Thompson/Center Guns Up For Turkey, Muzzleloader Seasons

Zac K
by Zac K

Thompson/Center is going full-speed ahead with the reboot of its long gun lineup at the same time that it’s rebooting its Encore ProHunter pistol series. Just before turkey season starts, T/C has a new shotgun barrel option on the market, and as muzzleloader season will be here before you know it (a matter of months for deer hunters, but only weeks away for bear hunters), T/C also has an all-new option for its muzzleloader series. And the new option isn’t exactly your traditional front-stuffer, not even by T/C standards.


Thompson/Center’s comeback @ TFB:

The reboot rides on

Thompson/Center was owned by Smith & Wesson through the 2010s, but they sold the company back to outdoors personality Gregg Ritz in 2022 (S&W bought it from Ritz in 2007). While they owned the company, Smith & Wesson expanded Thompson/Center into more affordable bolt-action rifles, deviating from the break-action rifles, shotguns and pistols that made the brand so famous. Now that Ritz is back, Thompson/Center has focused on reintroducing the distinctive single-shot firearms that made it so famous with hunters worldwide.

CAPTION: Gregg Ritz [Thompson/Center]

Talking turkey

Thompson/Center is best-known for its quick-swap rifle barrels, but it also manufactured shotgun barrels for its platform. After launching several rifle options for the Encore lineup, there’s now an Encore Turkey Shotgun—they say it’s “a dedicated, purpose-built platform designed for maneuverability, balance, and tight-pattern performance in demanding spring conditions.”


Looking at Thompson/Center’s website, it looks as if they’ll have 12 gauge, 20 gauge, .410 and .410/.45LC barrels this year. The .410, 20 and 12 barrels are blued, 24 inches long and chambered for 3-inch shells. The .410/.45LC barrel is only 15 inches long. All these barrels come with a turkey choke and are priced at $450. Thanks to Thompson/Center’s quick-swap barrel design, you could simply buy one of these barrels and put it on your Encore action, instead of waiting for a whole separate shotgun purchase (for some reason, the new Encore turkey shotguns aren’t on Thompson/Center’s website yet).

New FireStick option

Thompson/Center also announced they will sell the Encore ProHunter in a .50-caliber FireStick version. This is new to Thompson/Center, as it was introduced only shortly before Smith & Wesson left the brand dormant for a few months.

If you’re familiar with the FireStick design, you know what you’re getting here: A muzzleloader where the bullet is still pushed into the barrel from the muzzle while the propellant is loaded into the rear of the chamber, from the breech. These aren’t legal in every state, but they are a very effective and somewhat safer option for muzzleloader seasons in jurisdictions where they are legal.

The ProHunter is now available with the FireStick ignition system. [Thompson/Center]

The FireStick version of the Encore ProHunter has a matte blued fluted barrel, at 28 inches long with a 1:24 twist. The barrel alone is priced at $555.


See a full list of Thompson/Center Encore calibers and configurations available here.

Zac K
Zac K

Professional hoser with fudd-ish leanings.

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