Thompson/Center Arms Compass LA

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Pulsar Trail mounting standard

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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Not to be confused with the makers of the famous Thompson gun (originally made by the Colt Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company), the Thompson/Center Arms is an American producer of firearms, established by K.W. Thompson and Warren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 Compass LA Rifle Review

The T/C Compass is a bolt action rifle first introduced at The Shot Show in 2016, available in two action lengths. In this review, the long-action model is presented.

Although the Thompson Center was primarily known for its single-shot firearms, the company, while under the S&W umbrella, developed some affordably priced bolt action rifles. The Compass follows a standard, modern bolt action design using a synthetic stock and black matte finish. The stock comes equipped with sling swivel studs and a soft rubber recoil pad. When taking a closer look at the action structural design, one can quickly acknowledge the resemblance between the Compass and the company's other bolt action rifle which they named Venture.

The Compass doesn't have built-in iron sights, but it comes with pre-set Weaver bases for mounting scopes. If users want a different setup, there are four holes on the top of the receiver for attaching scope mounts. There is a bolt release lever on the left rear side of the action. The right side has an ejection port with a small gas bent at the front end. A 5-round detachable magazine sits flush with the forearm and is made of durable polymer material.

The bolt itself is made of steel with a blue finish. It has a 60-degree lift, three locking lugs, and a plunger-type ejector. For safety purposes, there is a three-position lever on the right side of the bolt, just behind the handle, which resembles the one used on Winchester model 70 rifles. The rearmost setting is ‘safe’ and locks the bolt and trigger, the middle position allows for moving the bolt while blocking the trigger and the frontmost position is for firing.

Every Compass features an adjustable, single-stage trigger. Users can modify the pull weight within a range of 1400 g (3 lbs) to 2300 g (5 lbs), though the rifle comes with a factory preset weight of around 1600 g (3.5 lbs).

Soon after their initial release, many of the Compass rifles faced a recall due to safety concerns identified by the company. They discovered a higher risk of the rifle discharging when dropped which led to a significant number of rifles being pulled out of the market.

T/C Compass LA, chambered for .30-06 Spr.

Figure 1: T/C Compass LA, chambered for .30-06 Spr. (Source: https://www.gunsweek.com/en/rifles/news/thompsoncenter-compass-rifle-now-shipping-united-states)

T/C Compass LA Calibers

The rifle can be chambered for the following calibers:

.270 Win.
7mm Rem. Mag.
.30-06 Spr.
.300 Win. Mag.

The receivers of the T/C Compass LA rifle come with four drilled and tapped holes which can be used for scope mounting purposes. There are two holes on the front and two on the rear mounting surface. Most rifles are, however, factory-equipped with Weaver bases.

The receiver of T/C Compass, chambered for .30-06 Spr.

Figure 2: The receiver of T/C Compass, chambered for .30-06 Spr. (Source: https://www.collectorsfirearms.com/products/172779-smith-wesson-tc-compass-30-06-r38364.html)

T/C Compass LA

A: 22.2 mm

B: 95.2 mm

C: 22.2 mm

BHU: 0 mm

Ø: 6-48

R1: R17

R2: R17

Scope Mounts Interchangeable With T/C Compass LA

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

The necessary condition for rifles to have one-piece scope mounts interchangeable is that the mounting surfaces of these rifles match in every dimension. Rifles that have one-piece scope mounts interchangeable with T/C Compass LA are the following:

T/C Venture LA

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

For two-piece scope mounts to be interchangeable, the mounting surfaces of the rifles must match in every dimension except the action length which can vary. This is because the distance between the two pieces of the mount is not fixed. Rifles that have two-piece scope mounts interchangeable with T/C Compass LA are the following:

Best Scope Mounts for T/C Compass LA

Picatinny Rails for T/C Compass LA

The receivers of T/C Compact rifles usually come pre-equipped with Waver bases. However, should you want to expand your scope mounting options, you might consider adding a Picatinny rail on top of your receiver. This Picatinny is manufactured by the American company EGW. It is milled from a single piece of high-quality aluminum and will fit the receiver of your Compass LA perfectly.

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