Thompson/Center is back in business building hunting firearms in Rochester, New Hampshire, and they’re growing their business again. From their initial offering of deer-hunting rifles and rifled shotgun barrels, they’re now bringing out updated shotguns for turkey season, they’re reintroducing their pistol platform and they’re introducing an all-new muzzleloader option.
Bringing back shotguns
Along with its quick-swap rifle barrels for its single-shot platform (no gunsmith required!), Thompson/Center in its prime years also sold shotgun barrels that fit the same frames. Last year, it had rifled shotgun barrels just in time for deer season; now, it’s offering smoothbore barrels for the Encore Turkey Shotgun. They call it “a dedicated, purpose-built platform designed for maneuverability, balance, and tight-pattern performance in demanding spring conditions.”
The T/C website doesn’t have any photos of the new shotguns yet, but it does list 12 gauge, 20 gauge, .410 and .410/.45 Long Colt barrels that can fit onto existing Encore frames. All these shotguns are chambered for 3-inch cartridges, and come with a blued barrel that’s 24 inches long. The barrel chambered for either .410 shotshells or .45 Long Colt cartridges is only 15 inches long. All these barrels come with a turkey choke, and are priced at $450 for 2026.
Pistol-packin’ hunters
For hunters looking for a brand-new Thompson/Center pistol, you’re in luck; they’ve just brought back their pistol frames. The ProHunter pistol uses the same action as the Encore rifle; you buy a frame for $530 and then add whatever barrel or barrels you want, since these will quick-swap with no gunsmith needed for fitting a different caliber. You can find a list of what calibers are currently available here. For 2026, they’re priced at $410 apiece.
The forend and grip are rubber for comfort and control, with CNC-machined stainless frame. Currently, all the barrels offered are 15 inches long, and also made of stainless steel, with fluting to reduce weight.
Advanced muzzleloading
Thompson/Center’s previous muzzleloaders were all built to load from the front, as was the standard for hundreds of years. Now, they also offer the Encore ProHunter in a .50-caliber model with FireStick propellant technology.
FireStick muzzleloaders load the bullet from the business end of the barrel, but their propellant is loaded into the breech, coming self-contained in a sort of plastic cartridge. They aren’t legal in every state’s muzzleloader season, so check the rules before you buy one.
This version of the Encore ProHunter has a 28-inch barrel, with 1:24 twist and blued finish with fluting to reduce weight. If you want to buy just the barrel alone, that will cost you $555.
See more details on Thompson/Center’s updated product lineup at their website here
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