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Old September 29, 2017, 02:42 PM   #1
Old Stony
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Frankenstein TC


Got a wild hair the other day and made me up a sort of Frankenstein rifle to play with. I had a TC Pennsylvania Hunter with a real rough barrel and decided to make something out of it. I found an old TC Hawken barrel laying in my shop for years, and cut it off to 21 inches. I filed a dovetail and put the original sight back on the shortened barrel, and cut down the lower rib for the barrel...and had to drill and tap a few new holes to mount it. I put the barrel into the Pennsylvania Hunter stock.
I took it to the range today and experimented with a few loads. It shot fairly well at 50 yds., using 70 gr. of 3f and a patched round ball.
I shot this 5 shot group at 50 yds. The one shot out of the group I racked up to my old eyes.
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Old September 29, 2017, 06:54 PM   #2
Pahoo
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Very nice conversion

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It shot fairly well at 50 yds., using 70 gr. of 3f and a patched round ball.
I'll say and looks like you did a pretty respectable conversion. This should make one heck of a hunter for you. I have done a couple of trigger jobs on "this" action and they shoot well. A lot of folks are not aware that that you can swap out barrels between many of the TC models. ......

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Old September 29, 2017, 08:32 PM   #3
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I like it! I'm interested in how well it does further out wondering if 100 yds is potentially being doable with a short barrel. By the looks of it your rifle would do just fine out that far.

I've measured my Lyman Deerstalker and considered a short carbine barrel in .54 cal 16-20" long. Or maybe an 18-20" 28 ga with a PRB for up close (<50 yds) were I to ever need to track a hog.

Last edited by rodwhaincamo; September 29, 2017 at 08:37 PM.
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Old September 30, 2017, 05:32 AM   #4
Old Stony
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I tried a few shots out to 100 yds. while I was at the range. I raised the rear sight 4 clicks, and was able to get hits on an 8" target, but my inability to see the smaller target I was shooting at really hindered my ability. Perhaps if I get a larger target set up out there, I'll have better luck. I have no doubt I could take deer sized game with it at 100 yds., but I'd like to get a little more precise on the sight settings first. I started shooting with 2f, but it seemed like a little more pop would be better...so I switched over to 3f.
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Old September 30, 2017, 10:31 AM   #5
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Frankenstein never looked so good

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Frankenstein TC
Frankenstein, never looked so good. The closest I have in my collection, is my TC-White Hunter and in my tight woods, have taken deer out to 60yds. Great to carry and just plain fun to shoot. I often use it for younger folks during our Hunter Safety classes. .....

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Old October 2, 2017, 05:44 PM   #6
bedbugbilly
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Looks to me like a fine "marriage" of parts that will have a loving relationship! Looks good and it's nice when you can take things that aren't being used and make 'em useful. A nice looking rifle that seems to do well on the target! Good for you!
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Old October 3, 2017, 10:46 AM   #7
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Even back in the 18th Century, gunsmiths cobbled together parts to make new guns. You're just carrying on with tradition.
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Old October 6, 2017, 03:23 PM   #8
Old Stony
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I gave it a try at 100 yds today and was a little disappointed. Don't know if it was the rifle or me, but the best I managed was about 6 inches. I shot it with 70 gr of 3f and worked my way up to 90 gr....which I figured was probably a little too much considering I'm working with a 21 inch barrel. Recoil was very manageable with either load, but perhaps the shorter sight radius was adding to the longer range problem. I guess I should stick to 50-60 yds with it and be happy.

Last edited by Old Stony; October 7, 2017 at 07:47 AM.
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Old October 6, 2017, 04:03 PM   #9
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6" to many is within hunting worthy accuracy. I don't disagree but look to work with about 4" giving myself a little room for a miscalculation, movement, and/or error.

I've wondered about the shorter sight radius and how it will impact a longer shot. I'd much prefer to be able to make such a shot, but then that's not really what I have in mind for a short barrel like so, which is mostly for hunting thick stuff or tracking a wounded hog. Also why I'd want my short barrel to be a .54 cal.

I'm also a bit curious on the velocity at 100 yds. Seeing that many people speak of complete passthroughs on deer out to 125 yds with a typical load and barrel I'd guess you aren't too far off that at 100 yds with a shorter barrel. But then that's also assuming a powder charge around 70 grns or more. I do have a Lyman's BP Handbook and so I suppose I ought to run some numbers just to see, and comparing a .50 to a .54 also.

You had been using 3F prior. Why switch to 2F?
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Old October 7, 2017, 07:52 AM   #10
Old Stony
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Sorry, just a brain fade on my part....I was using 3f in it. One day I'll get out and do some work with it at 100 yds just for fun. My favorite hunting rifles are in .58 and .62 caliber and both work great out to 100 yds...which is where most of my hunting stands are set up for. I keep 4 stands set up year around for hogs and deer in season.
Something about the challenge with the short barrel that makes me want to work it all out, so I guess I'll have to try to work it out.
I don't think a larger powder charge than 90 gr. would do me any good with that short barrel.
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Old October 7, 2017, 07:53 AM   #11
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90 gr FFF is way too much. Had a student whose uncle and himself always used 90 gr FF. Eventually it weakened the mainspring.

Since you cut down the barrel, did you crown it and use a pilot guide when crowning it?
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Old October 9, 2017, 04:26 AM   #12
Old Stony
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Unfortunately I don't have access to barrel guides and crowning tools anymore, and don't do enough of that stuff to justify more investment in those kinds of tools. Years ago I did have the tools, but that was when I was in the business. I cut the barrel, draw filed it to square with the barrel as close as possible, and used a stone in a drill press to break the edges of the rifling. Using dyechem, I was able to center the stone close enough I think for what I was doing. I managed to get it to the point that starting a prb is not a problem.
All in all, it's just a play gun....not a precision competition piece.
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