Match Grade Machine made an after market barrel for this Thompson Encore and turned it into a 600 Nitro Express. Seriously.
When it comes to the hardest kicking rounds on the planet, the famed 600 Nitro Express often comes up in that conversation. Originally developed as a big game round primarily for stuff like elephants. This round often uses 900 grain bullets flying at speeds from 1,800 to 2,000 fps delivering up to 8,500-foot pounds of energy. As you probably already guessed, that gives it one heck of a kick, thus necessitating the need for rifles to be heavier than normal. They are also normally only single shot or double at the most because odds are good you will not need a second shot.
Knowing the kind of power this round has, you might wonder why on Earth anyone would make a barrel for a Thompson Center Encore hunting pistol for it. Well, we are not sure. Probably just because they could. Even then, how many people are going to be brave enough to shoot it?
Watch this guy who calls himself the "only one on staff dumb... I mean, uh, brave enough to shoot it" In reality, he handles it surprisingly well.
Do we need this? Dumb question. Do we want this? Hell yes!
If for no other reason than to dare our friends to shoot it at the gun range and laugh at them when they chicken out of doing it. That is the only real practical application for something like this. We are not sure if a barrel that short allows the round to keep its accuracy or hard-hitting stopping power. We would be curious to see it put on a chronograph and compared with a more traditional rifle. Just a review: the original frame was a Thompson Center Encore and after surgery it turned into a 600 nitro express.
