Pawn Shop T/C Woods Rifle - Similar to Black Diamond

[Snidely70431]

Picked up a .50 T/C Woods Rifle today at our local pawn shop. Seems to be unfired condition except it is missing part of the front sight. Anybody have any experience with these rifles? It seems to be very light if one is going to try to shoot heavy loads out of it.

T/C has loading data for up to 150 grains of FFG black powder and 3 Pyrodex pellets. Somehow, I think this might be too much fun for this old man.

 

[alsaqr]

Those are nice rifles, i've owned two. Don't lose the breech plug: No replacements are available anywhere.

 

[Snidely70431]

Those are nice rifles, i've owned two. Don't lose the breech plug: No replacements are available anywhere.

I haven't gotten to the point of removing the breech plug yet, but I will keep that in mind. I seem to remember that, whereas CVA and Rossi breech plugs are 5/8 - 18 threads, the T/C breech plugs are a different diameter, maybe 11/16"; at any rate, as I explore the innards I will be posting my findings.

Did you find that your rifles were unpleasant to shoot at the upper range of their loadings?

 

[alsaqr]

Did you find that your rifles were unpleasant to shoot at the upper range of their loadings?

i never fired heavy conicals in my Woods Rifles or Black Diamonds. My current Black Diamond rifle prefers 100-120 grains of powder and the 250 SST bullet with crush rib sabot.

 

[Snidely70431]

i never fired heavy conicals in my Woods Rifles or Black Diamonds. My current Black Diamond rifle prefers 100-120 grains of powder and the 250 SST bullet with crush rib sabot.

That's still getting into the vicinity of 2000 foot pounds of muzzle energy, quite a respectable loading. About like pushing a 500 grain projectile to 1350 fps.

 

[Snidely70431]

Pawn shop muzzleloaders, as in life, is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get.

I pulled the breech plug and it was loaded:






I was right about the size of the breech plug. It is 11/16. And 20 threads per inch. It removes with a 7/16 socket.

 

[WestKentucky]

My dad has a BD rifle. I haven’t shot it in a few years. His first year with the rifle he dropped a running buck at about 125 yards.

Is it a 209 ignition from the factory? I seem to remember that being a factor when we narrowed down which rifle to buy.

 

[Snidely70431]

My dad has a BD rifle. I haven’t shot it in a few years. His first year with the rifle he dropped a running buck at about 125 yards.

Is it a 209 ignition from the factory? I seem to remember that being a factor when we narrowed down which rifle to buy.

The rifle uses a #11 cap, I think. I had to remove the nipple before I could pull the breech plug. Funny thing, one cannot buy most parts for the Woods Rifle or similar, but the 209 primer adapters are everywhere.

 

[arcticap]

The Woods Rifle sounds like a nice gun.
But BP guns being sold while still loaded is all too common.
On another forum, someone bought a used TC sidelock rifle at auction with a bore brush stuck inside of the patent breech.
Then 2 inches in front of the brush there was a charge and a loaded ball.
Plus the buyer tried to load powder and ball on top of that 2X and pulled each of his loads after it wouldn't fire.
Many others have similar stories which can result in a tragic ending for those who don't try to properly check with their ramrod first to see if it's loaded.
I recall one such tragic post about a boy who died when his dad used a propane torch in an effort to unstick a breech plug on a gun that he didn't know was loaded and it fired off while being held in a vice.
Why don't gun shops, or pawn shops or auction houses make a minimal effort to check these guns out before selling and/or shipping them?

Photo of the TC patent breech plug with a bore brush stuck inside of it:--->>> http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?377134-Help-With-a-TC-50-cal-Rifle/page5

 

[Snidely70431]

The Woods Rifle sounds like a nice gun.
But BP guns being sold while still loaded is all too common.
On another forum, someone bought a used TC sidelock rifle at auction with a bore brush stuck inside of the patent breech.
Then 2 inches in front of the brush there was a charge and a loaded ball.
Plus the buyer tried to load powder and ball on top of that 2X and pulled each of his loads after it wouldn't fire.
Many others have similar stories which can result in a tragic ending for those who don't try to properly check with their ramrod first to see if it's loaded.
I recall one such tragic post about a boy who died when his dad used a propane torch in an effort to unstick a breech plug on a gun that he didn't know was loaded and it fired off while being held in a vice.
Why don't gun shops, or pawn shops or auction houses make a minimal effort to check these guns out before selling and/or shipping them?

Photo of the TC patent breech plug with a bore brush stuck inside of it:--->>> http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?377134-Help-With-a-TC-50-cal-Rifle/page5

View attachment 829141

Retail outlets don't check muzzleloaders for hazards because many of the employees have no clue about weapons of any sort, and they are not "firearms", so they can be sold by anyone working in the store. This is to the advantage of a knowledgeable customer, but can be fatal.