T/C has earned a reputation of building quality guns at affordable prices. L to R: 22 Classic, .54 caliber Hawken muzzle loader, Encore rifle chambered for .270 Winchester and Encore handgun chambered for .454 Casull

Very few shooters and hunters don't have a special spot in their heart for a quality .22 rifle. After all, this is the caliber that most learned to shoot with. The twinkle in their eye tells the story as they reflect on memorable shooting lesson's or a small game hunt with a father or relative.

I am certainly no exception. My first rifle was a Winchester Model 67--a bolt action single shot--given to me by two of my older brothers as a Christmas gift when I was just eight years old. That first rifle sparked dreams of the day I would hunt large game, particularly Alaskan brown bear, moose and someday Africa for lion and buffalo! In the meantime, I honed my skills hunting small game and varmints. Later, the little Winchester was very useful when I ran my first trap line and still brings fond memories when teaching my children to shoot. Today, I don't use the old Model 67 much, as something a bit more refined and accurate is usually in order. Such a gun is the new Thompson Center 22 Classic.

In 1967, Thompson/Center Arms joined the gun trade by introducing its now famous Contender single-shot pistol. Over the years, the firm has expanded to offer many black powder rifles--both traditional and in-line--as well as single-shot hunting rifles chambered for traditional and modern cartridges. T/C has earned a reputation for producing top-quality firearms at reasonable prices and the new 22 Classic certainly lives up to this tradition.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
My sample gun's serial number is 1502 and it was one of the first production guns to leave the factory. Initial impressions are always important and this little rifle did not indicate any hints of manufacturing shortcuts. For example, all metal parts are steel--no aluminum. All the metal parts display very good machining and are highly polished and finished in a bright blue. The button-rifled barrel is threaded into the steel receiver rather than the "crush fit" that seems to be a trend to reduce manufacturing costs by other companies. Furthermore, T/C claims that inside barrel tolerances are held within .0005-inch, which is what a match-grade barrel would have. The receiver is drilled and tapped to accept standard bases and rings for positive scope mounting--a feature all .22 rifles should have! There is a two-position safety, located on the right side of the receiver.

Each 22 Classic is supplied with a padlock that locks the trigger and prevents firing should it fall into the wrong hands. If the rifle is decocked first, the padlock prevents the bolt from opening.

When engaged, it allows a small padlock to be installed through a hole in the rear of the trigger guard, making it impossible to fire with the padlock in place. If the padlock is installed after the striker is lowered (dry fired) and the safety manually moved to the On position, the bolt is then locked closed as well. Whether we agree with safety locks or not (and I don't!), the fact is they are here to stay and this one should work very well around children who have not yet been taught the proper respect for firearms.

The trigger pull broke at just 3 1/2 pounds, with only very slight fore-travel. The sights are of fiber optic, with the front being made of a red rod and the rear a U-shaped green rod that creates two dots and is fully adjustable for windage and elevation. While I tend to favor traditional iron sights, these were very bright and extremely easy to see in direct sunlight and even in poor light conditions. Magazine capacity is five rounds and the magazine release is conveniently located in the front of the triggerguard. The stock is made from select American walnut and has a smooth non-glare satin finish. Overall fit and finish were very good, particularly for a rifle in this price range.

The new T/C 22 is trim and handles like a sporting arm should. It's sights come into perfect alignment when shouldered. Weight is just 51/2 pounds without a scope and the rifle has just enough muzzle heaviness to feel good and prevent that "broomstick" feeling.

The easy to reach magazine release is located in the front of the triggerguard. The magazine capacity is five rounds.

FROM THE BENCH
Before heading to my shooting bench, a Weaver 2.5-7X Rimfire scope was mounted using Weaver bases and the firm's new Grand Slam steel rings--a great combination that look good to boot. After sighting in with Federal American Eagle, a variety of loads were tested from Winchester, Remington, Federal, PMC and CCI that included Target, High Velocity and Hyper Velocity ammo. While we are on the subject of ammo, T/C warns against the use of CCI Stingers. Quoting from the 22's Owners Manual: "Stinger cartridges have a longer case than .22 LR cartridges loaded to U.S. industry specifications. They are prone to stick in tight chambers which can result in a ruptured case and release of hot powder, gases and brass when fired."

The 22 Classic was extremely reliable and functioned positively with every load tested, which included a variety of bullet nose shapes and weights. To date over 2,000 rounds have been fired with only five malfunctions, four of which were traced to a dirty chamber. In a quality rimfire like this, 2,000 rounds is within the break-in period, yet still gives a good idea of the rifle's reliability.

There was one very minor mechanical flaw. Like most modern autoloaders, the bolt is designed to stay open after the last shot. This sample rifle would fail to do so about half of the time. If the bottom of the magazine were manually pushed upward, it would then catch and hold the bolt open on the last shot. A call to T/C confirmed that the first few sample rifles had this problem, however it has been corrected on all production guns that will ship to dealers.

The new T/C 22 Classic features a fully adjustable fiber optic rear sight (left) and a red fiber optic front (right). This combination is very easy to see even in poor light conditions.

In an effort to obtain the very best accuracy from each brand and type of ammunition, five shots were fired downrange before testing that particular load for accuracy. This allows the bore to be coated with that maker's bullet lube and that helps prevent flyers. Then, three 5-shot groups were fired from a sandbag rest and the average compiled for the accompanying chart. Certainly, some loads were more accurate than others, but what was really impressive was that virtually all loads grouped into less than .95-inches at 50 yards--including the so called "promotional" high velocity HP ammo.

Target loads were consistently the most accurate and groups of less than 1/2 inch became rather common. Remington's new Eley Match Xtra Plus provided the best 50-yard groups, measuring an average size of just .42 inch. Federal's Gold Medal Match was a very close second, with an average group size of .50 inch for five, 5-shot groups. Just for fun, I fired 20 rounds of CCI's Green Tag Competition ammo into a single group and, if we discount the one flyer that was certainly my fault, the group measured an impressive .52 inch.

Although the rifle was still working reliably after firing the first 400 rounds, a complete disassembly and cleaning as well as an evaluation of the internal quality and design seemed appropriate. Disassembly was quick and easy. It took just a couple of minutes work with a screwdriver to remove two guard screws and four sub-assembly screws. The T/C 22's working parts are well machined, represent good quality and exhibit no apparent manufacturing shortcuts. Furthermore, the design is very simple and rugged without extra doodads and springs. There is little doubt that this rifle will easily give a lifetime of service and can be enjoyed by generations to come.

Disassembly was quick and easy and only required a screwdriver. Remove the two triggerguard screws and four sub-assembly screws and it's apart. Internal parts and engineering were simple and of overall good quality.

Finally, it was time for an informal target shooting session with my children that allowed me to observe how easy it was for them to operate. While the bolt was slightly stiff to cycle, my 9-year old son operated it without a hitch, as did my 13-year old daughter. The new T/C is stocked to fit an adult with a length of pull of 135/8-inches, and both children were stretching a bit to shoulder and hold it comfortably during offhand shooting. Nonetheless, they both shot the rifle very well.

The 22 Classic comes with a full lifetime warranty and is backed by good people from a rock solid company. Last fall, when I first became aware of the new T/C 22 Classic, a company official explained that the firm's goal was to offer a modern rimfire rifle that delivers exceptional accuracy and performance while still offering the traditional beauty of blued steel and high grade American walnut. They have certainly accomplished this goal.