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Thread: Thompson center Contender following

  1. #181
    Boolit Master
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    I have had one of the G1 carbines since the late 80’s. 357max. And got two custom shop barrels (6mmTCU & 7-30 Waters). Both are amazing shooters!

    I recently picked up a G2 contender in 30-30. I hate to say it, but it shot like absolute crap! 3” at 100 at best! No combination got better than that! The trigger had to be 7-8 lbs at least! After a years trying get it to shoot, I sold it. So disappointing!

    The fit and finish was great, that was the only plus!
    Last edited by Dthunter; 09-17-2021 at 03:13 PM. Reason: Spelling

  2. #182
    Boolit Buddy

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dthunter View Post
    I have had one of the G1 carbines since the late 80’s. 357max. And got two custom shop barrels (6mmTCU & 7-30 Waters). Both are amazing shooters!

    I recently picked up a G2 contender in 30-30. I hate to say it, but it shot like absolute crap! 3” at 100 at best! No combination got better than that! The trigger had to be 7-8 lbs at least! After a years trying get it to shoot, I sold it. So disappointing!

    The fit and finish was great, that was the only plus!

    This has been my fear in getting one. I have passed on a couple frames because of what i have read about the G2's. Then there are many who swear by them. I have stalled a little with getting more barrels just because the barrel is probably the cheapest part in getting a new caliber as stated in a few posts back. Finally have scopes on all my barrels and am happy where I am at with them.

    Who am I kidding...... If a good deal comes around, I will probably end up getting it.

  3. #183
    Boolit Buddy

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    Ran across a good trade deal a couple weeks ago and now my Contender itch has turned into an obsession (so my wife says).

    Currently have three frames and the below barrels.

    .223 TC 10"
    7mm TCU TC 10"
    7mm TCU TC 14"
    7-30 Waters TC 14"
    309 JDJ SSK 14"
    375 JDJ TC Custom Shop Hunter 12" with Muzzle Tamer
    357/44 Bobcat (Rebored from 357 Magnum) TC 10"
    44 Magnum TC 10"

  4. #184
    Boolit Master


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    I called Ed at edstc.com, looking for a 357 Mag or Maxx barrel for my Encore. No luck, then I asked about a barrel for a G-2, no luck there. He said he is almost out of barrels.

  5. #185
    Boolit Buddy

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    Quote Originally Posted by jaysouth View Post
    I called Ed at edstc.com, looking for a 357 Mag or Maxx barrel for my Encore. No luck, then I asked about a barrel for a G-2, no luck there. He said he is almost out of barrels.
    I was just on his site a couple days ago looking. almost out huh.

  6. #186
    Boolit Grand Master


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    Traded for this early .30 Carbine Custom Shop barrel, it has narrow grooves and a 1 in 10 twist. It was cut to 18" but still makes a well balanced package.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Old enough to know better, young enough to do it anyway!

    Men who don't understand women fall into two categories: bachelors and husbands!

  7. #187
    Boolit Buddy

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    Quote Originally Posted by stubshaft View Post
    Traded for this early .30 Carbine Custom Shop barrel, it has narrow grooves and a 1 in 10 twist. It was cut to 18" but still makes a well balanced package.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    That is sharp. Who made the stock and forearm? Been wondering if I would like a carbine barrel

  8. #188
    Boolit Mold
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    My first Contender had a 10 inch 357 Herritt barrel that I got through a trade, Came with brass and dies and a 2.5 power scope. I learned what a accurate pistol was. I was having trouble3 with my feet and legs and it allowed me to hunt the last two years my sons were home. I now have barrels both pistol and rifle length from 17WSM 17 Hornet, 5MM Craig, 20 AI Hornet, 204 Ruger,.22 Mag, .223 Rem, 357 Mag. 30-30. I enjoy them all. On my Encore I have a 6MM Dasher and a 204 Ruger carbine barrels . The Dasher is one deer killing cartridge. I use 85 grain Barnes TSX bullets, One shot DRT on the last 4deer I shot with it.

  9. #189
    Boolit Buddy

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    Quote Originally Posted by eagle_view View Post
    My first Contender had a 10 inch 357 Herritt barrel that I got through a trade, Came with brass and dies and a 2.5 power scope. I learned what a accurate pistol was. I was having trouble3 with my feet and legs and it allowed me to hunt the last two years my sons were home. I now have barrels both pistol and rifle length from 17WSM 17 Hornet, 5MM Craig, 20 AI Hornet, 204 Ruger,.22 Mag, .223 Rem, 357 Mag. 30-30. I enjoy them all. On my Encore I have a 6MM Dasher and a 204 Ruger carbine barrels . The Dasher is one deer killing cartridge. I use 85 grain Barnes TSX bullets, One shot DRT on the last 4deer I shot with it.
    Nice. I was looking at a 204 Ruger a while back. What are your thoughts on yours for the Contender?

  10. #190
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bloodhound689 View Post
    Nice. I was looking at a 204 Ruger a while back. What are your thoughts on yours for the Contender?
    I have an Encore Rifle with a heavy barrel in 204 which was gifted to me years ago. It is incredibly accurate. I downloaded it a bit to have the 39's going out at about 3500 fps and it is a coyote killing machine even to 600 yards (and a little farther). Where I have the scope set, it is point of aim out to 370 yards. My only complaint is that it is so heavy, it is definitely not a "walking around" rifle so I use it as a set firing position rifle (on top of a desert bluff with lots of view). For that it excels.

  11. #191
    Boolit Master
    dk17hmr's Avatar
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    Is Eds TC still operating? What's the best way to contact them email or phone?
    Doug
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  12. #192
    Boolit Buddy

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    Quote Originally Posted by dk17hmr View Post
    Is Eds TC still operating? What's the best way to contact them email or phone?
    I was able to email back and fourth with him sometime early this year or late last year. Tried to find the emails to see when but couldn't. I read on another forum that he was having some health concerns so not sure how he is doing now.

  13. #193
    Boolit Grand Master


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    Quote Originally Posted by Bloodhound689 View Post
    That is sharp. Who made the stock and forearm? Been wondering if I would like a carbine barrel
    I ordered the unfinished blank from Fred at Bullberry years ago. He used to mill them with a slight cast off and it fits me perfectly
    Old enough to know better, young enough to do it anyway!

    Men who don't understand women fall into two categories: bachelors and husbands!

  14. #194
    Boolit Bub
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    Good to hear Ed is still at it.

  15. #195
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bloodhound689 View Post
    This has been my fear in getting one. I have passed on a couple frames because of what i have read about the G2's. Then there are many who swear by them. I have stalled a little with getting more barrels just because the barrel is probably the cheapest part in getting a new caliber as stated in a few posts back. Finally have scopes on all my barrels and am happy where I am at with them.

    Who am I kidding...... If a good deal comes around, I will probably end up getting it.
    The G2 frame definitely has a hard trigger and is "chunkier" than the original frames with their sweet sweet triggers. The nice thing about the G2 frame is their beef. With the extra metal along the axis, they are going to withstand some of the hard pounding that can be delivered with a .375-JDJ, .411-JDJ, and a .45-70 SSK barrel. When I was doing load development for the 411 and the 375, I was constantly worrying about stressing the G1 frame up near 40K PSI. Convention has it that the G1 frames are spec out at 44k PSI max before damage can be done including cracking.

    Another good feature of the G2 frame, well the trigger actually, is that new T/C shooters will not let off rounds unintentionally with the harder trigger. I can't begin to tell you how many people I let shoot my T/C's had the gun discharge before they had it on target, or otherwise ready to shoot. The light trigger got them every time - even though I had warned them REPEATEDLY about the light trigger. I had one friend, a "gunsmith", peel the skin off his thumb gown to the bone when he discharged the .45-70 with the muzzle pointing up at about 70 degrees. The recoil brought the hammer down his thumb from the tip to the palm and flayed it beautifully. I could see the entire bone and knuckle down to the web of the digit. The G2 isn't this sensitive.

    Of course to a seasoned T/C shooter who cut their T/C teeth on a G1 frame, the G2 is horrendous to fire. Having fired one now for a few years, I am getting better with the hard trigger and it fits in with other pistols with equally hard trigger pulls. Hollywood Triggers if you will. That didn't help Baldwin though did it?

    Truthfully, I have not looked for springs or aftermarket trigger components for the G2 frame. I am just going to deal with the factory trigger. I appreciate the extra beef the frame offers for my real hard kicking SSK barrels. Were I going to take a ram at 250 yards though with the .375-JDJ, I would definitely use the G1 frame which has taken its share of abuse from the SSK family of barrels already.

    Apparently the use of G1 and G2 naming conventions is inaccurate. The G2 frame is actually called a G2 frame by T/C but there never was an actual G1 name. In fact, you probably know that there were 3 distinct (some say 4) versions of the G1 frame, but we all simply refer to them all as a G1. My preference is the rotating lever for the firing pin on the G1.3 frame.

    Love my Contenders!

  16. #196
    Boolit Buddy

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tar Heel View Post
    The G2 frame definitely has a hard trigger and is "chunkier" than the original frames with their sweet sweet triggers. The nice thing about the G2 frame is their beef. With the extra metal along the axis, they are going to withstand some of the hard pounding that can be delivered with a .375-JDJ, .411-JDJ, and a .45-70 SSK barrel. When I was doing load development for the 411 and the 375, I was constantly worrying about stressing the G1 frame up near 40K PSI. Convention has it that the G1 frames are spec out at 44k PSI max before damage can be done including cracking.

    Another good feature of the G2 frame, well the trigger actually, is that new T/C shooters will not let off rounds unintentionally with the harder trigger. I can't begin to tell you how many people I let shoot my T/C's had the gun discharge before they had it on target, or otherwise ready to shoot. The light trigger got them every time - even though I had warned them REPEATEDLY about the light trigger. I had one friend, a "gunsmith", peel the skin off his thumb gown to the bone when he discharged the .45-70 with the muzzle pointing up at about 70 degrees. The recoil brought the hammer down his thumb from the tip to the palm and flayed it beautifully. I could see the entire bone and knuckle down to the web of the digit. The G2 isn't this sensitive.

    Of course to a seasoned T/C shooter who cut their T/C teeth on a G1 frame, the G2 is horrendous to fire. Having fired one now for a few years, I am getting better with the hard trigger and it fits in with other pistols with equally hard trigger pulls. Hollywood Triggers if you will. That didn't help Baldwin though did it?

    Truthfully, I have not looked for springs or aftermarket trigger components for the G2 frame. I am just going to deal with the factory trigger. I appreciate the extra beef the frame offers for my real hard kicking SSK barrels. Were I going to take a ram at 250 yards though with the .375-JDJ, I would definitely use the G1 frame which has taken its share of abuse from the SSK family of barrels already.

    Apparently the use of G1 and G2 naming conventions is inaccurate. The G2 frame is actually called a G2 frame by T/C but there never was an actual G1 name. In fact, you probably know that there were 3 distinct (some say 4) versions of the G1 frame, but we all simply refer to them all as a G1. My preference is the rotating lever for the firing pin on the G1.3 frame.

    Love my Contenders!
    I have actually wondered that myself with the 375JDJ with the pressures. I did just get one of the most recent early frames with the selector switch and it has a very light trigger. Someone has definitely worked it. Haven't shot it yet but I am sure itching to take it out.

  17. #197
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bloodhound689 View Post
    I have actually wondered that myself with the 375JDJ with the pressures. I did just get one of the most recent early frames with the selector switch and it has a very light trigger. Someone has definitely worked it. Haven't shot it yet but I am sure itching to take it out.
    It may be stock factory. All of my G1 frames have incredibly light triggers and of course have the over-travel adjustment too. The T/C G1 triggers are absolutely the best factory triggers I have ever felt. Crisp and light break. You better be ready when you caress the trigger.

  18. #198
    Boolit Man jeffsmith13's Avatar
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    Click image for larger version. 

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    I like my contender in 44 magnum, would love to have a 45 acp barrel to go with it. I believe it’s a 1968 manufactured date

  19. #199
    Banned
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    fELL IN LOVE WITH THE CONTENDER MANY YEARS AGO. hAVE HAD TWO OF THE ORIGINAL AND NOW HAVE TWO g 2 FRAMES. SEVERL BARRELS. jUST SOLD MY 14 INCH 30-30. oNLY EVER SHOT CAST BULLETS MILD LOADS. FAVORITES ARE .256 wIN mAG, .257 tcu AND 7 mm tcu. BRASS IS NEXT TO FREE AND CAST MY OWN BULLETS. 120 GRAIN IN THE 7mm tcu AND 65 GRAIN lYMAN IN .257. 52 GRAIN IN .223. . ALSO .32 h & r MAG, .38 SPECIAL. sorry for all caps. I forget to check it and use it a lot.

  20. #200
    Boolit Master curioushooter's Avatar
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    I've had G1s and G2s. I now only have a G2.

    I have never understood the reasoning behind the excessively hard trigger. It's a single action pistol. You have to hammer back before it fires. You DON'T hammer back until you are ready to fire! Like sights/scope over the target. The trigger is just to say when.

    I have had both Mike Bellum's boy and the guy over at E Arthur Brown do their "trigger job." I can't really tell either one of them did anything to improve it's let off weight except for the bills they sent me. Very dissapointing. One of the reasons why I went back to big bore revolvers. Even my factory Blackhawk has a much better trigger than my G2.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check