Forend Conversions

(21 customer reviews)

$85.00

Factory Encore/Contender rifle forend conversions to the hanger bar system

What advantages does the hanger bar system offer?

There are 3 basic improvements the hanger bar system has over the factory style forend system.

1)   Free floats the barrel away from the forend and frame thereby reducing pressure issues caused by direct contact of the forend and barrel.

2)   Eliminates most of the barrel pressure problems associated with tightening the forend directly to the barrel.  Each time the forend is removed and reinstalled the pressure transferred to the barrel by the forend and attaching screws varies which can cause initial point of impact changes and poor groups as the barrel heats up.  With the hanger bar system the forend attaches directly to the hanger bar and not to the barrel.  Since the barrel is floated with the hanger bar there is little if any pressure transfer to the barrel from tightening the forend attaching screws.

3)   The hanger bar system offers a much more solid and secure hookup between barrel and forend.  10-32 button head cap screws (hex head) are used to attach the forend to the hanger bar rather than the smaller 8-40 slot head screws used by the factory.

When doing a forend conversion it is critical that I have the correct dimensions of your barrel (see photo screen left). Different barrel contours require different dimension hanger bars to make the forend sit level on the barrel.  I have fitting barrels here for all common contoured barrels, ie; Thompson factory or custom barrels duplicating Thompson factory contours.  If you have a custom barrel with a contour different than that I will need you barrel here in the shop for fitting.

Hanger bar conversions are available for factory Encore and Contender rifle barrel forends as well as just about any custom made forend so long as it is thick enough and long enough to accommodate the hanger bar.  Most pistol barrel forends are too short and thin to allow the hanger bar to be installed.  You must use a rifle or custom pistol forend for the hanger bar system to be utilized on a handgun barrel.  The hanger bar system is not applicable to Muzzle loader or shotgun barrels and is not compatible with Pachmyr forends.

One converted forend will function on any barrel equipped with the proper hanger bar for that barrel contour and as long as the contour of the barrel will fit in it.  You don’t necessarily need a forend for every barrel you have.  I don’t recommend that you swap the hanger bars from barrel to barrel however.  Once installed on a barrel the hanger bar should remain on that barrel.

The costs listed for this service are for the conversion process only on your supplied forend. Hanger bars are sold separately.  See “Hanger Bar” tab in products section.  Since Thompson factory forends are no longer availabe (unless you can find one on line or at a gun show).  I can supply a “Choate Machine & Tool” black synthetic Encore or Contender rifle forend for you and do the conversion prior to shipping if you prefer, or you can pick up one of the many walnut or laminate after market forends available.  Revolution Stocks, Boyds, Gun Stocks Inc, to name a few companies making wood forends.  Choate is the only business making synthetic forends right now that I’m aware of.

Turn around time for the work is approximately 2 Weeks.

** You cannot order this service online, you will need to call me at (435) 635-5547 or e-mail me from the web site “contact us” page to make arrangements to have this work done.

 

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21 reviews for Forend Conversions

  1. KEVIN M SOMERS –

    I had forend conversion’s done for a Bagera and MGM 45/70 barrel. I couldn’t be happier, with the forends installed the barrels float in the forends. The hanger bar system provides a more secure mounting for your forend. I also purchased and installed 5 hanger bars on my other barrels. Everything fit like a glove.

  2. John G –

    John G – August 9, 2019

    I’ve bought 4 custom modified forends with hanger bar systems (so far!) from Steve. His workmanship, attention to detail and quality are second to none. You can tell he takes pride in his work. Completes the order in a timely manner and is a pleasure to deal with.

  3. Terry L wagner –

    Stratton Custom hanger bars are simply great. Superb craftsmanship both on the bar and on the work Steve does to fit a TC fore end to them. If you have a heavy recoiling caliber or simply looking to improve your TC firearm, send the barrel and fore end to Steve and be amazed.

  4. Terry Wagner –

    Steve Stratton does a superior job on his hanger bars and fitting them to your supplied fore end. Steve’s workmanship is simply flawless. Trust Steve to enhance your TC contender or encore. You simply can’t go wrong

  5. John M. aka NoSecondBest –

    I’m an accuracy fanatic. No matter what type/brand gun I’m shooting, I’m always looking to get the most I can out of it. I can tell you for a fact that both of my MGM barrels shoot significantly better/more consistent with Steve’s hangers than they did before getting them. I’ve been shooting for a lot of years, and I don’t spend money on things that add no value or improvement. These hangers are worth every penny spent. His work is top notch and his delivery is excellent. Two thumbs up for Steve’s hanger system.

  6. BOBBY HIGGINS –

    I had a black factory forend done for a Begara .308 encore barrel customized by Bellm tcs. The forend fit and finish are outstanding. This definatley resolves the poor fitting and poor design of bedding of my tc forend.

    Work was done on time and shipped promptly. I will be sending a contender forend to be done in near future. And can reccomend this hanger bar system it has made a dramatic difference in my accuracy.
    Steve is easy to deal with and does excellent work.

  7. Paul B. Michaels –

    I had Steve do a forend mod and hanger bar for a TC Custom Shop 7MM Rem Mag barrel. Before the work I could shoot 1 1/2 to 2 inch 100 yard groups but when the barrel heated up, my groups opened up to 3 to 4 inches. I assume the expanded barrel was touching the forend which decreased the accuracy. With the new forend and hanger bar my groups are under 1 inch even with a hot barrel. I later ordered a hanger bar for my 204 Ruger barrel and use the same forend from the 7 Rem Mag. With this set up and a good rest I can dump bullets into a dime size hole all day long. Steve was very easy to do business with and was responsive to my questions whether through email or over the phone. I will be ordering more hanger bars for my other barrels in the near future.

  8. Kevin Okey –

    If you want to get the most out of your Encores accuracy potential the forend conversion and hanger bar system is a must , I have had three forend conversions done and was impressed with Steve’s work , paired with the multiple hanger bars on various barrels the accuracy is never in question. Thanks Steve.

  9. Sam Grozdanich –

    I had a virgin valley bull barrel that I couldn’t get a forearm to fit properly, called Steve and sent it in to have a hanger fitted to a forearm, work was excellent and the barrel shoots super good. Very Happy, great turn around time too. Highly recommended.

  10. Ricky Holloway –

    Steve is the best at doing work on T/C products there has ever been. He has done great work for me quiet a few times. Steve is a great man plus he is a very honest man. I also consider Steve a good friend. You can depend on Steve treating you with respect and friendly.

  11. Daniel E., Michigan –

    Steve has modified several TC Encore forends for me in all 3 variations. I have purchased numerous hanger bars in the 3 variations as well as multiple barrel contours. Workmanship, fitment, service, and delivery are all EXCELLENT! Every component fits perfectly.

    I highly recommend the TC Encore Hanger Bar implementation for improved accuracy including additional use of custom flat bottom benchrest type forends.

    Thank you Steve for great products and service!

  12. Reed T –

    I have four forends with the hangar bar system from Steve. The quality and workmanship stands for itself. Nothing is guaranteed and one setup made a major improvement in accuracy, two made noticeable improvements and one I will call neutral. For quality and performance this is a worthy investment.

  13. W Tompkins –

    Had Steve retrofit a laminate Encore forend for the hanger bar system and wouldn’t hesitate to have him do it again for me. Great work and quick turnaround. Very good guy to deal with. Recommended.

  14. Kelly Ennen –

    My forend was working loose from recoil. I haven’t had any problems since getting the hanger bars on my barrels and I’m really happy with the work.

  15. Todd Rissberger –

    I had Steve do a hanger bar in my Encore Rifle Factory Forend with T/C 28″ .22LR Fluted Barred. I shoots like a dream. Besides that, Steve is a quality guy you can trust. His workmanship and quality of his parts are outstanding.

  16. Christopher Baird –

    All the five star reviews for Steve’s work are spot-on. I had a 300 Win Mag Factory Barrel where the forend screws worked loose and stripped in the first 20 rounds. I sent a barrel to Steve who had MGM install dovetail threads and he did custom work on my forend with exceptional attention to detail. This took all of the problems I was having with this gun away and it’s now shooting on a dime. Thanks Steve for the awesome work! All of my future TC stock work will be through you!

  17. Ryan C Washington –

    I would give Steve a 10 star rating. I had Steve to do a hanger bar on my TC Encore forend and he did a wonderful and professional job. I am very happy with his work and return time was fast. I will let all my hunting buddies know about the great job he dose. He is a really nice guy and he answer all my question i had i will definitely do business with him in the future. I am very happy with my forend. He is a true PROFESSIONAL!!!

  18. Casey Thompson –

    I sent Steve my Boyd’s Laminate forend. His work is super clean, I cant get over how clean it is. I couldn’t be happier. Installation instructions were excellent, and the barrel is as close to floating as an encore can be. Super fast turn around, very knowledgeable friendly guy. Would recommend 100%.

  19. Jeffery Campbell –

    Stratton Custom’s attention to detail and craftsmanship is without equal. The fit and finish are exceptional! I ordered a forend from Haus of Arms, had it sent directly to Stratton Custom and Steve did the rest. I now have match grade, repeatable accuracy out of a factory barrel that used to shot good one day and not the next (frustrating). The Stratton Hanger bar system and modified forend free float the barrel, PERFECTLY (and repeatedly)!

  20. Chris H. –

    Steve has done many forend converisions jobs for me. I ordered a youth forend from Haus of Arms for my daughter and sent it to Steve.The fit was perfect. It makes all the difference when you are getting the most out of your custom or factory barrel. Very fast turn around & excellent communication.

  21. Jason Garland –

    Just had my forend converted for the hanger bar for my TC Encore. Steve did an outstanding job on it! Got it back a lot quicker than anticipated as well. The work he did is outstanding, fit and finish is spot on. He even added a note on the invoice which I thought was a very classy touch. Would highly recommend Stratton Customs, will be sending in my frame over the winter for a trigger job

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