TC .54 Hawken Flinter

[higene]

I got a .54 TC Hawken flintlock today. At first I thought I got a great deal (new .50s are priced at $600-700). Then I saw on the internet that they are tons of them for $250 - 350. I still beat the best deal I saw by $75 so I'm happy with the price.

I think what I have is an older gun. It has an old style hammer (cock?) and I don't think that they make .54 flinters anymore. That's OK TC has the best warranty in the world as far as I'm concerned.

At first I could not get it to spark. (I'm not sure about the procedure but I am damn sure not going to load a gun that doesn't act like it wants to go off.) I reversed and flipped the old flint and I get spark, Yeah!

It looks like they have replaced the touch hole liner. The one that is in the gun looks like it comes out with an allen wrench. The original (I think) has a screwdriver slot across the face (see pictures). I plan to scrub and check the bore and I think I'm good to go.

The questions I have relate to any knowledge people might have about these guns - quirks, tricks, etc. (For instance do they have a patent breech?)

And does anyone have favorite loads.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Higene

 

[Ratdog68]

First off... congrats on a fine flinter !! She's a beaut !!

If it's anything like my .54 Renegade (capper)... you may be quite pleased with 75grs. of 777 ffg behind a .430 RB. I used a borebutter lubed pillow ticking patch.

 

[higene]

.43 ?

Did we transpose some numbers? I think with a .430 I'll patch it with glove leather.

 

[eastbank]

get rid of the touch hole liner thats in it and get one that does not have the rebated hole. the original with the screw driver slot is better,you want the powder to flash into the barrel,not burn thru the long hole(you will have slow fires some times with the one in it now. i have found that black english flint is better(get then with a low crown,so they fit your jaws right). black powder is what you want to use in a flinter,it,s easier to ignight. the tc,s are ex rifles and i have four of them,but sooner or later you will want a custom rifle. it,s just how the black smoker disease progresses. welcome to the black side,eastbank.

 

[Ratdog68]

Did we transpose some numbers? I think with a .430 I'll patch it with glove leather.

LOL Yup... I was pretty tired last night. Hey, I missed it by only one key... I meant .530 rb.

 

[madcratebuilder]

That's good shooting ratdog, remind me to stay on your good side.

 

[Ratdog68]

Thankee... the gun is definately a shooter !! Those were the first ever rounds I'd put through that gun. It was butt ugly/filthy when I bought it, and stunk of cigarettes. The more I cleaned and polished, the purdier she got. Turns out, it was just gunked up and the smoke smell was just stuck to the gunk. Nuttin's wrong with that bore. All in all... a great $125 purchase !

 

[fyrfyter43]

Actually, that looks to be an RMC vent liner. MUCH better than the factory liner.

 

[JamesKelly]

Your flintlock will perform much, much better with real black powder than with any of the substitutes. They are harder to ignite. That means GOEX or Swiss brands these days. A .54 cal typically should use FFg granulation. You may or may not find better accuracy with FFFg, personally I doubt it. Swiss powder burns faster than does GOEX, so one might use perhaps 15% (don't quote me on that number) less of it. I'd be inclined to avoid FFFg Swiss in this rifle.
This assumes you will use a round ball. For MaxiBall or R.E.A.L bullets use only FFg, and GOEX may be more appropriate than Swiss.

Do NOT use 4Fg priming powder (FFFFg) as the main charge. It will increase pressures beyond what T/C planned when they designed this rifle.

In the old days people used the same grade powder for both the main charge, and for the priming. You will get faster ignition using FFFFg priming, I think life is simpler to carry only one horn, and prime with either FFg (gasp!) or FFFg. Personally, if fast ignition is that important to me I use a self-contained brass cartridge rifle.

The best grade of flints is like asking what is the best brand of whiskey. Unless you have tried the "Missouri Long Trek" gunflints from [email protected], alternate [email protected]. Then you will agree they are the best. Southwest Missouri has a lot of grey chert, harder than the flint used by either the English or the French for their gunflints. Price range $8-15/ doz, + about $1 or so shipping. I like them. Here is how to get them, per Mr. Pierce:
" 1/2" wide x 5/8" long $8 per dozen. 5/8" wide x 3/4" long are $10 per doz
3/4" wide x 7/8" long are $12 per doz 7/8" wide x 1" long are $12 per dozen
1" wide x 1 and 1/8" long are $15 per dozen
1 and 1/8" wide x 1 and 1/4" long are $15 per dozen.
Shipping and handling generally $1 per dozen, more for larger sizes. I'll need your name and address in an email with "flints" in the subject line, and will send you the flints for your inspection with an invoice. If these work for you, you can pay by check. If not what you need, just return them, no questions asked. Please email me directly: [email protected] "

Best to use reasonably pure (soft) lead for balls, takes the rifling better. Some of us occasionally just use what we have anyway. You will need a short starter to get a tight fit of your patched ball. Ball size vs patch thickness (fun to measure cloth thickness, eh?) combinations are endless.

Mark your ramrod at the depth it goes when you load a normal charge.

You MUST load that ball tight onto the powder. Even a 1/4" gap is very bad.

If the ball gets stuck do not try to shoot it out. This can/has, remove/d body parts.

Shooting a gun with a ball well away from the powder has been crippling people for centuries.

Finally, flint ignition is the natural way to go. Detonating ignition using dangerous chemicals is ecologically unsound and a passing fad (well, maybe except for Walkers/Dragoons . . . )

 

[badpenny]

i rescured one from a pawnshop in weatherford tx.try 90 grains of goex 2f and a tc maxiball.thats the most accurate load in mine.and that vent that needs the hex key is the way to go.

 

[eastbank]

the problem with touch hole liners with long holes is after you shoot it any particals in there will draw moisture over a little time. the liners that are cone shaped from the inside are the best. believe it or not,but i have tried every touch hole liner i could get my hands on to try over the last 45 years. good shooting, eastbank.

 

[higene]

Update - Rain-ge report

I got the TC flinter to go off today. I had a real rough time getting it to go off the first time (it went off on the 5th try - sparks and flash every time but no fire in the hole). The temp was about 60 degrees and it was threatening to rain. Definitely moist air. I believe that these have a patent breech and I may not have cleaned that well enough.

I dropped two in a row at 25 with prb. Everything went well. Then it started to sprinkle. I did all loading in the rig. I tried 6 or 8 times changing stuff. I finally got it to go off. I waited out the rain shower cleaning the rifle. Goo on the rock, goo in the pan. Reamed the flash hole.

After the rain stopped I shot the last 2 targets. I had a lot of trouble getting the gun to fire. I cleaned the rock with q-tips after every pan flash. I cleaned the pan after every flash and used a feather in the touch hole when loading powder.

I repositioned the rock and got the last four to go off.

At times the rifle was trying real hard to be a good shooter. I learned a lot of stuff:

Hygroscopic issues arise in moist air almost immediately. The rock and the pan were wet after firing even when it was not raining.

This one is more finicy than my Lyman GPR or Kentucky pistol flintlocks.

I really like the sights. Lee Real conicals are showing promise and it may shoot pbs well too when I get more familiar with the rifle.

Seems like it might have a slower lock time. When I concentrated on follow through until the pan cloud cleared I got pretty good shots.

Much more will be revealed - More organized range time under better conditions is required.

All suggestions are welcome.



Higene

 

[arcticap]

Try to get the redesigned TC cock with the new geometry and the new TC vent liner.
They might give them to you for free if you call and tell them how much trouble that you're having. Ask them if you need to send in your whole gun or just the lock, stock or old cock.
Otherwise it will cost a small amount of money but should be worth it.

For TC Customer Service, call 603-332-2333.