Encore Prohunter Question

[ccw007]

I had told my wife that I wanted an Encore Prohunter for my birthday. Well she went to a local gun store and apparently the guy there did not have many good things to say about them. He had two of them in stock and he was saying the cost was not worth it unless you just really wanted one and I can see his point there.

Now I wanted one because of the versatility of having more than one caliber, and being to convert from pistol to long gun. The 750.00 price tag for the Prohunter is steep and may be more than I want to spend. However, he told her the prohunter could not be converted from pistol to a rifle or vice versa??? Is this true? I am looking on their site and I cannot find if he was right or wrong.

Now this guy was not a min wage employee, he was the owner and my wife said he was not in anyway wanting to sell an Encore and did everything he could to talk her out of getting one for me.

 

[rbernie]

A ProHunter pistol can be converted to a rifle and back, but a ProHunter rifle cannot legally be converted to a pistol without dealing with the whole SBR thing. They *are* worth $700, under a few conditions:

• You want a single shot
• You want something versatile enough to readily switch calibers
• You don't mind buying a new scope for every barrel (still cheaper than a whole new gun)
• You don't want, now or in the future, a ShortFatMagnum
• You want, now or in the future, a rifle that can readily be shot by both right handers and left handers equally well.

They are ergonomic, well made, and sturdy and have decent aftermarket support. There are not many $700 rifles out there that can shoulder as well or display as nice a fit/finish as the ProHunter. They make SUPER field rifles where you'll be carryin' a lot and don't need a handful of fast follow-up shots (not good for close-in hog hunting but great for deer/elk). Because they're a single-shot, they are a lot shorter for a given barrel length than repeating rifles. I can get a 26" barreled Encore in a shorter overall length as my 22" 30-06 Savage. That means I get 100fps or better velocity in my Encore in most any chambering than I do in my equivalent bolt action or semiauto rifles.

I like 'em, and will probably always have at least one Encore receiver in the safe and a couple of barrels on the shelf.

 

[ccw007]

A ProHunter pistol can be converted to a rifle and back, but a ProHunter rifle cannot legally be converted to a pistol without dealing with the whole SBR thing.

I think this is what he meant but she took it that it could not physically be done. What does SBR stand for? I had been told by another FFL it did not matter how the gun started out all you had to worry about is the overall length when switching barrels from rifle to pistol, but that did not sound right either since pistols are more restricted then rifles(purchasing anyway).

 

[db_tanker]

I used to belong to a "TC only" board and this subject was beaten to death. I cannot remember the specific bill that was passed, but there is, on file, a waiver for Contenders and Encores that allow you to, if you perform the assembly correctly, no issues with this.


YMMV


D

SBR
Short Barreled Rifle

 

[rbernie]

This is the ruling that demonstrated that a Thompson/Center Arms pistol could be used to build a rifle so long as it met the legal definition of a rifle when the conversion was completed. In short - the BATF tried to assert a position that mere possession of both pistol and rifle parts constituted a violation of the NFA, in that the owner *could* assemble a short-barreled rifle if he/she put the pistol barrel on a rifle receiver with a buttstock. The court held that mere possession of these items did not constitute a NFA violation.

However, I can't fine the cites but I also recall there being several cases where the Boyz from F Troop prosecuted folks for building a pistol on a rifle frame - one a rifle, always a rifle and putting a pistol barrel on it makes it a SBR even if you remove the buttstock.

The consensus seems to be - you're legally protected if you start with a pistol and convert it to a rifle. You enjoy no such protections if you start with a rifle.

 

[Bitmap]

Is the regular, non-Prohunter Encore no longer available? It offers most of the great features of the Prohunter at a lower price.

 

[George Hill]

Prohunters are very nice rifles. I like them a lot and so do those who have ponied up the pennies for them. We can't keep them in stock. We sell out of them the same day we get them. We've got 7 on order and 6 are already spoken for.
But are they worth it? I think so.
The Prohunter's stock, similar to Benelli's Comfort Tech stock works pretty good. The Super Nova proved to me that it works, so if it works on a 12 guage, I'm sure the Thompson's stock will also work. It looks to be a better design for soaking up recoil than Benelli's.
The trick hammer thing isn't all that... i don't know... The longer barrels are nice. The muzzel loader's funnelled muzzle makes loading easier, and that's nice. Everything else is just cosmetics. But yeah... it's worth it.
I sold an Encore to the cat that does the RealTree Outdoors show on the Outdoor channel... The guy from Georgia that started RealTree... I've got a waiting list for ProHunters and this cat tells me that Thompson sent him 6 of them in different calibers.
Hey, Thompson Center - send them to me and I'll sell them and you wont have to give them away!

 

[rbernie]

Yes, you can still buy the 'normal' Encore in blue or stainless steel with walnut or plastic, er, synthetic, furniture.

 

[stellarpod]

In my experience, having snapped the trigger on several regular Encores, I find the trigger on the Pro Hunter to be substantially better than the run of the mill - right out of the box. This, along with the 1/4 turn breech plug (50cal BP), was what made me decide to buy the Pro Hunter. Perhaps I just got lucky with mine, as I have no imperative proof that T/C actually does anything different to their Pro Hunter triggers vs. the regular Encores.

BTW - There are several sites that tell how to improve the trigger on a regualar Encore for those who are so inclined.

stellarpod

 

[rbernie]

The original Encore DIY site - Mike Bellm. I have a 2 1/2lb - 3lb spring kit in my Encore, and it's actually under two pounds.


PS: Psst - I also have a Encore muzzleloader laminate stock set for sale in the Sale/Trade forum, if anyone's looking for an upgrade..