Thompson/Center had a tremendous amount of success with their Contender model pistol for decades. The Contender, with its break-action design, featured the ability to easily interchange barrels with different calibers. This became very popular with hunters and target shooters as it was then possible to get rifle characteristics from a pistol.
However, the Contender did not have a strong enough action to handle the pressures of some of the larger caliber rifle rounds. You can see the difference between the original Contender and stainless Encore in the photo above.
In 1997, Thompson/Center introduced the Encore, which was very similar to the Contender but with a much more robust action and frame. The Encore had a redesigned trigger mechanism and could handle some of the largest calibers available. Soon, it was available with rim-fire, center-fire, shotgun and muzzle-loading capabilities.
Although the Encore is a single-shot pistol, it can be converted to a rifle configuration with proper ATF paperwork. It is known to be very accurate and is able to maintain higher velocities due to the fixed-breech action. The fixed-breech does not allow expanding gasses to leak out of the sides of the gun as in revolvers and automatics and therefore directs more pressure out of the barrel.
Today, the Encore pistol remains a popular hunting and target pistol. Thompson/Center produced interchangeable centerfire and rimfire barrels that were available in .17 Mach 2 up to .45-70 Govt. and .416 Rigby. Barrel lengths ranged from 24 to 26 inches. Shotgun barrels chambered in 12 or 20 gauge proven popular, and a .50 caliber muzzleloader barrel offered hunters dual-season capabilities. Other manufacturing companies now also carry custom barrels in an even wider range of calibers.
After initial introduction in 1997, the Encore was offered with black synthetic stocks in 1999, and later, Realtree camouflage in 2005. The earliest Encore rifles offered an uncheckered American walnut Monte Carlo butt stock and matching uncheckered forearm. The Encore ceased production in 2012, and used-market guns of this make are increasing in value.