Years and years ago I bought a Thompson Center Renegade black powder rifle and hunted with it for several years. When In Line guns came into vogue I sold the Renegade and bought an in-line. There was something about that Renegade that made hunting a simple pleasure in spite of the fact that I never liked the trigger guard for the double triggers that was always getting hung up on sticks and briars while I was hunting. Soon after selling that gun Thompson Center came out with a true "hunting version of the same gun and I planned to by one of those that didn't have that ridiculous trigger guard and had a single trigger. Then just like that they stopped all production of side lock guns and trying to find one used was like finding hen's teeth.
Over the last ten years while vacationing and traveling on day jaunts and weekend camping forays I checked pawn shops and gun shops from Minnesota to Texas and from Minnesota all the way to California. Even while in Las Vegas and Laughlin I checked every shop I came to in Nevada, and Arizona. All I encountered was junk and more junk. I can not believe how poorly people care for these black powder treasures. Finally I had a guy contact me off a website that had a .54 caliber, single trigger, Renegade rifle for sale. He sent several pictures by email and this gun was exactly what I have been looking for all these years and we dickered back and forth a day or two and today the gun arrived here at home in the mail. Its absolutely a piece of art. The stock is American walnut. It has the single trigger and much more streamlined trigger guard. The buttplate is flat, not hooked like the original Renegades came with. The price, shipped no less, was $100.00 cheaper than any other gun I looked at and as it sits in this picture is in perfect, un-fired condition. To say I am a happy camper today is an understatement. I've waited almost 45 years to find this critter and final have done so.
