Thompson/Center Arms is known for two things. One is establishing the American-made muzzleloading market starting in the early 1970s. The other is the Contender, a modular and barrel-switching single-shot system that could be configured as a rifle, handgun or shotgun, which was later expanded to the Encore line capable of accepting higher-pressure cartridges. The original company was sold to Smith & Wesson in 2007 and subsequently phased out. In 2024, former owner Gregg Ritz purchased the company back and returned it to its Rochester, N.H., birthplace. New for 2026, the company has introduced and expanded the modern take on the Contender/Encore concept: the ENCORE PROHunter.
Thompson/Center bills the ENCORE PROHunter as “the complete shooting system.” It is centered around a single-shot, break-open action with an external hammer that has been given many updates. The receiver is made of bead-blasted stainless steel. Trigger and sear assembly have been tuned for cleaner and more consistent pull with a 3- to 5-pound weight and given a nitride finish. The firing pin bushing is also given a nitride coating for corrosion resistance.
Safety is provided by an automatic hammer block with bolt interlock and the hammer’s spur will swing to either side for right or left-handed use. The stock and forearm are made of over-molded composite with FlexTech technology. Combined with a LimbSaver AirTech recoil pad, the company claims a 70-percent reduction in felt recoil.
The ENCORE PROHunter line-up includes centerfire rifle, muzzleloading rifle, shotgun and handgun configurations. The Centerfire Rifle has a 26-inch stainless steel barrel with a button-rifled bore, brush-honed chamber and match-grade crown. Barrels are precision-fluted and have their muzzles threaded for attaching suppressors or other muzzle accessories. Available chamberings range from 22 ARC to .45-70 Gov’t. PROHunter centerfire rifles come supplied with a Picatinny optics rail and have an MSRP of $1,000.
The muzzleloading version of the PROHunter is available in two configurations. Both use Thompson/Center’s Quick Load Accurizor (QLA) System, which uses a counterbored muzzle to make bullet seating easy and to enhance long-term accuracy and have 28-inch fluted barrels. The PROHunter XT uses the company’s hand-removable Speed Breech XT that removes with a 90-degree rotation and has gas compression rings to minimize fouling and a series of opposed locking lugs to prevent seizure.
The breech plug is nitride coated to prevent corrosion and galling and uses a 209 primer ignition system. The PROHunter XT comes with a Power Rod solid aluminum loading rod with integrated, low-profile, pivoting T-handle, is available in .50 and .45 calibers, can handle loads of up to 150 grains of powder and has an MSRP of $1,130.
The PROHunter FireStick uses a Federal FireStick loading system. It is available in .50 caliber and retails for $1,150.
Two shotgun versions of the ENCORE have been introduced. For turkey hunters, there is the PROHunter Turkey Shotgun. The shotgun has a Mossy Oak Original Bottomland camouflage finish on the furniture and a Moss Green Cerakote finish on metal parts. Barrels are 24 inches long and have adjustable sights with fiber optic inserts and an extended Xtra Full choke tube.
The shotgun is available chambered in 12 ga., 20 ga. or .410 bore (all with 3-inch chambers) and retails for $1,000. For the hunter who uses shotgun slugs, the PROHunter Rifled Slug Gun is available in either 12 ga. or 20 ga. (both with 3-inch chambers) and has the precision rifled and chambered barrel as the centerfire rifle. The MSRP for the Rifled Slug Gun is $1,020.
The ENCORE PROHunter Pistol is available as a frame assembly with an SST/rubber grip and fore-end. Barrels are sold separately. They are 15 inches long, made of fluted stainless steel and are available chambered for cartridges ranging from 22 ARC to 350 Legend. The frame assembly has an MSRP of $530 and barrels retail for $410.
Additionally, Thompson/Center has re-introduced Contender barrels, matte blued ENCORE barrels and compact 20-inch ENCORE Katahdin barrels. For more information, see the company’s website.
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