Posted by Marty on 12/30/2012 to
What happened to the blue Encore or Prohunter frames? Thompson Center stopped making them that's what happened. To my understanding when Thompson Center moved its factory from New Hampshire to Springfield Massachusetts in the summer of 2011 they stopped making them and that's what happened.
For the last year and a half we have been using up all the blue Encore and blue Prohunter "frames" that had been sitting in the inventories of the distribution network around the country. I was able to find the last of the blue Prohunter frames in the form of walnut/blue frame assemblies and black/blue Prohunter muzzleloaders that were not only discontinued but also not a popular seller, now they too are gone.
Was it by design or just a convenient time to end a mainstay in their product line up? Yes and yes. Earlier in the year they had introduced the Weathershield product line to the Encore and Prohunter lines. They were already making the stainless steel products and then add the WS line which is so close in looks that you have to look twice to tell them apart and then end the blue line.
Was it by design or just a convenient time to end a mainstay in their product line up? Yes and yes. Earlier in the year they had introduced the Weathershield product line to the Encore and Prohunter lines. They were already making the stainless steel products and then add the WS line which is so close in looks that you have to look twice to tell them apart and then end the blue line.
Something that Thompson Center did not count on was the vanity of their customers. You wouldn't believe how many times I have been told "it's not a gun if it isn't blue and wood" and even better the line" there is no way I'm putting a SS or WS frame on my blue barrel". The vanity of hunters and shooters! I tell them that what they are shooting at will never see a mismatch between barrel and frame.
Is blue done, I don't think so. I was told by high ranking TC employee, on the condition of anonimity, that TC was looking at producing blue frames again in 2013. I guess we can only wait and see. In the mean time shoot straight and be safe. Marty