Thompson Contender Barrel Problems

[Mikepags]

Hi, new member here :-D I found this forum because of searching my TC Contender switching barrels problem. I have an original TC Contender (Mountain Lion inscribed receiver) in .35 Rem. Super 14 Serial No. 324406. I purchased a Super 14 barrel in .223 at a gun show in beautiful condition, but it will not get past the hammer block when fired. My .35 fires fine, and the barrels are extremely identical visually. I found a Forum thread here: https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?234593-Thompson-Contender-Barrel-Problem
I'm hoping some of the contributors are still around here to help me. I called TC, only to find out that they were purchased by S&W and can't help me because I am not the original purchaser. I am a retired machinist, and have the skills to repair this if I know where to look. I have the original manual with the parts list. I would be grateful if someone could point me in the right direction, even another forum. I would love to know the year of my TC given it's serial No. TY

[NSB]

Contact BellmTC. Here’s his address: https://www.bellmtcs.com/

[JRD]

According to a lookup table I found online, your serial number is from 1988.

The cool thing about T/C Contenders is that every barrel ever made will fit on every frame ever made- except they don't always and you sometimes need to get into fitting barrels to work on a particular frame.
Contenders also have many generations of parts and many of them have been tinkered with by people looking to "improve" them. A Contender with everything right is a beautiful thing and their set triggers can be superbly crisp. However, when you've got problems they can be really frustrating and very few people know how to work on them, plus spare parts availability is an issue because T/C stopped making Contenders a couple decades ago and furthermore T/C isn't making anything any more period. S&W is trying to sell off the T/C brand and discontinued all products.
I've tinkered with a couple Contenders, mainly fixing someone else's errant attempt at an improvement, but I don't claim to be an expert. I have heard lots of Contender repair tales from a retired gunsmith who worked on them a lot back in the day though. He didn't love them because he only ever got to the see ones with problems...

Assuming your frame hasn't been stretched or the locking surfaces worn from abuse, the fitting point is usually the locking bolts in the barrel. You want to make any adjustments to the replaceable parts in the barrel- not to your frame.
Too much lug engagement and your gun won't open easily after you fire it. Too little engagement and your interlock won't let you cock the hammer, or the timing of the hammer block will be off.
T/C had both oversize and undersize locking lugs to adjust lug engagement. I'm talking .001" differences. Contender lug lockup requires very tight tolerances that are best done with a sine plate and a surface grinder. Take too much off and your barrel will blow open and potentially damage your frame.



E A Brown may be another place in addition to Bellm that has Contender parts in stock.

[725]

Can't add to the above, but would like to welcome you to castboolits. Stick around. Lots of good folks here.

[Nobade]

You have been given the answer. One thing you might try is to swap the locking bolts between the barrels and see if the problem follows the bolts or stays with the barrel.

[Larry Gibson]

The locking bolts are not engaging enough causes that problem.

It's an easy fix. Remove the locking bolt. With a piece of medium sandpaper laid on a hard flat surface lay the bolt bottom down [if a spilt bolt, hold the halves together for even sanding] on the paper and sane it back and forth a few times. Do not sand the top or the sloping locking surface. Go easy with the sanding as you only want to remove just enough so the bolt engages slightly more. Re-install and dry fire test again. Might take several times to get it where it will fire 100%. Sounds harder to do than it is.

[Rapier]

The locking lugs in the new bought barrel are not allowing the internal safety block to turn into the fire position. Usually caused by the barrel’s tapered lugs not sliding far enough under the locking ledge of the frame.
Try switching the locking lugs and the un-locking pin, operational barrel to non operational barrel. If the change of parts makes the non operational barrel work, measure the difference in thickness, top, middl and bottom of taper, remove that difference from the non operational locking lugs, put them back in the original barrel.
The TC has a solid locking lug, old, and a split lug, new, the un-locking pin, looks like a dumbbell and fits in a slot in the lugs, operated by the trigger guard.
The L shaped extractor can easily get bent on a rimless case like the 223. If it is bent it can prevent the action from closing properly. Push it out and examine it. If bent, remove it and see if you can straighten it. I have used a wide screw driver blade and a large grip to bend a bent extractor back in place, by twisting the blade, during a match.
I sold my last 12 Contenders to the Brazil National Silhouette Team, my first Contender was a 3 digit serial number 357 mag bought more than a few years ago, new.
Make up a set of allen wrenches to work on the contender, they take a coulpe of very small wrenches.
If you want to send the gun somewhere, would suggest you send it to Brown, he makes the BF pistols/rifles and parts for Contenders.

[Mikepags]

Thanks for all the replies, and advice. Today I swapped out the Lugs from the working barrel, still a no go. Then swapped out the case extractor, still a no go, and the .35 Rem barrel is still functioning properly with the .223 barrel parts. Frustrating, and I'm glad I didn't remove any material off the lugs.......yet. Hhhhhhmmmmmf

[Larry Gibson]

......... Today I swapped out the Lugs from the working barrel, still a no go. Then swapped out the case extractor, still a no go, and the .35 Rem barrel is still functioning properly with the .223 barrel parts. Frustrating, and I'm glad I didn't remove any material off the lugs.......yet. Hhhhhhmmmmmf

Removing a bit from the bottom of the locking lugs so it turns the internal safety block to the fire position is the solution. Doing so is simply fitting the parts to a particular barrel so it functions properly. Yours is a common problem and is solved as I suggested. You obviously have no problem removing and replacing the parts so a slight sanding of the bottom of the locking lug(s) should be a no brainer. Other recourse is to send it off to pay someone who will probably do what I suggested. It's easy enough to do.

[45_Colt]

It may be that the barrel's breech-face is too long. That is, it is hitting the frame and preventing the complete closure of the action.

Here is a good write up on it:

http://www.lasc.us/bellmHeadspace.htm

Also, note the link in the upper left of that page. Takes one to more TC Contender articles by Mike B.

45_Colt

[Mikepags]

Ok, so I slowly removed material from the locking lugs with polishing paper, and now the hammer is falling all the way. Now I'll check the "Headspace thing". I was going to take the TC to the range, only to find out the 4X Redfield scope mounted to it has NO windage adjustment, as the recitals are not moving when turning the adjustment screw. There was a time Redfield probably would have fixed it for free, but they have been bought out too. I was surprised to see how many optics companies no longer make handgun scopes, and the ones that do are pricey. I just want to plink with this .223, so hopefully I'll find something to mount to it.

[tunnug]

I have a barrel that will block the hammer if I close it slow or gently, if I close it with authority it'll work every time, headspace may be a little tight but the brass comes out looking like my other guns in the same caliber, so I just continue to use it as is.

[Mikepags]

The locking lugs in the new bought barrel are not allowing the internal safety block to turn into the fire position. Usually caused by the barrel’s tapered lugs not sliding far enough under the locking ledge of the frame.
Try switching the locking lugs and the un-locking pin, operational barrel to non operational barrel. If the change of parts makes the non operational barrel work, measure the difference in thickness, top, middl and bottom of taper, remove that difference from the non operational locking lugs, put them back in the original barrel.
The TC has a solid locking lug, old, and a split lug, new, the un-locking pin, looks like a dumbbell and fits in a slot in the lugs, operated by the trigger guard.
The L shaped extractor can easily get bent on a rimless case like the 223. If it is bent it can prevent the action from closing properly. Push it out and examine it. If bent, remove it and see if you can straighten it. I have used a wide screw driver blade and a large grip to bend a bent extractor back in place, by twisting the blade, during a match.
I sold my last 12 Contenders to the Brazil National Silhouette Team, my first Contender was a 3 digit serial number 357 mag bought more than a few years ago, new.
Make up a set of allen wrenches to work on the contender, they take a coulpe of very small wrenches.
If you want to send the gun somewhere, would suggest you send it to Brown, he makes the BF pistols/rifles and parts for Contenders.
I thought of your post yesterday, finally got the hammer to fall, but the .223 shell would not extract. When I swapped out parts for troubleshooting the barrels, I forgot to return the extractors to original barrels. Turns out the extractors are caliber specific (in my case), noticing a slight upward bend in the L to catch the .223 case. Now I find that the spent .223 case is hard to extract, having to use a lot of pressure opening the barrel. I shot the Wolf Brand steel case ammo, and was told that could be the reason. I'll try some brass ammo to see if there is a difference.