Thompson TCR custom barrels

[Barbarossa]

Hi
 I have a TCR83 rifle and was wondering if anyone makes custom
barrels for it.I would love to get one in 45/70 for it.



                                                                     Thanks
                                                                        Jeff

[Cement Man]

Jeff,
For some reason I have it stuck in my mind that On Target Technologies was going to start making TCR barrels.  I looked at their website and can't find where that is stated, but it seems like a few months back there was some reference to almost being done with the planning, tooling, or whatever, to make those barrels.  I think their website is somewhat confusing, so you might want to give them a call.  I am not sure if SSK might not be another source. Van Horn, Bulberry, Gary Reeder?  I do believe there is a market though, as the TCRs are very well liked.  I have a TCR 87 with a TC Custom Shop barrel in 6.5 X 55 and it will be one of the last rifles I depart with.  I get holes touching with factory ammo quite often and I am not a bench rest shooter, but I sure like the results I get with that rifle.  I hope you find what you'd like.  I know I would sure buy another barrel for my TCR.

[RonF]

The question is buried in their FAQ.  Specifically, they say they aren't going to start other new custom projects until they get the TCR barrels going.  They don't say just when that will be, and the note has been out there quite some time.

RonF

[beaverbandit]

You can get barrels for your TCR off of Ebay, I have got two TCR'S and love them.
There is always some barrels for sale on Ebay but sometimes the price is a little high
but if you want one they can be had.

[IOWA DON]

It would be difficult to find a TCR barrel in .45-70 since this was a caliber only available from the custom shop. However, it would be easy to find a 12-gauge slug barrel, remove the barrel from the monoblock and replace it with a .45 caliber barrel chambered for the .45-70 (or .45-90 or .45-120). I have two 20-gauge fully rifled slug barrels and .50-140 sharps barrels made this way. I think the .45-70 barrels from the custom shop were made with regular rifle monoblocks and would have been very light, even in their so called "heavy contour" and would recoil too much in .45-70. By using a shotgun monoblock the and a barrel with the ouside contour of the factory 12-gauge barrel it weigh more. The TCR's are light so a .45-70 with a 12-gauge barrel contour and a length of 23 inches would only weigh about 8-1/2 pounds without a scope. My 7-pound Marlin 1895 .45-70 recoils pretty bad with 400-grain bullets at 1800 fps.

[tlyne]

I stopped by Ed's Contenders store and Ed had TCR barrels in 7mm mag,30-06, and 10 ga shotgun barrel. HE gets others traded- in once and a while. Ed would put you on a want list if you asked him.

[gitano]

Since Virgin Valley Custom Guns went out of business, I suspect you can get the same barrels they made for TCRs from Stratton Custom www.strattoncustom.com or www.matchgrademachine.com. Stratton was the "big dog" at VVCG, and MGM bought all of VVCG's machinery, barrels and equipment when VVCG went under. The bad news is, if you have to ask "How much?", you probably can't afford them. I got one a couple of years ago on sale for $250, and lead times were at least 6 months. (Took me 18 months to get a .257 AI.) I don't know what Stratton or MGM wants for a barrel now. In fact, I'm not 100% CERTAIN that they make them, but I think so. However, when VVCG was in business, they wanted $450 for a TCR barrel if it wasn't on sale. The good news is, you can get any flavor your little pea-pickin' heart desires.

Paul