2018 Shot Show and 2018 GAOS Review and Newsletter

The biggest Thompson Center news from the show occurred the very first morning, The 50th Anniversary Commemorative Contender was unveiled first thing. TC Brand manager, Danielle Sanville, was gracious enough to do a LIVE FaceBook with me to make that announcement. You can see the picture attached but here is a brief description anyway. Picture this, a blue G2 high gloss frame, with the gussets milled off to create that slab side look, the "cougar" head in gold on one side and the 50th Anniversary logo in gold on the other. The barrel was an octagon 10" gloss blue 22 LR with open sights and the furniture is walnut in a nice collector case. I'm told these will be numbered with an MSRP of $1380. Details will follow a little later in this article regarding how to order them. 

Sometimes great things come to those who wait. April 2017, Atlanta NRA Show, Eric suggested to a group of TC people that a rack of HausofArms Custom Packaged Guns would look really sweet at the end of the factory offerings. WELL...He brought that idea back home AND... that dream shot took place at the Great American Outdoor Show in Harrisburg PA starting on 2/3/18. That custom rack of HausofArms Thompson Center Encore and Contender offerings drew quite a crowd, literally turning the heads of the passers by and bringing many to the TC aisle that had previously only thought of TC as "that muzzleloader company". Nine days, 79 hours of floor time, countless Hog Leg grip demonstrations, opportunities to meet many HausofArms customers that traveled there to meet us in person, AND my personal favorite, helping many youth shoulder a rifle for the first time that actually fit them. Although the Hog Leg was the star of the show, the Junior G2 with it's Junior buttstock with a 13" LOP brought many smiles from kids and parents alike. Besides the Electric Blue stockset, it certainly didn't hurt to have one of the new MGM 6.5 Grendel barb wire fluted barrels as part of the package. 

Here are a few takeaways from that experience:

1) Mission accomplished with the Junior G2, if all it takes is a little sparkle and a stock that fits to get future generations involved in our "old man gun" world then we will lead that charge.

2) The crowds were huge as normal at that consumer based show BUT, I was told by many repeat attenders that they had never seen so much "buzz" and "energy" in the TC aisle. Eric's idea may have accomplished something else. I have no doubt that the show reports from the 25 or so TC/S&W reps will speak of that buzz and energy. We encouraged our TC base to show up and show your loyalty and be counted. Thanks to that TC base for a job well done.

3) If as I have reported that "change is in the wind" at Thompson Center then this show was further proof of change. Think of this from another angle, we are a small independent company that sells only the TC factory brand but we also sell "complimentary" lines of accessories that TC doesn't make and we were allowed that platform to freely display how factory and custom aftermarket can compliment and co-exist. We are extremely thankful to Danielle Sanville, TC Brand Manager, for helping to make this happen. 

4) Not to be forgotten are the other companies that helped us to build those custom guns;

Match Grade Machine Barrels, Dylan Sipp

Mag-Na-Port Int, Ken Kelly

Reaper Innovative Precision, Brett Moser

All Caliber Gunsmithing, Denny Phillips

Revolution Stocksets

and most of all my wife Ruth, who for 9 days stood beside me preaching with passion the HausofArms/TC message.

Besides our normal offerings of MGM Custom Barrels we are excited to announce TC Contender G2 specific barrels. Dylan at MGM has devised a way to make this new line up of barrels only usable on the TC G2 Contender. Note they will not function on the original Contender frames. Why you ask? Well simply put, the G2, because it's barrels were mostly interchangeable with the original contender, was always held back in chambering potential till now. HausofArms now stocks these G2 Specific barrels in the following calibers:

Well done MGM!

Here is an update on our progress with these 13" LOP Junior buttstocks. We will be stocking in LH Thumbhole, RH Thumbhole and traditional models, stocked in G1, G2 and Encore models and in all our presently stocked colors, walnut, woodland camo, buckskin, coffee, birch and bone gray. 

Pictures will be on the HausofArms site by March 1st or so, available for presale at that time, with inventory on the shelves by April first. Man, I love my job. 

The detailed listing of the 50th Anniversary G2 Pistol can be found here on our HausOfArms site.

Here's what you need to know: 

This is a PRESALE.  We are being told that the first shipment should go out in late Spring, but we do not have a guaranteed ship date at this time.

Stay Safe and Shoot Straight,

Marty and the HausOfArms Crew