Sub MOA for $199?? NOW $197.83
Just in case you’ve been living under a rock... in a cave... on mars... for 5 to 7 years... we’re experiencing a true renaissance of small arms development, production, and utilization. Incredibly, for several years now this renaissance has been increasingly driven by the CIVILIAN CONSUMER market. The strides have become so significant, the greatest military power in human history (that’d be the US Military if you’re keeping track:;:rockit) now frequently resorts to soliciting small arms procurement based on civilian “off the shelf” compatibility and availability (I’m happy to cite sources if you question the validity of this claim). But I digress...
We’ve finally reached that point where even the “cheap crap” has adopted enough of the good ideas to be able to mass produce the things that work. I’ve been hesitant to drop $$$ on a custom rifle because I was confident that eventually the big producers would pick up on this stuff and standardize it, much like they have already with things like interchangeable shotgun chokes, drop-in triggers, picatiny rails, adjustable stocks, etc. The first major ripple in the mass-production long-range pond was the Ruger Precision Rifle.
The RPR gave you everything you ever needed out of a bolt rifle to make it a “1,000 yard” rifle right out of the box, but at $1,200. Given how simple this was, we’ve now seen a parade of major manufacturers follow suit with similarly themed rifles: Tikka, Savage, Mossberg, Remington, Howa...
So what happens to the bottom rung? Well, a rising tide lifts all ships. The Ruger American Rifle was the first rifle to offer sub-MOA accuracy in a “cheap as s***” platform for around $399. That seat is now being challenged - aggressively - by Thompson Center (Smith & Wesson) via the Compass series of rifles.
Enough jabbering, here’s a link to the Compass for $274.99 shipped. There’s currently a $75 rebate. I think I’m going to roll the dice on a .223 just for giggles:
https://www.sportsmansoutdoorsuperstore.com/category.cfm/brand/thompson-center
Basically, the stock sucks but it’s still a sub-MOA rifle. Threaded barrel, 3# trigger, 5R rifling... Ultimate Reloader blog did a “poor guy” build with one and was seeing <1/2 MOA with handloads and an $80 scope.
- - - Updated - - -
Link to UR blog tinkering journal: http://ultimatereloader.com/2016/11/18/tc-compass-hands-on-from-unboxing-to-600-yards/
Update 10/31/17: Kentucky Gun Co. has the T/C Compass rifles for $272.83 and free shipping.
http://www.kygunco.com/Product/View?ItemNo=111628
EDIT AGAIN!! Savage Axis with Scope, $149 after rebate!!
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Sava...with-Bushnell-reg-x-Scope-Package/2362566.uts
11/3/17 UPDATE: Picked is the TC Compass .223 from my FFL today. He said this is the 3rd one he’s had come through this week
Definitely a cheap rifle but much better than expected. Here are a few interesting points:
- The .223 magazine looks like there will be room for larger bullets. It’s 1/9 twist so I wouldn’t go nuts. One of the complaints about the Ruger American Rifle is that the magazine won’t accept anything larger than 62gr ball. Here’s a pic of the TC with Federal 50gr Varmint loads:
- The metal finish is pretty nice considering the price. The trigger parts are pretty darn crude, but his would be a very easy trigger to make very light.
- The recoil lug is interesting to me. Instead of the lug being part of the receiver, they milled a channel in the receiver and glued the metal lug into the stock. This means you’re basically married to the stock unless someone comes out with an aftermarket stock that includes a recoil lug. I can see how they could save a lot of money here, milling from a smaller piece of bar stock, wearing out fewer bits, less machine time.
- The stock is stiffer than I expected, but I still kind of want to fill it in with bondo or something to take the flex out of it. The barrel is free floated.
- Nice crown on the barrel. 1/2x28 threads on the .223. I’ll be adding a 5/8x24 adapter so I can screw muh muffler on it. Barrel profile is nice for .223 as I prefer a barrel that’s too heavy over a barrel that’s too thin.
- Comes with weaver mounts, which is nice. Make sure you remove them, clean them up with alcohol/acetone and reinstall them.
- Because it’s a 3-lug bolt instead of an2-lug, the bolt throw is only about 60 degrees. This should make it much easier to reload and allow for lower scope rings.
We have a problem with the threaded barrel: I noticed that where the barrel is threaded, the shoulder has a rounded taper and is not square. This means that if the muzzle brake or silencer you’re attaching doesn’t have a taper, it might not screw down flush and won’t sit perfectly straight. A less-than-perfectly-straight silencer means baffle strikes. That’s a great way to ruin your barrel, rifle, and personal safety.
Here’s a pic with a thin brake shim/washer. See how the shim can’t contact the shoulder? that’s a problem.
Just in case you’ve been living under a rock... in a cave... on mars... for 5 to 7 years... we’re experiencing a true renaissance of small arms development, production, and utilization. Incredibly, for several years now this renaissance has been increasingly driven by the CIVILIAN CONSUMER market. The strides have become so significant, the greatest military power in human history (that’d be the US Military if you’re keeping track:;:rockit) now frequently resorts to soliciting small arms procurement based on civilian “off the shelf” compatibility and availability (I’m happy to cite sources if you question the validity of this claim). But I digress...
We’ve finally reached that point where even the “cheap crap” has adopted enough of the good ideas to be able to mass produce the things that work. I’ve been hesitant to drop $$$ on a custom rifle because I was confident that eventually the big producers would pick up on this stuff and standardize it, much like they have already with things like interchangeable shotgun chokes, drop-in triggers, picatiny rails, adjustable stocks, etc. The first major ripple in the mass-production long-range pond was the Ruger Precision Rifle.
The RPR gave you everything you ever needed out of a bolt rifle to make it a “1,000 yard” rifle right out of the box, but at $1,200. Given how simple this was, we’ve now seen a parade of major manufacturers follow suit with similarly themed rifles: Tikka, Savage, Mossberg, Remington, Howa...
So what happens to the bottom rung? Well, a rising tide lifts all ships. The Ruger American Rifle was the first rifle to offer sub-MOA accuracy in a “cheap as s***” platform for around $399. That seat is now being challenged - aggressively - by Thompson Center (Smith & Wesson) via the Compass series of rifles.
Enough jabbering, here’s a link to the Compass for $274.99 shipped. There’s currently a $75 rebate. I think I’m going to roll the dice on a .223 just for giggles:
https://www.sportsmansoutdoorsuperstore.com/category.cfm/brand/thompson-center
Basically, the stock sucks but it’s still a sub-MOA rifle. Threaded barrel, 3# trigger, 5R rifling... Ultimate Reloader blog did a “poor guy” build with one and was seeing <1/2 MOA with handloads and an $80 scope.
- - - Updated - - -
Link to UR blog tinkering journal: http://ultimatereloader.com/2016/11/18/tc-compass-hands-on-from-unboxing-to-600-yards/
Update 10/31/17: Kentucky Gun Co. has the T/C Compass rifles for $272.83 and free shipping.
http://www.kygunco.com/Product/View?ItemNo=111628
EDIT AGAIN!! Savage Axis with Scope, $149 after rebate!!
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Sava...with-Bushnell-reg-x-Scope-Package/2362566.uts
11/3/17 UPDATE: Picked is the TC Compass .223 from my FFL today. He said this is the 3rd one he’s had come through this week
Definitely a cheap rifle but much better than expected. Here are a few interesting points:
- The .223 magazine looks like there will be room for larger bullets. It’s 1/9 twist so I wouldn’t go nuts. One of the complaints about the Ruger American Rifle is that the magazine won’t accept anything larger than 62gr ball. Here’s a pic of the TC with Federal 50gr Varmint loads:
- The metal finish is pretty nice considering the price. The trigger parts are pretty darn crude, but his would be a very easy trigger to make very light.
- The recoil lug is interesting to me. Instead of the lug being part of the receiver, they milled a channel in the receiver and glued the metal lug into the stock. This means you’re basically married to the stock unless someone comes out with an aftermarket stock that includes a recoil lug. I can see how they could save a lot of money here, milling from a smaller piece of bar stock, wearing out fewer bits, less machine time.
- The stock is stiffer than I expected, but I still kind of want to fill it in with bondo or something to take the flex out of it. The barrel is free floated.
- Nice crown on the barrel. 1/2x28 threads on the .223. I’ll be adding a 5/8x24 adapter so I can screw muh muffler on it. Barrel profile is nice for .223 as I prefer a barrel that’s too heavy over a barrel that’s too thin.
- Comes with weaver mounts, which is nice. Make sure you remove them, clean them up with alcohol/acetone and reinstall them.
- Because it’s a 3-lug bolt instead of an2-lug, the bolt throw is only about 60 degrees. This should make it much easier to reload and allow for lower scope rings.
We have a problem with the threaded barrel: I noticed that where the barrel is threaded, the shoulder has a rounded taper and is not square. This means that if the muzzle brake or silencer you’re attaching doesn’t have a taper, it might not screw down flush and won’t sit perfectly straight. A less-than-perfectly-straight silencer means baffle strikes. That’s a great way to ruin your barrel, rifle, and personal safety.
Here’s a pic with a thin brake shim/washer. See how the shim can’t contact the shoulder? that’s a problem.
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