frontier gander
I thought i said the stock was the bottom line - the barreled action is standard - Was the Encore you handled a fluted barrel - or was was it even a ML. One of the Encores expense is that it doubles as a centerfire therefore has more standards applied to it's frame
Do not get me wrong cause I am not a TC freak - but they have to offer low line materials someplace to be able to compete with the imports, and there is nothing wrong with that either.
I guess one of the reason I have never been interested in the Encore - other than price is I hate the looks (shape) of the stock. It really looks awkward to me but a lot of people like it - to each their own...