Thompson Contender Serial Numbers (2024)

I just recently bought my first muzzle loader, a T/C Hawken 50 Caliber rifle. Tried to get information from T/C but they cannot provide any assistance in determining it's age, due to a factory fire they claim destroyed their records.

Does anyone know of any other sources of serial number/date of manufacture for these rifles?

There's a thread on the forum that has some info shared by TC owners.
I have a TC Hawken from 1980-81 with a serial # 107052. It has a spade mark on the barrel underside that supposedly means it was made by Hal Sharon.

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Here is my rifle. It has what looks like the bottom half of an iron cross on the underside of the barrel.

Bledfor Days said:

There's a thread on the forum that has some info shared by TC owners.
I have a TC Hawken from 1980-81 with a serial # 107052. It has a spade mark on the barrel underside that supposedly means it was made by Hal Sharon. View attachment 18889 [View attachment 18890 View attachment 18889

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Now I have a slight dilemma. I purchased my 50 cal. Thompson Center Hawken new from a retail outlet in 1978 or 79, before I graduated highschool in 1980. The s/n on my barrel is 151933. It has a spade stamped on the bottom flat. My dilemma is; why is your 1980-81 s/n lower than my 1978-79 s/n? These TC's have long been a mystery.

MSmith said:

Now I have a slight dilemma. I purchased my 50 cal. Thompson Center Hawken new from a retail outlet in 1978 or 79, before I graduated highschool in 1980. The s/n on my barrel is 151933. It has a spade stamped on the bottom flat. My dilemma is; why is your 1980-81 s/n lower than my 1978-79 s/n? These TC's have long been a mystery.

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Time spent in a warehouse?

OP They gave me the same "Records were destroyed in a fire" excuse when I asked about the age of my .54 caliber Hawken.

On the "plus" side, they did say that my Hawken was never subject to any recall. (I asked)
(If "the records were destroyed ..." how they would have correct/accurate info concerning recalls, I don't know.)

MSmith said:

Now I have a slight dilemma. I purchased my 50 cal. Thompson Center Hawken new from a retail outlet in 1978 or 79, before I graduated highschool in 1980. The s/n on my barrel is 151933. It has a spade stamped on the bottom flat. My dilemma is; why is your 1980-81 s/n lower than my 1978-79 s/n? These TC's have long been a mystery.

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When it was sold/bought has absolutely no bearing on when it was made. What with lounging in warehouses and on dealer’s racks possibly for yeears serial numbers can be all over the place.

Bledfor Days said:

There's a thread on the forum that has some info shared by TC owners.
I have a TC Hawken from 1980-81 with a serial # 107052. It has a spade mark on the barrel underside that supposedly means it was made by Hal Sharon. View attachment 18889 [View attachment 18890 View attachment 18889

Click to expand...

Your serial number is about right for early 80’s. Sharon didn’t make your barrel. TC used several inspector’s marks over the years.

FPrice said:

Here is my rifle. It has what looks like the bottom half of an iron cross on the underside of the barrel.

View attachment 18932 View attachment 18933

Click to expand...

The Hawken came out in 1970 supposedly starting with serial number 1000.This number range would likely put it bein’ from the first half of the 70’s.

bubba.50 said:

Your serial number is about right for early 80’s. Sharon didn’t make your barrel. TC used several inspector’s marks over the years.

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I have a Sharon barrel made in the late 1980's for the muzzle loading aftermarket. It is marked with a Sharon stamp. There are no inspection marks such as the spade or Maltese cross.

bubba.50 said:

Your serial number [serial # 107052] is about right for early 80’s. Sharon didn’t make your barrel. TC used several inspector’s marks over the years.

Click to expand...

This being the case; about what time frame was barrel s/n 151933 made? (T/C 50 cal.)