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After selling off my .58, I'm shopping for a new gun.
In the process of assessing new guns I stumbled across something interesting on the used rack. It's an old, discontinued TC percussion gun.
What should I look for that would tell me not to buy it?
Anyone who thinks there's two sides to everything hasn't met a M�bius strip.
Here be dragons ...
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Charter Member Ancient order of the 1895 Winchester
"It's an insecure and petite man who demands all others like what he likes and dislike what he dislikes." szihn
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Run a patch down the bore and see if it's smooth, rough, dirty, rusty. A buddy would get a lighted arrow knock, turn it on and drop it down the bore for a better view. (I need a few too) Can you remove the nipple or is it dirty and rusted in place.
Which TC?
"Camping places fix themselves in your mind as if you had spent long periods of your life in them. You will remember a curve of your wagon track in the grass of the plain like the features of a friend." Isak Dinesen
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I guess for me, it would depend what I was going to do with it. If it was to be my new hunting rifle, the price was right and it was a model I really liked, I'd accept some rust/pitting knowing that it would be an ongoing battle, but it would probably shoot pretty well anyway. On the other hand, if I was looking for a "Sunday-go-to-meeting" gun, say one that was only going to the range or maybe hunting on nice days, I'd want it to be perfect. In which case, I probably wouldn't buy a used rifle at all. RB
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as said, rust & pitting.
Cracks in those old tc stocks were pretty common around the lock and opposite side of lock as well as around the tang. Check closely!
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I only have traditional muzzleloaders but what to look for has been covered. Rust and pitting, a nipple that comes out, cracks in the stock around the lock and breech block, and look at the crown of the muzzle. A little rust doesn't hurt and a lot of guns are leaded up pretty bad if they have been shot a lot so expect to clean that out.
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Thanks all.
When I sold my muzzleloader the shop commented on what good care I'd obviously taken of it. It's hard for me to imagine someone NOT taking care of a gun. Cleaning up a muzzleloader is faster, though a little messier, than cleaning up a centerfire ... no waiting for copper solvent to do its job.
I hope the previous owner(s) of the gun I'm looking at felt the same way. It's a TC Seneca .45, legal for deer here (our minimum is .40 cal), and it looks like it should be a hoot for all kinds of stuff.
If it doesn't look good, then plan B is probably a Lyman GPH .50. That was plan A 'til I saw the little Seneca.
Anyone who thinks there's two sides to everything hasn't met a M�bius strip.
Here be dragons ...
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My first ML was a .45 Seneca, wish I'd kept it. A delight to carry but with max load (80 grain IIRC) under a Maxi ball it would turn my arm purple after a few shots.
Charter Member Ancient order of the 1895 Winchester
"It's an insecure and petite man who demands all others like what he likes and dislike what he dislikes." szihn
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I would prefer a new Lyman Great Plains Hunter. Easy choice for me.
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Have the owner run a dry patch down he barrel. If patch comes out ripped I means pitted barrel. Surface rust can be cleaned-up. Rips in patch mean pass it up.
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that is a patch on a jag, not a cleaning rod.
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Someone had butchered the trigger on that Seneca. The un-set pull was so light that the hammer didn't want to stay back.
I wound up coming home with a Lyman GPR .50 percussion instead. I don't like it but it's the least bad on the short list of options still available it seems.
Got buyers remorse with the GPR. If I still have $$ left after Christmas shopping is done I may buy the Seneca anyway and try to revive it.
Tom
Anyone who thinks there's two sides to everything hasn't met a M�bius strip.
Here be dragons ...
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That's too bad. They should give you a good discount if you decide to go back for it. I'm kinda surprised they'd sell it that way though, what with the liability issues that might create.
Charter Member Ancient order of the 1895 Winchester
"It's an insecure and petite man who demands all others like what he likes and dislike what he dislikes." szihn
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There's a good gunsmith up here that reworked a trigger on a CVA Hawkins for me. If you need a lead, contact Ahlman's Gun Shop in Morristown, Mn.
molɔ̀ːn labé skýla
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