Is the 7mm T-CU a decent cast bullet round?

[Char-Gar]

In the local hock shop I saw a used Thompson/Center single shot in 7mm T/CU. It was a heavy 14" bbl job with rubber stock and forend. I know this is the .223 round necked up to 7mm and have a 1-14 twist. Anybody have any experience with this round and cast bullets and what would be a decent price for this kind of firearm?

[felix]

I think it was Shuz who said the caliber (case, bore, twist) is too boring, meaning too accurate from the getgo. Don't know what kind of gun, though. A pistol of some kind I think. ... felix

[Scrounger]

In the local hock shop I saw a used Thompson/Center single shot in 7mm T/CU. It was a heavy 14" bbl job with rubber stock and forend. I know this is the .223 round necked up to 7mm and have a 1-14 twist. Anybody have any experience with this round and cast bullets and what would be a decent price for this kind of firearm?

If excellent condition, anything under $300 is a bargain; over that, it depends on how much you want it. :D Beware, there are literally dozens of different caliber barrels out there that will be begging you to buy them, @ $150 to $200 apiece.

[Iron River Red]

Is it a barrel and foreend only?

If so its too much. Especially for a stock thompson barrel.

I've shot IHMSA for years and its a good caliber. The cases will have to be annealed very well to prevent splits and then have to be fire formed to get the shoulder right.

I have many AAA's with the caliber. I had mine cryo treated and it shot sub moa. The barrels go for around $185 here in Tenn.

The caliber with a good gas checked 140 gr bullet at about 2100fps is a good load. I shot 24 gr of 2015 or 21 gr of H335 in mine.

The head space is critical to avoid case seperations tho...

Hope this helps.

Red

[Johnch]

I have a 14" 7 TCU .
If I could shoot it better I would never miss with it .
My barrel shoots the 145 gr RCBS Silhouette bullet about MOA .
H322 was always my best powder .

Johnch

[Shuz]

In the local hock shop I saw a used Thompson/Center single shot in 7mm T/CU. It was a heavy 14" bbl job with rubber stock and forend. I know this is the .223 round necked up to 7mm and have a 1-14 twist. Anybody have any experience with this round and cast bullets and what would be a decent price for this kind of firearm?

Charles--I shot the 7mmTCU with cast in IHMSA competition for many years. Good boolits are the 070 Saeco or the RCBS 145 sil. Both are nominal 145g boolits. 071 Saeco, a nominal 160 grainer,is also a good choice in this cartridge. Powders I used were H-322 and H-4895. I used nothing but military brass. I used a Redding sizing die because it has a special tapered expander that allowed me to go from .22 to 7mm in one pass without annealing necks. Case life was excellent, and I recall losing very, very few cases to the "necking up" process because of the Redding die. I wish I could advise a decent price, but I haven't kept up with that market. Check some of the auction sites, that might be of some help.--Ray

[Char-Gar]

The whole pistol is there and not just the barrel. It looks to be in pretty good shape, but I have not examined it. The price tag says $325, but they dicker. I figure I could get it for $250-275. I will let it sit a while and they will be more flexible. I doubt if it is going anywhere.

[Oldfeller]

Yep, and when you succumb to her wiles and take her home, remember you can get a six banger mold for $43 to feed her with ......

[StarMetal]

Oldfeller,

Great sales pitch.

Joe

[MT Gianni]

I traded a model 28 smith for one about 1982. I liked the way it shot but was never sold on the carriability of the gun. Not a rifle and not easy to pack get out of a holster or get on target quick for me. I swapped it for a PPC model 14 and some boot. There are times I could have shot it since but I don't miss it like some other trades. gianni.

[DOUBLEJK]

Yep....

It'll hook ya bad...n ditto fer H322 n the RCBS 145GC...my 10" TC loves em....easy 40's in IHMSA...fer the gun neways...I had my problems but the dang gun was sure nuff capable.... got 39 several times....n then the shakes so bad... werse than buck fever...that last shot was a goner...:groner:

[Oldfeller]

Yep, I'm in a right satisfied mood right now. This week I got a brass order in from Grafs with lots & lots of new brass, I got all my 6.5 sizer stuff lapped out to Kurtz style to low throat fit at .270" diameter. I got me three days off next week so I'm going to be stuffing some black stuff into shiny shells in new and interesting combinations.

I also got in my new Hi-Tec powder shipment in -- 2 8lb jugs of WC820 for the pestols and 1 IMR 4895 and 1 jug of WC 872 -- and that jest so I can match Buckshot's best shooting Kurtz loads whenever he gets 'round to posting them. <g>

And I'm going to treat myself to a $15 dollar whole day-long trip to a rifle range on Wednesday or Friday with a trunk slam full of guns and new load combos AND a trip tomorrow to go to the regional gun show (where I am going to pick up some standard large rifle primers just so I can see which one really does work better, magnum or normal or large pistol).

I done got the taste of Pat's/LEE Jr.s dealings out of my mouth and I managed to save everybody some money on their six banger mold addictions (just wish it had come together earlier/sooner -- some mild regret there for opportunities missed).

If you boys don't come across with some more 7mm Soup Can orders my next Christmas present to myself is going to be a passel of spare 7mm molds that I'll give to my daugher to hawk on E-bone -- she can keep the money (she loves that e-bone stuff -- same as giving her some spare cash, I guess)

If I was to tell her the 7mm Soup Can was a "copy" of a Guy Loverin/Ideal/Lyman mold, which mold number would that be? Close enough, as in horseshoes and hand grenades -- she's a yuppie who is e-peddling to other yuppie puppies after all. I'll tell her it is "similar to" any light short Loverin 7mm mold number (which is true enough in any case).

(hee hee -- she'll sell them spares like hotcakes for plus dollars on the e-bone, I betcha. And I like giving her money, so we both will be tickled dumping off them spare molds.)

a rightdurnhappyoldfeller

[Junior1942]

Here's my experience with the 7mm TCU:

http://www.castbullet.com/shooting/7tcu.htm

[Oldfeller]

What was that net address that had all the old Lyman listings on it? Ran down the page last week as I best recollect .....

Oldfeller

[Junior1942]

I need to take a photo of a group and add it to the article referenced above. It's the same bullet & load & pistol as in the article but bullet run-out was checked on a Sinclair tool and corrected via a hammer tap with the noses placed on the concave flute of a screwdriver handle, high run-out side down, and the case bases on my bench. Just a couple of gentle taps on the case and check run-out after each tap. What it does is bend the neck slightly and aligns the bullet perfectly with the case/bore. The group was 5 shots in 15/16" at 150 yards.

IMHO, the 7mm TCU is one of the most perfectly designed cartridges ever. Chargar, buy the pistol . . . .

[Junior1942]

Oldfellow, it's http://www.three-peaks.net/bullet_molds.htm