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Gallery
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Clock-Type Spring
Patented during the Civil War, the Mershon & Hollingsworth mechanism involved a clock-type spring wound with a fold-out handle.
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Normal Fire
The button on the winding plate is a lock-out latch that allowed "normal" revolver operation.
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Hammer Block
A manual hammer-block latch prevented the hammer from cocking while the spring was being wound.
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Assembly Button
A small tab on the latch engaged a step on the hammer. Note the hand-checkering on the latch assembly button.
In 2024, former owner Gregg Ritz purchased Thompson/Center Arms. Now the company has introduced a modern take on its classic Contender/Encore concept: the ENCORE PROHunter.
While it's certainly a saturated marketplace these days, the AR-15 has never been more popular with American firearm enthusiasts, and many manufacturers are continuing to feed the need with new options loaded with new features.