we finally got a Thompson/Center dealer in my country, and i'm very curious about them.

but how does they function, i will use it under rough conditions on open sea, in the winter above the arctic circle, for seal hunting.

are there any known problems or malfunctions with the T/C encore?

Check out the Bellm web site, it'll give you an idea of the problems they have and how to deal with them.

http://www.bellmtcs.com/

http://www.6mmbr.com/BellmEncore.html

The Encore is a gun built on a very simple concept. If you do run ito a problem, it will be minimal and easily remedied.

The site wrongtarget alluded to is more for fine-tuning and getting the most out of your Encore (or Contender) than anything related to "problems." Those who do repeatedly have trouble with them really don't understand the concept or how to reload for them for top performance.

And on the Bellm site, there's tons of good info there.

I've used them for years and love 'em, particularly the Contenders.

Any gun can have a malfunction. In my opinion, Thompson/Center Encores and Contenders are no more likely to have a malfunction than any other. I have had problems with a couple of barrels (out of 20+ barrels I've had over the years) which were fixed free by Thompson/Center.

I've been shooting Encores and Contenders for years and have taken ALL of my big game animals with one or the other. If I didn't really like them, I wouldn't be using them.

Mike Bellm's site has a lot of good information. In some respects though, it's a bit pessimistic. Although the Encore trigger is better after a trigger job (Mike Bellm has done two for me), they are perfectly usable without one just like most other guns.

For the purpose you intend to use one for, I would go with the composite stock and a stainless steel barrel and frame. The open sights on Encore rifle barrels are a bit pathetic as far as I'm concerned in that you have to loosen 2 small screws and reset it by hand for elevation adjustments. If you're going to use a scope, which I'd recommend, then you avoid the chintzy open sights issue.

Encore and Contender accuracy is also great. All of the cartridges I reload for except the 375 H&H Mag. barrel I used to have, would group at 1 inch or less at 100 yards. The 375 H&H Mag. did about 1.5 to 2 inches.

Most T/c stuff you love or hate. I have 2 encore, 2 g1 & 1 g2 contender frame. I have had throuble with both g1 frames & probably 30% of the barrels that I have owned. T/C has great customer service so they have fixed all my problems. All of my Encores & the g2 frame came with 8# triggers but this is easily fixed with Bellim springs. You need to realize that they are not Merkle quality but are a simple working guns. I have carried Contender carbines a good bit & like them very much. I am seriously thinking about getting out of the encore platform because bolt actions just work better in higher powered loads. If I was starting out in europw I wouls buy a g2 ss frame with a composit stock 22lr, 223 & 30-30 barrels & see how I like them.

I had a problem with the Hammer spring on my encore - it weakened and would not always hit the primer hard enuff to fire the round - send it to T/C and they replaced it - had it back 2 1/2 weeks after I shipped it


PS: this problem took 2 years to show up.

I have no reliability complaints with regard to my Contender (pre-G2, which I suspect will be even more reliable) or my Encore. I've run both in sub-freezing temperatures, though not arctic conditions.

They are very reliable, simple operation and easy to clean and to repair. I have 4 Contender frames and 2 Encores that serve a dozen barrels.
Only had one broken spring, easily replaced it myself. Have stripped the contents of a frame to lighten the trigger pull and reassembled it in about 30 minutes, not including stoning the parts. Contender frames generally have excellant triggers. Encore trigger pull tends to vary some between guns but it's replatively easy to replace the spring that lightens pull if necessary. Bellam site has complete instructions for same. They look a bit wierd to some but the ergonomics are great with scope. Same gun can be made into rifle, shotgun,
muzzloader and even handgun by changing stocks and barrel. Contender and G2 (not Encore) can even be made into rimfire.

The only problem I ever heard of had to do with the walnut stock. There is no way to cut a walnut blank so that a TC stock carries the grain of the wood through the wrist, and they are weak in that area. Since you intend to use your gun in the salt spray, you probably didn't intend to buy the walnut stock anyway.

Hello Steffen

I've had a T/C Encore, and it was a fine firearm, however it is nowhere close in reliability or ruggedness to good bolt action such as a 98 Mauser or the like. It has many small internal parts, some that are absolutely dependant on lubrication to function. If you don't live in the good old USA then the great TC customer service these good folk speak of isn't worth much, usually its too much hassle for a dealer to return a rifle to the US for repair.

I'm not trying to put you off, just make sure that you have a variety of views.

Cheers - Foster