TC Pro Hunter Legal Question

[dimecovers3]

I would like to own the new TC ProHunter Encore and have a 50 cal.muzzleloader barrel, 12 gauge shotgun for turkey, maybe a .280 A.I. and also several 12-15 inch pistol barrels. Here is my question: To do this LEGALLY how do I do it? I believe that if I get the muzzleloader and buy a pistol barrel later, I would have a handgun without a permit. What am I missing? Maybe the Encore and Contender frames are not the same for pistol and long barrels and they are not interchangeable--is that it? I am also thinking that to do it legally is the most expensive route, i.e. pistol to rifle vs. rifle to pistol. Anyone know this for sure? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[James Jones]

you can buy a TC pistol and change it to a rifle legaly becasue their is no maximum length for a pistol barrel but if you buy a TC rifle and put a sub 16" barrel on it then you have an illegal rifle wether it has a pistol grip or not because the ATF has that weapon registered as a rifle.
I'm not to sure but maybe you could contact the ATF and see if they could reregister that frame as a pistol but you would probably have to fill out a new white sheet.
I'm not to sure what benifit you would have buy making the Pro-Hunter a pistol other than looks.

I seriously doubt that anybody would ever run the numbers on your gun to see if it were legal unless they cought you with a rifle stock and a pistol barrel on it. I know a few guys that shoot targets with their Encore rifle frames with a set of listol grips and a 12" barrel and they have never had any trouble but it is not legal so their is that chance

 

[dimecovers3]

"I'm not to sure what benifit you would have buy making the Pro-Hunter a pistol other than looks."

Something about this sentence made me think I might have not asked the question clearly. The "benifit" would be saving money as I would have to buy only one frame. Perhaps, after the grips and the hassle, it does not make sense, but the pistol barrel is my lowest priority over the rifle, muzzleloader, and shotgun tubes. Am I still not understanding something that makes you ask why I would do it? I thought the interchangeability was the big selling point and thought I might get a 7mm/08 pistol barrel for deer.

 

[James Jones]

My question as to why you would want the Pro-Hunter over the regular Encore was directed toward you just buying an Encore pistol and later getting the barrels for the rifle but if your priority is based on the rifles then I guess that your only option would be maybe order one from the factory with a frame designated for pistols but with a rilfe barrel of your choice on it.

 

[jwp475]

Posted on 24Hour Camp Fire by Uncle Joe

uncle joe
Member


Reged: 04/30/06
Posts: 40
Loc: Marietta Ga
Re: T/C ENCORE Package W/3 Barrels [Re: firearms44]
#958056 - 08/08/06 04:12 AM
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No longer an issue.


The 1992 Thompson Center Supreme Court case (http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/91-0164.ZO.html) upheld an earlier Appeals Court decision when it stated as its final ruling that "Accordingly, we conclude that the Contender pistol and carbine kit when packaged together by Thompson/Center have not been "made" into a short barreled rifle for purposes of the NFA. The judgment of the Court of Appeals is therefore Affirmed." This was a ruling in T/C's favor on a point of law that is effectively integrally related to this issue. Thompson Center then utilized this affirmative Supreme Court ruling and clarifications as the basis for the following letter that they sent to customers who inquired of them on this particular receiver legality issue.

The following information is from old rec.guns newsgroup posting related to this topic that I dug up from the gunbroker.com forum area:

"I wrote T/C a letter on this issue after hearing about a court ruling. According to T/C, in letter dated 1 March 1999:

"Thompson/Center Arms Co. went all the way to the US Supreme Court to establish the lawfulness of the Contender pistol and carbine (including the carbine kit), and won. The Supreme Court opinion also establishes the legality of the Encore system, which has similar interchangeable parts."

"With these systems, a receiver may be assembled either with a pistol grip and pistol barrel, or with a should stock and rifle barrel (minimum length 16 inches). A barrel under 16 inches in length must never be assembled onto the receiver when the shoulder stock is attached. Within that parameter, the consumer may use the parts to make a pistol or carbine, and may change the configuration at will."


This is exactly what my FFL holder say's......
Here is the link:

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/958056/Main/956844/#Post958056

 

[James Jones]

Cool , that'll make things alot easier for several folks

 

[WSmitty01]

This issue has been hashed over and over again, each frame that goes out from TC is either classified as a "rifle" or "pistol". The BATF treats each one as to how it was manufactured and sold. TC keeps careful records of every serial number and can tell immediately what it originally sold as, as required by the BATF. NO you can not legally put a pistol grip on a frame registered as a rifle,,that supreme court ruling did not specifically state the opinion that it is legal to switch back and forth EXCEPT for the frames registered as pistol. For further information on the subject and to read the letter from the BATF go to this link:
http://specialtypistols.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/4766056864/m/9581046372/p/3
To stay out of trouble just purchase the Encore/Contender as a pistol, and put any barrel you want on it!!!

THE BATF SAYS "NO CAN DO"!!!!

 

[MachV]

Ben there done that.
Start with a pisol frame(mine was a 7-08and I added a 223 fer prairie dogs) and add a stock and long barrel,barrels of your choice.
Remember to take the stock off before you mount a pistol barrel as Mr Law REALLY frowns on short barrels with rifle stocks!!
I found my 15" 454Casual barrel stayed on the TC frame
and I shot 45lc out of it,prefering my 1300Win for shotgun work and a Ruger VT223,Old Ruger tag with an 8twist 22-250,ColtAR, Savage204,223,243,25-06,605-284,30-06 for varmints.
I sold the all the barrels save the Casual but kept the
stock,someday I'll add a smokepole?
Found out I aint a one gun type of guy and even if I was it would be an auto
It didnt work fer me but may be just what you need,give it a try but start with the pistol!!!