T/C Contender

Tony

Active Member
Do Contenders have any issues with light firing pin strikes after the trigger pull weight has been lightened? In other words, are they primer sensitive? Tony
 

williamwaco

Active Member
Do Contenders have any issues with light firing pin strikes after the trigger pull weight has been lightened? In other words, are they primer sensitive? Tony

Mine are not. In fact, I use them to fire ( Unload ) cartridges that will not fire in my revolvers.
 

Dale53

Active Member
I have two frames and several barrels. I have never had a misfire in my TC's. That's a small sample, however.

Dale53
 

S Mac

Sept. 10, 2021 Steve left us. You are missed.
I do have one barrel for my Contender, .223, that unless you snap the action shut with a little vigor will not fire. You don't really have to get rough, but you can't just ease it shut either. 2 other barrels don't do this.
 

Rick

Moderator
Staff member
I do have one barrel for my Contender, .223, that unless you snap the action shut with a little vigor will not fire. You don't really have to get rough, but you can't just ease it shut either. 2 other barrels don't do this.

That's probably the bolt on that barrel, if it's not fully engaged it won't fire. Closing the action with a little more (vigor) can be causing the bolt to engage. Coat the bolt with a magic marker, with the gun unloaded close the action and cock it. Open the action and see where the ink rubbed and how far the bolt engaged. Each set of bolts will engage the frame a bit differently so what you describe isn't uncommon. Compare the rub marks on this barrel with your others and note the difference.
 

Tony

Active Member
Thanks for the responses. Since I've never owned, or even fired a Contender, getting to know a bit about them has been interesting. Tony
 

GEMIHUR

Member
S Mac,
Polish, don't file the bolt on that .223 barrel thus (taken from the archives of Bellm site):
often times not requiring removal
polishing the bolt sm.jpg
 

JSH

Active Member
Do not lube the lug or the shelf of the action either. They are intended to run dry.
Lube by well intentioned folks and cleaning solvents or oil dribbled down when cleaning has made more than one “auto eject”.

This popped up on my notifications, thought it was a new thread. Dec 6 2015.... I suspect it is fixed by now. Kinda frazzles me when this happens.
 
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oscarflytyer

Well-Known Member
Like you, always wanted a Contender. Finally managed to trade into one with a 30 Herret bbl (not set that one up yet/reloading, but soon! and intend to use cast) and a 7-30 Waters bbl. It shoots GREAT! It will be my go to deer bbl. Then picked up a Bullberry 223. LOVE it! I like real odd stuff, and remember reading Millet's writing about the 30 and 35 Herrett. If I run into a 35 Herrett I probably will have to have it just because - nobody else does!
 

Jeff H

NW Ohio
Worth dredging up the old thread for that marvelous illustration. Thanks Gemihur.

I have a couple "easy-opens," both committed to carbine format, with 223, 30-30, 357 Mag and 357 Max barrels. Always good to see useful discussion on these actions, regardless of barrel length and how you choose to hang onto them.

Not always easy to keep the locking mechanism dry on these, even if you're careful. One thing that I've done as a matter of habit is to store them muzzle down - always. Even if you wipe the bore dry, after a while, something manages to seep to the breach and collect there. Cleaning without removing the barrel makes it easy to get unwanted stuff down in there too. Just something to be diligent about and a very good reason NOT to over-lubricate stuff. Small dabs of grease on internal parts are much better than runny, seepy oil.

One thing I DON'T like about Contenders - mine were intended to cut down on the number of stuff I have sitting around and the number of "mouths to feed" - but they make me want more. I wouldn't mind having a Hornet too now, and I'm wanting a receiver per barrel as well! Something I must try to curb because a new barrel means new sights or scope and a new receiver means a new stock set.

I love these things for cast bullets, but oh, the tangled web..........
 

Rick H

Well-Known Member
My only Contender is a carbine 22Hornet, I have a Bullberry 7x30Waters and MM Match 22LR bbl. for it as well. (All rifle barrels) I adjusted my trigger to a crisp 3 lbs. and have never had a problem. With light primer strikes. I seem to remember a piece by Belm warning about how you size cartridges so they do not push too deep in the chamber and Fail to Fire. I never had a problem. THat 7x30Waters carbine makes a very nice 5.5 lb. deer rifle.
 

Jeff H

NW Ohio
Someone may take issue with my comparison, but it is not meant as a slight and it is, for all the world exactly what I'm seeing inside the trigger group. Maybe I'm wrong and someone can correct me.

The triggers on the original Contenders work mechanically sort of like the old sidelock muzzle-loader set triggers, except with the Contender, you don't have a secondary trigger (double set) to set the trigger and it only works as set in a Contender - no option to shoot unset. You "set" the Contender trigger with the trigger guard when you open the action. Pulling the trigger releases a "flipper" to trip the sear - it's a two-step action (inside) to release the hammer. I've never heard of lightening the trigger causing light strikes and can't imagine with the mechanics of the Contender that it would be possible. The hammer is the hammer. The hammer spring is the hammer spring. The sear is the sear. The trigger is actually physically separate from those parts. It may happen, but it doesn't seem to me that it could.

I've read many warnings about dry-firing the Contender with the hammer cocked and have never done that, but you can (just like on the old muzzle-loaders) "set" the trigger by squeezing the trigger guard and then pulling the trigger - over and over without cocking or dropping the hammer.

I may be over-simplifying it, but that's how the mechanics look to me. I like it for the lightness you can get, but I dislike it because you "un-set" the trigger if you have to let the hammer down manually. I could live with the G2 trigger as easily as the original, but "tuning" on the original is not difficult even for its additional complexity.
 

MW65

Wetside, Oregon
Question for the group... What are the differences between a contender and encore (besides the encore being built for heavier calibers)? Price? Quality? Accuracy?

I guess my real question is: Should I look for a good used contender, or a g2? Or an encore?

Thanks!
 

Jeff H

NW Ohio
It's funny you should ask because it's asked a lot and for all the searching I've done, there's not a single clear, comprehensive comparison all in one place. I should weigh my parts when I have one of the Contenders apart, but I forget every time.

The bottom line is that the Encore is "bigger and heavier" (sorry, I don't have dimensions and weights) and will handle a lot more pressure (won't go into the whole back-thrust, area of a circle thing), meaning that the Contender won't handle the 308W, '06, 260 Rem., etc. The Contender is generally meant for pistol cartridges and certain low pressure rounds (30-30, 7-Waters, etc.).

Physically and mechanically, I believe the two are built the same, just that the Encore is beefier.

My preference for the Contender is for the tiny little, lightweight action which makes an amazingly light and handy rifle which is still perfectly capable in the hunting fields from squirrel to deer and a real pleasure to just goof off with. Some guys load this little gem up with several pounds of laminated wood and some serious optics to take advantage of the accuracy potential, but my buttons get pushed more by the wispy nature of a 5# rifle that is not a compromise in terms of accuracy and hunting capability. There are a lot of people who want to push the limits and get right up against the line on pressure on the Contender, even some who make a living doing so, but I think I'd get an Encore if I wanted to do more than a 30-30 or 357 Max can do in a Contender.

No criticism on the different ways people use the Contender. I just like the really light and handy nature of it when chambered for mild but hunting-capable chamberings in super-light carbines. They are harder to shoo well, but that is much more a matter of the shooter adapting than a short-coming on the gun. I get reminded of that every time I shoot one while trying to wring out load development. two touching, then three, then one off a bit and another touching that one,.... I really, really have to be on top of things to shoot mine well, but I don't shoot nearly enough these days.
 

Jeff H

NW Ohio
Oh, and whether to get a Contender, G2 or Encore, I don't hesitate to recommend a G2.

If you want to shoot "bigger" cartridges, the Encore, of course, but withing the capability of the Contender, I'd pick a couple stainless G2s if I were starting over. I bought a bare, blued "easy open" action first. It's what I knew about. BOTH were discontinued at the time, so it didn't matter, but the G2 is back, along with parts and support and the trigger is definitely something I could live with. As amazing as the original Contender trigger is, it's more amazing than I personally need. Its strongest point is being able to get it a lot lighter than is necessary for the shooting I do and the added complexity is wasted on me.

While I was growing up, many of the gun people of the day had the idea that the Contender was some sort of indestructibly strong action, which is simply not so. They are adequately strong for sensible application and can be ruined if one is careless. This is not to say that they are fragile or weak, as neither is the case.

I'll also note that shooting the 44 Mag out of one in handgun configuration is not something I considered fun. The first handgun I ever shot was a OM Super Blackhawk shooting 429303s over a max charge of probably H110. That's a wild ride for a kid who's birthdays could still be counted as a single digit, but it was fun. I was an adult before I'd gotten to shoot a Contender pistol for the first time and I decided that wasn't all that fun. Some guys like that, which is OK. Just sayin' that it's not the same as in a revolver.
 

GEMIHUR

Member
You can easily upgrade springs in the TC break-actions.
Before you buy, first you've gotta decide what you want this for... and take into account that your goals may change.
You may be satisfied with low pressure, small bores now but the thrill of the big boomers can get a hold of you!
The contenders, having been around a lot longer and having lower pressure limitations than the Encore, will probably have a stronger following for aftermarket wildcat caliber barrels, some as simple as AI's others requiring more time for trimming and necking for fireform like Herrets.
Original contender and G2 barrels should be applicable to nearly all frames although some 'fitting' of the locking bolt may be needed.
The two main differences between the Encore and the contender or G2 are their size and the pressures of cartridges that they can accommodate.
You should hold each and decide your comfort level.
Breech thrust is not your friend. Case head dimension in relation to chamber pressure and case design are the factors in the formula of tolerance.
A 30-30 size cartridge is limited to 45,000 PSI while a .223 sized cartridge can be loaded to 55,000 and sometimes approach 60.
To save time I offer this link, dug from the archives, read as many articles listed on the left of the page as you can.
This is my best advice to establishing a foundation to make an educated decision.
Welcome to the thrill of it all!
9647
 

Ben

Moderator
Staff member
I put my bull barrel 357 Mag., scoped barrel on mu T/C today.
My grandson wants to shoot it some on our next trip to the range.

Ben

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GEMIHUR

Member
That's a nice setup, Pachmayr gripper and Herrett forearm for super 14 on a 10" barrel.
Here's some loads by Bob Milek and DuPont circa 5/1/85
sorry I got the chamber wrong at first. Here's some 357 stuff.
357 Milek DuPont.JPG
 
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