Thompson Center single shot pistol/rifle

[Naphtali]

Why were Thompson Center single shots discontinued?

Are any of the similar models of these single shots made under different manufacture?

What is likelihood that whoever owns the property will resurrect the brand?

[Ivan the Butcher]

I've had T/C Contenders since the Early 80's. I have 8 barrels and 2 Actions. Delivery started in August 1968 with the first 500 starting with SN 1001, Those sold out and the second batch continued in September 1968 with 1501. I have a 10" 357 Mag, Octagon barrel, that was shipped with action 1607. I bought it off the original owner, but I couldn't talk him into selling me the action.

There are 3 types of Contender Actions. "Original", "Easy Open" and "G-2" (which looks like a baby Encore) There are several gazillion T/C Actions and about 4 times that many barrels, along with a number of aftermarket barrel makers. If you go to any gun show you will see quite a few actions, barrels and NIB sets for sale. I don't believe new production will ever resume, because the market is over saturated already.

My assortment includes:

10" Bull 22 Hornet
10" Oct 221 Fireball
10" Bull 221 Fireball
10" Oct 357 Mag
12" Hunter 375 Winchester
14" 22 LR Match
14" 44 Mag w/Mag-na-port
14" 7 TCU

Of what I owned, the 10" Bull 221 Fireball is the most accurate, and a 14" 223 with a rail mounted Phantom scope was the worst. After 3 years of trying to get a fair group out of it I gave up and sold it. The most spectacular is the 375 Win with Factory ammo being shot at dusk! The muzzle flash is a little bigger than a large beach ball! (The Recoil is not a lot more than the 357 Oct. The "Muzzle Tamer" porting does a fantastic job of recoil reduction and controllability!)

I have a friend with a 14" 22 Hornet, we have gone head shooting "Improvised Targets" at distances out to 275 yards. Off of sandbags and laying down, I didn't miss one of the 15 consecutive shots on "Pop can" sized targets Using Factory Hornady 35 grain V-Max ammo. Advertised Velocity is 3100 FPS in a rifle. In handloads the same bullet will maintain 1" groups @ 100 up to 3250 FPS, but my gun maintains 1/4" groups @ 100 staying with 3100-3150 FPS. (Powder; H 4227) Like I said earlier my 10" Bull 221 Fireball is more accurate than that (50 grain Combined Technolgies Ballistic Silver Tip over AA 1680).

I hope you will jump in and enjoy the pleasure of a good single shot handgun!

Ivan

[s&wchad]

S&W currently owns Thompson Center. Their firearms have been discontinued and I've read that they now make castings.

[OutAtTheEdge]

Originally Posted by Naphtali

Why were Thompson Center single shots discontinued?

Are any of the similar models of these single shots made under different manufacture?

What is likelihood that whoever owns the property will resurrect the brand?

S&W discontinued all T/C products a few years ago. Not sure what will become of the company at this time, but SSK Firearms is currently offering Contender receivers as well as some Encore and Contender barrels and parts.

[Zoner]

Big Contender fan here except I shoot mine as a carbine. I have

21" TC tapered blued 22lr Match
21" TC tapered blued 22 Hornet re-chambered to 22K Hornet
21" MGM tapered blued .223
21" TC tapered blued 30-30

I'm good. Don't need any more barrels. Not buying any more barrels. I mean it this time. The Contender can be a very deep rabbit hole.......

[TJm15.38]

I was unaware the company went out of business. I own a T/C Renegade .50 caliber cap lock muzzleloader that is a great shooter.

[NFrameFred]

Like Ivan, I too have an affinity for the 14" barrels. The 45/70 barrel is as much flame thrower as hand cannon

[NFrameFred]

Originally Posted by Zoner

I'm good. Don't need any more barrels. Not buying any more barrels. I mean it this time. The Contender can be a very deep rabbit hole.......

I've heard that song before ! And a deep DEEP rabbit hole . . . not as bad as Handi-rifle barrels 'cause they tended to be a lot cheaper . . . I seem to had a few of those as well . . .

[Buick]

I have a .35 Rem and a .223. The .35 has killed some nice bucks and the. 223 has never fired a shot because my action is too weak to set off the military primers of my 5.55mm ammo. Never have tried .223 lol.

[murphydog]

The April 2024 issue of Guns magazine has a story about the rebirth of the Contender, under a different name but the same basic gun with improvements.

[gmiller0737]

Originally Posted by Zoner

Big Contender fan here except I shoot mine as a carbine. I have

21" TC tapered blued 22lr Match
21" TC tapered blued 22 Hornet re-chambered to 22K Hornet
21" MGM tapered blued .223
21" TC tapered blued 30-30

I'm good. Don't need any more barrels. Not buying any more barrels. I mean it this time. The Contender can be a very deep rabbit hole.......

Cool I have a Carbine that is My Muzzleloader It has a Gonic Arms GA-90 ,45 Caliber Muzzleloader Barrel that uses 209 Shotgun Primers for Ignition & has a 3x9 Scope 1 in 20 Twist Rifling it's amazingly accurate I shoot Hornady SST Bullets & Blackhorn 209 Powder,Gonic is long out of business But I purchased the barrel New in the early 90's

[mtgianni]

4 frames, 10" bbls are in 22 lr, 22 Hornet, 357 Max. and 45 Colt. 12" in 7 TCU that someone tried to install ports on so I cut it back. 16" in 22 Hornet, 14" in 30-30 and 44 Magnum.
Rifle bbls in 223, 17 Ackley Hornet, 7-30 Waters and a wildcat 30 Badger.

There are a lot of parts and bbls floating around. Many have interesting throats and chambers. I find the pistols hard to shoot without a rest. In the MT woods a rest is not always far away but a walking stick or knee rest when sitting make them very accurate,

[H Richard]

I never used as a rifle, but had several calibers in the pistol configuration. .22 Match, 7mmTCU, 7x30 Waters 14", 44 Mag. 10", all were used primarily for Metallic Silhouette, and all were very accuracy. The original 7mmTCU I used with a "Sure Lock" hinge pin that tightened up the lock up and did improve accuracy. Almost forgot about it, but ran across it the other day straightening up my loading room. (Since no longer have any TC's, I'd sell it if anyone wanted it.)

[Lonegle57]

Been a TC "fan" for many years, most in the handgun version. Have both Contenders and Encores. Most of my deer hunting these days is with short guns. A first for me this year was a turkey with a 14 inch Contender in 410 and TSS shell.
You will have to ask S&W why they quit the TC brand, they are the last owners. SSK has finally started selling their version of the Contender frame, a copy of the first generation Contender with easy open frame.
Encores and the Gen 2 Contender aren't being made currently.
Most of my wants and needs are filled these days, though I do keep an eye out for those that peak my interest. Am contemplating thinning the herd some, some are beginning to collect dust.

[diyj98]

I had a problem with a TC a couple years ago and ended up speaking to the president of S&W. He mentioned to me then that they were trying to sell TC. I guess they never found a buyer.