Keef
22-11-2006, 09:45 PM
Thompson Centre Benchmark
In the past I have had a Marlin 7000, a tricked up Ruger 10/22 and a Browning Buckmark. I still have the Buckmark and it’s an excellent rabbit gun, short and reliable but it’s not the best grouping rifle in the world. The Ruger was exceptionally accurate giving 1MOA but there were too many dull clicks when I pulled the trigger so it went about two years ago.
I had been looking for a rifle to use on Small Bore Gallery Rifle competitions. I wanted above all something reliable but with a comfortable stock and the accuracy for the SBGR.
After input from the BBS and Rimfire Central I opted for the Thompson Centre Benchmark.
The rifle is a conventional .22 semi with 10 round magazines, with 5 round magazines available as an extra.
The receiver is all steel with no pin holes in it. The 19” barrel is threaded into the receiver so gives a very rigid fix in the receiver. The barrel is a heavy weight one with a diameter of 0.880” (22.35mm) and is the same diameter for it’s whole length. The muzzle has a recessed square crown with no threading provided or available from the supplier, Viking Arms.
The trigger mechanism secures to the receiver with four screws, again giving a rigid fixing. There is no provision for user adjustment but the break weight is 4lbs and it is a crisp break with no drag. I would like the weight down a bit to 2lbs and will investigate this later once I have put a number of rounds through it. The safety is a lever on the top right of the receiver and operated to block and disconnect the trigger when cocked.
The rifle has an unusual return spring system. There are no springs behind the breech block. The return spring is mounted under the barrel and linked to the breech block by a long bar. The system keeps the overall length of the receiver down and works well.
The magazine is released by a substantial lever between the magazine well and the trigger guard. There is a last round hold open device operated by the magazine. It is possible to operate the hold open by putting a finger up inside the mag well.
The magazine is a thick, strong casting, no pressed parts on it. The base removes for stripping and cleaning. The mag platform is a close fit in the casing and needs to be kept clean.
The rifle has no open sights fitted. The receiver is drilled for scope bases but there is no dovetail so a weaver style base must be fitted. They are only available from Viking Arms, no one else appears to have them listed. The problem with getting them from Viking is that they only list them with mounts as well and at a retail price of around £40.00 I would prefer the bases only. I machined a long one piece weaver rail that over hangs the barrel for mine but I did have problems matching the curve on top of the receiver.
The stock is a brown laminate with a cheek piece that is a good height for scope use. The fore end is wide, with finger groves to the area on top, either side of the barrel. There is no stippling or chequering anywhere on the stock. The butt plate is a fairly smooth plastic unit. The length to pull is 14”. The stock is fitted with QD studs in the butt and fore end.
I have a Nikko Gold Crown 4.5 to 14 x 50 mil dot scope fitted to it using B Square non adjustable mounts. With the one piece weaver style base I have had no problems getting the eye relief set but this might different were I using the small two piece set from Viking.
The rifle shoulders well and the length to pull is comfortable for me. The cheek piece aligns the eye for the scope and is comfortable on the cheek. The rifle is forward heavy but controls well even on a fast shoulder in competition and there doesn’t appear to be much muzzle climb during rapid fire.
I have shot approx 600 rounds through it so far. The best for accuracy have been Lapua Master M followed by Eley EPS and Eley Club X. Remington have given a number of misfires but with this batch of ammo this has occurred in a Ruger 10/22 and my Buckmark as well so I do not think it is rifle specific.
The rifle also cycles Eley Subsonics without any stoppages. The only stoppages I have had were when shooting outdoors on the 100 yard range. The rifle was getting very dirty and the stoppage was the nose of the round damaged. This may have been due to the magazine being dirty and the platform not fully rising – it is a close fit. I was also using a Dog Gone shooting bag and the magazine may have been forced against it pushing the front of the mag down.
The rifle and magazine were cleaned after this and since then another 200 rounds have been put through it without a misfeed or misfire.
Accuracy has not been fully tried yet. It will shoot the bull out of the standard pistol target we are using at 20m, round after round through the same hole. It was gusting wind on the one occasion I have been at 100 yards with it and I did not have any Lapua ammo left to use. From the results I got that day in good conditions with the Lapua it will shoot 1MOA.
The rifle is good out of the box, there is no need to add a different trigger mech or barrel. I priced up the cost of a new 10/22 plus after market barrel, trigger parts and stock. The Thompson was cheaper by a good £100 at trade prices and it’s as good as the tricked up Ruger in accuracy plus I have had no feed problems.
Because of the competition I am shooting over the Winter I have added an accessory rail under the fore end with the intention of putting an extended support on for my leading hand, a bit like the “Hamster” used in FT. Other than this and the reduction in pull off weight I don’t think I will need to do any other work on it for use.
Pictures of the rifle are:
Right side
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d43/XBandM/Thompson003.jpg
Left side
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d43/XBandM/Thompson002.jpg
Fore end
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d43/XBandM/Thompson004.jpg
Butt
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d43/XBandM/Thompson005.jpg
Right side action only
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d43/XBandM/Thompson012.jpg
Left side action only
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d43/XBandM/Thompson010.jpg
Magazine
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d43/XBandM/Thompson015.jpg
In the past I have had a Marlin 7000, a tricked up Ruger 10/22 and a Browning Buckmark. I still have the Buckmark and it’s an excellent rabbit gun, short and reliable but it’s not the best grouping rifle in the world. The Ruger was exceptionally accurate giving 1MOA but there were too many dull clicks when I pulled the trigger so it went about two years ago.
I had been looking for a rifle to use on Small Bore Gallery Rifle competitions. I wanted above all something reliable but with a comfortable stock and the accuracy for the SBGR.
After input from the BBS and Rimfire Central I opted for the Thompson Centre Benchmark.
The rifle is a conventional .22 semi with 10 round magazines, with 5 round magazines available as an extra.
The receiver is all steel with no pin holes in it. The 19” barrel is threaded into the receiver so gives a very rigid fix in the receiver. The barrel is a heavy weight one with a diameter of 0.880” (22.35mm) and is the same diameter for it’s whole length. The muzzle has a recessed square crown with no threading provided or available from the supplier, Viking Arms.
The trigger mechanism secures to the receiver with four screws, again giving a rigid fixing. There is no provision for user adjustment but the break weight is 4lbs and it is a crisp break with no drag. I would like the weight down a bit to 2lbs and will investigate this later once I have put a number of rounds through it. The safety is a lever on the top right of the receiver and operated to block and disconnect the trigger when cocked.
The rifle has an unusual return spring system. There are no springs behind the breech block. The return spring is mounted under the barrel and linked to the breech block by a long bar. The system keeps the overall length of the receiver down and works well.
The magazine is released by a substantial lever between the magazine well and the trigger guard. There is a last round hold open device operated by the magazine. It is possible to operate the hold open by putting a finger up inside the mag well.
The magazine is a thick, strong casting, no pressed parts on it. The base removes for stripping and cleaning. The mag platform is a close fit in the casing and needs to be kept clean.
The rifle has no open sights fitted. The receiver is drilled for scope bases but there is no dovetail so a weaver style base must be fitted. They are only available from Viking Arms, no one else appears to have them listed. The problem with getting them from Viking is that they only list them with mounts as well and at a retail price of around £40.00 I would prefer the bases only. I machined a long one piece weaver rail that over hangs the barrel for mine but I did have problems matching the curve on top of the receiver.
The stock is a brown laminate with a cheek piece that is a good height for scope use. The fore end is wide, with finger groves to the area on top, either side of the barrel. There is no stippling or chequering anywhere on the stock. The butt plate is a fairly smooth plastic unit. The length to pull is 14”. The stock is fitted with QD studs in the butt and fore end.
I have a Nikko Gold Crown 4.5 to 14 x 50 mil dot scope fitted to it using B Square non adjustable mounts. With the one piece weaver style base I have had no problems getting the eye relief set but this might different were I using the small two piece set from Viking.
The rifle shoulders well and the length to pull is comfortable for me. The cheek piece aligns the eye for the scope and is comfortable on the cheek. The rifle is forward heavy but controls well even on a fast shoulder in competition and there doesn’t appear to be much muzzle climb during rapid fire.
I have shot approx 600 rounds through it so far. The best for accuracy have been Lapua Master M followed by Eley EPS and Eley Club X. Remington have given a number of misfires but with this batch of ammo this has occurred in a Ruger 10/22 and my Buckmark as well so I do not think it is rifle specific.
The rifle also cycles Eley Subsonics without any stoppages. The only stoppages I have had were when shooting outdoors on the 100 yard range. The rifle was getting very dirty and the stoppage was the nose of the round damaged. This may have been due to the magazine being dirty and the platform not fully rising – it is a close fit. I was also using a Dog Gone shooting bag and the magazine may have been forced against it pushing the front of the mag down.
The rifle and magazine were cleaned after this and since then another 200 rounds have been put through it without a misfeed or misfire.
Accuracy has not been fully tried yet. It will shoot the bull out of the standard pistol target we are using at 20m, round after round through the same hole. It was gusting wind on the one occasion I have been at 100 yards with it and I did not have any Lapua ammo left to use. From the results I got that day in good conditions with the Lapua it will shoot 1MOA.
The rifle is good out of the box, there is no need to add a different trigger mech or barrel. I priced up the cost of a new 10/22 plus after market barrel, trigger parts and stock. The Thompson was cheaper by a good £100 at trade prices and it’s as good as the tricked up Ruger in accuracy plus I have had no feed problems.
Because of the competition I am shooting over the Winter I have added an accessory rail under the fore end with the intention of putting an extended support on for my leading hand, a bit like the “Hamster” used in FT. Other than this and the reduction in pull off weight I don’t think I will need to do any other work on it for use.
Pictures of the rifle are:
Right side
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d43/XBandM/Thompson003.jpg
Left side
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d43/XBandM/Thompson002.jpg
Fore end
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d43/XBandM/Thompson004.jpg
Butt
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d43/XBandM/Thompson005.jpg
Right side action only
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d43/XBandM/Thompson012.jpg
Left side action only
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d43/XBandM/Thompson010.jpg
Magazine
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d43/XBandM/Thompson015.jpg