Thompson Center's future?

[gemihur]

I wish S&W would actively solicit a firm to acquire the TC line from them and revitalize the venerable line of quality muzzleloaders and the break-action single shot line of Encore and G2 contender.
With the popularity of black rifles and high capacity magazines, America needs a sensible alternative to the 'stigma' firearms.
One bullet is all you really ever need!

 

[CH4]

I just dipped my toe into the TC world. I’ve been intrigued for decades, but apparently not enough to bite. That changed at show in August when a buddy picked up another G1 frame and the seller also had a pristine G1 with a 14” 45-70 bbl and an older Japanese Burris 2-7/TC mount for $500. I’ve since picked up 22lr and 223 bbls with Leupold scopes. I found a nice 14” 35 rem bbl with open sights and forend for $150, unfortunately it had the one-piece locking bolt; I didn’t feel like swapping it for a two-piece.

I know there’re a lot of TC goodies on the used and secondary market, but it would be nice if the iconic TC lived on.

 

[OLDSTER]

I just recently began an active search for a TC. Been intrigued for years. And when we recently hosted a Prairie Dog shoot ( invitation only ), some of the guys showed up with TCs. Fun to watch them out there with a single shot, changing barrels, and making long range shots. I'm hooked.

 

[dockmurgw]

I would like that myself. I'm a big fan of the traditional muzzle loaders they used to make...as in round ball and powder down the muzzle.

 

[mistermills357]

I had a Super Contender in a .44 Mag. and in .223 REM. It’s a fine gun.

 

[WR Moore]

I'm a big fan of the TC traditional black powder rifles....with one exception. I bought my #2 son one of their BP rifles with a stock that had much less drop and a shotgun butt plate. I'd love to be able to get a stock like that for my Hawken. There's a limit to my traditionalism.

 

[SuperMan]

Have had TCs since the 1980s and it was a real shame when the owner sold out to S&W instead of one of his employees as he was about to. It would still be here in Rochester just like S&W told everyone it would be (not).

From what I was told from people at the factory, S&W wanted TCs barrel making technology as TC barrels were some of the most accurate in the industry. They also wanted to get back into the long gun sporting/hunting market which they had done in the past and failed...and did again.

To bad TC and their employees had to pay the price....

Bob

 

[ColbyBruce]

There is a gun shop about twenty miles from my home with a good bit of TC barrels and some frames for sale, if anyone is interested.

 

[Goblin]

I’ve owned a Contender and a few barrels, and they’re fun to shoot. However, I think they have too small a fan base to make a huge stride in the market, and I can’t see anyone making an investment in trying to sell a bunch of them. I agree that it’s a shame there isn’t a bigger interest.

By the way, don’t buy into the media hype. You can shoot AR-15s one shot at a time, and they’re still a hoot.

 

[Sevens]

I have a Super 14 in .223 that is extremely accurate and enjoyable.

On the flip side, I had a 10-inch .44 Magnum barrel and that sucker was pure torture. Sold that and won't ever miss it.

Just goes to show you how much goes in to the entire recoil equation... the .44 Mag would send 240gr slugs at around 1,250fps and I hated it more than I can describe. My 460XVR sends 240gr slugs at 2,000fps and I totally love the entire experience.

Yeah, it's much heavier and the porting is fantastic. Given my experience with .44 Mag in a 10-inch Contender, I believe I would really hate that .45-70!

 

[6string]

Yeah, I miss those good old days when the original Thompson Center company was around. A more civilized time, for sure!
This recently came up elsewhere on the forum. I wrote this regarding the original Contender:

"I see they're still offered, at least on the website.
The pistol barrels are only in 12" or 14". The chamberings are mostly heavy (or really noisy) stuff, like .204 Ruger, .223, 6.8 Rem, 7-30 Waters, 30-30, 45-70. Oh, and 357 and 44 Magnum, and the 45/410.

No more 10" barrels, no more octagonal barrels.
The old model had more "Pistol friendly" cartridges like 22 Hornet, 256 Win Mag, 22 Jet, etc. In the old octagonal barrels, these offered a lot of long range performance out of a lightweight and easy to carry (and shoot!) package. Even the 30 Herrett and 7mm TC/U were relatively comfortable compared to the really heavy stuff.
Wildcats used to make up a significant portion of their chamberings.

Plus, as an aside to their muzzleloading production and woodmill, the Contender tended to come with really nice walnut grips and forends!

Maybe they just consider the newer Contender to be an afterthought or novelty you might buy to pair up with a hunting rifle??"

The entire thread is here:
http://smith-wessonforum.com/firear...n-center-g2-encore-dropped.html#post141594489
It's worth a look.


The old Contender, and the chamberings, were a handloading "fun-gun" dream. I'm not sure that sort of thinking exists as much today. Now, it's just seems to be "blast the bad guy target at 7 yards with as many holes as possible, dispersed over the largest area of the target as possible, and as quickly as possible".
And, if it's a public range, you walk away and leave the mess for someone else to clean up.
Not much of a place for a single shot pistol, is it?

Their muzzleloaders were something special, being American made, high quality, and relatively affordable. Which one (or more) of those qualities do we have to give up today???
I knew a police officer that had a T/C Patriot muzzleloading pistol.
This was a nice single shot target pistol with double set trigger. He got a real kick out of shooting it on the indoor police range. One or two shots filled the place with black powder smoke. Then he'd sit back and laugh while everyone cursed him out!

Not many folks remember that T/C even had a nice line of affordable scopes back then, too!

 

[rosewood]

I have a Super 14 in .223 that is extremely accurate and enjoyable.

On the flip side, I had a 10-inch .44 Magnum barrel and that sucker was pure torture. Sold that and won't ever miss it.

Just goes to show you how much goes in to the entire recoil equation... the .44 Mag would send 240gr slugs at around 1,250fps and I hated it more than I can describe. My 460XVR sends 240gr slugs at 2,000fps and I totally love the entire experience.

Yeah, it's much heavier and the porting is fantastic. Given my experience with .44 Mag in a 10-inch Contender, I believe I would really hate that .45-70!

The 44 in the contender is brutal. In the Encore, it is much more pleasant, the weight difference affects recoil significantly. The chamber on my 44 contender barrel was bored slightly off center. Caused it to shoot 6" left at 25 yards. You could tell it was an older barrel and I often wondered how many pawn shops and hands it went thru because it wouldn't shoot straight and no one bothered to send it in for replacement. I took advantage of their loss. Got it for a great price. S&W/TC acknowledged the problem and offered to replace it, I requested a .357 mag barrel instead, had to wait 6 months for it to be produced, but it shoots wonderfully. The Encore 44 barrel shoots 1.25 MOA. Love it also. Both are 12" barrels. Had a 15" 223 barrel for the Encore, but decided I would prefer it in the Contender and got a 14" and sold the Encore barrel, both are capable of shooting 0.5 MOA with the right loads and if I do my part.

Rosewood

 

[Buford57]

Over the years I owned 2 Contender frames. One came to me with a 10" bull barrel in .45 Colt and a choked and ribbed .357 Mag. The .45 barrel began my relationship with that cartridge, which persists to the present. I added a 10" 7mm TCU and a 14" .41 Mag with a Williams peep sight. Both were tons of fun and I learned case forming on the TCU.

I sold it when I had less time for shooting and loading, but after about 10 years picked up a bare receiver and added an octagon .22LR barrel. What I really wanted to do was get a carbine stock and barrel in .22 Hornet or 7-30 Waters but never got around to it and it, too, is now gone.

Fun guns. One shot at a time.

 

[SMSgt]

Truly loved my .30 Herrett.

 

[browningcollector]

I deer hunt here in ohio with my contender carbine. I have a super 16 in 357 maximum and a 21 inch 375 Winchester. Also my boy have a super 16 in 45/410 and a super 16 in 357 maximum

They are a fun gun and light weight. I also have a custom shop 28 gauge with vent rib. It is 21 inches long. It is great for squirrels

Kelly

 

[65Whelen]

Would hate to see the Contender/Encore go away. I've had my Contender since '80. It's Been a major part of my shooting history. 35 Remington.

 

[bwade]

I believe TC stuff is getting hotter with a lot more interest. I too just purchased a 300 Savage Encore barrel so I could shoot the 200 rounds of ammo I have. The ammo is worth the price of the barrel. Haven't messed with my TC stuff in 20 years, but the price of ammo has got me back into them. An AR may shoot one at a time, but it can shoot a lot more than that and most people do. The TC is just one at a time and will only be one at a time. S&W may see a cash cow in the making!

 

[6GUNSONLY]

Still have my beautiful old T/C Hawken . 54, built from a lot my wife have me for my birthday in 1984. Did the Contender thing for a while during the handgun metallic silhouette days, a Super 14 in . 35 Remington with an aperture sight. Have thought some about getting back into Contenders, maybe a scoped 14" in a varmint/coyote type round.

 

[NFrameFred]

On the flip side, I had a 10-inch .44 Magnum barrel and that sucker was pure torture. Sold that and won't ever miss it.

Given my experience with .44 Mag in a 10-inch Contender, I believe I would really hate that .45-70!

I think you might be surprised - I have Super 14 barrels in 44 mag and 45-70 ( the 45-70 has the muzzle brake) but have the Pachmayr 'Decelerator' grip and fore end on the frame. Admittedly, the 45-70 is a much flamethrower as a pistol but it's not the beast to shoot that the 10" tube is on the 44 mag. They're both a trip but I personally find the 45-70 more like firing a Ruger Super Blackhawk as it's more like the gun rolls up in your hand on the shot like a typical single action where the 44 mag is a straight back jolt. All I know is the deer couldn't tell any difference and lost all interest by the time the muzzle came back down from the recoil on both.

 

[MikFinkel]

Nice

I just dipped my toe into the TC world. I’ve been intrigued for decades, but apparently not enough to bite. That changed at show in August when a buddy picked up another G1 frame and the seller also had a pristine G1 with a 14” 45-70 bbl and an older Japanese Burris 2-7/TC mount for $500. I’ve since picked up 22lr and 223 bbls with Leupold scopes. I found a nice 14” 35 rem bbl with open sights and forend for $150, unfortunately it had the one-piece locking bolt; I didn’t feel like swapping it for a two-piece.

I know there’re a lot of TC goodies on the used and secondary market, but it would be nice if the iconic TC lived on.

I love the wood on that pistol!

 

[S&W629]

My TC Renegade (54cal)...from the 70s.... one of my treasured rifles. Along with its baby brother...a TC Cherokee 32...both still look brand new....but like many others I would like to see TC bring back the BP line of rifles...always wanted a TC Flintlock....but missed the opportunities till it was too late...

 

[Jebus35745]

Would be a shame to see T/C disappear but the barrel selection is down to a minimum.

Got and still have my 1970’s frame and Hunter grip. The frame now has an octagon barrel in .38 special. Have an MGM 8 3/4” barrel coming in .32 long wadcutter sometime in January/February. This is an offhand gun indoors at 50 ft. Always wanted some kind of offhand centerfire single shot. It goes with the Hammerli free pistol in .22 lr.

The second frame is attached to a .357 Max rifle barrel with beautiful grained wood. Assembled for deer hunting or 100 yd plinking. Having another barrel made in .32 Mag or .327 has been on my mind for years.

Lots of T/C barrels sell on auction sites daily and shows the popularity of the gun today. MGM & Bullberry are busy making custom barrels in wildcat calibers and standard ones. Long live T/C single shots, Larry

 

[GypsmJim]

I bought my Encore Handgun / .308 in 2003. It's been my Deer Gun ever since. I hunt in deep brush and only need 1 shot. The first time afield I took the biggest deer of my life.

Recently, I decided to get a second barrel for target shooting. They no longer carry that caliber / barrel length. I found one online. It was a NOS brand new barrel. The price was right and I was the only bidder.

My take on all this is that the demand has slowed. Everything is supply and demand. If T/C goes under it's because the crowd only cares for black plastic semis. Kinda like Hand Ejectors. Only us old guys appreciate them any more.

 

[Bald1]

I hunted a shotgun only state park for 20 yrs. Killed several with my 6” 629. But it had less range than my slug gun. So I figured I could double my range with an Encore. I got the 243 and killed a smallish buck that first yr at 145 yds. That’s not a shot I would have taken with the 870. I’ve killed groundhogs with it at 200yds. My uncle in West Virginia had a cContender in 223. As a kid I couldn’t believe how far he’d kill groundhogs with a “handgun”. I also have the .410 vent rib barrel for my encore. Great squirrel gun.

 

[Kinman]

The Thompson is far from dead, check out Bullberry Barrels. I have a Bullberry .321 Bullschuetzen that was designed by the original owner of Bullberry for the Coors bottling company for a schuetzen match they sponsored. They built 12 pistols in .321 Bullschuetzen, which is a 32-40 shortened by 3/4" and sized to .321. Its a breech loading set-up and seriously competitive at 100yds, I haven't spent nearly enough time developing the right load but feel its capable of holding an inch if I do my job.
There are other dealers out there that are supporting the older Contenders, parts are available, they are very simple to service, spring changes do wonders.

Picture of this .321 Bullschuetzen full kit with T/C carrying case

 

[malph]

The Thompson is far from dead, check out Bullberry Barrels. I have a Bullberry .321 Bullschuetzen that was designed by the original owner of Bullberry for the Coors bottling company for a schuetzen match they sponsored. They built 12 pistols in .321 Bullschuetzen, which is a 32-40 shortened by 3/4" and sized to .321. Its a breech loading set-up and seriously competitive at 100yds, I haven't spent nearly enough time developing the right load but feel its capable of holding an inch if I do my job.
There are other dealers out there that are supporting the older Contenders, parts are available, they are very simple to service, spring changes do wonders.

It's great to see Bullberry back in operation.

 

[BB57]

Metallic handgun silhouette competition was a big driver of Contender popularity, not just for those who actually shot it, but for those interested in the sport and in handguns useful for shooting plates informally.

IHMSA is still a thing, but it’s not as prevalent or as publicized as it used to be and is only shot in a comparatively small number of states with many of those only having a handful of matches. Matches tend to center around specific clubs with a few to several members who keep it alive.

Handgun hunting also helps, but many states don’t allow handgun hunting, Most of those that do allow it lump it into the rifle season, where the hunter is at a disadvantage and has no incentive to use a handgun.

The limited barrel offerings currently available don’t offer the appeal of many of the older calibers.

I used to shoot silhouette with a .45 Win Mag and a 7mm TCU, and 7mm TCU was a superb cartridge in a 14” Contender. A hand loader only proposition but a very flexible one with easy case forming operations and accurate fire forming loads with both cast and jacketed bullets. And it did well on deer sized game as well as on silhouettes.

The .223 Rem can be extremely accurate in a 14” Contender (1/4 MOA), and is an excellent Varmint and predator round in a Contender. But it’s very loud and the .22 Hornet offered about 2/3rds the range with equal accuracy and a lot less noise.

——-

I still have a contender with 14” barrels in .223 and .30-30, but I’m down to one frame and two barrels, a pale shadow of what I used to own and shoot.

 

[max503]

My 10" Hornet and 10" 22 LR Match barrels are the two most accurate firearms I have ever shot.

 

[servmgr64]

For Christmas in 1977 my wife got me a Contender in .22 hornet. I have since added 22lr,30-30, 45colt, & 45/410. When I "needed" a muzzle loader I bought an Encore rifle in 50 cal. Have since added .22lr, 22 hornet, 25-06, & 30-06. Love both Thompson products. I just put the 50 cal on the Encore for my son for late black powder season here.

 

[Kinman]

The only other Thompson I own, this one I have set up with a Bullberry barrel in 45/70. Has an older Leupold 2.5-8 EER pistol scope, intended for deer and bear under 100yds. Have developed a 350gr. Hornady bullet load that is very accurate and provides excellent results.