Dang it ... I can't beleive I did it .... dang it

[Ohio Rusty]

I can't beleive I bought a couple of T/C 1st generation wood grips and a wood forend for a contender. Do I own a contender .... No. I think I have commited my self to the worst addiction of all .... This means now I have to find a couple of 1st generation T/C contender frames and barrels ... and maybe scopes.

That also means more and different boolits, and brass and more reloading *stuff*. Is there any end to it all ??? What started all this was my wife had shot a contender before, and she expressed interest in having one. We went to a gun show, and she fondled one of the 1st Generation contenders, with the squarish grip and the silver or pewter metal cap on the bottom of the grip, That grip was a perfect fit for both her hand and mine. The new G2 grips and the encore grips are just too fat and bulky. So .... the Good Wyphe sez to me .... I want one !!
So the hunt begins for parts and accessories to build a pair of 1st generation T/C Contender hunting guns. Frames ,,,, barrels, both octagon and heavy ,,,,

I think I asm in need of serious advise from other experienced contender shooters. Call this my mid-life crisis if you will. I know nothing about contenders, and I'm starting fron the ground up. I do know I want a ,22 octagon, a ,357 and a heavy 14 inch in .44 magnum. Here in Ohio, we can hunt all legal game with a contender, but can only used a straight walled case, no necked cases like rifles use. But that won't stop me from buying barrels. Somehow I have a feeling a love affair for the .357 Herrett is building ..... (or rearing it's ugly head)
And scopes !! There are millions to choose from ,,,which ones are the best for hunting and shooting. I think my head is dizzy ... In the mean time - any advise or stories about T/C Contenders will be the best therapy I can get at this moment.
The hooked for life will be when I squeeze one off downrange ,,,,,
Ohio Rusty ><>

[docone31]

.357 Max. A good cartridge.

[Guesser]

Take it from a "struggling to recover"Contender fan. I also prefer 1st generation frames, I finally limited myself to one. But I had to have a few earlier barrels to go with it. 10" bulls in 44 Mag, 41 Mag, 221 Fireball, 30 Carbine and a 44 Mag Hotshot with external choke and a lifetime supply of hotshot capsules in shot sizes from #4 to #9. Then I had to have an obsolete varmint caliber wildcat barrel; 6X47 International Match Super 14" contour but one of a kind custom build.
I traded away all my later generation barrels and frames, don't like selector switch hammers with safeties. Have obsolete Burris 3X, 5X and 3X9 scopes mounted on some. Have silhouette rear sights in a drawer, Herrett stocks and Fajen banana forends. The addiction goes on and on!!!!!!

[HeavyMetal]

Beware the "Easy Open Conversion"

Early Contenders came with pretty decent triggers but ya needed to be a Gorillia to open some of them.

Contender then made a design change and yes the guns were then easy to open BUT they also changed the locking block on the barrel to a "split" type block If you put a new barrel on a old frame it won't lock up. I you put an old barrel on a new frame it will never open again!!

Be alert for this before you do any barrel swapping.

Now for the bad news you can buy all the new locking blocks you want ( yes it's easy to swap them into old barrels) but they no longer make the orginal locking block so If you have a Contender that has the old locking set up and a great trigger Finding barrels may be a bit tough to do.

If you have it converted the trigger will not be the same!

I learned all this the hard way. If I was to do it over I think I'd spend a little more time looking for the older barrels and blocks before I payed for the conversion.

Also Smith & Wesson now owns Contender so the conversion is no longer free and nither are spare parts! Beware of stories told of great service! Service is O.K. but not great in my opinion!

[Az Rick]

I think to round out your choices in calibers you'll need a center fire .22. A nice .223, .222 or .22 Hornet. One of these would be good medicine for Ohio groundhogs. I was born and raised in Scioto County. We gave groundhogs a hard time and the farmers loved it. It can really help hone hunting and shooting skills. Wish I had cast back then it would have been even more fun. They really are versatile and fun.
Best, Rick

[fryboy]

so ....ur gearing up for "double addiction" huh ? ( u and ur wife's lolz ) to me contenders more than anything expanded my handloading , in part some of it depends upon what u want from it ( and there are many many choices ) from mild to wild , myself even tho i like the octagon there are very few barrels i would get that way as i'm fond of some of the thumpers and the octagons are anything but heavy , u have the basics already - new dies and brass and scope or sites for every new barrel , and yes sir the 357 herret is a hoot ! as is the 375 win and on and on umm welcome to deeper addiction and g'luck

[troy_mclure]

ive been seeing a lot of "custom" and wildcat chambered contender barrels on the auction sites lately.

[Steelbanger]

Ohio Rusty,

PM sent.

[Czech_too]

IF you're gonna limit yourself, for now, to octagon barrels I would shy away from the larger cartridges. There's a reason their called HAND CANNONS.

A must have would be a .22LR but I don't think they made one with a match chamber in octagon. A 22 Hornet would be next on my list followed by the 22 Jet.

My favorite barrel is the 32-20 in a 10" Bull. Most of my pistol length barrels wear a 2 or 4x Leupold scope.

[dale2242]

Of all my gun addictions, the one for Contenders is the worst. I love those things. I have several barrels, from 22 lr to 444 Marlin.
I prefer scopes in the 2X-4X range on my barrels. 2x for big game hunting, 4X for small varmint hunting. Leupold being my first choice.

22 Hornet and 223 are the most accurate barrels I own. 30-30 my favorite for cast.


As for TCs service, I recently sent them an old, worn frame. They completely rebuilt it , at no cost to me. They replaced all worn parts. They did not UPGRADE it, they REBUILT it.....dale

[Blammer]

almost as bad as getting a mould before you have the gun to shoot it in. :)

ask me how I know.. :)

[Wayne Smith]

I've always loved this idea of straight walled cartridges limits. It includes the 45-70 and the 9.3x74R! The last would be my dream in an Encore barrel, but that's custom only.

[timkelley]

Shame we aren't closer. I'd peddle my (76 I think) frame with three barrels to you.:-(

[Ohio Rusty]

Thanks all for the excellent advise !! It looks like a .223 and .30-30 will be a serious consideration. .223's are pretty cheap. I fired ALOT of those from an M-16 (early model with the triangular shaped hand grip) That would be a good varmint round. I'm hoping to come up with a long heavy .44 mag barrel. I'm sure there are folks on here that cast .44 hollowpoint bullets I can trade for or buy from them. Although I've not shot a deer with a .44 mag, it looks like a good round with the right bullet.
I have been out of the loop for a long time buying scopes. I'll have to do some serious researching to find which one is very good without breaking the bank.

Ohio Rusty ><>

[smoked turkey]

I really like the 35 Rem barrel for mine, the 410/45 Colt, 22 match, 30-30, 44, and on and on. As said they are a handloaders dream and an addition to boot. Don't fight it, just be like the rest of us.

[Firebricker]

Rusty, All I know about contenders is their like chia pets you put them in a dark safe and they grow. My friend traded a complete gun for a contender frame his wife picked on him for trading a shootable gun for a peice of one. Then suprisingly he took it out and it was complete .357 max with scope. He swears to the Mrs. he doesnt remember spending any money on parts it's a miracle LOL. FB

[Blammer]

the 30-30 Ackley is a force to recon with for deer hunting in a TC. :)

but personally I like the 7-30 waters super 14 or the 10" 44mag. :)

[leadman]

.comI would pass on the 22 octagon unless you plan on carrying it in the woods alot. Go for a 22 match barrel. I have had several 22 oct. and the accuracy just wasn't great.
The Simmons pistol scopes are o.k., as are the NC Star 2X7 for low end scopes. T/C, Weaver, Burris are very good for mid priced scopes. Leupolds are great. A variable is nice and not much more weight than a fixed power.
If you go for the 16" barrel then you can put a carbine stock on it. A 41 or 44mag would make a great deer gun. Some 357Max barrels had an issue with the leade in the barrel and were hard to get good accuracy from them.
MGM makes great barrels for a little more than a T/C barrel.
Go to this website and look around: http://specialtypistols.infopop.cc/eve/forums.

[casterofboolits]

I think I have a set of first generation handles and fore end collecting dust somewhere in the basement.

I replaced the grips and fore end with Pachmeyers after wearing a quarter sized blister on the base of my thumb after shooting 100 rounds of Lyman 44-245-SWCKT's loaded with 18.5 grns of 2400 with the 44 Hotshot barrel. The left side of the grip was almost square. :Fire:

I then bought several 10" (?) heavy barrels in 22 Hornet, 30 carbine, 38/357 and 44 mag. These were the old days, when my eyes were good and I could bust clay birds nine out of ten times on the hundred yard bank with iron sights. Days long gone :violin: