Thompson center Contender following

[Hays47]

Long time Contender lover here. My first one was back in the 70's. It was the first version where you needed a screwdriver to change from rimfire to centerfire. It is commonly called the " hard to open " model. The 2 frames I have now are the " easy open ".
I really liked my first one until the newer barrels would not function with it. At one time had 25 different barrels for it. The only two I did not care for was the 45/410 and the 22 jet. I sold those almost as fast as I bought them. My favorites I have now are the 221 "furball" and the 22K hornet. Shot the hornet for quite a while but went to the K for better brass life. Both are deadly accurate. Of the bigger bores the 357 Maximum is my favorite. Ohio has a straight-wall cartridge limit on deer hunting. The 44 Mag was a good one too. But I liked the flatter trajectory of the Max especially loading with Remington PSP 150 grains. Combined with WIN 296 powder and WIN SR primers it gives my varmit barrels a run for the money.

In carbine/rifle mode the 222 Remington is a groundhog's worst nightmare.

[Jtarm]

Need to get a carbine kit for mine, .300 BO.

[Rapier]

I just did a trigger job on an old original offering, carbine for a 78 year old fellow, been shooting it for years with a real awful trigger. not to make you feel bad but, a 256 Win Mag. He has taken many deer with it, shoots them in the ear. I saw the barrel 6-8 years ago, gave him some brass at the time, then he bought the gun by a couple days ago. He still shoots open sights, lucky.

[alrighty]

Contenders were always rare in my area it seemed. One day while traveling back and forth to trade school I ran into one at a small gun shop. It was a super 14 .223 with a Redfield golden five star 4x12 rifle scope mounted and a custom made padded suede gun case. This was back in the mid nineties and it looked almost new. Picked it up along with a box of fifty factory reloads and drove straight to the nearby public range. Using a makeshift rest , me and my friend shot a group a quarter could cover at 150 yards. I kept it that way several years until I decided I wanted a 45/70 carbine length barrel to hunt with , good decision for my hearing but still regret selling that .223 barrel. I justified selling it because I had recently picked up a TCR83 in .223.
Hunted with the 45/70 , liked the caliber and decided I wanted a lever gun so don't shoot that barrel much after picking up a Marlin. I have since picked up 10" barrels in 22 lr match , 22 hornet, 270 ren, and a .30 herrett and a super 14 hunter in 35 rem. My favorite is probably the 270 ren , it is nothing more that a 22 hornet case that is straight walled. It has very mild recoil, economical to shoot and accurate with anything I have tried.
My frame is one of the early models with the rotating block that you have rotate with a screwdriver to change between rimfire/centerfire. kind of awkward but it was made after the change to the easy open frame, my serial number is 199xxx. I still keep an eye out for barrels whenever I get a chance to visit gun shops but still rare in my local area. On the lookout now for a 30/30, because I have plenty of brass and a few molds and a 357 herrett , picked up a die set including a form/trim die used years ago.

[MDC]

I just did a trigger job on an old original offering, carbine for a 78 year old fellow, been shooting it for years with a real awful trigger. not to make you feel bad but, a 256 Win Mag. He has taken many deer with it, shoots them in the ear. I saw the barrel 6-8 years ago, gave him some brass at the time, then he bought the gun by a couple days ago. He still shoots open sights, lucky.

The 256 Winchester will do work. This is from my carbine. They also say that you can't form nickel brass

[Blanco]

I know someone here will have an answer for this. I have only ever seen 222 Rem as a pistol barrel for TC, but never as a rifle / Carbine?
I would think a 222 Would be a perfect rifle caliber for the Contender?

[Lonegun1894]

Blanco,
I have seen and shot one that was a rifle, but it was before I learned to appreciate these, and all I can tell you is that I was about 13-14 and it belonged to an older gentleman I met at the range one time. And I mean OLD. He was probably 35 or something, but to me not even being out of jr high yet, he seemed old. I remember it had a scope and made even me look like a good shooter, and had almost no recoil. Sorry for the very limited and useless information, but the only reason i remember it is because I remember thinking he meant .223 when he said .222, asking him about it, him correcting me, and then going home and looking it up because I’d never heard of it before. So there’s at least one rifle lenght Contender out there in .222.

[Walks]

I saw 4 .222Rem 14" bbls about 30yrs ago. at a gunshop in So Cal. By the time I got back with $$$ 3 days later. They were gone, returned as a mis-shipment. Couldn't find one after that.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

I wish i would have bought a Contender pistol years ago. If i got one today i would lean towards a .357 max.

[Blanco]

Has anyone heard any news on what is going to happen with TC?
Last I heard S&W was trying to offload them?
They may just let them die ...what a shame!

[dannyd]

The new hand cannon

[regdor1999]

I related to the original poster regarding these things at gun shows. 30 years ago when I was doing gun shows with my dad, they were everywhere (NW PA). I recall one guy that went to every table at a certain number of shows and the same question every time: "Have any Contender barrels?" Answered no, he shuffled on to the next table. For years I saw this guy, same question every show, I think in Edinboro PA. I think he was floored once when we actually said yes as we received all kinds of stuff in trade that didn't make it onto the table right away.

[Hays47]

For those that did not know. Thompson made many 222 Remington barrels in rifle length. I purchased the 22 Hornet and 222 Remington barrels when Thompson first made them in rifle length. Used the hornet for up to 150 yds and the 222 for anything over that. Both of these were never made in the quantity of the 223 Remington though. Sold both when it looked like my shooting days were over, Finally found a good Doc that enabled me to be a shooter again. I will never get back the collection of Thompson Center I once owned. So far I have been able to restore some of it. Right now my favorite barrel is a 14 inch 22K Hornet. Mild recoil , quiet and ungodly accurate with handloads.

The TCR 83 Aristocrat was a single shot rifle that T/C also made. Mine was a magnum frame but barrels were 22-250 , 7mm-08 and 243 Winchester. All three barrels were deadly accurate also. At todays prices I will never get these back.

[wichitadude]

If your still around tell me about your 150 ge loads with the 32-20

[725]

Blanco; I bet MGM would make a dandy one up for you if you wanted one.

[5Shot]

Has anyone heard any news on what is going to happen with TC?
Last I heard S&W was trying to offload them?
They may just let them die ...what a shame!

Haven't heard, but SKS is coming out with an Easy Open frame, so parts etc won't be an issue.

[ubetcha]

I have Super 16 bbl in.223rem. I have seen nor heard to much about them. I also have a rifle stock and forend for it. When it is on the frame it measures 16 1/4 in from breach to muzzle. That should make it a legal rifle.

[Rapier]

The TC must always have the pistol grip with the short barrel. If you put the stock on then you must use the rifle barrel or you have a short barrel rifle.

All of the factory 32-20 barrels I have seen for the TC are .308 with a 1-10 twist and work well with 4227 and cast rifle bullets 150-200g. The RCBS 165 Silhouette does well.

[jeffsmith13]

I have one frame ,1968, and one 8.5” 44 magnum barrel. The combo is very accurate and I’ve taken some nice bucks with it. I want another barrel but can’t decide which caliber. Something 30 cal for my suppressor.

[donald duck]

My two favorites are .256 Win. Mag, and .257 TCU. Cast the Lyman 65 grain w/gas check. Fun to shoot, accurate, both 14 in. barrels. would like to sell .30 Mauser dies for case forming the .256. Email me @ dworley790@gmail.com.