A month after announcing he had acquired the assets of Thompson/Center Arms from Smith & Wesson, T/C Arms President Gregg Ritz has a game plan. With the knowledge that there are a million Encore frames currently in the marketplace, the company’s first move is to provide support for Encore owners across the nation with new barrels.
“The barrels we make today will fit frames made in 1965, and the barrels made in 1965 will fit the frames we’re making today,” Ritz told American Rifleman.
Currently, Ritz estimates that new-production Encore barrels will be available in October 2024, with new production frames following in November. Among the new production offerings will be a slate of currently popular straight-wall cartridges, including 350 Legend, 360 Buckhammer and .450 Bushmaster. New barrels will be priced around $300.
Ritz also told NRA Publications editors that the company plans to reintroduce new models of its Icon bolt-action rifle and Triumph muzzleloader within the next 12 months. Currently, the company is focusing on moving materials out of Smith & Wesson facilities to the company’s new manufacturing location in Wabash, Ind. Ritz clarified that design and engineering work will still take place in T/C Arms’ traditional home in Rochester, N.H.
Among the immediate priorities for Thompson/Center is a focus on the company’s barrelmaking quality, long a hallmark of T/C firearms. “We’re investing millions into barrelmaking,” Ritz told American Rifleman. “Today, sub-m.o.a. just isn’t good enough.”
Ritz is one of three owners who are leading Thompson/Center into a new chapter in its history. Glenn Butcher, owner of Bass & Bucks in Wabash, Ind., also owns a portion of the company, as well as Global Precision Parts (GPP), a precision manufacturer based out of East Liberty, Ohio, with more than 155,000 sq.-ft. of manufacturing space. Ritz credits GPP with Thompson/Center’s ability to meet its aggressive production timetable. “I already have the manufacturing infrastructure,” he said.
Currently, investment-casting work is taking place at the company’s facility in Rochester, and several longtime employees have returned on both the design and manufacturing fronts to restart production. Ritz has committed to a made-in-USA focus for all of the company’s new products. For more information, visit tcarms.com.
