Cleaning
up the T/C Encore Pro Hunter
Posted November 2nd, 2006
Above: T/C
Encore Pro Hunter after a day at the range. Note the lack of fouling in the
breech and receiver area. Our .25 ACP breech plug completely seals the breech
while still allowing the swivel extractor to function. Very cool.
Originally
Posted 2003
Too much flame; too much
fouling:
Our Encore gets so dirty from the
209 primer that after 50 shots my firing pin will not even travel far enough
to ignite the primer. I need to remove the butt stock and clean the entire
action with brake clean and compressed air before it will work. Too much flame
trying to get through the small hole.
Too
much energy:
I have no idea who started the 209
craze but I believe that it provides way more energy than is required to get
the job done. Try this experiment for yourself. Take your ramrod with a jag
and a clean damp patch, push it all the way down the barrel of your Encore.
Mark the ramrod where it meets the end of the barrel with a strip of masking
tape. Put a 209 into the breach plug, close the gun, cock the hammer and pull
the trigger. With our Encore, the ramrod will get blown 6"- 8" up
the barrel with just the force of the 209. If we do the same experiment with
our .25ACP Encore breech plug with it's small rifle primer, the ramrod moves
less than 1".
We have all but eliminated those unexplained flyers from our Encore groups.
Personally, I believe these flyers were the result of the 209 actually lifting
the sabot off the powder charge simultaneous with igniting the powder. The
much milder Small Rifle primer of the 25 ACP case ignites the powder just
as instantly but lacks the energy to move the sabot and bullet off the powder
charge therefore eliminating the flyers.
More fine tuning options:
Unlike the 209, Small Rifle sized
primers come in a variety of ranges and qualities. One can experiment with
Standard, Magnum and Bench Rest to add one more variable to the mix. To this
point, we have seen the best success with CCI 400 but that could change with
the next load.
To sum up, I love this conversion. The
Encore is now perfectly clean inside and out shot after shot. I have eliminated
the flyers caused by the excessive 209 energy levels. I find the .25ACP cases
very easy to install, remove and find in my pockets. One case has been primed
over 100 times with the primer pocket fit as snug as it was when we first
used it. We decap and prime the cases with the very economical Lee line of
reloading equipment. As you lose them, you simply replace the ACP cases for
about .10 each.
How
to get your Pro Hunter breech plug
We
cannot get the Pro Hunter breech plugs at the same rate that we sell them
therefore we are only offering them as a "swap". Send us your Pro
Hunter breech plug and we will modify it and return it to you.
Price $ 59.95
If you are as impatient as I am and you are not prepared to wait, we will
ship a .25 ACP T/C Pro Hunter breech plug the same day you place your order.
The Immediate Shipment option requires a $50
deposit. The $50 deposit will be refunded the day your Pro Hunter breech plug
shows up in the mail.
Mailing instructions will be provided at the time you place your order. Questions,
call Cecil on the toll free.