TC Contender Troubles

[JohnH]

I have an early style Contender frame, one has to use an allen wrench at the back of the hammer to change from rim fire to center fire. I have a Super 14, 30 Herret barrel. It has the two peice lock bar. On firing, even with mild loads of 6 grains of Unique with the Lyman 311008 the barrel opens on firing. I removed the trigger guard and inspected the lockup, the lock bars fail to fully engage properly in the frame. I have a 357 Magnum and a 44 Muagnum barrel. These are the older barrels, octagonal and have single peice lock bars. I hvae no trouble with these, and inspecting their lockup shows full and proper lockup. Does anyone know a solution for this problem, short of sending it to TC?

[leadman]

I have had to use 1000 grit to polish up the 2 lock bars so they would engage farther into the frame lock.

[C A Plater]

To further add to leadman's advice. Remove the lugs from the barrel and polish the bottom flat side keeping the lugs together like they were one piece. If the top side looks like it could be smoother you could clean it up but the bottom is the best place to adjust the thickness.

[HeavyMetal]

OR you could try to buy an original one piece locking block!

I made the mistake of sending my original in for the conversion to "easy Open" without doing my usual reaserch. I don't think you'll get the two piece block to work right but never tried it.

I do have collection of one piece blocks, PM me if you have an interest!

[Gerry N.]

OR you could try to buy an original one piece locking block!

I made the mistake of sending my original in for the conversion to "easy Open" without doing my usual reaserch. I don't think you'll get the two piece block to work right but never tried it.

I do have collection of one piece blocks, PM me if you have an interest!

I have a Contender that I considered sending in for the easy open conversion. What pitfalls line that road?

Gerry N

[dubber123]

There were/are several thickness locking lugs used by T/C. This was used to make up for slight dimensional changes in individual barrels. If the slot in the barrel underlug is closer/farther from bore centerline, the lugs were used to fine tune lockup.

Try swapping lugs with one of your other barrels. I recently had troubles with a custom barrel, and had to go through this.

[HeavyMetal]

GerryN.:
When I bought my contender it had a 22 Hornet barrel on it. While not a big fan of the Hornet I am aware that many a contender has a sprung frame because guys get real entuseastic with some of the rifle rounds these can be chambered for!

With a Hornet barrel on the gun I was pretty sure the frame was "straight". The gun had all the trigger adjustments the early guns were famous for and had a great trigger.

Sadly I found out about the barrel block changes when I purchased a 30 30 barrel. Same problem as JohnH had I couldn't keep the barrel locked.

A call to TC got me the info that the solid locking blocks hadn't been made in awhile. Conveting it to "Easy Open" would allow me to use any barrel made because I could then buy the new two piece block and retro fit old barrels as I bought them ( now have 5 barrels)
What they didn't tell me was they would completely destroy the excellent trigger, remove all the original adjusting screws, Remove anything that wasn't "TC stock" They also failed to mention that the new main spring would take up a different location in the frame and the Pachmeyrs I had on it wouldn't fit without modifacation which they wouldn't do!

So the gun was shipped to them in one box and returned in three! Trigger went from 1.5 lbs to 6Lbs. spent an afternoon grinding my grips for spring clearance. I am now looking for a copy of an old magazine that had an article on fixing the trigger on the easy open gun. When I find it, because the Contender wizard I was told about removed it from his website, I will fix the trigger.

The gun was never hard for me to open, but it is a little easier to open now.

Would I do this again? No Way in H.... I should have posted on every website I could find offering to buy solid blocks!

I do have some solid blocks and am in the process of working a deal with JohnH. for them

[Gerry N.]

Thanks for the info. My six digit Contender broke in by simply shooting it and opens as easily as the new G2's I've tried in gunshops. I have .22LR, .22 Hornet, and .25-35 win. barrels.

My current favorite is the .25-35 with a .25 cal 80 grain flat nose bullet I cast in a friend's mold. The mold has no legible markings, was rusted almost beyond repair when he found it in an abandoned homestead near Roundup Montana on an antelope hunt in 1989. It has the blocks and handles in one piece. I had to make up new handles as the old ones were rotted away. A lyman sprue plate fits and functions after some machinist magic to remove rusted in bolts and rusted off alignment pins.
We cast a lead bullet in it with a worn out cleaning brush in the cavity then spun it with a load of Pepsodent on the "lap". That took out the loose rust, leaving an even distribution of tiny pits. I shoot it unchecked, and tumbled with mule snot. 1.3cc of Unique gives 2 1/2" to 3" groups at 50 yds. Good enough for deer to 100 or beer cans to as far as I can see 'em. I'd sure like to get that boolit ID'd.

I'm of the opinion that the tiny pits in the cavity cause no harm and might even be beneficial, holding the mule snot. The mold drops the boolits as if they cause it pain. Open it and it spits 'em out.

Gerry N.

[HandgunHTR]

HeavyMetal,

If you want, I can PM or e-mail you very simple instructions on how to get that trigger back to 1.5# with about 15 minutes of work.

The only tools you need is a screwdriver, pin punch, brass hammer and an Arkansas stone.

[HeavyMetal]

HandgunHTR:
PM sent on instructions!

[WKAYE]

HandgunHTR,
Could you please PM me a copy of the instructions as well ? Would be much appreciated.
:drinks: