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TC Contender questions
epaker
Member Posts: 52 ✭✭
Hi guys,
I just picked up a TC Contender used at the pawn shop. It is in great shape and has a 45 colt barrel and a packmar grip. I think this is the old style, not G2 but I am not sure. Is there any way to be certain? the aftermarket grip is confusing me because it does not look like the original. I have heard that barrels and forends are interchangeable but not grips or butstocks so I need to figure this out before I buy more pieces. This does have the engraved mountain lions on the reciever if that helps. Any tips are appreciated. Thanks, Ed.
I just picked up a TC Contender used at the pawn shop. It is in great shape and has a 45 colt barrel and a packmar grip. I think this is the old style, not G2 but I am not sure. Is there any way to be certain? the aftermarket grip is confusing me because it does not look like the original. I have heard that barrels and forends are interchangeable but not grips or butstocks so I need to figure this out before I buy more pieces. This does have the engraved mountain lions on the reciever if that helps. Any tips are appreciated. Thanks, Ed.
Comments
Hi guys,
I just picked up a TC Contender used at the pawn shop. It is in great shape and has a 45 colt barrel and a packmar grip. I think this is the old style, not G2 but I am not sure. Is there any way to be certain? the aftermarket grip is confusing me because it does not look like the original. I have heard that barrels and forends are interchangeable but not grips or butstocks so I need to figure this out before I buy more pieces. This does have the engraved mountain lions on the reciever if that helps. Any tips are appreciated. Thanks, Ed.
You have the older style. The older style requires the action to be opened if you manually drop the hammer from full cock. The action is a bit harder to open, but I consider the older style Contender to have a better trigger than the G2.
New Contender barrels will fit the older style frame, grips for the new G2 will not fit the older style frame. I think one of the best grips around is the wood grip with rubber backing, it's great for heavier calibers and just in general very comfortable.
There are all sorts of forends available. Be aware some are for older 10" barrels, some are 14" Super barrels with different profiles. Main difference is hole spacing for the screws.
If you take a look at Midway you'll get an idea of what barrels and options you have with this gun, you can go from 22lr to 45/70.
and the new style barrels
do fit it but you'll never
re-open them again and once they
do the conversion the old barrels
will have issues (octagon) ,each and every
one will have to be returned to be reworked,
something about a solid locking lug
vs a split locking lug,My contender is
there right now to remedy this
Ok, I am not sure what is considered "hard" to open. I have a little trouble opening the action if I use just my trigger finger to pull back the guard but it opens just fine with a heavy pull from my middle finger. I have noticed that i need to back off the foreend scren about 1/8 of a turn or it will not open completly without pushing doen on the barrel. I do have large, strong hands so maybe this gun is still hard to open for most? IS there anyway to tell if it has been reworked? I see plenty of old barrels for sale and I like the gun as is so I don't think I would change a thing, I just hate to buy parts that don't work if I can avoid it. Thanks again for all the help. Ed.
The Contender (and Encore) lock as a result of the locking bolt(s) located on the rear of the barrel just under the chamber. They engage under a shelf in the frame of the gun. The locking bolts have little "buttons" visible on each side. When you squeeze the trigger guard up to open, two angled posts on each side of the trigger guard engage the buttons & actually push back the bolt.
Locking bolts on each barrel (and each gun) may vary and could require fitting. I've bought about 100 barrels in 35 years of shooting T/Cs and had fewer than 5 require some sort of fitting, but an old style solid locking bolt as opposed to the newer split version was the culprit and the problem was one of the action not being engaged as opposed to being unable to open. The T/C has a safety system which, if the locking bolts are not sufficiently engaged with the frame, will prevent the hammer from being cocked even with the action in the closed position.
If you do buy a barrel that does not properly fit your frame you can either fit the locking bolts yourself by slightly (very, very slightly) stoning the top angle of the locking bolt until it sufficiently engages or by sending it to T/C for fitting. I've never sent a gun/barrel to T/C for fitting, I did manage to get some extra bolts a while back, don't know if they still mail them out.
If you handle a new G2 Contender you'll immediately notice the gun is much easier to open than the old style, that's just an engineering rework. T/C will update your old model to the "easier opening" version for about $70.00 I think.
You may want to check out Bellm T/Cs on line as he has alot of info on the guns.
The Contender can be bought in about 200 calibers. I think a good basic "I can shoot anything on the planet" set of barrels to eventually get would be the 223, 30/30, 35 Remington and 45/70. All are 14" barrels and the 45/70 should have a brake on it. The 223 and 30/30 don't - I could go either way on the 35. But a good 223 barrel would really show how well the pistol shoots, well beyond 100 yds, and good ammo is inexpensive.
A used barrel, depending on where you live and whether you buy on line or at a gun show, can go from about $125.00 on up. I prefer the 14" barrels, they're usually at gun shows for about $175.00 or so.