by John C. Krull
Gun Week Production Manager

At the 2001 SHOT Show in New Orleans, I took several opportunities to talk with Rori Chandler from Outdoor Media Resources at the Thompson/Center booth. I told her that I needed a firearm to write about for Gun Week's muzzleloading issue and what did she suggest. Now, granted, the offerings were slimmed down by the fact that I own several of their muzzleloaders already and had written about many of them previously.

The first muzzleloader that I bought was the T/C Hawken in .54 caliber, which is still my favorite hunting muzzleloading rifle. It has never let me down as long as I have done my part.

The second muzzleloader that I ever bought was the T/C Patriot .45-caliber pistol. The reason that I mention it here is because I want to say a word about their lifetime warranty. I've had the Patriot for at least 15 years. I don't believe that it is produced anymore because I can't find it in their catalog.

Broken Lock
While at the T/C booth at SHOT, I talked with Ken French about the lock having broken on my Patriot. Also the ramrod had been broken for several years. He said to get it in for repair, because in the fire that they had a couple of years ago they lost a lot of the parts for that model.

I sent the gun in on a Monday. I got it back on Friday of the same week with the lock and the ramrod fixed and all ready to take out and shoot again. I'd really hate to lose this pistol, because it is the most accurate muzzleloading pistol that I own.

The following Monday, after already having received the repaired gun back, I got a postcard from T/C saying that they had received my pistol for repair. Two days later, on Wednesday, I got the green card back from the US Post Office, which is the return receipt requested card. Now, I can't testify to the fact that if you send in a gun for repair that you will get it back on the fifth day after having sent it in, but I have heard similar stories. Thompson/Center stands behind what they make. I'll also say that this is the only T/C firearm that I have ever had to send in for repair.

After talking with Chandler after the SHOT Show, we decided on the Black Diamond XR™ as the gun to test for my article. T/C had just introduced a version of the Black Diamond with a Realtree Hardwoods camouflage composite stock. In previous years, the Black Diamond had been available with either a walnut stock or a black Rynite stock, either with a choice of blued or stainless barrel.

Range Time
It was really beginning to seem like I wasn't meant to shoot this gun. Every opportunity that I set up to go to the range, something prevented it.

I took the gun and all my gear to a hunter safety course that we held at my club in April, fully planing on shooting the Black Diamond after the class. It rained cats and dogs, and I just wasn't in the mood to put up with the elements.

A week or so later I was all set to go to the range, and then remembered that in the club newsletter it said that the lock on the gate to the range had been changed. I wasn't about to carry all my stuff the ° mile from the clubhouse down to the rifle range. I would need to make several trips, which would cut into my shooting time too much.

Finally, the weekend before the NRA convention I made plans to go to the range again. I guess I should mention that the club range I use is 43 miles from my house, so it isn't just a trip around the corner to do my shooting. But, that weekend I just had a feeling that I had better call the president before I left, just to make sure that there would be nothing to prevent me from shooting.

Sure enough, George told me that they had heavy equipment on the range that weekend to work on the drainage problem that we've had. Out of luck again.

The Tuesday evening after the NRA convention, I was determined to shoot the T/C come hell or high water. I really didn't have much choice, since we would be going to press at the end of the week.

It was dark when I got to the range after work, not because it was late, but because of the rain and heavy clouds. Well, I figured this was going to give those fiber optic sights a test.

This was the worst weather that I have ever done any test firing in. I will say I didn't have a good time that night, and ended up going home a bit damp.

I've stated before that I've never liked the in-lines when they first came out. I've always felt that muzzleloading should be done with the old traditional type of side-lock front stuffer, but I have to admit that I am growing fond of these new variants. Most are meant to be shot with the sabot type of bullet, which I have also been slow in accepting, but I have found them to be accurate and do the job that they are meant to do.

When I first received the Black Diamond XR (Extended Range), I thought that it was a really pretty gun. That may seem strange-a gun being pretty-but with its silvery stainless steel barrel and its Realtree Hardwoods camo, it is pretty. I also immediately wondered, why would you want a camo stock with a stainless barrel? The barrel would stick out like a sore thumb. I don't know if we will use the one picture that I took, but it is of the Black Diamond shown leaning against a maple tree in my backyard. The gun literally disappears from sight-except the barrel. So that dissipated my feeling about the combination of the camo stock and stainless steel barrel. If we used that photo, all you would see is the maple tree and the bright barrel seemingly suspended in space.

I really like the fiber optic sights on my Encore, so knew that I would like them on the Black Diamond, too. However, this would be the first time that I would have a chance to see how they really worked in low-light conditions.

As always, I set up the first target at 50 yards. The first shot was about 3 inches high and 2 inches to the left. After a little adjustment that was resolved.

I was using T/C's .50-caliber PTX Sabots. PTX stands for "power tip express bullet." They are .451 inches in diameter and weigh 250 grains. I've weighed 10 of the bullets and they weigh-in at between 249.5 and 250.1 grains, so they have a very consistent bullet weight.

Different Charges
I fired two different charges: one of 100 grains of Pyrodex® Pellets, using two each of the 50-grain pellets for a target load, and 150 grains, using three Pyrodex Pellets for a hunting load. I had black powder and Pyrodex RS with me, but didn't want to mess with it in the rain.

I haven't installed a scope on the Black Diamond and was shooting with only the fiber optic open sights. The 50-yard group using a 100-grain load was okay. Next, I shot at targets set at 100 yards. The target loads produced a group that was good enough to take deer at that range with a spread of 6 inches wide by 4 inches high. The 150-grain loads printed slightly higher covering an area of 7 inches by 4 inches, but by this time it was getting even darker because of the time of day.

I do need to scope this gun and do some additional test firing. I'm sure that under better light conditions and with a scope I would have shot better, but certainly wasn't unhappy with the results that I was getting under the prevailing conditions.

I also had some bullets from Devel. I have heard some very impressive reports about the quality and accuracy of these bullets, but didn't want to waste them that night under the conditions that I was shooting. I expect to do a shorter follow-up report after some more range testing when I return to the range during daylight hours. I'll let you know how the Black Diamond performs with a scope and other bullet variants.

Not only were the poor weather conditions that night a good test for the fiber optics sights, they also tested the durablity of the composite stock. It seemed to be impervious to the wet weather. That stock also lightens the overall weight of the gun. The Black Diamond weighs only 6 pounds, 9 ounces, which is less than the 8° pounds for my Hawken.

Ignition Choices
The Black Diamond offers a choice of three means of ignition. You can use traditional percussion caps, musket caps, or 209 shotgun primers. The Flame Thrower nipples direct 80% of the priming fire into the main powder charge, compared to a standard nipple that directs only 50%. You switch the ignition system simply by changing the nipple. T/C's patented Flame Thrower nipple throws a ring of fire into the powder charge, in addition to the central core of fire, which hits the powder simultaneously. Ignition problems are virtually eliminated in even the most adverse weather conditions.

I had percussion caps with me, but chose to use just the 209 shotgun primers this time. In the future, we will have to see how the other two perform. The 209 primers did their job. I did get one misfire, but that I believe was my fault. I had just cleaned the barrel, which I was doing after every 5 shots with Hodgdon's EZ Clean Pyrodex Muzzleloader Cleaner, and I don't believe that I did a thorough enough job of removing all the solvent. With the second 209 primer, the gun fired.

I did have a second episode of misfiring and thought that I had once again failed to remove all the EZ Clean solvent. Three primers failed to go off. They didn't even pop. What I found out was that the previous primer had gotten stuck on the bolt and was hidden from my view. Once removed, there were no additional misfires. The Hodgdon EZ Clean does a fine job of cleaning the barrel and the action of burnt powder. I found that you don't need as much as I was applying, so be frugal in it. With an in-line, the cleaner also tends to flow out into the action, which actually helps get that area clean.

If you already own a Black Diamond, the new camo stock is available as an accessory. The stock is equipped with sling swivel studs, grip cap, and a butt pad.

As mentioned before, the Black Diamond comes equipped with Tru-Glo fiber optic sights that allowed me to shoot under the kind of conditions that I encountered. These sights are fully adjustable for windage and elevation, with very generous screw slots making it easy to perform adjustments.

This is the first time that I have used a T/C with their aluminum ramrod. It is a nice feature, much better than the old wooden ones. The working end accepts the standard l0x32 thread ramrod accessories and has a super-hard anodized finish for durability. I attached the handle from my T-Handle Short Starter and Ramrod Extension for cleaning, which made the job very easy. I did forget my rubber mallet that night, so I ended up with a sore hand from using the short starter.

QLA
The Black Diamond features T/C's QLA-Quick Load Accurizor. I've only seen this feature on expensive custom-made muzzleloaders. I'm not sure how to explain QLA, but the way I understand it is that the very front part of the muzzle is just a little bit bigger, allowing for ease in loading the bullet that first inch or so of the muzzle. This prevents bullet distortion and improves alignment. T/C, I hope I said that right.

I almost forgot about the thumb safety. The Black Diamond does have one, and on this type of muzzleloader I think there should be one. It is in a convenient location for us shooters that shoot from the right shoulder, but you lefties might have a little problem.

The barrel of the Black Diamond XR is 26 inches long and has a 1 in 28-inch twist. It is meant for sabots. The overall length is 45 inches. The 26-inch barrel enables optimal powder burning, and produces maximum velocities when magnum charges of 150 grains of black powder or Pyrodex equivalent, or three Pyrodex Pellets, are used. The result is 200 fps greater muzzle velocity than the standard Black Diamond with a reduction in bullet drop of 3 inches at 200 yards using a 240-grain Mag Express Sabot.

A feature that I like in many of these in-lines is their removable breech plug. This makes cleaning so much easier than the traditional front-stuffing guns. And with the solvents available today, the job of cleaning your muzzleloader isn't the chore that it once was. Don't think that because you have a stainless steel barrel that cleaning is something that you can forego. If you use Pyrodex, try the Hodgdon EZ Clean.

Nipple Pen
At SHOT I saw another neat little tool. This one is from Otis, the people who make those super cleaning kits that you can take right into the field with you. This is called a nipple pen. It is a brass device with a retractable probe for cleaning out your flash hole in the nipple with a retractable brush on the other end, for brushing away dirt and grime. It works really well. If you can't find one in your local gun store, contact them at: Otis Technology Inc., PO Box 582, Dept. GWK, Lyons Falls, NY 13368, or give them a call at: 800-OTIS GUN. They have a website at: www.otisgun.com.

I can't think of any feature that I would want added to this T/C rifle. The weight is right. The fiber-optic sights are great. It's pretty. It's easy to clean. And it puts the bullets where I want them with magnum velocities. The retail price ranges from $330.75 to $406.81, depending on finish. Thompson/Center has produced the best yet in a production hunting muzzleloading rifle. So T/C, what are you going to come up with next?

I guess I'm going to bed now, to dream about guns, shooting, and hunting. On days like this I really like my job.

For more information on this and other Thompson/Center products, contact them at: Thompson/Center Arms Co. Inc., PO Box 5002, Dept. GWK, Rochester, NH 03866; phone: 603-332-2333; on-line: www.tcarms.com.

Remember when you contact any of these manufacturers to tell them that John at Gun Week sent you.