I been wanting , looking at, eyeballing a Thompson Center Encore -system for a long time, MANY guns , one trigger /receiver, but never found a good used one local, Until yesterday. Local Pawnshop/LGS has a Stainless Encore with 2 barrels, a 50 cal ML , and a 300 Win Mag barrel, Looks good in pic, Is $500 a decent price? Seems about right. Jim
Yeah it is a good price,I've been using a G2 Contender for about 15-20 years now and the barrels alone are over $300 new last I heard,don't recall what the new frames are going for now days.
Does anybody know if I can take that Encore frame and use a Pistol grip, and pistol barrels on it? I think I can but not sure. If I can, that means I could sell every gun I own and just replace them all with barrels...:cheesy: Jim
Don't know about the Encore. I do know that some of the old fox hunters round here used to use T/C pistols in .223. Said it was easy to keep loaded in the truck, ready for action. As far as the Encore goes, the only thing I've heard is they're not accurate enough for varmint hunting but fine for deer and the like. I've never shot one.
Jim, I really like the T/C. Not the Encore so much as the Contender. I think they are beautiful guns in the walnut/blues configuration. A gun store near here has the Contender G2 frame for $268. One of the features I liked about the Contender is the ability to switch from handgun to rifle. I never owned one but shot several when I frequented IHSMA shoots. This is a qualified I don't really know, but when I was searching the web for what barrels were available and came across a site that said if you changed a contender pistols to a rifle, you could not legally convert it back to a pistol again. He even posted a link to the letter from the BATFE stating as much. I will try and find it again. That takes some of the allure away. Used to be if you purchased it as a pistol you could switch back and forth.
That's good to know, Gives me something to research. I wonder if that holds true with the Encore. I would assume it does. Don't make sense to me that you can buy any barrel or grip available for handgun and rifle to make the Encore whatever I want, but could be illegal. Yeah that does kinda dampen my spirit somewhat, I would need to frames...one dedicated to rifle barrels, and one to handgun barrels. Jim
Thanks Greg, After reading all of that and the replies, of the forum . I am still confused as to how or why they even could ever prove and prosecute anyone for swapping back and forth. Even if I had 2 frames , how cold they prove or determine that I had swapped either one for the other.. Stupid Gov agency. I don't think at this point , I need the headache. Jim
Years ago when they made a frame it could be declared as a "pistol" frame,a "rifle" frame or not declared as either when it came out of the factory but I'm not sure now. I started out with a pistol frame that I'd convert back and forth but decided after quite a few years to get a rifle frame and leave the pistol as a pistol and the rifle as a rifle. Unless you do something stupid with it and get in trouble with the law or game warden I doubt you'll have any trouble,I've been using them for decades with no troubles.
I tinkered with 2 Contender frames starting back in the late 70s. Had up to 8 barrels for a while. Never did get around to getting the carbine kit was was offered later. I was shooting mostly a .44 mag "Super 14" barrel and had a 10" one too. Also had a .30 Herret barrel that shot well. The intent was to do the long range steel animal shooting. However, it never caught on here very well. So, eventually I sold the frames and all the barrels in the late 80s. The barrels started getting too expensive. When I got the things, the frames cost me 80 bucks each used and barrels could be had for 30 to 50 bucks used. They were all over the gunshows. By the time I quit shooting the guns, used barrels in larger cals. were getting up to 125. Way more than I wanted to spend on single shot stuff.
I picked up a TC 22 auto last summer and it is smooth and very accurate, not in production but very high quality. I would think that follows through in Contenders.
Phideaux. I have three Encore frames and several barrels. I bought one from the local gun store in the pistol configuration. It is a 12" 7-08 and it is a sub moa gun at 100 yards. I hand load the 120 ballistic tip with a dose of 3031. But the point is I switch barrels all the time and what i understand from the ATF is as long as you do not use the shoulder stock on the pistol barrel you are fine. Shoot the thing till your heart is content and get a pistol barrel and have fun!
