THINKING IT WOULD BE fun to get involved in Cowboy Action Shooting, and maybe do a little hunting with lever guns, I started on a quest for the appropriate hardware. For me, the commonly available calibers were too boring.

The first Remington Number 5 bears no resemblance to the new Remington Model 5. The two rifles differ as much as cats and dogs do. The old Number 5 was a rolling-block sporting and target rifle adapted to use smokeless powder ammunition. It was introduced in 1898, initially chambered for .30-30 Winchester, 7mm Mauser, .30-40 Krag, with .303 British added a few years later. The rifle flopped. Only 198 were sold before it went out of production in 1903. That was too bad for Remington but a good deal for anyone who owns a Number 5, as it would be a mighty nice collector’s piece today. I don’t think the new Remington Model 5 will suffer the same fate as the old Number 5. Right now, it’s a clip-fed bolt-action available in .22 LR and .22 WMR. I have few doubts that in the future it will be able to handle one or more of the .17-caliber rounds gaining popularity. While it wears “Remington” on its box and at the rear of the receiver, you’ll find “Zastava-Serbia” above and forward of the magazine housing. Zastava is the town; Serbia a former kingdom of the Balkans and presently part of Yugoslavia.

The Second Amendment Foundation believes that the nomination of Eric Holder for the post of attorney general of the United States sends an “alarming signal” to gun owners about how the Barack Obama administration will view individual gun rights.

BELLEVUE, Wash. -- The New Jersey Assembly is poised to vote on a new gun control measure that could criminalize ownership of the very guns that secured this nation's independence, and outlaw possession of expensive safari-class hunting rifles, according to the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA).

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Thompson Center R-55 Benchmark Classic

Good trigger, accurate with at least one test ammo, lifetime limited warranty, and a slightly lower cost than its competitors.

The R-55 rimfire has been a retail home run for Thompson Center since its introduction at the turn of the current century. The Benchmark Classic is the Cadillac version of the R-55 platform with an 18-inch stainless steel bull barrel, with a wide-mouthed target crown, threaded to the steel receiver.

The Benchmark Classic has the looks and features of a target gun, but the sling swivel studs and "all weather" marketing label are apparent gestures to the hunting market.

The Benchmark Classic was the only one of the three test guns that didn’t come with a scope rail, although two-piece mounts are available as an accessory (catalog No. 9951). They are identical to the Weaver No. 411.

The light-brown laminated stock was similar in width and heft to the other test guns, but the Benchmark Classic’s high rollover comb was the most comfortable when all three rifles were scoped. The forend provided a wider (2.25 inches) flat surface for front rest contact

The Thompson Center banana clip magazine was difficult to load.

This stock feature likely aided the gun’s ability to shoot. The TC Benchmark Classic kept Federal Gold Medal Match ammunition inside 0.35 inches at 25 yards and was slightly under a half-inch at 50 yards. The TC’s trigger was also a delight and by far the lightest of the test group, averaging 3.6 pounds for 10 pulls on the digital Lyman Trigger Gauge.

These facts alone would likely be enough for us to buy this gun over the others, but we liked other aspects of it as well.

Construction was all steel in the receiver and action parts, with the fire control system held in place by two screws through the trigger guard and two more through the upper receiver walls. Bolts on the Thompson Center and Remington guns handily locked back (open) after the final shot in the magazine, while the Ruger design has never allowed that, forcing the shooter to pull back the bolt to determine if the chamber is clear.

On

The R-55 design includes a thumb lever safety on the right side of the receiver, which is difficult for left-handed shooters to use.

There were also a couple of things we didn’t like. The safety was a thumb lever along the right side of the receiver—which, unlike the cross-bolt safety, is a virtually incurable headache for the left-handed shooter. The long, curved magazine (10 shots) was by far the most difficult to load among the three tested, the heavy spring making insertion of the last two cartridges a major chore. A different magazine is featured in the instruction manual.

Reader Comments

I REALLY, REALLY WISH TC WOULD MAKE A HIGHER CAPACITY ( 20-25 RD. ) MAGAZINE,, AND IMPROVE THE LOADING OF IT, SAY A SPRING DEPRESSOR BUTTON ON THE SIDE.

Comment by: howie | July 24, 2008

I REALLY, REALLY WISH TC WOULD MAKE A HIGHER CAPACITY ( 20-25 RD. ) MAGAZINE,, AND IMPROVE THE LOADING OF IT, SAY A SPRING DEPRESSOR BUTTON ON THE SIDE.

Comment by: howie | July 24, 2008

Please review the new TC ICON in 22-250 or 308.

Comment by: George Parkinson | July 24, 2008

Nice looking rifle, but it'll never catch up tp the Ruger 10/22. Too many afternarket goodies and most are accurate with just about anything you can put through them. Ed

Comment by: Ed H | July 24, 2008

.Look on the side of the mag you will see a small hole. you can buy a small tool from TC or use a home made pin to depress the spring, pic in manual is 5 round for TC classic. My TC classic will shoot under 1/2 inch at 50 yards with RWS target ammo on a good day

Comment by: James U | July 24, 2008

i just bought one took it to the local gunsmith because i wass having a hard time finding mounts for it without ordering through T/C does the 411 wever mount match up correctly???

Comment by: bruggy | August 12, 2008

I had one, stupidly sold it because I thought I needed something else worse, will be purchasing another soon. Great little rifle and the one I had was veryyyy accurate. Hope the next one is too.

Comment by: Win75 | September 7, 2008

This gun just oozes quality. The magazines are thumb busters though. How about a package deal with a good quality scope? Otherwise it shoots as good as anything out there at two or three times the price.

Comment by: wcrandall | September 21, 2008