since 1967
New Hampshire, Massachusetts
- Warren Center developed an unusual break-action, single-shot pistol
– in his basement workshop in Rochester, New Hampshire - 1965 Warren Center joined the K.W. Thompson Tool Company
- 1967 Warren Center’s Contender pistol introduced
- 1968 name was changed to Thompson/Center Arms Company
- 1970 introduced Warren Center’s Hawken-styled black powder muzzle-loader rifle
- 1983 Encore was released
– uses a different trigger mechanism
– larger and stronger frame
– over 86 cartridges - 1992 United States v. Thompson/Center Arms Co
– Court ruled in the the rifle conversion kit did not constitute a short-barreled rifle under the National Firearms Act of 1934 - 1996 major factory fire at the Thompson/Center factory
– destroyed all tooling and parts for Scout & Patriot pistols & the Seneca rifle
– they were all discontinued - January 4, 2007, Thompson/Center was purchased by Smith & Wesson
- December 8, 2010 manufacturing was moved to Springfield, Massachusetts
Thompson Center Arms
2100 Roosevelt Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
(866) 730-1614
tcarms.com
About Thompson/Center Arms
Thompson/Center Arms is a New Hampshire firearms maker best known for break-action, single-shot guns with interchangeable barrels. The company traces its start to 1965, when designer Warren Center joined the K.W. Thompson Tool Company of Rochester, New Hampshire, which was looking for a year-round product. Center’s basement-built break-action pistol became the Contender, announced in 1967, and the company added a Hawken-style black powder rifle in 1970, making it a major name in muzzleloading as well.
Thompson/Center holds a notable place in gun law history: in United States v. Thompson/Center Arms Co. (1992), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that selling a pistol with a rifle conversion kit did not amount to making a short-barreled rifle under the National Firearms Act. The larger Encore followed in 1998. Smith & Wesson bought the company on January 4, 2007, moved production to Springfield, Massachusetts, after 2010 and announced it was phasing out the brand in 2021. In May 2024 former owner Gregg Ritz announced he had bought the company back and would return production to Rochester, New Hampshire.
Key Facts
- 1965: Warren Center joined the K.W. Thompson Tool Company
- 1967: Contender break-action pistol announced
- 1992: Supreme Court ruled for the company in United States v. Thompson/Center Arms Co.
- January 4, 2007: Acquired by Smith & Wesson
- May 2021: Smith & Wesson announced the brand was being phased out
- May 2024: Gregg Ritz announced he had reacquired the company
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Sources
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