Bought my first new center fire rifle back in the summer of 2009, a thompson icon classic. It was my first new centerfire rifle, and I was happy to get it after all the hype printed in the magazines about how well built it was, leading accuracy and the sub-moa guarantee. I got it for what I thought was a steal at cabela's in Winnipeg for just under $700. Reason it was marked down was due the to fact it was in hornady's new caliber, 30TC, something nobody wanted I guess. After doing some reading on the caliber, it delivered some pretty good statistics, reasonable recoil and was to be the next big thing.....
But then it wasn't.
While the cartridge never really caught on, it was sort of a staple that TC promoted. Hornady is still making it (as far as I know), but every where I've gone its been on sale somewhere (good for me), because no one wants to carry it (poor sales I'm guessing). Even Thompson center has dropped it as an option altogether. To top it off, they've gone full bore into the cheap rifle market with the venture's, and now the dimension's, and the Icon models, which every one of my hunting buddies drool over, is gone completely from their offerings.
Either there has been some major changes going on at smith and Wesson, or they have got their heads on sideways, but how can there be any sense (financially) in producing something for what, 3 years, then dropping it all together? Most manufactures make something for several years before they ever change a line completely or make minor changes to their current lines. Why the idea to drop the line of icon's altogether, why not just make ventures, dimensions AND Icon's? Feels like the firearm industry, at least from TC's perspective, its like the auto industry, coming up with something new every 3-5 years, and forgetting they built some decent classics that didn't need to go away, because people liked them the way there were.
On doing some research, I saw there was a massive recall on all Icon's ever built over the safety mechanism, I've sent mine in for warranty repair, but hope to have it back soon. I enjoy the Icon, its been through a half dozen successful moose hunts, always draws attention, has a good, solid feel to it. Accurate, reliable and ###y, everything you want in a hunting rifle.
Anybody else have one? What's your story?
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But then it wasn't.
While the cartridge never really caught on, it was sort of a staple that TC promoted. Hornady is still making it (as far as I know), but every where I've gone its been on sale somewhere (good for me), because no one wants to carry it (poor sales I'm guessing). Even Thompson center has dropped it as an option altogether. To top it off, they've gone full bore into the cheap rifle market with the venture's, and now the dimension's, and the Icon models, which every one of my hunting buddies drool over, is gone completely from their offerings.
Either there has been some major changes going on at smith and Wesson, or they have got their heads on sideways, but how can there be any sense (financially) in producing something for what, 3 years, then dropping it all together? Most manufactures make something for several years before they ever change a line completely or make minor changes to their current lines. Why the idea to drop the line of icon's altogether, why not just make ventures, dimensions AND Icon's? Feels like the firearm industry, at least from TC's perspective, its like the auto industry, coming up with something new every 3-5 years, and forgetting they built some decent classics that didn't need to go away, because people liked them the way there were.
On doing some research, I saw there was a massive recall on all Icon's ever built over the safety mechanism, I've sent mine in for warranty repair, but hope to have it back soon. I enjoy the Icon, its been through a half dozen successful moose hunts, always draws attention, has a good, solid feel to it. Accurate, reliable and ###y, everything you want in a hunting rifle.
Anybody else have one? What's your story?
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Next raining day maybe I'll sit down and write a letter to TC, telling them how much I love the Icon, give the customer perspective. But I like Bonemaker think they've done nothing but a nosedive since S+W took them over. I was having good communication with them about getting warranty work done, but once they found out I was Canadian, they just referred me to a Vancouver smith and broke off communication from that point.
