Pretty neat to run into the original owner. He bought it new and was certain it was around 1977 or 1978. For years, the Contender Series from Thompson/Center Arms (T/C) gave hunters a vast number of options, letting them change out barrels and calibers, stocks and forends, as needed. The family friend smiled and told me that if it had a decent scratch in the stock by the lock (always wondered how that scratch happened, crossing a barb wire fence it turns out), then HE was the original owner of the rifle and he'd sold it to my dad when he decided to go to a. Thompson/Centers Contender series is back for 2016, in the form of the G2 Rifle and G2 Pistol. I told him I knew it was an earlier style, as it had the high hammer spur and no warnings on the barrel, and that I guessed it was a late 70's to early 80's model since I could remember seeing it in my dad's gun cabinet since I took a big interest in firearms around 7 or 8 years old. He asked what muzzleloader I have and I replied that I had inherited a TC Renegade when my dad passed away. Talk turned to hunting, which made me then mention that I really favor bow hunting or BP hunting. This weekend I ran into an old friend of the family that knew my dad well. 54 cal caplock has serial # 52xxx and was purchased new in either 1977 or 1978. They did have a different assembly line.Īfter some new information I learned this weekend I can say that my TC Renegade. It looks like the Patriot and Seneca were numbered in a different grouping. What was the first producion year for the Thompson center renegade 1975. All four have a spade stamped on the barrel bottom. What is the Thompson center serial number 108374 Hawkins date of manufacture Thompson Center does not publish date ranges for there guns, but from the number I would estimate the date to be mid 90s. All three rifles were purchased within the last eight years from different sources in different places and different years, none from the original owner, so no clues there. When did they start model markings? The Patriot was purchased new in 1981 +/- 1. I now have two Hawkens, one Pariot and one Seneca with no model designation stamped on the barrel. I once had a Renegade clearly stamped Renegade on the barrel. Not discussed are the model designations.
![thompson center serial number dates thompson center serial number dates](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5yW0yLPBOBY/maxresdefault.jpg)
![thompson center serial number dates thompson center serial number dates](https://www.gunsamerica.com/UserImages/186293/923150346/wm_15347427.jpg)
If not for the comments above I would have taken them to be proof marks. If true, they would have to be no earlier than 1976 when Sharon opened and since Sharon closed in 1978, stocks of Sharon barrels would have been depleted before 1980 or so. There is enough anecdotal evidence that the card suit stamps are Sharon barrels to make that probable but not conclusive. Either way it would be all BP guns at once, regardless of model.Ģ. I would guess that the order to stamp it came from their legal eagles or a government mandate. Establishing the date starting the “Black Powder Only” stamp would be a big help. Getting back to the original theme of serial number to date correlation, I see two items of interest in the above comments.ġ.