Originally Posted by
pertnear
I really got into the T/C Contender in the early '70s. I've owned & traded off at least a dozen different calibers over the years. I remember shopping in the "Shotgun News" & you could buy the less popular barrels for about $60 brand new. I remember buying a .22 magnum barrel for about that price. The Contender was touted as a hunting handgun, at which it excelled. I had a 10" scoped bull barrel .30-30 with a 1" tube Redfield in mounts that would shoot 1-1/2" at 100 yards off the bench. The recoil was so bad I had to add Hogue grips to tame it some. I managed to shoot a couple of deer & a turkey with it. I really liked the 10" .22 hornet barrel I had but like a dummy I sold it. Finally I rigged out the contender as a carbine in 7x30 Waters & I came to the conclusion that the carbine set-up was the best use of the frame. I eventually I became disenchanted with the Contender & all the barrels. I sold everything off except I kept the frame & one 10" Bull .22 LR barrel. Over the years the available barrels kept getting longer, heavier & in more rifle calibers for the "Handgun Contender". I kept asking myself, "How can a 14" scoped handgun in a rifle caliber still claim its handgun status". There are even some holsters you can carry one in strapped to the front of your chest. I enjoyed the journey, but I moved on to other rifle single shots. A fascinating gun & an interesting following by shooters!