Contender Scope Mount.

[Uncle R.]

Hi:
I have a T/C Contender from approx. 1982 - it's a holdover from my sillywet days. I have a 14" 7TCU barrel for it that used to shoot with great accuracy back when I could SEE the ding-binged iron sights.
:roll:
I'm thinking about scoping that barrel so that I can hit like in the old days. (Ahem...) I see Contender scope bases available but I'm not sure how they actually mount. I'd guess that they'd use the rear sight holes but I'm not sure. Somebody told me that newer vintage Contender barrels are drilled & tapped for scope bases but the older ones are not and will require it.
Anybody know the details? What's required to put a scope on a vintage 1982 Contender barrel?
Thanks:
Uncle R.

[wiljen]

Newer barrels are drilled and tapped for a mount. The screw pattern is 4 screws in a pattern like so: S-S----------S-S

If you don't see 4 small set screws toward the rear of the barrel in such a pattern yours would need to be tapped. You might consider finding another barrel that is already tapped at a local show and trying it before you tap yours. If it shoots as well as the one you have - sell your old barrel, if not, have it tapped and sell the new one at the next show.


Wiljen

[45nut]

I have yet to find any barrel of any vintage that was not D&T under the rear sight base. The big bore super sixteen tubes even come D&T in two places,,,at the very rear and about 6" forward.
The rear sights come off by first removing the cross pin at the front via a drift pin,then slowly removing the elevation screw. Most of the sights have two small springs inside,watch closely. Once the elevator is removed you will have access to the four screws holding the rear sight base to the barrel.
That super 14 will certainly have a 4 screw pattern,you will need a Weaver 92 base, these generally sell for about 12 bucks.
That 7tcu is a fine choice and you will be doing yourself a favor in letting it breathe powder again.

[dragonrider]

I like the contender duo-mount myself. base and rings in one unit.

[wiljen]

The SSK tsob mounts are nice too albeit overkill for that caliber.

[versifier]

I have both Weaver and Leupold mounts, no problems with either, but the steel Leupold is much more rugged.

[BCB]

Uncle R.

Your barrel should have the standard 4-screw system. I have 1/2 dozen of the Redfield 3-ring systems on my Contenders. As wiljen indicated about the SSK being overkill, the Redfield 3-ring system is probably overkill for that cartridge also. Yet it is a nice looking system and someday you might buy a real "thumper" and you can remove the mounts from the 7TCU. Yet, it is amazing that with lots and lots of shooting, 'scopes seem to have a habit of moving on these Contenders. Regardless, good-luck...BCB

[45r]

I had a weaver that was drilled wrong and canted the scope to the left.I had a millet and the front bent upward from recoil of 1900 fps loads in a 10 inch 40/44 JDJ barrel.Whatever you get I'd lean towards something stong like the duo mount or ssk to be sure you don't have to take it off and start over.I had my super 14 cut down to 11 and one half inchs and recrowned by a bench rest shooter and rifle maker and it is better balanced and easily shoots one inch groups at 100 yards.The 7 tcu is one of the most accurate calibers I have ever fired.I've shot many a woodchuck with mine.I like it over my 11 and one half inch 22 K- hornet when it gets windy.It sure is fun to shoot as good or better with a contender at the range next to people shooting rifles and see the look on their faces when they see how good a scoped handgun can shoot off sandbags.I would like to shoot a deer someday with my 7-tcu but have a love for revolvers that allways has me taking them afield instead.I put a 2 to 7 burris on mine and it works very well.

[lovedogs]

Uncle R.,

Your bbl. should be D&T'd. All of the systems I know of for Contenders give good service. It's just a matter of choice. When you get into real kickers you'd want something mean, but for your 7TCU anything should do.

Redfield and Leupold types are good if you need some windage adjustment, but I've never seen a Contender that had a problem that way. By the way, the Leupold Dual-Dovetail is pretty solid, too.

The Weaver base system is probably the most versatile in that you can put any Weaver-type rings on them. Some think that because the base is aluminum it's weak. I'd like to see you pull one off! There are all sorts of rings that will go onto the Weaver base, from the economical but good Weavers to as much money as you want to spend. I really have come to like the Burris Z-rings on a Weaver base. They're a little spendy but are real nice, in my opinion. Another advantage to the Weaver base is that you can put alternate sighting systems on them, like Red Dots and Holo-sights.

But my favorite is one that was previously mentioned... the Contender Duo-Mount. They are very solid. I've had them on .30-30's, .44's, and even a hard-kicking wildcat, a .35-.375 KAP. They've always stayed put for me.

You'll have lots of fun with that 7 TCU. It's a great little cartridge. What kind of shooting do you plan for it? It's a little low on power for deer but will work if you're careful. As a silly-wet gun it'll do fabulously. Good luck!

[45nut]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/45nut/Twinott.jpg

Those are my 458Win Mag and 50 Alaskan Encores wearing aluminum Weaver bases.

Well over 250 rounds+ through each and no sign of movement on either. Oh,,,and there are "only" 4 screws holding them. Not 6 .
Properly set with a mild green uncle mikes locktite. If the "weak" weaver base matched with a matching set of aluminum rings can handle these two then something must be going right.

[Slowpoke]

If anyone is interested I have a Contender Duo mount for sale or trade, I sold the barrel but kept the scope and mount.

Also have a set of High Redfield twin dovetail rings taking up space in the drawer, like new.

good luck

[Uncle R.]

Uncle R.,


You'll have lots of fun with that 7 TCU. It's a great little cartridge. What kind of shooting do you plan for it? It's a little low on power for deer but will work if you're careful. As a silly-wet gun it'll do fabulously. Good luck!

lovedogs:
I used that barrel on silly-wets for several years in the eighties. I liked it for all of the things that made it such a popular caliber - light recoil, good knock-down, and super accuracy. (Once, on a dare - I tried head-shooting the chickens and got 9 of them. Of course, my eyes were sharper back then.)
:roll:
Last summer I entered an IHMSA match just for grins - first time in many years. I did suprisingly well with my 10" .357 although I was having some trouble with the iron sights - especially on the rams. When I saw some of the other shooters using scopes it was a surprise to me - scopes weren't allowed in any class back in the old days. Hmmmm...
If I scope that 7TCU barrel I'll probably use it for IHMSA shooting now and again. I'm also thinking about my upcoming P-Dog excursion - scoped and loaded with the 110 gr. TNT or some other varmint bullet it oughta work pretty well for prairie dogs - maybe 200 yards?
That barrel has been sitting in the cabinet unused for around twenty years now - and I'm looking forward to putting it back to work!
:-D

[lovedogs]

Uncle R. .... Sounds like you're on the right track. My guess as to why they now allow scopes is that they probably had so many of us old-timers that needed 'em that they finally allowed them. Just a guess.

The 7 TCU should be good enough for PD's out to 200 yds. alright. I used a 7-08 with that TNT a few years ago and sometimes use Hornady 130 SSP's in my .30-30 Contender. They are much bigger than needed and you should be careful as they will ricochet sometimes. For these reasons I usually use the Super 14 .223 now. With a Burris 3X9 on it it's possible to shoot about 300 yds. Some can shoot farther but I can only go about 275 to 300. Using 50 gr. TNT's, 50 gr. SX's, or 52 gr. HP's at 3000 FPS they're hard to beat for PD's. And they're easier to shoot all day, too.

[44 magnum]

Uncle R. .... Sounds like you're on the right track. My guess as to why they now allow scopes is that they probably had so many of us old-timers that needed 'em that they finally allowed them. Just a guess.


Good guess...:mrgreen: That is one reason. The other would be that guys wanted to use their hunting guns and many were scoped. I know of several fellas whose only reason to shoot sillywets is to practice for hunting. I myself just enjoy the resounding "clang" of a well hit target!! :mrgreen:


Paul :cool:

[cbrick]

Uncle R.,

Here is a place for all sorts of T/C scope mounts and sights if you haven't already done so.

http://www.kenlightmfg.com/

Rick