.36 TC Seneca (another project)

[54bore]

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[54bore]

Got another project to play around with. First off i would like to say thank you to Bubba.50 for the heads up on this little rifle!! I recieved it today. Thompson Center Seneca, i bought it with a .45 barrel, i already had a nice little .36 Seneca barrel so now i have both, the bullets i plan to try first are Speer swaged wad cutters they are 147 grain .358 with 2 wraps of 9# onion skin paper and sized dry through a lee .358 sizing die, the other bullets are 125 grain .358, they are TRICKY to get patched and through the sizer so for now i have given up on paper patching and sizing them, i will be using .40 Cal wool felt over powder wads and plan to lube the grooves with a good black powder bullet lube on the little 125s. I am using swiss 2F powder, my starting charge will be 40 volume (45 weight grains) of powder, this Swiss 2F is HOT stuff, all of my load data for .36 calls for 3F, but from what i have read and first hand experience this 2F Swiss is comparable to 3F Goex so i should be good to go.
I am VERY pleased with this little rifle!! It is definately a scaled down version of the Hawken, what a neat nimble little rifle!! I bought the rifle off gun broker and the pictures did NOT do this little gun justice! I bought it mainly for the stock, lock, etc. i figured it was a gamble on the .45 barrel, but turned out to be like new if not new! The brass was dull, i took all of the brass off and gave it a really good polishing, the screws had never been turned, the nipple appears new, the bore is sharp and bright, the gun is nearly flawless, i couldnt be happier! Now to see if i can make it shoot? She is loaded and ready to roll first thing in the morning! The paper patched and sized bullet slid down the barrel like butter, loads and feels just like my .45 and 50 LRH Green Mountain barrels with their paper patched and sized bullets. This should be fun, and i didnt break the bank by any means putting it all together. Will give an update on my shooting

[tomme boy]

Man I soooooooo want one of these!

What do you think the vel. is on that little bullet?

[54bore]

Man I soooooooo want one of these!

What do you think the vel. is on that little bullet?

I am definately gonna chronograph these later, if i can get it to shoot good. I have 2 different blackpowder loading manuals, the one from TC themselves, and a Lyman 2nd edition written by Sam Fadala. The starting load is 40 Grains of 3F pushing a 65 grain round ball at 1894 FPS, and 60 Grains of 3F which is the Hottest load @ 2150 FPS. And here is the load Data for a 128 Grain Maxi Ball, (which i have a mold coming for!) 40 Grains 3F @ 1761 FPS, and 60 grains of 3F shows a velocity of 2001 FPS. She whistles right along!!

[OverMax]

Nice little rifle. I'm surprise Bubba would let this one get away from him. lol

No doubt there getting harder to find and one in good shape is ever harder to come by. Congratulation's on the purchase. >Good choice 54bore

[bubba.50]

Nice little rifle. I'm surprise Bubba would let this one get away from him. lol

No doubt there getting harder to find and one in good shape is ever harder to come by. Congratulation's on the purchase. >Good choice 54bore


I've owned both a 36cal & 45cal Seneca plus an extra barrel & stock or two. they're beautiful & well made little guns but they just don't fit me & in the grand scheme of things don't rev my jets that much. add to that my cash-flow problems & all I can do if I see a good deal is pass the info along.

glad ya got it 54bore & hope it shoots to yer satisfaction. luck & have a good'en, bubba.

[pietro]

The brass was dull, i took all of the brass off and gave it a really good polishing




You're one of THEM (folks who like bling on their guns), huh ? . ;)

Since I'm a hunter, I'm on the other side of the fence, preferring the dull/tarnished brass on my .36 & .45 Seneca's.

http://s26.postimg.org/5ucgxxrzt/DSCN2036.jpg


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[54bore]

I shot it this morning at 50-60 yards, i had to hurry to keep from getting rained on, (no i wont melt, but i HATE shooting in the rain!!) I had enough stuff to shoot 7 shots, i screwed up and shot a 5 shot group without going and looking at the first shot, i was hitting just off the left edge of the target, after shooting the 5 shots and checking them i made a sight move and shot my last 2 shots, they were right together close to the Bull, i was shooting over the hood of my truck off bags, man do i HATE blocky style open sights, they have to go!!! I will be getting a tang peep sight and front globe set up on this little gun SOON! My eyes just arent what they use to be. Anyway the little rifle is an ABSOLUTE blast to shoot, the sound is more comparable to a small centerfire from what i could tell? Heck of a satisfying crack to it! My load was the lightest at 40 grains, i was expecting it to sound similiar to a .22, NOT EVEN CLOSE, it has a lot more crack to it than that! Very little recoil, hardly any. This one is gonna be fun!! Looking forward to a break in the weather!

[54bore]

[QUOTE=pietro;3822641]You're one of THEM (folks who like bling on their guns), huh ? . ;)

Since I'm a hunter, I'm on the other side of the fence, preferring the dull/tarnished brass on my .36 & .45 Seneca's.

No, i am the same as you, i just like to polish the brass up really good on a new gun, then i let it tarnish and do its thing from then on. This is the last polishing this brass will ever see from me.

[Fly]

Bubba is a great guy.

Fly

[dualsport]

Congratulations! Lucky guy. I am not familiar with this model. How does it compare to a Cherokee? And where can I get extra Cherokee barrels? Got the .32.

[scooterdavr56]

I have two Senecas, (the ex wife got the first one. GRRR). Anyway I digress. For an easy carry, light woods rifle, for my money this is the best that T/C ever made. I have both 36 caliber and 45 caliber, and love them both.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

[bubba.50]

Congratulations! Lucky guy. I am not familiar with this model. How does it compare to a Cherokee? And where can I get extra Cherokee barrels? Got the .32.


the Cherokee is to the Seneca as the Renegade is to the Hawken, a slightly plainer more compact version of it. unless you find a new-old-stock barrel somewhere yer only option is on the used market. they're sometimes available on evil-bay or gunbroker. prices can be all over the place, usually high. a Seneca barrel will go right on yer Cherokee stock leavin' about an inch gap 'tween the under-rib & fore-end tip.

luck & have a good'en, bubba.

[jjarrell]

54bore, I'll be looking forward to, and waiting for your results. It will give me a good starting point for my Seneca. I don't believe for a second that a maxi-ball is the only conical that will shoot well out of a .36 caliber Seneca.

[54bore]

the Cherokee is to the Seneca as the Renegade is to the Hawken

Excellent way to describe the differences bubba.50!! That is EXACTLY what i see between the 2, the Seneca is the fancier of the 2, just like the hawken is to the renegade

[pietro]

Congratulations! Lucky guy. I am not familiar with this model. How does it compare to a Cherokee? And where can I get extra Cherokee barrels? Got the .32.


Seneca barrels (27") are a few inches longer than a Cherokee's 24" barrel, but will fit your Cherokee's stock after the under rib is slightly shortened at it's rear end.

I would suggest you try googling "T/C Cherokee barrel for sale" or "T/C Seneca barrel for sale", to try to find an extra barrel.

If you get a Seneca barrel for your Cherokee, you'll also need a longer ramrod.

.

[dualsport]

Thanks for the info. I looked on line-$400!!!-for a new old stock Cherokee .45 barrel! Not in my fun budget at all.

[54bore]

Thanks for the info. I looked on line-$400!!!-for a new old stock Cherokee .45 barrel! Not in my fun budget at all.

I hear ya!! Kinda like TC Maxi Ball and Especially Maxi Hunter molds, and 54 Cal, i have a SMALL fortune tied up in 5 TC Maxi Ball and Maxi Hunter molds, all 5 are 54 Cal and each one a little different. I paid more for 3 of these damn molds than i just did for this TC Seneca rifle! I know its my own fault, i paid collector value. And seeing the 54 was the toughest to find i went after them full force! I have 5 of the 6 that TC made for the 54 :mrgreen: or whoever actually made them for TC, and to top it off i dont really use any of them, i much prefer paper patched and sized bullets! So yep it can get EXPENSIVE! Ive got some great deals, and ive paid some LARGE prices, maybe it equals out? I just tell myself it equals out! LOL

[bubba.50]

that's why I started usin' Lee R.E.A.L. moulds almost exclusively. :mrgreen:

[54bore]

that's why I started usin' Lee R.E.A.L. moulds almost exclusively. :mrgreen:

Wish i could say ive learned bubba, but im Glutton for punishment! I just bought 2 more Maxi ball molds in the last couple days, a .45 and a .36 and its highly likely that i will use them a couple times and never again. I might as well get a 32 Maxi mold even tho i dont own a 32 Cal gun, at least id have the mold in case i ever do :mrgreen:

[bubba.50]

Wish i could say ive learned bubba, but im Glutton for punishment! I just bought 2 more Maxi ball molds in the last couple days, a .45 and a .36 and its highly likely that i will use them a couple times and never again. I might as well get a 32 Maxi mold even tho i dont own a 32 Cal gun, at least id have the mold in case i ever do :mrgreen:


there's a nice lookin' little 32cal Cherokee on gunbroker just darin' you to buy that 32 maxi mould. :twisted: [smilie=1:

[54bore]

there's a nice lookin' little 32cal Cherokee on gunbroker just darin' you to buy that 32 maxi mould. :twisted: [smilie=1:

Ima workin on it bubba!! LOL

[jjarrell]

I might as well get a 32 Maxi mold even tho i dont own a 32 Cal gun, at least id have the mold in case i ever do :mrgreen:

The last .32 cal Maxi mold I saw was over $200...........OUCH!

[54bore]

The last .32 cal Maxi mold I saw was over $200...........OUCH!

I seen one brand new in the package in a bid war on ebay yesterday evening, it sold for 155.00, i dont need one NEAR that bad! I came REALLY close to that number on one of my 54 Maxi Hunter molds.

[izzyjoe]

Those rifles are light, and handy! Had one years ago, but had to sell it, the last one I seen was at a gunshow, and I just walked up to the table too late, cause there was a fellow looking at it, and the price said $150. Well, I told the guy looking at it don't put it down if you want it, cause I'm Gona buy it! So he paid the man for it, and should have keep my mouth shut, but I proceeded to tell him what they were selling for, and he and the seller about had a stoke! He claimed he wanted for his wife cause she was small, and I told him he had just the best rifle she'll ever own!