Any T/C Encore Pro owners out there?

Herbi1969

Well-Known Member
Hi guys,
while at the British Shooting Show at Peterborough Show ground the other year, I had a chance to handle a Thompson Encore Pro Hunter. Very light, came to the shoulder nicely. Found out that in the States T/C is quite common and well thought of. My question is, does anyone use one or had any experience of one over this side of the pond? In the two years since handling one, I've never seen one for sale on the Guntrader site. I looked at it from the viewpoint of, its fairly cheap, I could change calibres for very little money (as opposed to Blaser/Mauser/Sauer) and I fancied something a bit different. Viking Arms import them, but there appears to be very little in the way of aftersales in the UK.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
Early this year I very nearly bought a new one in .22 hornet, but the attitude of Viking Arms put me off.
When I'm spending 1k on a rifle I want the model I want, not the only one they have, and they would not quote a price on the one wanted until I had committed to buying it, and it was actually in this country.

Neil. :)
 
never actually handled one , but always quite fancied one in a small cal. .222 etc. looks light cheap and practical

Baikal also do a small single barrel rifle, anyone ever used/seen one?
 
I own a T/c Encore, all be it not the Pro Hunter. The difference being the swing hammer on the Pro Hunter. I fell in love with T/C arms years ago when I was given a copy of Jane's most powerful rifles and handguns. I bought mine secondhand from Valley arms, North Wales.

I found it on guntrader after tralling for what felt like years. I paid very little and only had it as a curiosity. I have cut the barrel to 14" and run it with a mod. Its amazing. I have had to have a floating forend made for it due to the stress on the barrel from full contact with barrel channel. Its not a tack driver but is perfectly acceptable for deer. The newer models are much safer with the introduction of a hammer block, this prevents the rifle firing should your thumb slip when cocking the hammer. With this feature I am very confident walking the woods knowing my rifle isn't cocked until I am ready to fire.

However getting spare barrel's is a PITA, I wouldn't bother with the factory barrels as they are expensive and have a bad reputation. I was trying to get hold of a bergara barrel from Spain but the importer has not had it easy with them.

There was a chap on Airgunbbs who was selling the Encore's little brother the Contender, a much sleeker action designed for the lighter calibre's. It was a colour case hardened action. I think it was put together by the now defunct Venom Custom Shop. It was in .223 iirc with beautiful wood. It never sold and was very good value at around £900.
 
It seems to me that Viking have screwed up with the Encore Pro. They promote the Icon but nothing else!
There are vey good companies providing custom barrels and trigger assemblies not to mention floating fore ends. So the aftermarket industry for TC is huge! Just look at Harley Davidson. Unfortunately getting firearm parts imported privately is as you say Scotch_egg a PITA! Getting anything imported into this country is griefy. Tried in '92 to import a Casull .454 revolver. Customs had no idea about the duty etc. They said just bring it back and we'd work it out then!??!( I was flying back from Canada) yeah right!!!
 
I have my second contender now in stainless body with blued barrels in.17rem, .22lr, 6.5JDJ, .35rem, .367mag, .357rem mag.
The first had to be handed in in 1997 as it was first registered as a .22lr pistol blued frame.
6.5JDJ is a tackdriver.
Martin
 
Hi scotch egg,
I was based in USA when I bought them and I also went along to their factory in New Hampshire but they had had a big fire so I was looking in their custom shop located next door it is called fox ridge outfitters and bought my .22lr 22 inch with forearm for 140 bucks on special.

http://www.egun.de/market/list_items.php?PHPSESSID=4184911b0a53abc1b691703700239dd6&mode=qry&plusdescr=off&wheremode=and&query=contender&quick=1

They come up often on the German market mostly as .223, 45-70 or .22lr in 10-14 inch as the shooting club members use them as an oddity. I find as a hunting gun it is very compact. I took the 6.5JDJ to Oxfordshire a few years ago after munties.
Martin
 
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