A Contender story.

[45-70 Chevroner]

I probably shouldn't even tell this, but here goes anyway. Back in the late 1970's or early 80's my older brother gave me a 10" Contender barrel, it was originally a 223. Someone rechambered it to 22-250. I took it home with me I lived about a 100 miles from my brother. I got home and promptly took it out to try it out. Well it locked up so tight that I didn't think I was going to get it apart, (luckily it didn't blow up) . With the help of a little WD-40 and a 3/8" drift, I got the pin out. My brother called me a few days later and told me that that barrel was a cast bullet barrel only. I never did try any cast in it mainly because I didn't have a mold for a 22 caliber boolit at the time. I sold it to a guy and told him about the cast only thing. The only thing I can say is that this testifies of the strength of the Contender action. I wouldn't ever do it again though.

[35 shooter]

Just glad you didn't get hurt! I doubt if the walls were very thick at all after reaming to 22/250?

[35remington]

That does not testify to the strength of the Contender.....just that the frame stretches when too big cartridges are loaded to too high of a pressure for the action. The 22-250 at standard velocities is too much gun for it. A few more shots and the frame would be ruined.

That's not strength. That's more like outclassing the frame with a cartridge too big and high pressure for it.

That's testifying to the weakness of the Contender action, actually. It's plenty strong when the correct cartridges are used for it......it's plenty weak when the wrong ones are crammed into barrels for it. The barrel diameter is thick enough when 22-250 cases are used. It's the frame that's the weak point.

The G2 frame was brought out to remedy Contender frame weakness, and because TC got tired of replacing stretched frames by guys who believed that more powder in larger cartridges was a good idea. It isn't.

I'm a Contender shooter of both pistol and carbine length barrels. I still have my first frame. Reason I do is because I don't overstress it.

[Three44s]

You would think folks would look at the tiny little Contender frame and REALIZE ....... there is a LIMIT!

On top of the OP's story, you take the .22-250 and look at the bolt thrust it generates! The taper on that case (and the .250-3000 Savage for that matter) is a disaster looking for a place to happen in a Contender.


Three 44s