They’ve done a lot over the years and they still have a lot more to give to the shooting community. So here is a look at Thompson Center firearms, though I wouldn’t presume to include every detail in this review. Also, the Contender was quite unique, and the ability to change calibers in a matter of seconds appealed to a large number of shooters – hunters and outdoorsmen alike. Many shooters and firearm aficionados give credit to Thompson Center for bringing back muzzleloading firearms in the 1970s (if in fact there was even a need for a comeback). Quite coincidentally, right after that manufacturing plant was relocated to MA, Thompson Investment Casting opened up in Rochester, and it continues to manufacture and distribute metal products to different companies, including Smith & Wesson. Several years after that purchase, S&W announced they were moving the original Thompson Center facilities from Rochester to Springfield, MA. The partnership lasted a good while, and in 2007 Thompson Center was bought by Smith & Wesson. Thompson Tool company changed its name to Thompson/Center Arms (often abbreviated as Thompson Center or T/C), and went about marketing the Contender in earnest. Thompson and Center came to the conclusion that it would be in their best interests to team up, and in 1967 the Contender was introduced to the market. About that time, Warren Center – a pistol designer – was looking for a manufacturer to build his own design: a break-action single-shot pistol, called the Contender, which boasts multi-caliber capabilities. Thompson Tool Company of Rochester, NH, was looking for a product to manufacture year-round. So, who are the Thompson Center Arms company, and what are they about? Sidebar – anyone remember that gag in The Simpsons where Homer was supposed to be Mr. Someone buys a losing lottery ticket, and, well… those are just the odds, man, roll with it. Someone loses his grip on the stock and shoots wild, and they are also quick to blame the firearm. Someone has a bad experience with handloading, and they’re quick to blame the firearm’s mechanism. It seems to me that with Thompson Center, it’s another case of a company getting a bad rap through no real fault of their own. Well, welcome to our Thompson Center review. But it is comforting to know that you can get a good deal that is actually good, and buy a respectable rifle for that kind of money. 22 LR – which costs under $200 – is one which many would automatically dispel or balk at, simply based on the price. At a glance, the words “budget rifle” may have some negative associations or connotations.
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