thompson center barrel wrenches

[shdwlkr]

I am trying to find the barrel wrenches for the hawken 50 caliber, renegade 54 caliber, seneca 36 caliber and the cherokee 32 caliber.
T/C is out and they are not making anymore.

[Meatco1]

Green Mountain maybe?

Good luck,

Richard

[Geraldo]

I've seen them from time to time on ebay. I can't recall where, but I saw a set made by a machinist.

Are you planning to pull all those breach plugs?

[shdwlkr]

geraldo
Yup after 30 years of use time to see what things look like and now I can find them.

[northmn]

They have a reputation of being a real SOB to get out requiring a healthy cheater on the wrench.

Northmn

[Geraldo]

I've got TCs that old but I'm not that curious. I tried one of these wrenches years ago and stopped for fear of screwing up a barrel. Good luck with the project.

[floodgate]

shdlwkr:

I've had a couple of these for the .50 and maybe the .54, and they may be around here somewhere. BUT, these were discussed several years back on the old "Shooters" BP board, and the consensus was that the breech sections are fitted so tightly - and the wrench blocks so poorly fitted - that it is nearly impossible to unscrew the breech without badly marring it or torqueing the barrel. Better not try it!

floodgate

[Geraldo]

Floodgate, I'm not sure if they just torque the heck out of them or if they add green or black Loctite, but TC does not want them to come off.

I'm not sure what you expect to see in the barrel, but if you think they're completely shot out or unsafe it's easier to replace the barrel with one from GM or Fox Ridge/TC Custom shop. I can't recall what wrenches cost when you find them, but Track of the Wolf has TC breechplugs and appropriately threaded barrel blanks if you wanted to make yourself a custom barrel.

[Boz330]

Listen to Floodgate, Don't do it. I tried a Renegade and stopped for fear of screwing it up. I have that wrench around somewhere, if you are still interested, you can have it for nothing. Assuming I can find it. But I wouldn't do it.

Bob

[Willbird]

They DO come out, and smiths that work on the guns all the time can pull one no problem. I know this because........

I guy I worked with bought a new TC rifle, and he went out and shot it, and after 4-6 shots he noticed the bullets were not seating as deeply in the rifle....and he took it to a gunsmith that I know, and learned he was using too much powder and leaving the skirts of the hollow based bullets in the bore, the smith pulled the breech plug and drove them out, and put it back together in about 15 minutes. It was a typical cap lock not an inline.

Bill

[mooman76]

I'm surprized he could even still get his gun to shoot!

[shdwlkr]

You guys are giving me lots to think of and that is one reason to post as it is so much easier to read then screw up and then go ask. I think that I will leave them alone and buy new barrels and breech plugs when I want a new caliber. But that brings up the question of how do you screw on the new plugs without a wrench??
thanks

[John Taylor]

I have 3 of the T/C wrenches, I don't think I have used one in the last 20 years. I think I remember using some heat on the last one to get it to come loose, they must use loctite. A clamping type action wrench will work better and a set of "V" blocks on the barrel. A piece of paper around the barrel will keep it from getting scratched up.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l132/johnptaylor/actionwrenchbreachplug.jpg
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l132/johnptaylor/barrelvicewithVblock.jpg

[Boz330]

Thats a set up for SERIOUS work.

Bob