Removing TC "Hawken" breech plug.

woodnbow said:
A lot of guys use a standard pipe wrench on the TC wrench. They’ll do too… heck, you probably won’t even need a cheater bar! Whatever you do, do not be tempted to just latch onto the hook on the plug… it twists pretty easily. I’m told…
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NO WAY! I'm only half as dumb as I look! :)
 
First, get the TC breech plug tool. Next, the penetrating oil. Then, a really solid vise with liners to protect the barrel finish. Then, put the TC tool on the breech plug, then put a big wrench on the tool, add a cheater bar and pull in the lefty loosely direction. I’ve done a few and never wrecked, damaged, or became deranged from the experience. Never needed heat.
 
243winxb said:
My early T/C Hawken's flintlock #7400, owners manual has this in the instruction. Seems odd. Was the cap model made first?

Mines a factory gun, not from a kit.
View attachment 1123976
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I’m not 100% certain but couldn’t a person just use a 1/2” drive 6 point deep socket and an 18” breaker bar on the flint guns? Don’t blame me if it fails, I’m a handsome devil but only about half as smart as my buddy @Ugly Sauce …
 
woodnbow said:
No wonder they failed! Don’t even know what their parts are called!
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They hardly "failed". Probably sold more replica black.powder guns than anyone else for years. If anyone failed it would be the new owners. There is a solid market for Contenders even today. The TCR was ahead of its time. Maybe too much variety later on but TC itself was solid. Aside from nomenclature issues.
 
PapaG said:
They hardly "failed". Probably sold more replica black.powder guns than anyone else for years. If anyone failed it would be the new owners. There is a solid market for Contenders even today. The TCR was ahead of its time. Maybe too much variety later on but TC itself was solid. Aside from nomenclature issues.
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That’s a joke among us kids.
 
Update and thanks for all the help. After I lobbed off a section of barrel to experiment on, I found some solvent I use to de-rust motorcycle gas tanks and tried it. It worked. I've decided not to pull the breech.

Well, under the black mystery cake there was rust. Not brown rust, but pitting from rust. Very shallow tiny tiny pits, looks like frosting now. However, it's mostly on the lands, with just a little spilling off the lands and in the grooves in some places. Even though pitted, the lands look pretty strong. I'll try to smooth the bore up some more with more steel wool wrapped around a brush. Dang. Couldn't find my valve lapping compound!

So....! I've got the under-rib cut, finished and fitted to the now stubby barrel, got the muzzle finished. Next I have to cut a dovetail for a front sight, and figure out something for a rear sight, cut a ram-rod to fit and she's done. Or should I just put a shotgun bead on it? If it don't shoot good, no big deal. It was something to do in the garage in the bad weather. But I think it will shoot, again, the rifling looks pretty strong. If not, and I want to take it for a walk I'll just load it with a double ball load and six pounds of 4fg, then when Mr.Angry-bear comes at me I'll close my eyes and pull the trigger! at any rate, it's pretty cool looking with the sawed-off barrel on it.

Thanks again for the help, I don't see any reason to put any time or trouble into pulling the breech. I can tell that the flash channels are free and clear, that was something I wanted to check. Don't need to. Thanks again.
 
DSC07644.JPG
There's the look. I've got the bore feeling pretty good with lots of steel wool on a brush, and many many passes. I think it might shoot okay. She'll be ready to rock after I order a couple of front sights that I needed anyway, and cut the dovetail. I seriously considered just putting a shotgun bead on it, but just in case it shoots "okay" I think I'll take advantage of sights. The rifling looks strong enough to me that it should shoot "okay" at least out to 50 yards, and in the past I've seen some pretty bad bores that shot good.

Ever order stuff from "The Gun Works" in Oregon? You push the "purchase" button, then you hear the UPS truck coming up the driveway two minutes later. Well...almost.

Just a fun project. She will wear the long barrel most of the time. Or it might look cool hanging on a wall like that. The "TC Trapper". !!!
 
Ugly Sauce said:
View attachment 1124467
There's the look. I've got the bore feeling pretty good with lots of steel wool on a brush, and many many passes. I think it might shoot okay. She'll be ready to rock after I order a couple of front sights that I needed anyway, and cut the dovetail. I seriously considered just putting a shotgun bead on it, but just in case it shoots "okay" I think I'll take advantage of sights. The rifling looks strong enough to me that it should shoot "okay" at least out to 50 yards, and in the past I've seen some pretty bad bores that shot good.

Ever order stuff from "The Gun Works" in Oregon? You push the "purchase" button, then you hear the UPS truck coming up the driveway two minutes later. Well...almost.

Just a fun project. She will wear the long barrel most of the time. Or it might look cool hanging on a wall like that. The "TC Trapper". !!!
Click to expand...


Awwww, it's so cute.:cool:
 
Ugly Sauce said:
View attachment 1124467
There's the look. I've got the bore feeling pretty good with lots of steel wool on a brush, and many many passes. I think it might shoot okay. She'll be ready to rock after I order a couple of front sights that I needed anyway, and cut the dovetail. I seriously considered just putting a shotgun bead on it, but just in case it shoots "okay" I think I'll take advantage of sights. The rifling looks strong enough to me that it should shoot "okay" at least out to 50 yards, and in the past I've seen some pretty bad bores that shot good.

Ever order stuff from "The Gun Works" in Oregon? You push the "purchase" button, then you hear the UPS truck coming up the driveway two minutes later. Well...almost.

Just a fun project. She will wear the long barrel most of the time. Or it might look cool hanging on a wall like that. The "TC Trapper". !!!
Click to expand...
Needs a big bead front sight and a Skinner type rear ghost ring to be a proper bear gun… actually does look pretty cool!
 
Ugly Sauce said:
Yep. That looks like a Harley wrench for sure. You should see my cheater bars. I am a master of the cheater bar. Give me a long enough cheater bar, and I will move the earth. Or remove a rusted lug-nut off an ancient International truck.
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My cousin once bent a factory Caterpillar wrench which was designed and sold with the little Cat tractor for removing or adjusting some part of the tracks. I wasn’t there when he did it but he had four feet of well rod on the 2-1/2” open ended wrench. He’s a big boy, 6’7” and about 275# back then. I always felt sorry for his horses.
 
Frulk said:
Did I miss where it was mentioned what caliber it is?
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It's a .50". Wish it was bigger, but with 80 grains of pixie dust and the Hornady "Great Plains" 385 grain bullet I think it will get Mr. Angry Bear's attention at point blank range. :) And, I have a Lyman Plains Pistol in .50", so they will make a pretty good team and eat off the same plate.
 
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woodnbow said:
My cousin once bent a factory Caterpillar wrench which was designed and sold with the little Cat tractor for removing or adjusting some part of the tracks. I wasn’t there when he did it but he had four feet of well rod on the 2-1/2” open ended wrench. He’s a big boy, 6’7” and about 275# back then. I always felt sorry for his horses.
Click to expand...

Remember how/when the Dodge/Plymouths and Chryslers had left hand thread on the lug nuts, on one side of the car? Yeah, friend of mine busted all ten studs on that side of a car with a cheater bar before he figured it out. His nick-name was NOT Einstein) But then he gave me the car, (he could not sort out the electrical problems either) which was pretty cool and easy to fix. (1971 Plymouth Duster. Was my "drive to work" car for many years)
 
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