Problems with new T/C Encore Endeavor

[BackCountry]

I purchased a new Thompson Center Encore Endeavor 209X50 muzzle loader for this up coming elk season. I received it on 8/29 and took it to the range the next day. While attempting to sight it in, I could not get the elevation to come up any higher than 6" low at 50 yds without having the adjustment screw and spring pop out when the gun was fired. Upon examining the barrel, it appeared that the last 7" are bent down aprox. 1/8". Sighting down the barrel it also appears that it is curving down over the last 7". With a straight edge placed on the top and bottom of the barrel, the bend was obvious.

I took the gun back to the gun shop on my way home and they were baffled. Since it is a FFL purchase they said I needed to get into contact with T/C directly. Tuesday after labor day I tried to get in touch with them all morning, when I finally got through and explained the situation they said I needed to send in the gun to their custom shop. I explained that I needed it for hunting in one week and that they just needed to send me a new barrel. They insisted that I send in the whole rifle so that they could test fire it. I shipped it to them as fast as I could at a cost of $85 for two day air with a promise from customer service that they would have it back to me by 9/9 the day I am supposed to start packing into hunting camp.

Well here it is 9/9 and I spent an hour trying to get a hold of the customer service dept. When I finally got through I was told that they had received the gun on 9/4 with priority written on the shipping notice and they had just taken into the shop TODAY. I explained that they had promised to get it back by today. The lady said she would talk to the tech and see if he could hurry things up. So now I wait, instead of packing into camp, for my rifle.

I must say I am disappointed in both the quality control and the customer service that I have received so far. I hope I will have a rifle to go hunting with before opening day (Saturday) but I fear I may be disappointed.

Upon asking around, I found a brother of a friend who just bought the exact same gun two weeks before me and also had a bent barrel. Just wanted to share my experience with others who may be thinking of buying a T/C rifle and see if others have had a similar experience. I would expect more from a Smith & Wesson company. I never had problems with the original T/C company.

I will post an update with a final resolution to this issue. I hope they will also reimburse me the $85 shipping since they sold me a defective (and potentially dangerous) firearm to begin with.

 

[mykeal]

Sorry for your problem with the gun.

T/C has always had a reputation for quality products and superb customer service. This situation is an anomaly so far; hopefully it won't become a characteristic.

What was your brother's friend's experience - I assume he sent his gun back to T/C also.

 

[Voodoochile]

Hmmm this is a little disturbing especially for being T/C which has allways had a reputation of quality & service.

I hope that they get your rifle to you soon & they make it right.

 

[frontiergander]

tc has horrible sights on their rifles. The click style sights are a problem, even with my tc. They tried telling me to send in the barrel for replacement and i just laughed and told them i'll deal with it my self.

You sure the barrel is not tapered and not actually bent?

ALWAYS have at least 1 extra muzzle loader on hand that is cheaper but a good shooter and doesnt let you down!

I just picked up a cva optima in a trade and guess what, My TC Omega is up for sale.

If you are hunting colorados muzzy season, you are cutting it very thin! You better hope to high hell that the tc you get back will shoot conicals!

 

[arcticap]

You're not the only one who has experienced a problem with their new TC. But then any firearm, no matter the cost or maker can have [serious] imperfections. But it's mainly just a a major inconvenience to deal with in order to correct it. At least with many of the TC flaws, they seem to be quality control problems rather than design flaws which seem to characterize one of the other "famous" U.S. made muzzle loader makers in recent years.
I hope that your problem is resolved satisfactorily before you leave on your hunting trip. Maybe the gun shop has a used muzzle loader that you can use for a small fee, even if you have to buy it and then trade it back in afterward.

There were a couple of other cases posted here on THR about problems with new TC's. Unfortunately the pictures from one thread have already been removed from the poster's photo host. But that gun's rifling problem was very noticiable from the pictures that were posted there.

1. http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=280251&highlight=omega

The problem with the Omega's Weathershield finish is described in post #5 in the thread below:

2. http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=377188&highlight=omega

 

[BackCountry]

I have not heard the resolution to my friends brothers situation with his rifle yet.

I am sure that the barrel was bent, if you put a straight edge on the top of the barrel (in front of the sights, past the taper) it ran flat on the barrel until the middle ram rod lug and then sloped downwards for the next 7". Placing a straight edge on the bottom of the barrel showed the barrel bent downward also, producing a gap along the center section of the straight edge and touching only at the front and back. Sighting down it, you could see the fluting bending down the last 7". I can't believe the T/C would install a sight that is absolutely unusable on and expensive rifle. My other T/C sights are fine right in the middle of it's elevation adjustment. That is what got me examining the barrel in the first place.

I am sure they will get it fixed, I am just a little frustrated with the fact that it is taking longer than I had hoped, especially when they promised to get it back quickly. I still have my T/C Hawken flintlock that I have had for over 20 years. I am looking forward to going to the dark side and using an in-line weather proof gun that will get me out past 70 yards and has fiber optic sights that my aging eyes can see better. The Hawken has harvested many animals, but I am ready for something that does not beat me up with it's brass butt plate like my old gun.

The gun shop said that we could try different sights and see if we could fix it that way. I was more concerned that I indeed had a bent barrel so I decided to send it in and have that fixed first. If this doesn't take care of the problem and T/C says they have corrected the barrel problem then I will change out the sights.

T/C has always made a good product in the past, this is not my first rifle from them. I hope to get it back and sighted in this week, if not I will have to stick with the old flintlock for now.

 

[BackCountry]

Partial Conclusion

T.C. finished with the rifle on 9/10 in their shop and shipped it that day, overnight air back to me. I received it 9/11 by 10:30 am (I would call that fast, because I live in the sticks). I opened it up and sure enough they had replaced the barrel with a straight one. They test fired the gun and stated that it was shooting 2" low at 100 yds with 100 gr. pyrodex pellets and a sabot round. I immediately took it to the range and proceeded to put 25 rounds though it. Yes my shoulder hurts. It was indeed 2" low and 4" left when I received it. A little adjustment of the sights and I am now getting 4" groups @ 100 yds. that are 2" high. Shooting between 25 yds and 150 yds. all shots are in the kill zone on a big animal. I took it back by the range to double check today and on the first shot was within 1" of the bulls eye at 100 yds. The first shot is always the best, before my shoulder gets too beat up. 3 more shots all placed in a 4" group of the first shot - I am firing hand cast 375 gr Maxi-Balls with 120 gr Gold Pioneer Powder. Short of putting the gun in a lead sled and seeing what it can really group, I am happy with the results.

I have to thank T.C. for getting this resolved quickly - before I go elk hunting tomorrow morning - and shipping the gun back to me overnight. They were on top of replacing a defective product quickly enough as to not affect my hunting. I hope they will reimburse me for the $85 shipping I had to spend to get it to them, but I will work on that after I get back from hunting next week.

 

[BackCountry]

As a follow up, I got my Elk. About 125 yds slightly down hill in heavy wind. One shot - double lung, right where I aimed it. Went down immediately and never got back up - 200+ lbs of meat in the freezer.

Thanks T/C for getting a straight barrel on my rifle and back on my hands quickly enough to get me out for my hunting season.

 

[arcticap]

It was a race to the finish, but at least your barrel was no longer shooting downhill because it was bent.

Congratulations on shooting the elk, well done!

 

[Mr Bernoulli]

If you guys saw from the threads that someone posted earlier I had a problem with my Omega z5 with weather sheild. They did replace my sabots for me but more than that when it finally got in the shop I got a call at like 6:30 in the morning and the guy had just checked it and told me for my troubles they were going to give me my pick of stock too so I got a laminate stock. They also sent me a hat. Pretty good I think for a crappy coated barrel that rusted. That was the best part though going from a synthetic black plain jane stock to the laminate. I am very happy and have no problems with it thus far.

 

[Wildfire]

Wow !

Hey There:
Glad ya got your Elk.
I shoot an Encore and have for some years now. Mine is a hole ragger and always has been. I have not been able to get accuracy with heavy lead bullets. Or the clean burn powders. But if you are useing open sights and can do 4" at 100. That is better then I can see. Mine is scoped here in Michigan and will shoot 1/2" groups. I love mine. it has killed many many deer for me now. Mine is an older one and I put the new Pro hunter stock on and it reduced recoil by at least the 43% that they claimed it would. Recoil is not an issue any more.