[VILLAGE]

HOWDY GANG.
I HAVENT NOTICED OR SEEN ANYTHING IN REGARDS TO ONE OF MY FAVORITE PISTOL/RIFLE GUNS IN THE WHOLE WORLD.
IN THIS I'M TALKING ABOUT THE THOMPSON CENTER CONTENDERS/ENCORES ETC.
I WAS WONDERING IF SOME FOLKS HAVE THEM, AND WHAT CONFIGURATIONS ETC YOU MAY HAVE. I WILL START OUT TELLING
YOU I HAVE 2 SEPERATE SETUPS. BOTH CONTENDER STYLE ACTIONS.
BARRELS I HAVE ARE... 256 WINCHESTER MAGNUM 10"
32-20 IN THE 14"
223 IN THE 14"
30 HERRETT IN THE 14":guns:
7MMTCU IN THE 14"
AND LASTLY IS A 7-30 WATERS IN THE 24" RIFLE BARREL
I FIND THESE A BLAST, AND VERY VERY ACCURATE...GREAT FOR HUNTING ETC...........LOVE TO HEAR YOUR RESPONES FOLKS. TRADES ETC

 

[TheOldRedneck]

Own and have been shooting Contenders for years. Started building some wildcat barrels for them 30 plus years back.and have killed a lot of critters with Contenders. Barrels are usually reasonable, like the older frames better than the new style. Lot of really good custom barrels, grips, stock, etc out there at reasonable prices if you look. The .256 ,32/20 and 30 Herrett are all fun rounds to load and usually over looked.

 

[guesser]

My one and only Contender frame is a first generation 5 digit serial number that was never sent back to have the easy open modification done. I have an early 44 Hotshot barrel and a lifetime supply of capsules with all sizes of shot, I have a 221 F.B, 44 Mag, 41 Mag, all 10" BB. I have a custom built 14" heavy, chambered in 6 X 47 International Match mounted with an early Burris variable. Took a lot of varmints and a couple mule deer with the 6 X 47. I had the 6 X 47 built the year before the 6MM TCU was introduced back around 1980 or so. I have played with other generational frames but kept my 1st gen. Have had a number of other barrels, 30 Herrett, 357 Herrett, 35 Remington, 30-30, 30 Carbine, 357 bull and hot shot, had a very early 9MM and a 38 Special, foolishly traded them away. There were others, 10" and 14", 222, 223, 225 Winchester and others, yeah I like the T/C Contender!!!!

 

[texastaurusguy]

Back to the thread.....I've always wanted a Contender, and if I ever get to hunt alot I'll probably end up with one.

 

[VILLAGE]

texastaurus::........they have a place for sure. hope you can get one some day and get silly like a lot of us morons

 

[VILLAGE]

too cool!!you have a 41 mag that i would like to have, also, what is your take on the 357 Herrett???........say compaired to the 357 max that Mr. Belm has such a love for??

My one and only Contender frame is a first generation 5 digit serial number that was never sent back to have the easy open modification done. I have an early 44 Hotshot barrel and a lifetime supply of capsules with all sizes of shot, I have a 221 F.B, 44 Mag, 41 Mag, all 10" BB. I have a custom built 14" heavy, chambered in 6 X 47 International Match mounted with an early Burris variable. Took a lot of varmints and a couple mule deer with the 6 X 47. I had the 6 X 47 built the year before the 6MM TCU was introduced back around 1980 or so. I have played with other generational frames but kept my 1st gen. Have had a number of other barrels, 30 Herrett, 357 Herrett, 35 Remington, 30-30, 30 Carbine, 357 bull and hot shot, had a very early 9MM and a 38 Special, foolishly traded them away. There were others, 10" and 14", 222, 223, 225 Winchester and others, yeah I like the T/C Contender!!!!

 

[sparks9293]

Can you guys post some pics like to see your set ups?

 

[guesser]

The 357 Herrett is much closer to the 35 Remington in performance level that the 357 Maximum is to either the 357 Herrett or the 35 Remington. Look up and compare the hand load data for all three. The Max is good but it is not in the same class as the Herrett or the Remington.

 

[olfarhors]

I owned a Thompson years and years ago, actually thats what got me into reloading as I had the 14" bull barrles in 30 herritt & 35 herritt, as you know they are wildcats.
had about as much fun making the rounds and working up loads as anything involved in the shooting sport.
had a 22 LR and a 22 mag 10 inch barrels as well.
really enjoyed going out to the rilfe range before hunting season and benching the 30 herritt and outshooting the rifle shooters at 150-200 yards, most of the hunters didn't have a clue what the gun was back then, many thought it was some type of black powder pistol tilll i fired it and it laid grass down for about 25 yards in front of it!--LOL--GOOD TIMES.
course now i had pachmayer grip and fore end on it , which added to the pirate look of the gun!
simply a great white tail deer gun for the heavily wooded areas here in the southest piedmont area.
one that i sold that i wish i had back.
great weapons.

 

[olfarhors]

The 357 Herrett is much closer to the 35 Remington in performance level that the 357 Maximum is to either the 357 Herrett or the 35 Remington. Look up and compare the hand load data for all three. The Max is good but it is not in the same class as the Herrett or the Remington.

yep, with the chambering of the 30-30 and 35 remington barrels by TC the 30 & 35 herritt became not really worth making brass and i think both are and have been discontinued for some time now.
the 357 max is a hell of a cartridge for a pistol caliber in the TC though, that single shot does away with all the associated problems of using the round in a revolver.

 

[VILLAGE]

sparks9293; i have a few photos of other guns in the taurs area. i just can figure how to get them from computer to this web site.....i need the all needed 5 year old
to assist this old man...when i can i will.
regards

Can you guys post some pics like to see your set ups?

 

[guesser]

I'll get all my barrels together in one pile with the frame and forends and get some pics in the near future. If this thread is too far down I'll just open another T/C thread.

 

[guesser]

The one problem that was a bugger to overcome with the two Herrett wildcats and the 30-30 was the head spacing. We eventually realized that even tho they were designed to head space on the rim they were much more accurate if you set your sizing die to make the shoulder the head space regulation point. It took careful attention to arrive at the "sweet spot", but once you did and maintained that carefully achieved head space, accuracy was greatly enhanced. I never played with any of the JDJ chamberings but I suppose the same applied to them.

 

[VILLAGE]

i was going to ask about the jdj chamberings.....the 375 jdj and the 308[i think] really threw some interest..however,i shoot the 480 ruger srh and that
along with the 45-70 14" t/c took care of the need of throwing my wrist out of joint for fun.i traded off the 45-70 for the 223.....not sure who ended up
with the deal. Ever deal with the 416 caliber?.thanks for the replys, good to see

 

[TheOldRedneck]

I shoot both the 357 max and Herrett in Contenders. Shoot the 357 max in a couple of the Ruger revolvers. The flame cutting of the top strap above the forcing cone is not an issue with bullets of 158 grain or more. The 110 and 125 grain bullets have caused some problems even in the shorter cased 357 mag. The Smith model 19 had some forcing cone issues with the lighter bullets. The 357 max with good loads is a fine whitetail round out of the Contender or revolver. The Herrett has it beat though as a Contender round.

 

[VILLAGE]

well then i guess i will be happy with the harrett........thanks for the help.

I shoot both the 357 max and Herrett in Contenders. Shoot the 357 max in a couple of the Ruger revolvers. The flame cutting of the top strap above the forcing cone is not an issue with bullets of 158 grain or more. The 110 and 125 grain bullets have caused some problems even in the shorter cased 357 mag. The Smith model 19 had some forcing cone issues with the lighter bullets. The 357 max with good loads is a fine whitetail round out of the Contender or revolver. The Herrett has it beat though as a Contender round.

 

[VILLAGE]

sorry............i;m deaf and didnt even hear this!!

Back to the thread.....I've always wanted a Contender, and if I ever get to hunt alot I'll probably end up with one.

 

[guesser]

Ok, I gott'em in a pile. 5 digit serial number frame mounted with a 10" bull 41 Magnum, a 10" bull 221 Fire Ball mounted with a Burris 3X, a 10" bull 44 Magnum and to the left an original design octagon 44Magnum Hot Shot barrel with removable external choke. Out front is a custom built heavy 14" mounted with a Fajen "banana" style for end and a Burris 2.5X-7X LER scope chambered in 6 X 47 International Match, 222 Remington Magnum necked up to 6MM.

 

[olfarhors]

Very nice!
That 221 Fireball has got to be some more fun!

 

[sparks9293]

Very impressive setup. That looks like a lot fun.