Do all side lock

[Lead Ball]

hello, I am wanting a do it all side lock, fun to shot, hunt Deer, Elk, Bear, good and bad weather. I was in my local gun shop and saw a TC Gray Hawk, it looks to be un shot but the trigger felt very clean and light like someone had worked on it, the price was 329.00 what do you guys think of the price and the Gray Hawk in general thanks.

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[Andy54Hawken]

That is a pretty good price for a T/C Grey Hawk.

Thompson Center rifles are good quality and shoot well.

My biggest issues with them , besides not being historically correct ( which ain't important here ) is....
The coil spring lock...and modern rifling.
The coil spring in the lock is PITA to replace if needed...and the rifling tends to foul quickly if lots of shooting is done.
The riling twist is decent...it is the depth of the rifling that is the problem here.

Things to look at when buying used :
Bore...get a muzzle loading bore light to check out the bore...
PYRODEX is quick to cause rust...in my experience far quicker than actual black powder...
The same for 777 and so called "Clear Shot"....
All of which are popular to use...and when not cleaned well from the rifle , cause rust , pits and the like....
Erosion around the breech , drum and nipple area...
Dings , nicks and the like around the muzzle area...
Make sure the lock holds at both half and full cock....


Wood stocked rifles ain't a issue in the rain...the factory finish from T/C holds up well...
A very light coating of RIG gun grease rubbed into the stock will help here.
What can be a issue with weather is that powder may clog up in whatever container you have it in...a few taps should clear it up.

Also...
If you drive from one spot to another with a load in your rifle ( not capped or primed )
Be sure to drop your ram rod down the bore when you get to your new spot....at times I have seen loads shift up from the breech when in transit.
If you are done for the day...and didn't shoot , but want to keep your rifle loaded...it is a good idea to thread a piece of red cloth between the ram rod and barrel near the muzzle as a reminder of a loaded rifle.
.50 or .54 caliber are two excellent calibers for "do-all"....I lean towards .54 since some states have a game law of no less than .54 for elk.
Powder , patch and ball....in that order....
Also before loading ( The first time ) ...be sure to bust a few caps to clear out the flash channel and barrel of any oil or debris.
Andy

 

[Flopsweat]

That is a pretty good price for a T/C Grey Hawk.

Thompson Center rifles are good quality and shoot well.

My biggest issues with them , besides not being historically correct ( which ain't important here ) is....
The coil spring lock...and modern rifling.
The coil spring in the lock is PITA to replace if needed...and the rifling tends to foul quickly if lots of shooting is done.
The riling twist is decent...it is the depth of the rifling that is the problem here.

Things to look at when buying used :
Bore...get a muzzle loading bore light to check out the bore...
PYRODEX is quick to cause rust...in my experience far quicker than actual black powder...
The same for 777 and so called "Clear Shot"....
All of which are popular to use...and when not cleaned well from the rifle , cause rust , pits and the like....
Erosion around the breech , drum and nipple area...
Dings , nicks and the like around the muzzle area...
Make sure the lock holds at both half and full cock....


Wood stocked rifles ain't a issue in the rain...the factory finish from T/C holds up well...
A very light coating of RIG gun grease rubbed into the stock will help here.
What can be a issue with weather is that powder may clog up in whatever container you have it in...a few taps should clear it up.

Also...
If you drive from one spot to another with a load in your rifle ( not capped or primed )
Be sure to drop your ram rod down the bore when you get to your new spot....at times I have seen loads shift up from the breech when in transit.
If you are done for the day...and didn't shoot , but want to keep your rifle loaded...it is a good idea to thread a piece of red cloth between the ram rod and barrel near the muzzle as a reminder of a loaded rifle.
.50 or .54 caliber are two excellent calibers for "do-all"....I lean towards .54 since some states have a game law of no less than .54 for elk.
Powder , patch and ball....in that order....
Also before loading ( The first time ) ...be sure to bust a few caps to clear out the flash channel and barrel of any oil or debris.
Andy

Geez now I want a BP gun.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Geez now I want a BP gun.

They are a lot of fun...and do shoot well...even flintlocks in the rain.
Just gotta learn how to do so...like any other firearm.

Ifin' you ever get serious about 'em...I'd be happy help.
Andy