Knowledgable TC Hawken folks, help please!

[Blunderbus]

A couple years I bought a used (but as-new and unfired) TC Hawken for $200. I got it cheap because it was a rifle won in a raffle by the owner, who stuck it in his closet for years and finally decided to get rid of it.

I love the way this rifle looks and feels. It's in .45 caliber and I have the patches and the balls, but I haven't shot it yet. Here's why:

This is clearly an older model Hawken. The shape of the percussion hammer is different from the shape of the hammer on current TC Hawkens. I've had a number of TC percussion rifles in the early 90s -- including a Hawken target roundball, a New Englander and a Greyhawk. They all had the same shape percussion hammer. More of an S-curve to it. The "ear" of the hammer on my .45 Hawken, however, is more upright. It reminds me of the shape of the hammer on a TC Patriot pistol which I saw (and should have bought) years ago.

So the question is: do I have a Hawken that is more in demand by TC collectors and, if so, will I ruin it by using it as a shooter?

Blunderbus

[roundball]

A couple years I bought a used (but as-new and unfired) TC Hawken for $200. I got it cheap because it was a rifle won in a raffle by the owner, who stuck it in his closet for years and finally decided to get rid of it.

I love the way this rifle looks and feels. It's in .45 caliber and I have the patches and the balls, but I haven't shot it yet. Here's why:

This is clearly an older model Hawken. The shape of the percussion hammer is different from the shape of the hammer on current TC Hawkens. I've had a number of TC percussion rifles in the early 90s -- including a Hawken target roundball, a New Englander and a Greyhawk. They all had the same shape percussion hammer. More of an S-curve to it. The "ear" of the hammer on my .45 Hawken, however, is more upright. It reminds me of the shape of the hammer on a TC Patriot pistol which I saw (and should have bought) years ago.

So the question is: do I have a Hawken that is more in demand by TC collectors and, if so, will I ruin it by using it as a shooter?

Blunderbus

No...I've used several different vintage TC Hawkens for years...have several variations...over the years they gradually made a modification here, a modification there, etc...in the case of the hammers, the early style hammer was thought to stick up too tall so they changed it to more of a swept back design...it was just an individual change unrelated to anything else about the rifle as a whole...ie: the very next rifles off the manufacturing line would have been identical in every other respect except they had swept back hammers

[Blunderbus]

Great! I look forward to breaking this one in. I was planning to keep it, anyway. I just didn't know if I needed to make it a permanent wallhanger.

Personally, I like the upright hammer. It isn't very thumb-friendly, but it looks better. I just cock it like I would a flinter.  No handicap there.

I am thinking of working up some loads for this rifle using Pyrodex P instead of RS.  I was told that P would give me more reliable and consistent ignition than RS. Ultimately, I'd like to start working with real black powder, but it is very difficult to find anyone who carries it around here.

Blunderbus

[D.E.C]

For black powder try WWW.POWDER INC.COM. THEYRE IN ARKANSAS I THINK. OR DIXIE GUN WORKS IN UNION CITY TENN.

[roundball]

Great! I look forward to breaking this one in. I was planning to keep it, anyway. I just didn't know if I needed to make it a permanent wallhanger.

Personally, I like the upright hammer. It isn't very thumb-friendly, but it looks better. I just cock it like I would a flinter.  No handicap there.

I am thinking of working up some loads for this rifle using Pyrodex P instead of RS.  I was told that P would give me more reliable and consistent ignition than RS. Ultimately, I'd like to start working with real black powder, but it is very difficult to find anyone who carries it around here.

Blunderbus

I prefer the upright hammers also...not only do they look better, more like what you'd find way back when, you'll find when hunting, particularly with gloves on, it's easier to cock with less chance of your thumb slipping off...which has happened to me before with the sweptback design...enjoy!

[Will Bison]

I don't care for the geometry of the new TC hammers with the swept back look. My understanding is that it is presumably easier to cock since the thumb need not extend as high. I'll take the old straight back one like you have any day.

[X-Participant]

Censored

[roundball]

The upright hammer that you describe is the early model, original design.

Later model percussion guns were manufactured with what T/C referred to as an "offset hammer" design.

The purpose of the "offset hammer" was to provide clearance when guns were equipped with scopes.

Depending on the size and mounting location of the scope the "offset hammer" can be a welcomed design.

I've got four T/C Hawkens. Both Cougars have the upright hammers while the Silver Elite and Custom both have the offset style hammers.

I am going to go out on a limb and say that the two different hammer designs are interchangeable.

Actually there are three percussion hammer designs:
The upright is the early style, the swept back is the curent style, and an offset style is available for use with scopes if clearance is required...and they are all interchangeable

[teech]

I've heard the early T/C's used Sharon barrels,wondering if anyone else had heard this  ?Mine has a 127xxx serial #also have a 1in66 barrel,4514 ser#.

[Longcruise]

Mine has a 127xxx serial #also have a 1in66 barrel,4514 ser#.

Mime has a 49xxx sn and is for sure not a Sharon.  It's TC made all the way :-)