My local CWA group got good deal/donation from an estate of a gunsmith from somewhere in Pa or upper NY (not sure). We are trying to sell off the remaining guns. This is one. Custom stock t/c encore with 4 barrels and almost matching forends. The gun is engraved too. A 284 win, .22lr,.338/06 and a 20 ga rifled barrel. All with lower end Leupoled scopes. I think this started in the t/c custom shop.

I don’t do photo bucket anymore. Here is a link to my iCloud pictures


My questions are: did t/c engrave this (machine) or ?
What do you guys think this is worth? Should we break up the set? We are wanting to price this for a quick sale, the money is going to California Waterfowl, not me or any person.

I know it is a little off topic, but I am looking for help. I didn’t get any input from the ASRA site
Thanks for the help

Jerry T/c pictures

Looks hand cut,,but done with an air assist power tool.
I only say 'but' to place it apart from hand work dome with a hammer & chisel. I still consider both to be hand engraving.

Hammer & chisel work (chasing) is the classic way of doing the work. Air assisted tools came around in a big way around the mid 70's and have really taken hold.

I don't see evidence of the laser cut engraving that is starting to become popular now. The cuts are clean and even,,though some of the Laser stuff is getting very good.
It wouldn't make much sense to hand cut a master to use as a patter used to copy from in the Laser engraving process unless you were making a bunch of these anyway.
That's the way they used to run,,maybe it's different now

The background is single dot punch work. Shading is single line and very simple,,with minimal lines and work.
The scroll work itself while near full coverage goes about achieving that with but a couple scrolls in total.
'American Scroll Work' would likely be a tag assigned to this style because of that latter trait. With more detail within
and coming off of the scroll itself it can be very effective. More than a few famous engravers used a form of it.

I'd guess,,and only a guess,,that the work was done outside the TC factory as an aftermarket job.
I can't think of anyone that engraved for the factory directly but there certainly may have.

Interesting piece. I don't see many heavily customized Encores or Contenders, at least not customized in the this one's sense of fineer woodwork and metalwork finish. Plenty of 23rd Century-styled monstrosities out there with muzzle brakes, barbed wire "fluting," threaded muzzles, pastel finishes, "synthetic everything".... I guess that more traditional gunsmiths generally shy away from the hybrid handgun/longun layout of these otherwise interesting and useful arms.

I think this one needs to be marketed to a serious "T/C nut". Try adding up the "real world new" cost of the frame and stock, add the same valuation of the barrels, throw on an estimate of the value of the custom work (a very hard estimate to make, I grant), and look at the result. Then figure out what a possible reserve price might be for an auction and put it on an auction that is both reputable and national.

Point out the this rifle COULD be used for any hunting in North America for game that is furred, even the fanged varieties.

At the same time do your homework on T/C collectors and ask their opinions on the set, letting them know that you are looking for a good home for it. You might just tickle the fancy of a T/C nut with some financial backing.

KINDA O/T: Has anyone ever seen a Contender or Encore made up with a traditional "straight" stock (no pistol grip)? I'd like to see if/how that could be done. It seems to me that gun control legislation has removed the original T/C appeal of one-frame serving as both a handgun and a rifle/carbine/shotgun in many states, so perhaps T/C might experiment with a "long gun only" frame that could be made into something like a Maynard rifle....getting rid of some of the inherent ugliness of the design. (Full disclosure: I often do "hunt with an ugly gun" and am a "T/C nut."

As a former director of CWA I would like to remind everyone that "donations" are tax-deductible. Carry on.

Mike:

TC did manufacture a break action single shot rifle (TC 83) which just didn't sell well. I was interested in having one, particularly because I really like break action single shots, until I handled one. The stock configuration, particularly the pistol grip, was not user friendly and the safety was an abomination only a products liability defense lawyer could love.

I'm a TC fan (own a Contender frame and 5 different pistol barrels from .22 to .30 Herrett) but I don't think you'll ever see TC manufacture a rifle in the configuration you describe.

Rem

I also have a TC 83 for sale from the same estate! If anyone wants it let me know
Jerry

Also Thanks for the info The guy was definitely a single shot guy, I bought the Ruger No.1 284 Win I'll post pic when I get home

Here is my Ruger from the same guy
Jerry’s roger no.1

Interesting gunsmith whoever he was. I need to find out more
Not sure how to take off the forend/ haven’t figured it out
Jerry

The link isn't working for me.

Link works now

When you figure out the forend please post pictures. Looks quite interesting. On another thread if need be.

It's a Ruger... but not a No. 1 judging by the lever.

#3. Forend attachment could be smoke and mirrors or creative modification. Still would like to see pictures

Remington40X, I quite agree with your diagnosis of the TCR-83, 87 etc. Great concept, lousy execution IMO. They would have done better to do a higher quality, better metallurgy Savage 219.... the new Henry single shot rifles are a better try at an American break action single shot, I think, just looking at them.

Still haven’t figured it out, do want to force it. I think I will soak it with some roil oil and try again. I assume the screw needs to be turned out to allow the lever to lift.

I’ll compare the lever to my hornet number 1
Jerry

Checked things out more...pretty sure it is a customized No. 3 not a 1. Lever matches Ruger pictures and not my no.1. Pretty sure the screw in the forend is replacing the standard no. 3 or no. 1 attachment screw. I need to get it off to be sure