Beater 44 Contender barrel

[Junior1942]

There's a beater 44 Contender barrel on gunbroker for ~$60. It has a badly boogered scope mounting screw, but the worst thing is (1) no barrel underlug; and (2) no bolt and pins, etc. Wonder how much T-C would charge to replace the underlug and the bolt?

Problem is, $15 shipping which means even bought at $60 it's $75 total. Plus, what else might be wrong with the bolt block? See it here: http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=112421333

[skeet1]

Junior,
I can't believe it could cost all that much for them to repair the underlug if anything. As for the bad screw hole if it really bothers you that much you could make a 12" out of that 14" barrel.
It might be worth a call to TC and ask them the cost, or it might be cheaper just to order the parts and put them in yourself, I think that is what I would do.

Skeet1

[Junior1942]

Skeet, I would make a 10" out of the 14", but the scope mount holes are near the other end.

I can't see having more than $100 in a barrel which MIGHT work when I could get a used one that WOULD work for $150.

[skeet1]

Junior,
Your right that is the rear of the barrel, I had to go back and look at the photo. I first thought that that was the front sight mounting holes.

Skeet1

[Scrounger]

Junior, have you looked at Ed's TCs? He has a 14 inch blue bull barrel listed for $145. (http://www.edstc.com/14bull.html) You could buy that one, try your thing, and if it didn't work out, you could sell the barrel for what you paid for it. There is a healthy resale market on TC barrels, as long as you don't overpay for it to start with, you can always sell it and get your money back.

[Scrounger]

On the 'beater barrel', you are talking about 2 or 3 dollars worth of parts. The underlugs just slide into a dovetail cut in the barrel and losing one was all too common. Some years ago I bought a barrel with no lugs and TC send me a handfull of them for free when I called. They sent me other parts for free also but not what you need. I'd call them if I were you, they might fix it for free or they might charge, if so it won't be too much, probaly less than the shipping charge.

[Junior1942]

Scrounger, Ed's TC has a 10" octagon 44 mag barrel for $120. Wonder how much that sucker would kick with a 314 gr bullet @ 1300 fps?

Ever seen a Firesight front sight on a Contender?

[lathesmith]

A 300+ gr bullet @1300+ in a bull barrel Contender is unpleasant enough, and I imagine the effect is amplified with the lighter octagon barrel. To me, a 10" Contender in 44 mag shooting heavy loads is one of the most uncomfortable handguns I have ever fired. It's more unpleasant to me than a 44 Blackhawk; the T/C seems to have a particularly brutal twist combined with a rather painful backthrust. My hand was sore for a few days after firing one of these, and I haven't really wanted to try it again. I guess if a guy was only going to fire a few hunting loads it would be tolerable, but as a plinker my preference would definitely be for something else.
lathesmith

[Scrounger]

You probably don't want to hear this, but a TC with a 7 TCU or .30-30 barrel will kill just as well, with a lot less recoil.

[Junior1942]

Scrounger, TKO calculations show twice the TKO value for the 314 44 mag @ ~1100 vs any load from my 7TCU. The 7TCU is equivalent to the 314 gr 44 @ 500 fps.

[Scrounger]

TKO is knockdown power, no necessarily killing power. The TCU will kill, it just won't move them backwards 5 feet in so doing. Dead is dead.

[TCLouis]

Junior1942

I started my Contender ownership with a 10" octagon 44 Mag barrel.
One healthy, but below max loading behind 429215 had me concerned that I would flinch and shoot my chronograph before I finished 5 rounds.

Lee C429310 is healthy shove in my SRH so it would likely be more than uncomfortable from a 10" octagon on the Contender.

[NHlever]

One of the larger places I frequent has 19 Contenders, or Contender .44 barrels in stock used right now from a hundred bucks up. That tells one something about how folks like them....... not sure what. They are online at http://www.ktpguns.com/, and do sell some things online as well.

[Junior1942]

You guys have talked me out of my 44 Contender barrel idea. An extra ~200 fps over my SBH velocity ain't worth the trouble and money. It'd also be bad to have a monster buck down in a thicket and me with a broken wrist. . . .

[smokemjoe]

I got one I made from a bad barrel, cut it off, bored out the lug -barrel end and resleeved the org. barrel backinto the lug area and now is about 4 in. long, made new forearm. was nice with cast bullets. Good trapper pistol or for the car. Anyone want it for $50.00, has the org. holes for scope base on lug. area.Thanks- Joe

[James C. Snodgrass]

I think that my 10" 44 with heavily loaded 300+ bullet recoils worse than my 375 JDJ . The short barrel I think is the main thing about it , the recoil is kind of a quick twist and some shove instead of a slow twist and hard shove ? It is not unbearable though . And Junior I did ask every one at this weekends match and no one had one for sale . Good luck James:coffee:

[hivoltfl]

I love my 14 inch contender barrel. I can make it shoot pop gun loads up to elephant killers, mine is very accurate with cast, BUT I dont think I would invest in the barrel in question due to a lot of good barrels to be had for less headaches, Junior1942 dont give up on the T/C 44 mag idea, mine dearly loves 429215's with 231 for target loads and all the heavy loads you will ever want to shoot with different powders.

Rick

[dubber123]

I got one I made from a bad barrel, cut it off, bored out the lug -barrel end and resleeved the org. barrel backinto the lug area and now is about 4 in. long, made new forearm. was nice with cast bullets. Good trapper pistol or for the car. Anyone want it for $50.00, has the org. holes for scope base on lug. area.Thanks- Joe

Joe, did you do a re-chamber yourself? If I could get a pic, I would be interested. Thanks.

[dgslyr]

Once I had a 14 inch 44 mag contender barrel rechambered to 444 Marlin.Shot an old box of Remington factory ammo with 265 gr bullets and 17 reloads with 55 grs. of H335 and 300 gr. Barnes originals.Terrific muzzle blast and flash.People at the range next to me moved down a couple of benches.I let one of them shoot it.When I got home I opened it so I could clean it and the barrel and frame it the floor,I was left holding the pachmayr grip in my hand.After that I didn't think my 44mag barrels kicked very much.The 300 gr. bullets averaged 2009 fps.

[No_1]

I am also interested in it. $50 to hold it in my hands and see how it was done would be worth it to me.


R.

[smokemjoe]

To chamber it, I bored it and polished it. Its not much to do a str. chamber. I will take a pic, but my comp. has a bad time sending pics. My email is wiest4@juno.com sned me your email address and I will try and send a pic. The old barrel was cut of just in fron of the lug, It was bored out and the barrel was turned and slip fitted to the lug part, I used red Locite and its in tight. very tight. then the extractor was milled in. The scope mt. screws are still in it, Needs a rebule job. Joe

[smokemjoe]

I told a lie, Its been put away and when I measured it why now its 7 5/8s long, I bored the chamber with a boring bar and polished it to size. I cut the lug with the old barrel at 2.215 long, bored it out to .675 and fitted the barrel to it and used blue or red locite and its on super tight . The scope screw hole are in it for mount. Front hole for front sight in it but not tapped. My Picasa for pics dont work no more and have to use mico soft to send pics. and it gives me fits but send me your email addresss and I will try and send you guys a pic. Thanks- wiest4 @juno.com

[dubber123]

I am also interested in it. $50 to hold it in my hands and see how it was done would be worth it to me.


R.

Go for it, let us know how it looks.

[No_1]

I have given this some thought and could see where you take a old barrel, dial it in on the lathe, part it off in front of the lug, bore then thread the stubb, cut threads on a barrel blank, screw the blank into the stubb (just like fitting a rifle), chamber, cut the extractor slot and viola' you got yourself a new barrel. As a matter of fact, you would not even have to use a barrel blank of the same diameter. You could make it a super-bull barrel, just have to make a forend to fit.

Looking at Joe's discription, the barrel is a slip or interference fit. I would prefer a threaded fit myself. Now that I think about it more, I believe Turboman has a .22 he fixed up for his dad in the same manner. Maybe he will chime in.

R.

[smokemjoe]

When you get to a big cal. you dont have enought metal in the barrel -lug area to bore out. Got to keep metal also in the chamber area. The barrel is locite in. and the 4 holes for the scope mount also bares down on the barrel. I have made the 44 Mag. this way, a 22 Hornet, 221 Fireball, and a 357 Max. Next is a 45 Long Colt using a piece of a Thompson MG barrel.

[lar45]

I've thought of doing different calibers on the Super Comanche 45-410, but they never seem to have replacement barrels in. I've emailed and orderd a couple of times, but no luck yet. It looks like it is a mono-block with the barrel screwed in, so putting a 357 mag or 32 H&R might not be too tough.
http://san1.atlanta.gbhinc.com/GB/113212000/113212753/pix449957046.jpg