Just so you know, there are good reasons to remove the bolt each time you clean the rifle. There will be fowling build up in that hammer and if you do not take the bolt out from time to time and clean it off, there will be rusting taking place around the hammer and under it in the breech of the rifle. If it's like most rifles, you remove the back locking lug, then take the hammer spring out, depress the trigger on the rifle and push the hammer back out of the back side of the rifle. Wipe every thing down real good and clean and just reverse the procedure to put it back together. But to each their own. I have a nipple wrench like that too and they work all right until you get a scope on the rifle. They you will see the need for the other kind. Also a little anti seize on the threads of the nipple when you put it back in goes a long way to making it easy to come back out the next time.

Contact TC like I said and they will probably send you the nipple wrench you need for free. If your scoping it it will come in handy. I have the same wrench you found and on a low scoped rifle forget it. That redfield mount is pretty high and with even a low set of rings you should be fine.

Like the previous posters said.. that wrench will most likely not work once you scope the rifle.

The stock of my rifle is not wood but with a few strokes of a file i was able to remove the plug out of the back WITHOUT having to take the whole barrel and trigger assembly out of the stock. That made cleaning a bit easier.

Doh! I sorta kinda forgot about the scope issue when I was getting the wrench. Makes perfect sense now, but I had a pretty decent lapse yesterday when I saw something that looked short enough to fit into the breech and get out the nipple that's in there now so I can finish cleaning it up.

The rear plug is removable on mine without taking the barrel and trigger assembly out of the stock. However, unless there's some other trick to it, I wasn't having much luck getting the bolt to slide out past the sear unless I took it out of the stock and put a small tool into the hole that shows the sear engagement with the trigger to pin the sear down and away from the bolt. Pulling the trigger to pull the hammer out was the first thing I tried, but no such luck. I'll play with it some more and see if I can get that to work, or if there's an easier way so that I don't have to remove the whole assembly from the stock.

Cayugad: I definitely understand what you're saying about taking the bolt out to clean, and it's something I plan on doing. My initial thought about getting the nipple out without taking the bolt out was more to do with emergency type situations, where the powder got a little damp and I had to take the nipple offand pack a little powder under it in the field. As far as the anti-seize goes...I've thus far had good luck just puttinga touch of bore butter on the threads of my Lyman GPR nipple when I thread it back in. I take it out everytime I clean, and even with a lot of range shooting without taking it off in the middle I've always been able to thread it out by hand once I initially loosen it with the wrench. Since I've got to order some other stuff anyway though, I may as well pick up some of the real anti-seize. BTW, I did call T/C, and the lady was kind enough to tell me that I needed the T/C universal nipple wrench that you guys had pointed out, and that with shipping it would cost me about $14 from them (I told her that I would get it elsewhere, as I'm already putting together an order from Midsouth and they're MUCH less expensive).

On mine inlines, leave the safety in the fire position with the bolt full closed. After removing the lock lug nut and the hammer spring, I hold the trigger back like I were firing the rifle and then slide the bolt back and out. I never messed with a Thunderhawk so there might be a different trick. I am sure the manual that T/C will send you can explain the procedure.

You will be able to get the bolt outby pulling the trigger !!!