Contender pistol fans

heavy recoil · 06-01-2008, 12:17 AM

Mine was made in early 94, just got a 14" .223 barrel for it today with a TC scope already on it, got a super deal.......$300.00 and it's in pristine shape.

tcwildcat7mm · 06-08-2008, 11:35 PM

Hey oldjarhead, thanks for the info (sorry took so long, been busy!, #4 son on the way!)
that is an awesome little gun. Will have one for august fr my middle boy if all goes right. he is gonna freak vus i showed it to him to see what he said. ill let ya know whats up later.

lcmcrev · 06-09-2008, 12:27 PM

I tried posting this message previously. It does not yet appear so I am trying again. I became of the owner of an old model Contender pistol this weekend. It does not have the exterior manual pin selector on the hammer. Can you advise me as to what position is correct for the mechanism on the hammer for rimfire and for centerfire? I have located the slotted screw head on the exterior of the hammer which turns the mechanism on the hammer...just need to know which position is correct for rim and centerfire. Also, does anyone have a pdf file for the old Contender manual? T/C folks said they will send me one in a few weeks. The only manual I can find online is this one which is for the external firing pin selector: http://stevespages.com/pdf/thompsoncenter_contender.pdf

Thanks from New Mexico!

Texan4life · 06-09-2008, 09:29 PM

Hey lcmcrev, congrats on your aquisition. The bottom pin is for centerfire, so the part of the screw head that stikes it should be on bottom, if you want rimfire, the hammer should strike the top one so you would have to turn the screw head 180 degrees. That way it will strike the top one. Hope this helps you out. If you have any more questions feel free to ask us, we will impart such knowledge as we can. Good luck and good shooting.

T4L

lcmcrev · 06-09-2008, 09:57 PM

Thanks, T4L. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge. I've been hunting with black powder and bow for nearly 20 years. First in Minnesota (when I lived there from '89 to '98) and now in New Mexico (where I've been for ten years...plan to retire or die here, whichever comes first). The Contender was given to me by the father of the bride whose wedding I did this past weekend. He knows of my passion for shooting and hunting and presented the Contender as his way of saying "thanks." I saw the Contender pages in the T/C catalog when I used to thumb through it...though I was only interested in .54 cal Hawkens, Renegades and White Mountain carbines at the time. This looks like a good forum for gaining knowledge from you Contender enthusiasts. Again, thanks a bunch. I'll be taking my newly acquired Contender to the range this week.

Almost forgot...still looking for a PDF version of the "old" Contender manual. Thanks.

Texan4life · 06-09-2008, 10:49 PM

No problem lcmcrev, but I would do more research on the Black powder barrels for the old style frames. I don't think there is one for it. They sell a .45 BP, but it says G2 only everywhere I look. Just out of curiosity, what barrel do you have? I have also found that for my barrels, reloading is the only way to go. I like to squeeze all the performance out of mine that I can. Good luck , and I hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine.

T4L

SL11 · 06-10-2008, 07:29 AM

I suggest that ou look here for some useful info on loading your Contender:

Mike Bellm Custom TCs

SL11

lcmcrev · 06-10-2008, 07:58 AM

The barrel that came with it is a .222 Rem. The gentleman who gave it to me used it for competitive shooting years ago. It is clean having been well taken care of. I also have a T/C Scout pistol. Took two nice deer with the Scout in MN before I moved to NM. Black powder pistols cannot be used in this state for hunting big game. Thanks again for the helpful info.

wheelgun · 07-09-2008, 11:11 AM

new guy on this forum.I have two frames and 19 barrels.I have been shooting the Contender since 1989.I will never sell them they will do anything I need without buying the Encore.I have everything covered for what I do and hunt.
22 hornet
223 rem
6mmx30-30 A.I.
6.5 tcu
7mm supermag
7-30 waters
30 herrett
30-30 win,10" & 14"
357 mag
357-44 bd
357 herrett
35 rem
375 win
375 jdj
44 mag
445 supermag
45 win mag
45-70

highplainsman · 09-15-2008, 10:26 AM

I just purchased an old style manufactured in 1978 in .22 WMRF octogen barrel with 223 Super Fourteen barrel and am supposed to be getting a .44 Magnum and 45-70 barrels soon. Do any of you shoot with rifle scopes on your barrels. This is my second TC. Let the first one get away.

wheelgun · 09-15-2008, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by highplainsman

I just purchased an old style manufactured in 1978 in .22 WMRF octogen barrel with 223 Super Fourteen barrel and am supposed to be getting a .44 Magnum and 45-70 barrels soon. Do any of you shoot with rifle scopes on your barrels. This is my second TC. Let the first one get away.

I have had a rifle scope on my 22 hornet,6.5 tcu and 223 rem.I think they work on the light recoil guns pretty well.I had to watch my distance with the 223 and 6.5,you won't get a full scope view( or I did'nt).Shooting off a bench is the only way I used them, field use could be tuff.
just my .02

highplainsman · 09-15-2008, 05:30 PM

Yeah! I see what you mean. Had a cheap 4x that I tried on the .223 right before lunch and managed to get a whack on the bridge of my nose. Promptly pulled it off and relaced with a red dot. Will have to try a pistol scope. ( one thing seems to lead to another!)

oldjarhead · 09-15-2008, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tcwildcat7mm

Hey oldjarhead, thanks for the info (sorry took so long, been busy!, #4 son on the way!)
that is an awesome little gun. Will have one for august fr my middle boy if all goes right. he is gonna freak vus i showed it to him to see what he said. ill let ya know whats up later.

Good. Sorry for the delay also.
Got a Savage for my grandson and he was simply speechless.

Kostan · 09-19-2008, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tcwildcat7mm

Thats funny, i shoot exactly opposite. great with the 7mm and not so great with the 45! i think i need more practice tho, scope on 7 iron on 45. It is much different then my rifles. but thats the fun for me, i love to take somethin i suck at and master it. then find somethin else....I have more bows now than guns. and i got alotta guns!

I purchase the Savage Cub T for one grandson and the Cricket for his little brother. The Cricket is for very small youngsters and shoots like a house afire. Try www.cricket.com

Kostan

Kostan · 09-19-2008, 09:17 PM

Whewww, maybe this is the way to send an answer to you. I just registered 5 minutes ago. Bought my first Contender today with 3 barrels. Should have it in my hands about Wednesday next week. Now back to what I read about your boys. I have two grandsons and one is very small for his age. Can't figure that one out as I'm 6-4 and 260 and my daughter is 5-8 son-in-law is 6-0. Oh well he is a good outdoorsman. I purchased a Savage Cub T for the one grandson and a Cricket for the other. If your boy is small the Cricket might be ideal for him. Accurate as can be. The Cub T when I was a youngster I would have given my eye teeth for. It is beautiful. I have been shooting an XP 100 in 7mm BR. But I guess XP is a dirty word here, ha ha....Good luck with your boys. Try this site www.cricket.com

Kostan

highplainsman · 09-22-2008, 11:09 AM

Bought a variable 2x6 Bushnell pistol scope and mounted it on the .223 barrel and switched the rifle scope to the .22 mag. Also got the 10 " .44 mag barrel and am going to leave the iron sights on it for a bit and maybe try the red dot sight on it later. That 10" .44 bucks a bit! I can only imagine what the 45-70 will be like!!

tcwildcat7mm · 09-23-2008, 07:24 PM

I just mounted a 3-9 on my 12" 44mag and yes, it does "Kick" a lil bit. My wrist still hurts a bit. but its my left wrist, and Im right handed! I need a 223 barrel myself, but just got the suburban out the shop.......1800 bucks! what a biotch and horrible timing!

highplainsman · 09-24-2008, 10:45 AM

Thats a tough one on your vehicle. Seems like some things just have to get in the way sometimes. I enjoy shooting the .44 even tho I have some arthiritis in my hands. Will eventually do some reloading for it when I get my supply of brass built up. Some top loads with 180 gr. bullets and H-110 look interesting as well as some heavy bullet cast loads.

Trail Boss · 09-30-2008, 02:09 AM

I have one frame and 4 barrel's. 223, 7mm tcu, 33-30, 45 win mag.

willyC · 10-09-2008, 04:59 PM

sure, i have a old contender(last model update) with 4 barrels as well and don't see the need to update. what i have will kill anything on this continent and elephants and cape buffs are not in my neighborhood. i have .223, 7x30 waters, .35 rem, and .445 supermag....all very accurate due to endless hours of handloading and bench shooting. all are 14" bulls except the .35rem...15" w/muzzletamer from foxridge. the .445 has a muzzlebrake as well (unshootable without it!!) hang in there, what's the need to buy a new gun...new calibers??? these still get the job done and most folks i know are mighty jealous of me and my ability to outdo them on the range !

06-08-2008, 11:35 PM	#22
tcwildcat7mm Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Hillsborough, NC Posts: 132	Hey oldjarhead, thanks for the info (sorry took so long, been busy!, #4 son on the way!) that is an awesome little gun. Will have one for august fr my middle boy if all goes right. he is gonna freak vus i showed it to him to see what he said. ill let ya know whats up later. __________________ "to disarm the people (is) the best and most effective way to enslave them" George Mason

06-09-2008, 09:57 PM	#25
lcmcrev Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Foothills of the Cibola National Forest. Posts: 5	Thanks for info Thanks, T4L. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge. I've been hunting with black powder and bow for nearly 20 years. First in Minnesota (when I lived there from '89 to '98) and now in New Mexico (where I've been for ten years...plan to retire or die here, whichever comes first). The Contender was given to me by the father of the bride whose wedding I did this past weekend. He knows of my passion for shooting and hunting and presented the Contender as his way of saying "thanks." I saw the Contender pages in the T/C catalog when I used to thumb through it...though I was only interested in .54 cal Hawkens, Renegades and White Mountain carbines at the time. This looks like a good forum for gaining knowledge from you Contender enthusiasts. Again, thanks a bunch. I'll be taking my newly acquired Contender to the range this week. Almost forgot...still looking for a PDF version of the "old" Contender manual. Thanks. Last edited by lcmcrev; 06-09-2008 at 09:58 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost

07-09-2008, 11:11 AM	#29
wheelgun Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: texas Posts: 6	new guy new guy on this forum.I have two frames and 19 barrels.I have been shooting the Contender since 1989.I will never sell them they will do anything I need without buying the Encore.I have everything covered for what I do and hunt. 22 hornet 223 rem 6mmx30-30 A.I. 6.5 tcu 7mm supermag 7-30 waters 30 herrett 30-30 win,10" & 14" 357 mag 357-44 bd 357 herrett 35 rem 375 win 375 jdj 44 mag 445 supermag 45 win mag 45-70

09-15-2008, 10:26 AM	#30
highplainsman Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 17	I just purchased an old style manufactured in 1978 in .22 WMRF octogen barrel with 223 Super Fourteen barrel and am supposed to be getting a .44 Magnum and 45-70 barrels soon. Do any of you shoot with rifle scopes on your barrels. This is my second TC. Let the first one get away. Last edited by highplainsman; 09-15-2008 at 10:48 AM.

09-15-2008, 05:30 PM	#32
highplainsman Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 17	Riflescope on TC pistol Yeah! I see what you mean. Had a cheap 4x that I tried on the .223 right before lunch and managed to get a whack on the bridge of my nose. Promptly pulled it off and relaced with a red dot. Will have to try a pistol scope. ( one thing seems to lead to another!)

06-01-2008, 12:17 AM	#21
heavy recoil Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Southeast USA Posts: 6	Mine was made in early 94, just got a 14" .223 barrel for it today with a TC scope already on it, got a super deal.......$300.00 and it's in pristine shape.

06-09-2008, 12:27 PM	#23
lcmcrev Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Foothills of the Cibola National Forest. Posts: 5	I tried posting this message previously. It does not yet appear so I am trying again. I became of the owner of an old model Contender pistol this weekend. It does not have the exterior manual pin selector on the hammer. Can you advise me as to what position is correct for the mechanism on the hammer for rimfire and for centerfire? I have located the slotted screw head on the exterior of the hammer which turns the mechanism on the hammer...just need to know which position is correct for rim and centerfire. Also, does anyone have a pdf file for the old Contender manual? T/C folks said they will send me one in a few weeks. The only manual I can find online is this one which is for the external firing pin selector: http://stevespages.com/pdf/thompsoncenter_contender.pdf Thanks from New Mexico!

06-09-2008, 09:29 PM	#24
Texan4life Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 37	Hey lcmcrev, congrats on your aquisition. The bottom pin is for centerfire, so the part of the screw head that stikes it should be on bottom, if you want rimfire, the hammer should strike the top one so you would have to turn the screw head 180 degrees. That way it will strike the top one. Hope this helps you out. If you have any more questions feel free to ask us, we will impart such knowledge as we can. Good luck and good shooting. T4L

06-09-2008, 10:49 PM	#26
Texan4life Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 37	No problem lcmcrev, but I would do more research on the Black powder barrels for the old style frames. I don't think there is one for it. They sell a .45 BP, but it says G2 only everywhere I look. Just out of curiosity, what barrel do you have? I have also found that for my barrels, reloading is the only way to go. I like to squeeze all the performance out of mine that I can. Good luck , and I hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine. T4L

06-10-2008, 07:29 AM	#27
SL11 Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 85	I suggest that ou look here for some useful info on loading your Contender: Mike Bellm Custom TCs SL11

06-10-2008, 07:58 AM	#28
lcmcrev Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Foothills of the Cibola National Forest. Posts: 5	The barrel that came with it is a .222 Rem. The gentleman who gave it to me used it for competitive shooting years ago. It is clean having been well taken care of. I also have a T/C Scout pistol. Took two nice deer with the Scout in MN before I moved to NM. Black powder pistols cannot be used in this state for hunting big game. Thanks again for the helpful info.

09-19-2008, 09:17 PM	#35
Kostan Registered User Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 3	.22 For Youngsters Whewww, maybe this is the way to send an answer to you. I just registered 5 minutes ago. Bought my first Contender today with 3 barrels. Should have it in my hands about Wednesday next week. Now back to what I read about your boys. I have two grandsons and one is very small for his age. Can't figure that one out as I'm 6-4 and 260 and my daughter is 5-8 son-in-law is 6-0. Oh well he is a good outdoorsman. I purchased a Savage Cub T for the one grandson and a Cricket for the other. If your boy is small the Cricket might be ideal for him. Accurate as can be. The Cub T when I was a youngster I would have given my eye teeth for. It is beautiful. I have been shooting an XP 100 in 7mm BR. But I guess XP is a dirty word here, ha ha....Good luck with your boys. Try this site www.cricket.com Kostan

09-22-2008, 11:09 AM	#36
highplainsman Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 17	Bought a variable 2x6 Bushnell pistol scope and mounted it on the .223 barrel and switched the rifle scope to the .22 mag. Also got the 10 " .44 mag barrel and am going to leave the iron sights on it for a bit and maybe try the red dot sight on it later. That 10" .44 bucks a bit! I can only imagine what the 45-70 will be like!!

09-23-2008, 07:24 PM	#37
tcwildcat7mm Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Hillsborough, NC Posts: 132	I just mounted a 3-9 on my 12" 44mag and yes, it does "Kick" a lil bit. My wrist still hurts a bit. but its my left wrist, and Im right handed! I need a 223 barrel myself, but just got the suburban out the shop.......1800 bucks! what a biotch and horrible timing! __________________ "to disarm the people (is) the best and most effective way to enslave them" George Mason

09-24-2008, 10:45 AM	#38
highplainsman Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 17	Thats a tough one on your vehicle. Seems like some things just have to get in the way sometimes. I enjoy shooting the .44 even tho I have some arthiritis in my hands. Will eventually do some reloading for it when I get my supply of brass built up. Some top loads with 180 gr. bullets and H-110 look interesting as well as some heavy bullet cast loads.

09-30-2008, 02:09 AM	#39
Trail Boss Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Gatesville Texas Posts: 25	*I have one frame and 4 barrel's. 223, 7mm tcu, 33-30, 45 win mag.* __________________ *Nothing rings steel like a 45 Colt*

10-09-2008, 04:59 PM	#40
willyC Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 20 miles east of pgh. Posts: 49	sure, i have a old contender(last model update) with 4 barrels as well and don't see the need to update. what i have will kill anything on this continent and elephants and cape buffs are not in my neighborhood. i have .223, 7x30 waters, .35 rem, and .445 supermag....all very accurate due to endless hours of handloading and bench shooting. all are 14" bulls except the .35rem...15" w/muzzletamer from foxridge. the .445 has a muzzlebrake as well (unshootable without it!!) hang in there, what's the need to buy a new gun...new calibers??? these still get the job done and most folks i know are mighty jealous of me and my ability to outdo them on the range !