Read the page below to avoid wasting a lot of time and money and not only saving yourself a lot of frustration but realizing how great the TC interchangeable barrel systems really can be!
We provide what you need to know and what you need to do to make the TC Encore/Pro Hunter/Endeavor and Contender/G2 guns work. |
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Tech support and barrel questions:
Mike Bellm (541) 956-6938
Please leave a message & call back number. If you want me to call you back, you must speak clearly and slowly so I can understand it. My hearing is not the best.
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No barrel is any better than the rest of the gun it is put on, no matter who made the barrel , how much money you paid for it, or how much "working up a load" you do.
If you think you can assemble one of millions of barrels and thousands of frames, shoot ammo with all sorts of variables, and expect the combination to shoot every time, let alone shoot sub-moa accuracy every time you are living in a dream world.
No matter what you want to believe, it just cannot happen, and that it does happen as often as it does is a testament to the potential of the system.
There are reasons why the TC interchangeable barrel guns work great, and there are reasons why they don't as well. |
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| Follow the logic and you will see why it is necessary to go above and beyond Thompson Center policy and procedures. |
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- There is no reason to blindly waste money shipping things back and forth to the factory,
- pouring a fortune in ammo and components through a barrel trying to make it shoot when the rest of the gun has inherent problems that prevent it from ever working in the first place,
- giving up when things don't work after wasting a lot of money,
- taking a loss on barrels, or
- giving up on the system as a whole.
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There are 5 main weak points in the TC interchangeable barrel system that you can and must fix on a routine basis.
These are issues you best take care of yourself. The two last places to take these guns are the manufacturer and with few exceptions "my local gunsmith."
The average gunsmith is not specialized in the interchangeable barrel guns such as the Thompson Center Encore family and the Contender or newer G2.
Sending a TC gun or barrel back to the factory is the last thing you do and only for certain things. TC policy and procedures fall dismally short of what you need to make the system work for YOU! TC may report a barrel shoots well enough for them, but then they fail to tell you how to do it!
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Hurray for TC if a barrel shoots ok for them, but what about YOU?
How it shoots for YOU is the only thing that matters!
YOU must be enabled to make the combinations of barrel, ammo, and frame work for YOU!
The same applies to any barrel maker, production or custom. No matter how good the barrel itself is, it is going to shoot no better than the rest of the system lets it. |
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These 5 weak links in the chain are things you can routinely take care of yourself :- Fit at the hinge,
- Headspace,
- Hammer spring,
- Trigger,
- Forend
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If a barrel does not shoot then these items are likely causes:
- The lockup needs to be tightened,
- Clearance needs to be created to get the barrel off of the firing pin bushing,
- And, ultimately the barrel may need to be rechambered to correct a bad throat design, bad throat alignment, or a throat too large in diameter.
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See this page to understand the role of the throat and see examples:
What a throat is supposed to be and what you get are entirely different!
The throat is the final "forming die" where the bullet is guided into its final form before its trip down the bore. If it goes into the throat at an angle, it is thrown out of balance. It must go into the rifling with the least amount of asymmetrial distortion. |
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Below are links to just a few sample pages for the basic information you need.
Take time to glean through the small print of the extensive menu list on the left for more details and options. |
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Bellm oversized hinge pins to adjust the fit at the hinge.
It's a bit overly optimistic to expect a barrel shaking around on the frame to shoot in the same place each time. It takes both a snug fit at the hinge and snug lockup at the locking bolts to hold the barrel the same from shot to shot. |
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How to measure and correct headspace yourself
YOU must do it routinely. These guns are very sensitive to headsapce, too much or too little, and headspace changes from one box of ammo to the next, one reloading to the next. |
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Bellm stronger speedlock hammer spring
Factory hammer springs are just not strong enough, especially if a hammer extension is used, headspace is on the generous side, shooting ammo with "hard" primers, or when shooting belted magnums in particular. |
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We are THE source for Trigger Job support at whatever level you want to approach it.
See the various trigger related links below for instructions, springs, and tools to do the job yourself as a layman, a professional gunsmith, or one of our associates. |
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| Basic Trigger Job Instructions--- FREE Download |
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| Spring pliers and spring kits |
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| Bellm custom trigger/sear springs in 7 different weights |
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| Trigger jobs done for you, two shops we refer you to. |
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Pertaining to the forend:
Pillar bedding example/instructions |
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| Pillar bedded forends by Dr. Tony Gettel |
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Tune Up done for you:
YOU must still measure and maintain correct headspace. This part cannot be done for you. |
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| Complete Tuning Service done for you by David White |
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