Thompson Center / TC Arms returning

[neeltburn]

Gregg Ritz from Huntmasters TV / Wild Communications is leading a "group" that has acquired TC Arms from Smith and Wesson. Prior to the 06 purchase by S&W they had a great smoke stick (My TC Omega is a tack driver for a smoke pole). Ritz was a former CEO of TC which makes me wonder if he left the company prior to the 06 sale. Website states new product line coming 2025. I wouldn't be mad if the Contender made a return.

https://www.guns.com/news/2024/05/02/thompson-center-arms-is-back

 

[Ronws]

Gregg Ritz from Huntmasters TV / Wild Communications is leading a "group" that has acquired TC Arms from Smith and Wesson. Prior to the 06 purchase by S&W they had a great smoke stick (My TC Omega is a tack driver for a smoke pole). Ritz was a former CEO of TC which makes me wonder if he left the company prior to the 06 sale. Website states new product line coming 2025. I wouldn't be mad if the Contender made a return.

https://www.guns.com/news/2024/05/02/thompson-center-arms-is-back

They are not showing any guns, just accessories.

 

[nagantguy]

Let’s hope they resurrect a legacy company . Summer 1987 I saw a t/c contender add with a man shooting woodchucks over a bean field .
Made we want to become a great woodchuck hunter and a contender owner .
Have done a decent job at the first one and since I own a contender and a handful of barrels - looks like I aced the the second !
Also love the encore - the 209x50 is the muzzle loader I keep coming back to . Just pleasant shooting and consistent.
Made lots of meat with it . The 45/70 encore barrel has moved on but the 7mm mag and the 7 Mauser barrel are also pretty good shooters .
Large doe taken with contender in .357 max at roughly 75 yards with 210 grain cast bullet and on MP brass 6 cavity mold .

 

[neeltburn]

They are not showing any guns, just accessories.

Let’s hope they resurrect a legacy company . Summer 1987 I saw a t/c contender add with a man shooting woodchucks over a bean field .
Made we want to become a great woodchuck hunter and a contender owner .
Have done a decent job at the first one and since I own a contender and a handful of barrels - looks like I aced the the second !
Also love the encore - the 209x50 is the muzzle loader I keep coming back to . Just pleasant shooting and consistent.
Made lots of meat with it . The 45/70 encore barrel has moved on but the 7mm mag and the 7 Mauser barrel are also pretty good shooters .View attachment 8410288
Large doe taken with contender in .357 max at roughly 75 yards with 210 grain cast bullet and on MP brass 6 cavity mold .

Ronws: I think that the firearm line is coming 2025 so I would anticipate announcements to follow soon.


nagantguy:
I missed out on the contender, and largely regret not getting an Encore when I had the chance. That said I have a TC Black Diamond that holds a lot of special memories afield. As well as a TC Omega that has stacked a lot of deer. I only quit hunting primarily with it when Indiana allowed centerfire rifles and suppressors on private land. If I choose to hunt public that Omega is the top of the list.

 

[Ronws]

I have a TC Compass II in .308 W. It shoots very nice and lives up to the factory guarantee of 1 MOA on the first 3 shots. The first two out of that barrel with ammo it didn't particularly like was .54 inches dispersion. That was Hornady SST 150 gr. I eventually went to Federal Fusion 165 gr. Even though the stock was okay and had aluminum pillar bedding, I moved it to an Oryx chassis. That is what is in my avatar. It's not a "sniper rifle." It is a hunting rifle.

 

[neeltburn]

I have a TC Compass II in .308 W. It shoots very nice and lives up to the factory guarantee of 1 MOA on the first 3 shots. The first two out of that barrel with ammo it didn't particularly like was .54 inches dispersion. That was Hornady SST 150 gr. I eventually went to Federal Fusion 165 gr. Even though the stock was okay and had aluminum pillar bedding, I moved it to an Oryx chassis. That is what is in my avatar. It's not a "sniper rifle." It is a hunting rifle.

I only have front loader experience with TC but from what I have read and observed they were the gold standard with Knight at the time being the largest competitor. I have heard that the Compass overall shot better than it ever should have for the money but never shot one to know first hand.

 

[Atomic_Lobster]

I want a TC Contender Carbine in 30-30win
Shot one with a 21 inch barrel
Was a great shooter with 170gr cast

 

[Ronws]

I only have front loader experience with TC but from what I have read and observed they were the gold standard with Knight at the time being the largest competitor. I have heard that the Compass overall shot better than it ever should have for the money but never shot one to know first hand.

Well, it ticks a lot of people off to see something like a TC shoot well. I paid $404 + tax (S&H free because of a July sale at guns.com) + $35 transfer fee.

That just pisses people off.

 

[anon]

45 ACP Hunter Silhoutte in a 10" Contender was a riot more than 20 years ago. The gun was almost down by my side when the bullet finally got to the rams.

 

[GoingTheDistance]

Loved my Contender! This is from back in the 80's. Had 2 barrels: 7x30 Waters (pictured) and a 16" .223

 

[Blue Sky Country]

Thompson Center Encore was the company's flagship response to the all purpose and versatile Hoyt dovetail mounting system AKA international limb fit recurve bows that began to dominate the hunting sphere in the 1980s. The end result was a single shot rifle platform that enabled a shooter with one rifle to use almost every existing centerfire caliber on the market and adapt from a wide range of rifle oriented sports with one swap of a barrel.

 

[Mike Casselton]

I love my TC Contenders.

Once you shoot a center grip Remington XP-100, the Contenders get left in the safe.

In a bout of mid-divorce stupidity, I let mine go.
My oldest daughter has never let me forget that.

Smart girl.

 

[Ronws]

A nice thing about the TC selections. They never intended or claimed to be something they are not. The purely advertise these as hunting weapons.

So, for me, on a good day, a rifle and me should hopefully be capable of 1 MOA dispersion. Even though my Compass II shot .54 inches, I still think of it as a 1 MOA in the first 3 rounds gun. I will not be shooting at a deer more than 3 times. More likely, 2 times. They don't usually stick around for the third shot and that is usually a hail mary at a target now moving at 30 mph and sideways.

 

[Mike Casselton]

And yet, they would shoot better than most rifles in the hands of a capable pistol shooter.

 

[dustingaunder]

 

[muzzleloader]

Although not TC barrels, I have an Encore with a 357 max and a 6.5 Swedish barrels. Also the muzzleloader barrel. Would be interesting in a re issue Contender.

 

[dpw4x4]

Well there was a update video posted on you tube today, that looks really promising on what they are looking to do.

 

[mosin46]

they made some pretty nice affordable centerfire rifles as well. they didn't seem to take off. same as crim trace rifle scopes. just never flew.

 

[XikoPlavi]

I still have 3 TCs. 2 G2s and an encore.
The biggest thing is if anyone is still making custom match barrels for them anymore? Bullberry used to but the guy died a while ago. JD jones used to but I wouldn’t deal with him.

The stock barrels they used to make were not that great

 

[EddieNFL]

I love my TC Contenders.

Once you shoot a center grip Remington XP-100, the Contenders get left in the safe.

In a bout of mid-divorce stupidity, I let mine go.
My oldest daughter has never let me forget that.

Smart girl.

When we last moved I found a box of IHMSA trophys from the 80s and 90s. A Contender chambered for 7TCU cleaned up in production class and a center grip 7BR XP100 took a lot of unlimited metal. They resided in the safe for years after the eyes and spine gave up. I sometimes miss them, but I know I could not do them justice.

 

[EddieNFL]

I still have 3 TCs. 2 G2s and an encore.
The biggest thing is if anyone is still making custom match barrels for them anymore? Bullberry used to but the guy died a while ago. JD jones used to but I wouldn’t deal with him.

The stock barrels they used to make were not that great

My 10" 7TCU would bang sub MOA with GC cast bullets. Paid $75 for the barrel, Redding dies and box full of formed brass and bullets from a very disgruntled shooter at a match. Went to the same match the next month and shot a 40X40. The seller wouldn't look at me.

 

[nagantguy]

My 10" 7TCU would bang sub MOA with GC cast bullets. Paid $75 for the barrel, Redding dies and box full of formed brass and bullets from a very disgruntled shooter at a match. Went to the same match the next month and shot a 40X40. The seller wouldn't look at me.

7tcu and 7/30 Waters - something about those rounds in a 10-12 inch Contender just seem to produce magic .

My 12 7/30 barrel hasn’t ever been fed a bullet /load combo that it didn’t like . Seriously- using a round hat bale for a blind/ rest there is no safe zone for crows or woodchucks .
I’ve not given that barrel it fair share of field time in a while . I’ll have to remedy that after next hay cutting