When I was just a kid, Thompson/Center emerged on the scene with its Hawken muzzleloader, an interesting blend of the modern and the traditional that truly changed the world of blackpowder hunting. And I wasn't much more than a kid when the T/C switch-barrel Contender handgun changed the world of handgun hunting.

The new Icon represents Thompson/Center's entry into the bolt-action rifle market.

To most of us, T/C's signature products remain innovative in-line muzzleloaders and a marvelous array of switch-barrel rifles and handguns on the Contender and Encore actions. And there's nothing wrong with the company's slick little .22 semiauto, either; this is a rifle I shoot often.

The unsung ingredient in all this success is T/C's ability to maintain tight manufacturing tolerances. Its Rochester, New Hampshire, plant has exceptional capability thanks to modern CNC machining--and it had better. T/C's flagship product, after all, is an action that can be mated with many different barrels, and they darn well better fit. We take that as a given, but with actions and barrels that span decades, it isn't quite as simple as it sounds.

For the past year I've heard rumors that T/C was adding a bolt action to its line. I didn't think there was new ground to be broken there, so I wasn't too excited. I should have been.

Enter The Icon
The first prototypes were laid out lovingly on a table, their proud and smiling parents--the engineers and T/C's president, Gregg Ritz--stood behind it. T/C has great engineers and a thirst for innovation. Couple this with its machining capabilities, and I should have expected the Icon bolt action to be something a bit different. Still, I didn't expect what was displayed before me.

Weaver-style scope-mounting bases are integral to the Icon's receiver.

The Icon is a subtle blend of traditional lines--seen in the American classic stock cut from quality walnut--with some ultra-modern features. The Icon has a three-lug forward-locking bolt, and when it's unlocked and pulled back, you can feel T/C's unique ability to hold machining tolerances: It's smooth and tight.

The action has a minimal ejection port with a solid top. This makes it difficult to single-load from the top, but it makes it one of the most rigid bolt actions I've seen. And the three-lug bolt has a short uplift. Interestingly, the bolt handle is a modified butterknife, and it's removable and interchangeable. So, in typical T/C fashion, you have options.

Two other external features deserve comment. The receiver bridges have integral rails that will accept any Weaver-style mounts. The magazine is a single-stack detachable. In general, I don't like detachable magazines, but I can't help but like this one. It's flush-mounted, with the concealed release forward of the box. Here's another area where T/C's manufacturing capabilities come into play: It is the smoothest, most positive seating, most positive detaching magazine I've ever seen.

The bottom of the action is flat, positively mating to an equally flat bedding block that houses the trigger assembly and magazine well. This is also incredibly sound, incorporating principles normally seen only on benchrest actions. Everything about the Icon, including its fully adjustable trigger, screams "accuracy."