New .44 mag Contender barrel, wrong extractor

[Hickok]

Just received a New .44 magnum Super 14 Contender barrel I had ordered from Midsouth. Cleaned it up, removed the iron sights, mounted the scope and everything looked good. Then I dropped a .44 cartridge in the chamber and kerplunk, it went right by the extractor/ejector into the chamber. Took the barrel off the frame, pushed the extractor flush with the rear edge of the barrel, dropped in a .44 magnum cartridge and then pushed out on the extractor, it didn't even touch the rim of the .44 cartridge. Seems it might be an extractor/ejector for a .45 Colt sized rim diameter.

Doggone it, seems for the last three or four years every new American-made gun I buy has a "major malfunction" right out the box!

I guess I'll call MidSouth tomorrow and see about sending the barrel back for a refund. I believe I will get a Contender barrel from Bullberry so I know what I'm getting.

[leadman]

Could just call T/C and see if they will send you the correct extractor, not hard to change.

I too have been running around 90% of the things I buy new are defective in some way lately.

How did the guy who proof tested the barrel get the cartridge out? Think one would notice something like that. Maybe they are not firing them before they leave the factory now?

[Ben]

Sheds quite a bit of doubt on their current quality control doesn't it ?

[Hickok]

I thought about calling T/C but this doesn't sound encouraging; http://www.tcarms.com/contact

I also questioned how they could shoot a proof load in this barrel with a bum extractor and not notice. I can hold the barrel, put a cartridge in the chamber, and push the extractor with my finger from in front of the barrel lug and the extractor works in and out, the cartridge doesn't even move in the slightest.

Also, on my other Contender barrels, the two piece locking bolts stay firmly together, with no gap in the center, but the bolts on this barrel are splayed apart, separated by a large gap in the center. Push them back together, and they open up again. I can move them side to side a considerable amount, whereas on my other Contender barrels, the bolts are rigid, with little or no side play. They push in and out, with no side slop.

I did see on the Mike Bellm Contender sight, that he checks each and every factory Contender barrel he sells and installs a heavier bolt spring in them.

[Hickok]

Called Midsouth, and they emailed a Fed-EX return label for print out and the barrel went back for a refund.

Midsouth has always been great to do business with for me.

[jsheyn]

It's sad too, TC (Prior to S&W take over) had the best customer service and QC in the business. I hate seeing good company's turn to ****. Last time I called for barrel parts they required I send in the entire gun (Barrel and receiver)

[725]

Very sad to see the general decline in craftsmanship in all things here in the US. Best to go to somebody like MGM or Bullberry.

[Iowa Fox]

I had the very same thing on a brand new 44 mag Encore barrel in about 2003 or 4. Called TC and they told me to ship it to them, had it back in about 10 days working perfectly. I think they forget to install the spring the first go around. I wasn't about to quibble about a few bucks to ship it after all the free parts they mailed me over the years.