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G-2 pressure rating

OregunnerOregunner Member Posts: 129 ✭✭✭
edited March 2006 in Perry Shooter Competition Shooting and Reloading Forum
After looking up loads for 7mmbr last week I was thinking about it a little (scary) & I got to wondering why there were loads for a .308 Winchester in a book for loading Contenders. The .308 loads I could find pressure readings for (in other books under rifle info) seemed to allow upwards of 53,000 CUP. I didn't (don't) think the Contender or G-2 was capable of handling pressures above 30-30 Win pressure levels, which I believe are around 38,000 CUP from what I can find. (I forgot to look at .45-70 pressures but I suppose they are about the same as 30-30.) I've never seen a G-2 barrel advertised in .308 Win.

I looked in the Contender load book again earlier this evening & the guy that wrote the intro about the .308 Winchester said he was shooting a "T/C prototype" on a deer hunt that he believed would be marketed as an "Encore". Aha! I don't remember the man's name & the book is out in the shop.

So what is a reasonable upper pressure limit for the Contender/G-2? Are they the same? Don't get me wrong, I'm not really interested in shooting anything with more recoil than a .45-70 (now anyway) & I'm not interested in pushing my G-2's to the limit, I'm just curious.

If at some point in the future I decide I do want more power I'll buy an Encore.

TIA
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    Bill CostikBill Costik Member Posts: 1,845 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Not sure about the new G2 guns, but the Encore is designed to handle the higher power rounds, IE .308, 7mm/08, etc. The Contender is for the lower powered rounds like the .222, .223. etc. I'm sure someone else will come along and explain it better than I can.
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    sandwarriorsandwarrior Member Posts: 5,453 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I think Bill Costik hit it pretty well. The original contender and the G-2 contender are for low pressure rounds and the Encore is for higher pressure i.e. big rifle, rounds. The action frame on an Encore is heavier and longer than a contender of either flavor.
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    nononsensenononsense Member Posts: 10,928 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Oregunner,

    The G2 is the updated version of the original Contender. It is designed to handle the newer G2 barrels as well as the older Contender barrels. Here is the news release:

    The Thompson Center Contender (TC) has been around for a long time in the form of a great hunting pistol and carbine. Last year TC announced the new version of the Contender, the G2 Contender with several improvements over the old model,

    The New Features include easier to opening, More clearance between the grip and the trigger guard, incorporates a patented automatic hammer block safety with built-in interlock, and it allows shooters to cock the hammer, lower it, and re-cock it without the need to break the action open again. In addition, you can also get a muzzleloading barrel in .45 or .50 caliber.

    "The G2 Contender rifle is very compact and weighs only about 6 pounds. It features readily interchangeable 23" barrels, enabling the shooter to select from several different cartridge options; from 17 HMR and 22 LR Match, 30/30 Win, 375 Win, 6.8 SPC, 45/70 Gov't., 45 cal muzzleloading, and 50 cal muzzleloading barrel. In addition, all of the 161#8260;4" and 21" barrels made for the old style Contender will readily fit the new G2 frame. Old style contender barrels must use the old style forend. G2 barrels are untapered and use the new G2 forend with two attachment screws."


    Here is a comparison between all three frames from Mike Bellm:

    These three frames are different as night and day in some respects and identical in others. So how do you know which is which?

    Hang on tight.....Here we go......

    Basic Differences

    Frame Sizes: Encore is bigger than G2 or Contender.

    Barrel diameters where they seat in the frame: Contender/G2 13/16", Encore 1" so they do not interchange, thus.

    Scope Bases: Encores have the larger radius on the bottom.

    Internal mechanism: Contender has a hammer block, Encore and G2 sears lock the hammer at half cock.

    Trigger Mechanisms: Two different types of Contender trigger groups both of which are removeable while Encore and G2 trigger mechanisms are not removeable.

    Firing Pins: Encore is center fire only, Contender and G2 have a selector on the hammer to fire either centerfire or rimfire.

    Hinge Pin Hole Diameters: Encore is 7/16" (.4375"), and Contender and G2 are 3/8" (.375").

    Internal Frame Mechanism Springs: No Springs in the Contender frame interchange with Encores & G2s.

    Forend Screws: Contenders & G2s use No. 10x32, and Encores use No. 8x40 screws.

    Hammer Extensions: Two different sizes for Contenders--vintage with the selector lever on top of the hammer is the same size as on Encore and G2.

    Dry Firing: Encores and G2s should not be dry fired unless the firing pin bushing is removed and the fall of the hammer cushioned while Contenders can be dry fired continuously with no harm at all to the frame SO LONG AS THE HAMMER IS NOT COCKED (Dry firing simply releases the striker in the trigger group and gives the full effect of the trigger pull, independent of the hammer being cocked. Opening and closing the barrel resets the striker).

    Forend Screw Hole Spacing: Hole spacings for handgun barrels is different carbine hole spacings in both Contender/G2 barrels and Encore barrels.

    Grips/Buttstocks: Contenders, G2s, and Encores all take different grips, buttstocks, and forends.

    Basic Things in Common

    Hammer Springs: Encore and G2 use the same spring.

    Trigger/Sear Springs: Encores and G2s use the same springs, none of which work in Contenders.

    Locking Bolt Springs in the Barrel Lug: ALL barrels for all three frames use the same Locking Bolt Spring.

    Hammer Extensions: Encores and G2s use the same hammer extension.

    Scope Base Mounting: Barrels for all three have the same hole spacing and use No. 6x48 screws, but the holes in Encore barrels are about .050" deeper.

    Retaining pins in the barrel lug: All use 1/16" diameter roll pins for the extractor and 3/32" diameter for the locking bolts, but retaining pins for the Encore are longer for the wider lug it uses.

    Trigger Overtravel Screw: Same No. 4x40 screw size for all three, but length actually required for any given frame varies from 3/16" more common to Contenders to 1/4" which is more common to Encores and G2s.

    Interlock Mechanism: All three frames have an interlock to prevent the frame from firing a round unless the barrel's locking bolts safely engage the frame far enough and thus push the interlock back far enough to permit the frame to fire a round.

    Grips/Buttstocks/Forends: All vintages of Contenders are the same,

    Trigger/Sear Spring Pliers: Use for both G2 and Encore.


    This is a complete article about the G2:

    http://www.gunsandammomag.com/long_guns/contender_062404/


    Best.
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    OregunnerOregunner Member Posts: 129 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thanks for the info so far. I did some sleuthing myself & found 45-70 loads from 25,000 CUP (old Trapdoor rifle), to 40,000 (1895 Marlin rifle) to 50,000 CUP (Ruger #1 only) in one book. In my Barnes book I found loads up to 43,000 CUP for the 1895 & 50,000 for the Ruger. I also found 7-30 Waters pressures all topping out at around 40,000 CUP. (I have one of these on order from EABCO in a 24" rifle barrel. Scope mounts will be factory installed & I have a Leupold Vari-X III 6.5-20 ready to mount on it. Can't wait, varmint season will be starting soon!) From these figures I've determined that the top of the G-2's pressure limits must be 40,000 - 43,000 CUP. At least a full 10,000 CUP short of .308 pressures. I'm slowly nosing around for my next chambering for my G-2's. I don't want a cartridge that pushes the limits in a factory chambering. The .375 JDJ is starting to look rather appealing, as is the .45-70. As is an Encore PISTOL frame :)
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    dakotashooter2dakotashooter2 Member Posts: 6,186
    edited November -1
    So my question is WHY did they "beef up"(at least it presents that appearance) the frame of the G2 if it was not intended to handle more pressure. I remember some of the earlier speculation on the G2 that it was in part developed for pressures in between the contender and encore with the improvements of the encore and dual firing pin and size of the contender.Most shooters would have been happy with the size of the contender frame (width) staying the same and the other improvemants made. There was also talk early on that G2 barrels would not fit Contender frames (something about a lug) but contender barrels would fit both. That really doesn't make sense unless there would be a reason (pressure?) you wouldn't want a G2 barrel on an old frame. I guess I really haven't followed it close enough to know what is fact and what is fiction.

    If it were possible I'd much rather have a G2 in the 308 that the encore.
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