bamaranger
New member
I bought my first T/C sidelock rifle in the late 1970's, and another two in the mid-80's. I traded the Renegade away, but picked up a CVA Squirrel Rifle about the same time. Then the bowhunting bug hit hard, I put my sidelocks in the rack (clean, mind you) and only took them down now and again for inspection.
This fall, I got the itch to take a deer again with a muzzleloader, and went afield with the White Mtn Carbine. That took me to looking at T/C rifles again, and parts. I was shocked to learn that T/C does not make a single traditional rifle. Am I right about that? All "modern" inlines? I had no idea.
What happened to that segment of the market?
And, man alive, the asking price on T/C sidelocks and parts......incredible. Seems to me that indicator alone shows that there is still a strong interest in traditional rifles.....but with T/C out of the market, no domestic supplier of new quality sidelock rifles. Seems too that I read somewhere that the Italian and Spanish rifles are drying up too....CVA done as well?
There used to be a few T/C sidelocks in about every pawn shop I went into, most pretty rough, but salvageable. All gone now, I suspect for parts.
Do you think a base model sidelock, say something down the lines of the New Englander would still sell?
And....what do the guys up in PA, who are required to use flinters (still?) do for a quality rifle, but can't go the expensive custom build route?
This fall, I got the itch to take a deer again with a muzzleloader, and went afield with the White Mtn Carbine. That took me to looking at T/C rifles again, and parts. I was shocked to learn that T/C does not make a single traditional rifle. Am I right about that? All "modern" inlines? I had no idea.
What happened to that segment of the market?
And, man alive, the asking price on T/C sidelocks and parts......incredible. Seems to me that indicator alone shows that there is still a strong interest in traditional rifles.....but with T/C out of the market, no domestic supplier of new quality sidelock rifles. Seems too that I read somewhere that the Italian and Spanish rifles are drying up too....CVA done as well?
There used to be a few T/C sidelocks in about every pawn shop I went into, most pretty rough, but salvageable. All gone now, I suspect for parts.
Do you think a base model sidelock, say something down the lines of the New Englander would still sell?
And....what do the guys up in PA, who are required to use flinters (still?) do for a quality rifle, but can't go the expensive custom build route?