Anyone else have this problem with an Encore frame?

[trickyasafox]

Hi all- My dad owns a TC- Encore. It has had somewhere in the neighborhood of 200-250 rounds through it. a mix of 223, 50 cal muzzle, and 7mm-08. the last 50-60 rounds or so the gun will not ignite primers reliably in any caliber. I've tried factory ammo, different primers, nothing seems to be working.

I called thompson today and asked for a replacement hammer spring, but i'm not sure if thats it. I'm nervous to try to smooth the sides of the hammer and such because i honestly don't know much of anything about working with hardened steel and i really don't want to screw it up.

do you guys have springs go bad on you with these now and again? i think it was more fluke than anything, but i wanted to ask . . .

[danski26]

I have had very good service with T/C in the past. Maybe give them a chance to make it right first? Send the rifle back to them for repair?

[trickyasafox]

I'll send it back in if the spring doesn't clear it up. I just wanted to try to get it to make it through hunting season. Last time i sent them a barrel the turn around was about 4 months. . . . so I'm kinda hoping this will square it away.

they were very nice on the phone though, I like the company, but man it seems like they let some real lemons slip as of late.

[45nut]

The hammer spring do indeed wear out. I would avoid the work thinning the hammer, not mentioned anywhere I have read about tuning the encores for performance.

Wolf makes spring kits for them, TC should send the factory springs no problem.

The thing I would look into is for corrosion from the muzzie use, that is known to creep down into the workin's and gum things up. I have 4 of em' and consider them in my top ten best buys.

[trickyasafox]

yea i think i just got a spring that wasn't right from the get go. I broke it down totally and cleaned it pretty well after last hunting season from the muzzle loader, maybe some gunk got in the firing pin channel- that'll be a fun experiment getting that torn down :)

[trickyasafox]

wanted to follow up on this-

replaced the spring that thompson sent (they were quick by the way) and the problem didn't go away- scratched my head for a bit and took off the hammer cocker (we had one of those that stick out the side so you can cock it easier under a scope) and the problem went away!

weird- i think the little thing just had too much mass on the hammer... be careful with those little guys.

[45nut]

Those hammer extensions will never go back on my encores either, I didn't see note of one in your first post or I might have warned you. I had one on an encore with a 308 barrel and the inertia twisted the hammer. Misfires were also a issue until I pulled it off. The extension I was using was steel and all though the weight is insignificant in our hand it appears to be more than ample to disrupt things. Never again and I am glad I learned before I broke the hammer.

[45nut]

Tricky:
OK,,reading your blog I came across this statement:Now let me preface my next statement with this one: I'm from Syracuse NY, where Salt potatoes are delicious, and housing costs don't cause coronaries. I saw this house for sale:"


So,, do tell,, wth is a "Salt Potato"?

[lathesmith]

I seem to learn something new every time I visit the forums here. I have always detested those hammer spur extensions, but I didn't realize they could cause such problems. I have gotten into the habit of using longer eye relief scopes on my Contender and Encore rifles--the whole scope body is in front of the hammer, and cocking interference isn't an issue. This arrangement also looks better to me--but beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I guess.
lathesmith
PS 45nut, check out this link for salt potato: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_potatoes

[trickyasafox]

45nut-

salt potatoes are a small potato that is boiled in a really salty water and served covered in butter. usually around forth of july. its a very small potato, probably around the size of a golf ball. a bit softer then full the full size potato, but very tasty.

I've never seen them outside of Central NY, they may be served elsewhere, but i'm not aware of it. We also have coneys. (pronounced coo-knees) - a white hotdog with a slightly different flavor then your regular pork based hotdog. Coneys are also usually served a bit 'blacker' or charred then normal hotdogs. they make a great combo with salt potatoes actually :)

[Ricochet]

I just had some of those potatoes last weekend at the Meadowview Conference Center in Kingsport, Tennessee. They were good. Ate too many and got really thirsty.