Thompson/Center Arms Omega

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Bases and Rails

The History of Thompson/Center Arms

Not to be confused with the makers of the famous Thompson gun (originally made by the Colt Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company), the Thompson/Center Arms is an American producer of firearms, established by K.W. Thompson and Warren Center in 1965. Initially, they focused on manufacturing single-shot firearms with interchangeable barrels. This led to the introduction of a unique single-shot pistol in the late 1960s which later became known as the Contender. The production facilities were set up in 1965 with the first large orders leaving the factory in 1967.

The Contender allowed for switching between different calibers only by changing the barrel, which was a good selling point at the time, even compared to some of the popular bolt-action rifles. It offered great precision for a break-action pistol and was powerful enough for different hunting scenarios. Over the following decade, they also presented the second generation of Contender, named the G2, and the Encore model which used a different trigger mechanism and featured a bulkier, more rugged design.

In the early 1970s, the company first introduced their Hawken-style black powder muzzle-loading rifle which was followed by several different muzzleloader models such as Cherokee, Seneca, Cougar, Hawken, New Englander and many others. For some time, TC Arms also made 2 muzzleloading pistols, but the fire that demolished the factory in the 1990s made it impossible to continue production. The company did, however, also produce some bolt-action rifles such as the Venture and Compass, available in various configurations.

In the 1990s, Thompson/Center Arms faced a legal issue regarding a rifle conversion kit for the pistols they sold. The AFT claimed that the kit could be used to create an illegal DIY firearm, however, The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of T/C Arms, stating that the company would not be held responsible for how people might misuse the kit.

In 2007, T/C Arms Co. was obtained by the Smith & Wesson company and the production was moved to Springfield. In 2021, S&W announced their plans to sell the T/C Arms brand, fully ceasing the production of firearms. However, as of 2023, a definitive buyer is yet to be determined. The company continues to list various models on their T/C Arms USA website, likely selling off the remaining inventory.

Thompson/Center Arms Omega Muzzleloader Review

Thompson/Center Omega is a muzzleloader introduced by the company in 2002. At the time of production, it was one of the most popular muzzleloading firearms with great sales success.

Like most other models from the series, it is built on a drop-action mechanism, which is operated by a lever located on the front end of the trigger guard. The mechanism opens the action and provides access to the breech plug. To remove the plug, the supplied wrench should be used. The Omega features a system where the firing pin is set freely. When the trigger is activated, the hammer drives the firing pin forward to set off the primer.

The hammer must be manually cocked before each shot. Stocks are available either of composite material or laminate and are equipped with sling swivel studs and a soft rubber recoil pad. Barrel comes with preinstalled adjustable rear sight and metal front sight, both of which have fiber optics inserted. Additionally, the upper side of the receiver is drilled and tapped for scope mounts. The provided ramrod is made of aluminum and is placed under the barrel.

T/C Omega, chambered for .50 cal.

Figure 1: T/C Omega, chambered for .50 cal. (Source: https://hibid.com/lot/78458-133558-54439/thompson-center-omega-50cal-muzzleloader)

T/C Omega Calibers

The rifle can be chambered for the following calibers:

.50 cal.

The W209 shotshell primers are recommended for the ignition system on the T/C Omega models.

T/C Omega Variants

The rifle is available in the following variants:

T/C Omega X7
T/C Omega Z5
T/C Omega Dream Season
T/C Omega Hardwoods Camo Synthetic Stock
T/C Omega Black Synthetic Stock
T/C Omega Laminated Thumbhole Deluxe
T/C Omega Real Tree Camo Stock-Stainless Barrel
T/C Omega Laminate Stock-Stainless Barrel
T/C Omega Black Composite Stock-Blued Barrel
T/C Omega Black Composite Stock-Stainless Barrel

The receivers of T/C Omega come with four drilled and tapped holes which can be used for scope mounting purposes. There are two holes at the front and two at the rear end of the receiver.

The receiver of T/C Omega, chambered for .50 cal.

Figure 2: The receiver of T/C Omega, chambered for .50 cal. (Source: https://www.bradfordsauction.com/auction-lot/thompson-center-omega-z5-.50-cal-muzzleloader_1B84FF7BB4)

T/C Omega

A: 7.9 mm

B: 21.3 mm

C: 7.9 mm

BHU: 0 mm

Ø: 6-48

Scope Mounts Interchangeable With T/C Omega

Rifles That Have One-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With T/C Omega

For one-piece mounts to fit on a rifle, mounting surfaces on these rifles must match in every dimension. Firearms that share one-piece scope mounts with T/C Omega are the following:

Rifles That Have Two-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With T/C Omega

To meet interchangeability conditions, two-piece mounts must match in all dimensions except the B distance. B distance can vary because two-piece mounts can be installed and adjusted closer or further apart. Firearms that share two-piece scope mounts with T/C Omega are the following:

Should you happen to own this rifle and would be willing to share with us more information regarding interchangeability, we kindly ask you to contact us at info@optics-trade.eu

Thank you for your help!

Best Scope Mounts for T/C Omega

Picatinny Rails for T/C Omega

If you want to expand your scope mounting options, consider installing a Picatinny rail on top of your T/C Omega's receiver. This rail manufactured by the American company EGW is made of high-quality aluminum and comes with a 2-year warranty.

Weaver Bases for T/C Omega

This Weaver base is produced by the American manufacturer Warne. It is milled from high-quality steel and designed to fit onto the receiver of your T/C Omega. The rail comes with a 10-year warranty.

Help Us Build Our Riflescope Mounts Database

If you happen to own this or any other rifle, we would appreciate it if you could help us expand our database by sending us some photos of the rifle receiver (the bare mounting surface of the rifle without the scope mounts installed). For your help, our company offers a fair return in terms of practical rewards.

Please send us an email for more information. You can contact us here: info@optics-trade.eu