Thompson/Center's Strike Muzzleloader Part I

There is something about shooting a muzzleloader that is very gratifying. Maybe it is having more to do with the ballistic outcome… like handloading and shooting a favorite rifle. OK, maybe part of it is the smoke and bluster of Pyrodex, the sharp recoil and booming report of a 50 caliber. The addition of blued steel, walnut stock and Made in America only add to the substance.

Strikers rather than hammers…

Introduced in 2015 Strike is…. striker fired; manually cocked, spring loaded firing pin, released to discharge by depressing the trigger. If the striker is released without the trigger being depressed, the striker will not make contact with the cartridge primer. The cocking slide has two positions, cocked when pushed forward exposing a red dot indicator, or at rest after firing, after depressing the decocking button or by moving the rifle’s top lever to the extreme right.

The striker approach, means no exposed hammer, faster lock time and no attempting to get to a hammer that is parked under a scope eyepiece. While not often found on U.S. rifles, it is more common on high end European rifles.

The ambidextrous T/C Strike Adapt System offers substantial benefits. Where a typical muzzleloader will incorporate a breech plug that screw into the rifle’s bore which is threaded at the aft end. As a result, the threads are exposed to combustion. The result is carbon build up on threads as well as accelerated corrosion that often results in a seized breech plug. The Adapt System places the threads outside of the bore where they are protected from bore residue.

Thompson / Center goes further to reduce combusted black powder residue damage by applying an Armornite finish outside and inside of the Strike’s barrel. In addition to corrosion resistance Armornite, a hardened nitride finish, also improved wear resistance, smooths surfaces, cuts reflective surfaces and provides lubricity on coated surfaces.

A little better picture of the non-reflective barrel finish. The Strike utilizes Thompson / Center’s muzzleloader Quick Load Accurizor feature. Essentially the the bore, for approximately the first inch of the muzzle, is groove diameter to permit easy, fast  loading.

The Strike takes down in a couple of easy steps for cleaning, storage or transport. The front swivel stud is unscrewed, the forearm comes off, then the top lever is swiped right to break the barrel from the receiver. Both wood and metal parts are nicely finished, the recoil pad is of good quality.

A few bits and pieces supplied with the Thompson / Center Strike, left to right. The multi-tool acts as a wrench for removing the retaining collar and, turned sideways for use as a ram rod handle. The Strike comes with two primer adapters. The Universal adapter is installed at the factory and is optimized for pellet powder charges. A second is included that is optimized for loose powder charges. The ramrod cleaning adapter extends the length of the ram rod for cleaning or loading. For folks who want an open sight option in addition to a mounted scope, a solid set of adjustable fiber optic sights are included. Hardware for mounting sights and blocking open screw holes in the barrel. The site kit would have worked better if the correct hardware was included but, fortunately, the problem was remedied with bench stock.

And in conclusion…

The Thompson / Center Strike is a solid muzzleloader that opens participation in extended hunting seasons and what might be the only rifle hunting season in some states. If not hunting, there is the opportunity for recreational target shooting. The Strike’s capacity to accept one to three Pyrodex 50/50 pellets dependent on bullet weights offers a good deal of flexibility regardless the endeavor. As none of this much matters in the absence of live fire, we’ll take a short break, do a little shooting and return with Part II.