]

Recently I posted about getting a flintlock rifle. I decided I would do .45 caliber but my local gunshop has a Thompson Center .50 caliber for sale. It is a Thompson Center .50 caliber Pennsylvania Hunter. Its a flintlock and the tag says 1-66" rifle twist. The shop is asking $650 for it. It definitely has been fired before and was used by a local who hunted up in Delta, PA. The rifle came from his estate sale. It has some hair width scrathes on the left side of the rifle stock on both the butt and I guess forearm (the front under the barrel). The barrel has some scratches in the bluing on the top flat above the touchole. It sparks and feels like a handy rifle. It also has a 32" barrel that is flat (octagon I think is the term) and then round. Is $650 fair for a used rifle like this ? The shop owner said these rifles are more of a rare Thompson Center product. I would rate condition at about 7.5~8/10. Thanks for any advice.

 

[bubba.50]

In my totally un-expert opinion that's at least a couple hundred bucks too much.

 

[user 49399]

In my un-expert opinion also, that’s a little steep. Based on description alone, I wouldn’t give more than $500.

 

[EC121]

Shine a light down the barrel. It might be loaded or dirty. Offer them $400 and be prepared to walk. I don't see any collector value in T/Cs.

 

[SDSmlf]

Is $650 fair for a used rifle like this ?

Fair is what you are willing to pay. Agree with others that the asking price is high. Have you looked at the bore with a borescope (I am not talking about shining a light down the bore as it doesn’t tell much). At the prices mentioned the bore would have to be clean and pristine.

The shop owner said these rifles are more of a rare Thompson Center product.

You may want ask to see the shop owner’s collection of rare TCs…….

 

[EastoftheBay]

Thanks for the replies everyone, I went online and saw these rifles selling for $650-$900. I think that is just too much for a muzzleloading rifle that isnt a good looking custom job. I went back to the shop this morning and offered $450 and the owner wouldn't budge so I walked. Thanks all for the help its really appreciated.

 

[ryoung14]

People forget that 5 or 6 years ago, prices for factory MLs were a lot lower than today. That rifle might've gone for $225 or $250 at that time, and in my mind, that's all it's worth. Prices today are nuts and anyone getting started in this game will have to pay them.

If you're going to pay that much used, it would make sense to buy new (if you can find new) and have some assurance as to the condition.

 

[longcruise]

There's are plenty of good TC Hawken and Renegades out there with reasonable pricing. Most are 50 caliber but for $650 you could own one and a second 45 barrel. It takes some looking and finagling but that's part of the fun and learning curve.

 

[hanshi]

I agree with the others on that rifle. Of course the condition of the bore is primary but if the rest of a gun is trash, NAH! Others are out there and maybe another opportunity will arise if you keep checking.

 

[BigD63]

I'm still in the 'seeking' advice group, but you may find this site useful...

https://truegunvalue.com/rifle/pennsylvania/price-historical-value/used/2
It looks at how much a particular rifle sold for over the past 12months and averages it out...includes makers other than T/C. They had 11 T/C Pennsylvanias sell for an average of $619. The three lowest priced ones were caplocks, all under $500. When they were out of the equation, the 8 flintlocks averaged $695. Highest was $895, lowest flintlock $575.

As with anything in life, when the right one comes along, you'll know it. If it's what you want, get it. If not, there will be others.