T.C. Kennon Rifle

[godogs57]

I became a fan of his guns when I was in high school. I worked at the DeKalb Firing Range in Lithonia from 1984 to 1987. Coincidentally the Newton Deputy TC mentioned earlier in this thread was my boss.....Those are some fine shooting rifles for sure and part of Georgia gun history.

come on by and I’ll let you shoot it sometime

 

[Studawg170]

come on by and I’ll let you shoot it sometime

Deal

 

[doug30143]

Just ran across this forun whie scanning the GunBroker site, seeing a T.C. Kennon gun for sale then doing a search for Mr. Kennon. Thiought i would add a bit of info but don't know if it is the same T.C. Kennon. 1n 1959/60 period I believe there was a T.C. Kennon (Gunsmith) that lived in SW Marietta, Ga. near the intersection of Powder Springs St. and the old road that led to the old County Fairgrounds. He had a small machine shop in his basement at the time and at the time i don't recall if he was also emplyeed as a machinist at the Lockheed Aircraft plant and was doing the Gunsmithing on the side or not. I think i visitsited only 3 times, 1. to talk about doing some work, 2. to bring the parts in for assembly and bluing and 3. to pick up the finished product which was to install a 18" 8mm mauser carbine barrel on a 1918 Erfurt 98-KAR receiver, head space it and drill and tap the receiver in order to sporterize it then blue all the metal parts so it would be ready for me to install a Bishop Monte Carlo mannlicher stock on it. The macchine work was great and the blue job was a beatiful deep blue I scope. We didn't talk that much but as i recall his wife was having medical problems at the time so his shop time was limited. As I said, this may be a different Me Kennon but a few years later, as I recall he was no longer there. But then i could be having Biden memory fog problem, but I do remember the name popping up in my search for a reptuable gunsmith. If anyone can correct me on this please do.

 

[HuntinDawg89]

I just stumbled upon this thread while searching for information on T.C. Kennon rifles. I inherited one from my father last year. Dad bought it in 1990 at a Safari Club International dinner (auction item). It is a .300 WinMag on what appears to be a Mauser 98 action (according to someone more knowledgeable than myself).

I was searching because I’m trying to determine the value of the gun.

 

[John Baggett]

Clarence Kennon was my cousin and he was the son of my favorite Uncle Ben Kennon. Clarence had 3 children Mickey, Bubba and Mary Catherine and Clarence's Wife was named Mary. I stayed with his Step Mom alot my Aunt Alpha who I loved so much. I remember in the Winter time when I was there she would stoke her potbelly stove with coal, sit me on her lap and read the Bible to me and had me memorize verses of which I still remember 65 years later.

 

[John Baggett]

T C Kennon was my cousin he made many guns from scrap. I would like to purchase one if possible, I was very young and I never had a chance to ask him to make me a rifle or a pistol when I was young. Please let me know. John Baggett johnhbaggett@yahoo.com

 

[John Baggett]

Hello everyone, I too google searched TC Kennon and found your form. This weekend I was able to purchase three custom rifles of TC's .
Rem. Model 1917 chambered in 300 H&H , Rem model 300 Express in 25 Krag and a Rem model 700 in 6mm Krag. All have heavy barrels and are really awesome weapons.

If any one would like to sell one of TC Kennons guns he was my cousin and would dearly like to have one for the memories. Pistol, Rifle doesn't matter. thank You John Baggett johnhbaggett@yahoo.com

 

[John Baggett]

T.C. Kennon was my cousin by marriage , he was a lot older than me but when I went I to stay with his Mother, my Aunt Alpha I would sometime wander over to his ship and watch him for a minute then leave, I don't think he liked me all that much, not sure why anyway he had 3 kids, Mickey and Bubba and a Daughter Mary Catherine. His wife Mary had passed away and I was just wondering if anybody knew what happened to them. Anyway my email address is johnnybaggett@email.com, if you find out something please let me know. Many Thanks, Johnny Baggett

 

[John Baggett]

my great grandpaw John Henry Wilkins knowed T.C. Kennon real good, my deddy had him customize a stock for his 30-06 and mount the scope

 

[John Baggett]

I'm so glad you knowed him real good...

 

[John Baggett]

Hi there! I know I'm very late replying to this thread, but I just ran across it when I googled TC Kennon. I'm honored that people remember him and his work. He was my grandfather!

I will be happy to tell you anything you would like to know. He was a great man, and he left my family with a wonderful legacy.

He was an avid outdoorsman. Not only did he love to hunt and fish, but also he loved animals and had many pets. He always had dogs and cats, but he also had horses, turkeys, quail, and an alligator. He wanted a peacock for a long time, but my grandmother put her foot down on that one.

He was an extremely gifted artist. He designed all of the guns he built, and he did all of the detail work by hand. The stock of each gun had a significance to him whether it be an animal he saw on one of his hunting trips or a pattern to help teach my cousins and me about shapes. He spent hours shaving and sanding until it was just right. He also enjoyed drawing. Most of his artwork was nature scenes that he drew with pencils or charcoal. He always drew from memory, and it would look just like a photo when he was done.

He was an officer with the Atlanta Police Department for 30+ years, and he and one of his good friends within the department started their own shop as well as The Gate City Gun Club. The original name of the shop was Kennon and Key's Rifles. Unfortunately Marion Key was killed in the line of duty, but he saved my grandfather's life that night. Several years later my grandfather was shot in the leg while he was on duty, so he wasn't able to return to patrolling. He maintained and repaired the department's weapons before he fully retired from the APD in the early 60's. About a year after retiring he moved from Atlanta to Stone Mountain. He had built a house on some family land and also built a gunshop behind the house. It was then that he changed the name to Kennon's Custom Rifles.

I was only 5 when he passed away in July of 1985, but I still have very fond memories of spending time with him down at his shop. I spent most evenings there since we lived right up the street, and he lived with us the last couple years of his life. It was my special time with granddaddy each night before I had to go home to go to bed. He stopped what he was doing, and poured us both a glass of grape juice. I would sit on his lap and he would tell me a bed time story since I would be asleep when he got home. To this day I can tell you that shop smelled like bluing, sawdust, metal, Miller High Life, and Camels. I can't think of too much more comforting.

I hope this helps. I'm really glad to know that someone who appreciates his talent and workmanship owns one of his rifles. If there's anything else you'd like to know about him, please feel free to ask.

Hi, I'm Johnny Baggett, you might remember me because I used to stay with TC's step Mom, my Aunt Alpha who lived down the driveway in the White House behind where T C (Clarence Kennon) built his house. I just wanted to know if we had ever met or not. I used to come down all the time and stay with Aunt Alpha. Aunt Alpha passed away in 1986. Anyway let me know if you remember her...