Can anyone tell me if they own a Thompson Center BENCHMARK 22
with the 10 round steel banana clip magazine?
If so, have you had any problems experienced with firing the rifle that you would care to elaborate on for me?
Thanks,
Castle Mountain
I have a classic that was given to me from my uncle. Overall a very nice rifle. The good: It functioned in 30 degree weather over 3 days of shooting at Ramseur when everyone else with 10-22's kept having jams and I didn't clean it. I was using Federal bulk from Wal-mart and it will give me moa groups with a few flyers (ammo issue). The bad: Price. The 10 round mags do not drop free on mine and one in four will not feed properly so I had to take two back to get two more. The sights suck on them for marksmanship purposes so you may have to scope it. I have had one out of battery fire on it at a light rifle match. It was one of those "I've never seen that before" moments.
I like it, but I don't know if I would spend the money for a benchmark or not.
We had an out of battery fire on one at Deming, NM last June. It actually cooked off the top round in the magazine. Temps were above 100 degrees, and right now I don't remember what COF it was, but must've had a high round count.
I am curious as mine when operating efficiently is a tac driver. But when not it runs a jam cycle. Throws the empty shell
casing and it stops the bolt with the round stripped off the magazine resting inside but never making it to the barrel chamber. The gun smith clipped the spring and I suspect that might have caused something. The feed ramp has been polished, the chamber crown has been polished. Last time I shot it, the rifle deployed the first round and then jammed.
I removed the mag, dumped the empty cartridge case and the live round, reinserted the mag, got NPOA fired and then
it jammed again. Same scenario each time. Have used CCI, Federal * Eely to no avail. Same story.
Quote from: DwayneH on November 28, 2009, 04:59:31 PM
I have a classic that was given to me from my uncle. Overall a very nice rifle. The good: It functioned in 30 degree weather over 3 days of shooting at Ramseur when everyone else with 10-22's kept having jams and I didn't clean it. I was using Federal bulk from Wal-mart and it will give me moa groups with a few flyers (ammo issue). The bad: Price. The 10 round mags do not drop free on mine and one in four will not feed properly so I had to take two back to get two more. The sights suck on them for marksmanship purposes so you may have to scope it. I have had one out of battery fire on it at a light rifle match. It was one of those "I've never seen that before" moments.
I like it, but I don't know if I would spend the money for a benchmark or not.