OT - T/C Contender

[Barcelona Rick]

I have always had an interest in Contenders.....never had the money to buy one.....know of a nice early 1980's version in 45 Colt/410 with the short barrel and the screw in choke. Looks pretty good and the caliber is good.....have heard they are hard to open. IIRC Hobie has a collection of these.....what do y'all think about this era ?? Also, did they make a 30 Carbine barrel for this frame ??


rick

[AJMD429]

Contenders in and of themselves are GREAT. Triggers usually second-to-none.

For things like .45-70, I'd rather have the heavier Encore.

As far as the ".45 Colt/.410 Shotgun" chambering, the .45 Colt is sort of useless in them, IMHO, due to the very long free-bore 'jump' before the bullet finally contacts the rifling.

Still, they are fun toys, fun to shoot 'skeet' with using the .410, and of course MANY other barrels are available.

If I were going to seriously use my .45/.410 barrel, I'd get hold of brass-case .410 shells (they ARE available), and hand-load bullets in THEM, vs. using .45 Colt brass, to avoid the long pre-rifling jump. I think there is some odd caliber (not .444 Marlin but an older one) that people have used in these as a brass source for '.410 slug' loads.

I scope the 'pointy-bullet' ones like .222 or .223 Rem, but put Williams FP-target or Williams WGRS sights on the others like .357 Maximum, depending on whether I plan to shoot longer ranges (the FP target ones are finger-click-adjustable to repeatable settings in the field), or want to use the 'point-blank range' concept with a 'sight-in-and-use-locktite' sight (the WGRS is more compact and fine for most hunting once sighted-in).

[Booger Bill]

I bought this one used/new. It was made I figure in 1970. Serial #13413. It is in 45/410. It came in a large factory fancy wood presentation case with company logo on the case. I later added a .256 win mag barrel and a leopold M-8 scope. I really havent shot it all that much. It has a real silver presentation plate on the butt for engraveing, but is blank. It`s been a safe queen.
I would like to find what it is worth myself! I know about 35 years ago I turned down $500 for it, and that was before I got the extra 256 barrel and scope! Maybe I should have sold it?

[AJMD429]

Looks pretty good and the caliber is good.....have heard they are hard to open.

I guess you might want to read THIS thread then - http://www.levergunscommunity.com/viewt ... =1&t=24696

It details what I learned about the 'easy open' models from Thompson Center when I sent an older one in for service. I way VERY impressed with the company, the product, and their service.

Another related thread - http://www.levergunscommunity.com/viewt ... =1&t=24696

[Rusty]

Years ago I had a Contender with a super 14 barrel in .30-30 that was the most accurate .30-30 I've ever seen. At 50 yards it would shoot a 3 shot group with all 3 holes touching. The only time mine was ever hard to open was one time when I shot some Federal 150 grain factory loads in it that were way too hot for some reason. The primers flatened and started to flow into the firing pin hole. Remington factory rounds never did that. I used to buy the factory rounds to have the brass to reload but they were never as accurate as my handloads. My handloads were never hard to open either.

[Lawyer Daggit]

I have a carbine with 22LR, 223 and 30-30 Ackley barrels and love it.

[damienph]

My contender is an older one (ser# 1516xx) with a 10" .30 Herrett barrel and Leupold rings, base and 2x M8 scope. I bought it used about 10 years ago. It is extremely accurate with 125 grain Nosler BTs. I don't have any problems opening mine but it is the only one that I own so I have nothing to compare it to.

I used to have a 22LR barrel. It was also very accurate but I traded it for some forgotten something or other. I would like to get a 222 or 223 barrel for prairie dogs.

I have a few hundred sabots loaded w/ 55 gr 223 softpoints that I intended to work up loads using my Herret brass... haven't gotten around to it yet...

[HEAD0001]

I have two of the early Contender frames. I never knew there was an "easy open" problem until TC said there was. However if you know the history of TC they always bring out new attributes to the Contender and Encore-and solve problems that never really were a problem.

I have a 10" 45 Colt(only) barrel. It shoots very well. I have shot two of the .45/410 barrels, and I was not happy wtih the accuracy. It was accurate to revolver standards. But Contenders are extremely more accurate than revolvers are. If you want a 45 Colt then get a 45 Colt only barrel.

Booger as far as prices are concerned. You can pick up great condition Contender frames for about $225. I just bought one with a Bellm trigger job for that price. The barrels are bringing anywhere from $150 to $200. There is no real premium for the octagon barrels. The barrels at that price either have both sights or scope mounts. I just bought a 22LR match barrel for $150. And a 17" ported 45-70 barrel for $175. They are pretty well available. Those frame prices are without the stocks. Stock prices vary upon condition and qualtiy. Tom.

[bmtshooter]

I bought one used a few years back with a .22 barrel, and later apicked up a .357 barrel. Have used it mostly to roll soda cans from 100 yds with the .357 barrel. Great fun. No problems opening.

[jhrosier]

The 45/410s with the vent rib have limited elevation adjustment.
A friend of mine has one that will not sight in with some bullet weights.

TC made .30 carbine barrels for the Contender.
Mine is the older octagon barrel.
It liked the PMC factory ammo but I never found a handload that shot quite as good.
At the time, the PMC factory ammo was readily available and cheap so I didn't bother with handloading for it.
I used mine for NRA Hunters' Pistol competition for a couple of years.

I found the two most useful calibers for the Contender were .22LR & .357 Mag.
I have about a dozen different barrels and three frames.
I never found any advantage to the so-called easy open frames.
The originals worked well for me.

There are at least three different frame variations. The firing pin selectors are different on each.
The earliest has a firing pin selector set into the face of the hammer that needs a screwdriver to turn it from centerfire to rimfire. A later one has a lever that is moved from left to right to select the firing pin and a center position that is supposed to be a safe position. There is another with a cross pin through the hammer that is pushed from side to side to select the desired firing pin.

The earliest Contender grips were designed by a sadist. With any heavy recoiling caliber, the grip shape would try to separate your thumb from your hand. Later, TC came out with the original Hunter grip that was and still is the best grip ever made. The original Hunter grip does not have a rubber insert. I never bothered with the later grip with the rubber insert. It is way ugly.

Jack

[6pt-sika]

I've had several Contender frames over the years !

Two of them including the one I own now were of the older 70's 80's style !

The first one only ever had a 22LR barrel and it did nicely . A friend still has it .

My present Contender has a 70's frame I believe with a 1981 444 Marlin barrel that a fellow in Idaho built .

Only other calibers I ever messed with in a Contender were the 7-30 Waters and 7mm TCU .

Now I do have an inclanation right now for a 338 JDJ which is nothing more then a 444 case necked down to 338 .

Oh yeah back to the opening thing . I've never had a problem opening any of the ones I have or have had !

[2X22]

I LOVE the 1980's era T/C's. I have 5 frames, a .22 LR barrel, .223, 25-35, 7-30 Waters, 12" .30-30, 14" .30-30 Win (my most accurate), .357 mag, .35 Remington, .358 JDJ, .44 mag, .444 Marlin, 10" .410, 12" .410 and a 14" .410.

All are accurate, even the least accurate, the .44 mag, will stay inside 2" at 100 yards. The most accurate would be the 14" .30-30 which will put 5 shots into a 1/2" at 100 yards.

My 5th frame came from winning it from SSK and T/C in their biggest buck contest they have each year. I took the biggest mulie one year and was awarded a frame and any standard caliber. I chose the 10" 7-30 Waters and haven't been sorry

2x22