Thompson/Center Compass
- Category
- Rifle
- Barrel
- 559 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.29 kg
- Introduced
- 2016
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Thompson/Center Compass is a budget-priced bolt-action hunting rifle introduced in 2016 to compete in the affordable bolt-gun segment alongside the Ruger American and Savage Axis. It pairs a full-diameter, three-lug bolt with a fast 60-degree throw, a free-floated steel barrel cut with Thompson/Center's asymmetrical 5R rifling, a threaded muzzle, a user-adjustable single-stage trigger, a flush-fitting detachable rotary magazine and a synthetic stock with aluminum pillars and a steel recoil lug. Despite its low price point, T/C guarantees minute-of-angle accuracy (1-inch three-shot groups at 100 yards) with premium ammunition. It is offered in roughly ten chamberings from .204 Ruger up to .300 Winchester Magnum.
Thompson/Center Arms built its reputation on the Contender single-shot pistol and Encore break-action platforms, so the Compass marked an unusual move into the high-volume budget bolt-action market for the New Hampshire maker. Launched with a $399 MSRP, it was T/C's answer to the wave of sub-$400 'accuracy guaranteed' bolt rifles, leaning on its 5R match-grade rifling heritage to promise MOA groups at a price point where guarantees were rare.
Standard chamberings use a 22-inch barrel with a five-round magazine; magnum chamberings use a 24-inch barrel and a four-round magazine. Muzzle threads are 1/2-28 on .204 Ruger / .223 Rem. / .22-250 Rem. and 5/8-24 on .243 Win. and larger. The Compass II (introduced circa 2019) refined the design with a Generation II trigger and updated stock; the Compass Utility is a value-focused package, often sold scoped. A Compass II Compact uses a shortened 16.25-inch barrel. The .308 Winchester ballistics shown reflect a typical 150-grain factory load, not a factory-published figure for this specific rifle.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Thompson/Center Arms
- Category
- Rifle
- Country
- United States
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 2016
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 559 mm
- Overall length
- 1041 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.29 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Bolt action
- Firing mechanism
- Striker fired
- Trigger
- Adjustable single stage
- Trigger pull
- 17.0 N
- Capacity
- 5
- Magazine
- Rotary
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 859 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 3579 J
- Effective range
- 500 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Three lug bolt
Sixty degree bolt throw
Free floated barrel
5r rifling
Threaded muzzle
Adjustable trigger
Detachable rotary magazine- Moa accuracy guarantee
Drilled and tapped- Aluminum stock pillars
Steel recoil lug
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 157 .308 Winchester rifles | 3.29 kg | 3.22 kg | Heavier than about 60% |
| Overall lengthAmong 146 .308 Winchester rifles | 1041 mm | 1067 mm | Shorter than about 70% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 166 .308 Winchester rifles | 559 mm | 559 mm | Near the median |
| Magazine capacityAmong 162 .308 Winchester rifles | 5 | 5 | Holds more rounds than about 70% |
Answers
Questions about the Thompson/Center Compass
How much does the Thompson/Center Compass weigh?
The Thompson/Center Compass weighs 3.29 kg (7.25 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Thompson/Center Compass?
The Thompson/Center Compass is chambered in .308 Winchester, .204 Ruger, .22-250 Remington, .223 Remington, .243 Winchester, .270 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, .300 Winchester Magnum, 6.5 Creedmoor, 7mm-08 Remington, and 7mm Remington Magnum.
How many rounds does the Thompson/Center Compass hold?
The Thompson/Center Compass holds 5 rounds, fed from a rotary magazine.
How long is the Thompson/Center Compass?
The Thompson/Center Compass is 1041 mm (41.0 in) long overall, with a 559 mm (22.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the Thompson/Center Compass?
The Thompson/Center Compass is made by Thompson/Center Arms (United States).
When was the Thompson/Center Compass introduced?
The Thompson/Center Compass was introduced in 2016.
How does the Thompson/Center Compass operate?
The Thompson/Center Compass uses a bolt action, and its firing mechanism is striker fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
Provenance
Confidence in this record
78%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/thompson-center-compass' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "thompson-center-compass", "name": "Thompson/Center Compass", "manufacturer": { "id": "thompson-center", "name": "Thompson/Center Arms", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1965, "website": "https://www.tcarms.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-04-05 22:24:37", "updatedAt": "2026-04-05 22:24:37", "version": "6e03ad2e55da23af676557757c032bd5ff2842b9ed2b76c069e94a6704976dc8" }, "category": { "id": "rifle", "name": "Rifle", "description": "Long-barreled firearms designed for accurate shooting" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 2016, "barrel_length_mm": 559, "weight_empty_g": 3289, "action_type": "bolt_action"}