TCR 83/87 forends for smooth bore shotgun barrels

[schuetzen]

I have a 12 ga forend that I ordered many years ago from the TC Custom Shop.  I believe they were out of stock on the barrels, so I went ahead and picked up the forend at the time in anticipation of getting the barrel later.  Does anyone know if the TCR forend for the 12 ga and 10 ga are different?  What about a 20 ga? Does anyone have catalog information on these items including part numbers?

[DEACONLLB]

I would think that they are different because of the guage difference There are some 12 guage barrels from time to time on gun brokers.

Deaconllb

[IOWA DON]

The forends for 10 and 12 gauge barrels are different. A 10 gauge forend can not be used with a 12 gauge barrel. However, one could probably route it out and make it function but I don't think it would look OK. A 10 gauge forearm can be used with a 12-gauge barrel. There will just appear to be a little free floating. To me it looks OK and generally do that with my 12 gauge slug barrel. I think there was an early magazine artcle about the TCR's in which it was stated that they would be available with 20 gauge barrels. However, I do not think any were sold. I have a 20 gauge rifled slug barrel which was put together by a local gunsmith for me. It has the same outside contour as the factory 10 gauge barrels so I use a 10 gauge forend with it. And no, it's not real heavy. The barrel is 23 inches long and with it and a 1.5-4X Leopold scope the gun weighs about 8.5 pounds. Also, the metal for the screw-on forends is all the same whether for rifles, 12 gauge or 10 gauge barrels. It is only the wood that is different. One can put a 10 gauge forend on a skinny rifle barrel and that will work fine. There is just a big ugly gap between the barrel and wood.

[schuetzen]

Thanks Iowa Don, that's some useful information.

Another question for you since you seem to be well versed on the TCR shotgun barrels.  Did TC or custom shop ever offer a 12 gauge with a vented rib barrel for the TCR?  I remember trying to find one about 10 or 15 years ago because I was into shooting clays, but I don't remember finding out if I just couldn't find one or they never made them.  Thanks.

[IOWA DON]

schuetzen - I don't think there was a smooth bore 12 ga ever offered with a vent rib. I have a 12 ga field barrel with a screw in choke, and some 12 ga smooth bore slug barrels. I think the only choke for the field barrel was in full, so why insert choke tubes? Today I found an old magazine article. It was an April 1983 article by JD Jones, the guy who does a lot of Contender barrels. He said there would be a number of rifle calibers for the TCR and a 20 ga shotgun barrel with a vent rib. The rifle barrel's monoblock was probably large enough for a 20 ga shotgun, but I do not think any were ever made. It was probably several years later when Thompson-Center came out with the 12 ga shotgun barrels which had a larger monoblock. The three types were the field barrels with an insert choke in full choke, a smooth bore slug barrel, and fully-rifled slug barrel. I do not think that a 12 ga barrel with a vent rib was ever made. However, one could have a vent rib TCR barrel made. - DON

[schuetzen]

Iowa Don, That sounds likely.  I can remember contemplating buying a 12 gauge vent rib barrel for (then) my newly acquired Encore at the time, but ruled it out because the Encore felt bulkier than my TCR and I believe they may have only offered a 20 gauge at the time for the Encore.  I ended up picking up an inexpensive Rem 870.  Still would like to get one of those 12 gauge field barrels for my TCR one of these day.

[schuetzen]

Well, I got a 12 ga for my TCR much sooner than I thought.  I stopped by a local Encore/Contender dealer and by coincidence he happened to have a 12 ga for the TCR.  I traded him one of my barrels for it.  He also has a TCR (single trigger) with a "Custom Shop" .45-70 barrel on it.  I didn't ask how much, because I don't want to know

[DEACONLLB]

I really would like to have a 7x57 barrel for mine or even a 7mm08 I did pick up a 7mm Rem mag barrel from ed's contenders and he still had 3 left at the last gun show only 150.00 and also nib. I load the reduced Hodgdon loads for it which is almost a duplicate of the 7x57 I guess that is good as I can shoot 7mm mag if I need to.

Deaconllb

[schuetzen]

$150 sounds like a great deal.  Are magnums typically less?  Because they don't mount on all TCRs?