Not sure where they fit in the Forum, but they are owned by S&W.

Anyone here a fan of T/C Contenders? I’ve owned my Super 14. since 1979 in
35 Remington . I have 2 Recoil Proof scopes and some other accessories for it. I need to get it out more. It’s a blast to shoot.

I've never seen one close up. I think they are intriguing. Would be a good choice for a backpacker hunter on a long trek.

I've never owned one but I view them and the Ruger No.1 as two of the sexiest firearms out there.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

A friend of mine bought one when they first came out, he has several barrels for it.

Sent from my LGL455DL using Tapatalk

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Don

Not a Contender but I have an Encore in .243 with a 15" barrel. Wears a 2-6 scope. Very accurate and not a lot of recoil. Killed several deer with it.

I love the original Contenders.

Currently don’t have one. I have had several in the past,
chamberings in .22 LR, .22 Hornet and a carbine version in
7mm TCU. They were the big choice in the silhouette game.
Reasonably priced and very accurate.

A friend of mine has had a Contender since the early 80’s. He has several barrels for his too including the 35 Remington. Shooting that gun with that barrel is a real hoot. He has taken several deer with it at 100 yards or more.

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NRA Life Member, Patron

Have owed and shot Contenders since the mid 80's. Have a Super 16 ,carbine in 7-30 Waters, and Super 14's in 22lr, 223, 30 herrett, and 357max. Plus have an unfired 7-30 ArmorAlloy super14. Love to shoot the 223 when guys are shooting AR's. Blows their minds when they see my sub moa groups.

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Peace was my Profession

I've had one since 1983.......44 magnum, 22 hornet and 45/70.

Have three that stay assembled all the time. A .22, a .223 16" that is my coyote gun for the tractor and a 14" in 45-70. The .223 stays in a scabbard on the tractor when working a hay field. If I see one playing in the wind rows looking for mice, I just stop, kill the pto and prop on the fender, normally on my knee with my foot braced on the fender. Last one I killed that way he was looking at me and I set the crosshairs on his nose. Missed his nose a 1/2 inch at 130-140 yds and took off the side of his snout. The 45-70 is just fun. it goes to the range and if there are any yahoos close, I will shoot several rounds and since most of them use cig filters for ear plugs, if they use any at all, they normally move way away. Have had several folks come over and ask me what the hey I was shooting, after I tell them what it is I always offer to let them shoot it but so far have had no takers.
Larry

I have 3 of them. All early models. One was the 3rd gun I ever bought. Got it in 1968 at Monkey Wards in Ft Worth. 45-410 is a real blaster in such a light pistol.

Owned one since the 70’s and now have two 6 1/2” bbls in .22 & .32 mag and a 10” .38 spec octagon bbl. Own 2 frames, one is a pistol and the other a rifle in .357 max. Shoot the pistol calibers off hand, I think a single shot handgun is kinda cool in center fire calibers. Nothing like a cup of coffee and a relaxing day shooting, Larry

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EDIT: I have found that Accurate Arms 2015 or Shooters World AR Plus do not have the Ball of Flame when fired in Contenders in either 223 Rem or 30 Herrett. I fired test loads [ 22.0, 22.5, 23.0 grains of AR Plus] with 55 gr (223) or 130 gr (30 H) with good accuracy and reasonable velocity. I would suggest 23.0 as a safe starting load in either caliber for AR Plus powder. EDIT END

I have 2 frames, three 30 Herrett barrels, octagon 357 mag, and 223 Rem. In my stupid younger years I fired 2 rounds out of a Super 14 44 mag barrel. The second shot hurt much worse than the first shot. Cleaned the barrel, returned it to the owner, and decline a great buy price. My original TC was 222 Remington but after several thousand rounds the rifling was shot out. It got traded for the complete 223 Rem barrel and frame.

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S&WHF 366

I’ve got one - so far, .223/.357/.41 barrels.

I do want more barrels and an extra frame or three...

Also have an encore carbine with the .460 Kathadin barrel. One day I’d like to set it up with a .257 Roberts or 6.5 Swede barrel and a mannichler style stock..

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I have a Super 14 in 44mag, that I had Mag-na-ported in 1984. 240 grain factory is not bad at all. But I couldn't leave well enough alone! I have a 300 grain JSP loading that rivals 45-70 factory ammo! I am familiar with the lower back pain on the right side (right hand shooter) in the Kidney area!

When I first bought our farm, I was using 240 JSP factory ammo at 20 yards on concrete blocks. An end shot would shatter a free standing block into fist size pieces, and throw them mostly 40 yards in all directions. After a while I stuck one of my 300's in the tube sighted and pulled the trigger. The end of the block was still standing with a Quarter size hole in it. I figured it must have just gone straight through. I walked up to look at it. The end wall was all that was left. That shot did not blow the block into chunks, it did not blow it into gravel, it vaporized it. The smell of fresh quarried lime stone filled that area.

When I loaded that load in 1984, I made 25, I still have 16 Unfired. There is a cost in pain for firing them, but when you must have results, IT IS WORTH IT!

Ivan

Contenders.... Mine have gathered dust for a while. I used them for the silhouette game years ago. They are indeed unique. Accurate, great triggers, myriad chamberings, quirky styling. What's not to like?

I'll tell ya what's not to like: The 357 Herrett. I still have the barrel. Why? I dunno. It hurts like a sonofagun. It stings all the way up my forearm and into my shoulder. No idea why; something about the recoil impulse, the Contender design and my body structure I guess. It hurt when I was a young punk. Now I'm an older punk and it will probably be worse. My favorite barrels are the 221 Fireball and 6mm TCU. Both are astoundingly accurate. I really need to blow the dust off them and head for the range.

Hanfles. We used to call them that. I mentioned it recently in another thread. I shot a couple years ago. .35 Remington. .30 Carbine. They were fun but one never came home with me, I'm just not that big a fan.

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Come and take it!!

My combo is an early frame with "Super 14" barrels in 30-30 and .223, as well as a 45c / 410 barrel. Had a 45/70 barrel, but traded it - too much of a good thing.

All fits in one bag, with a box of shells for each caliber. Very convenient package that covers a lot of situations. Have taken 2 pheasants with the .410 barrel this year.

Larry

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First handgun I bought was a Contender in 44 mag in the early 80's, kicked like a mule. Still have the frame but traded off the octagon 44. I now have 20 frames (I think) as well as a few bigger brothers in the Encores. I lost interest in rifles for deer hunting and grab a handgun of one form or another to head out in the woods. The Contender usually goes with me. My 35 Remington set up has accounted for one thus far this year.

I was bit by the Contender bug in 1983/ it was a used Super 14 in 223 with a 4x Phantom scope. Never got it below 5-6" at 100 yards. But I was bit good and well!

I now have 2 actions and the following barrels:
22 LR Match Super 14
22 Hornet 10" Bull
221 Fireball 10" Bull
221 Fireball 10" Octagonal
357 Magnum 10" Octagonal made September 1968
44 Magnum Super 14 Mag-na-ported
7mm TCU Super 14
375 Winchester 12" Hunter (factory muzzel break)

The two I shoot the most are the 22 Hornet and 221 Fireball bull barrels, since Nosler came out with good ammo and empty brass. With the cheap 4x scopes I have on them, I shoot 1.5 MOA out to 150 yards (that's on me, The guns and ammo are much better!)

I keep saying I'll get the 7 TCU out but I never do. Once and a while I get the 375 Winchester out. What an adrenalin rush, a 3 foot ball of lightning and thunder at the end of your arm!

I have a Super 14 22LR but it is just too heavy. I think the ultimate 22 would be a Octagonal barrel somewhere between 8 and 12 inches long.

About the mid 90's Contenders started falling out of favor around here I picked up several used grips and fore ends, but ended up using Pacmyer finger grooves the most.

Ivan

I have 2 frames with the following carbine barrels
21 inch 375 Winchester barrel
24 inch TC Custom Shop 28 gauge VR barrel
And a 24 inch Gonic Arms 45 muzzle loader barrel

I hunt with mine, deer and Squirrels

My son has one frame and he has the super 16 in 357 maximum and 45/410 barrel

They are crazy accurate ad I am always looking for carbine length barrels. I am not into single shot handguns, thus the carbine barrels

Kelly

I have one in the back of the safe that's a dust collector too!
The barrels I have for it are;
357 Herrett
410/45 LC
.223Rem

I worked with Contenders thirty or more years ago; had several frames and barrels and a carbine version before T/C came out with them. After a few years, I decided I really preferred a light rifle over the Contender. A light rifle was only a little heavier than a Contender and much easier to shoot well, particularly at distance.

Two of the 14" Contender barrels I had were for the .223 and the 7mm TCU. As I recall, both were accurate, but the muzzle flash and blast from the .223 was horrendous. Not something you would ever shoot without hearing protection.

I've been toying with the idea of
loading some cut down 350 Legend
rounds in the 357 Maximum barrel.

The OAL difference is only .105" . I
don't have a Legend but the kids
are leaving lots of range brass and
it will size using my RCBS 357 dies.
( I would have to use a brass rod to
knock the brass out cause the rim
doesn't catch the extractor ).

Of my other barrels, the 16" 22 K Hornet
is the most fun. It's cheap to feed and
most days I can do 1.5" groups off hand
at 150 yards in that carbine.

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never get out of the boat

I've had my original Contender for MANY years and it will always be a favorite (.357 Herrett and .221 Fireball).... 10" bbls. It was a big game and small game companion in my yewt.
J.

My one and only Contender, 44 Magnum, 14" barrel, Weaver scope.

I shoot a 310 grain gas check bullet cast from a Lee mold. Very mild recoil in the Contender, but punishing when shot from my 3" Model 629.

I also shoot 240 grain cast SWC loads from it. I use 2400 powder for my magnum ammo.

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My experience dates back to the 80's-90's and Metallic Silhouette shooting. I've had .44Mag barrels, .22RF, 7TCU, and 7x30 Waters, and .222 Rem (for shooting Prairie Dogs).

I did have a friend that bought the 14" 45-70 barrel, and I did fire two rounds from it, and said that's enough and handed it back.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I used to own one of the original Contenders with two barrels - one in .22 LR and the other in .45 Colt/.410 shotgun. I don't remember why I got rid of it, but it was back in the days when I had to give up a gun to get another I wanted more...

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

I have a number in the wildcat calibers from JD Jones. All very capable hunting rigs back in the day when I used to hunt.

I haven't had a Contender of any kind in well over twenty years, but when I was shooting Contenders in the 1980s, they were pretty popular. Seems you hear comparatively little about them today.

Has anyone been able to guy one of the new SSK-50 frames yet?

I skipped out on another contender pistol to get a couple of smiths, and figure if I’m gonna get another one, it’ll be one of these newly made frames -

Most people in my generation (millennial- but I’m an elder millennial!) sadly don’t know what a contender is, outside of truly invested enthusiasts.

Similarly, folks nowadays love to see something like the Remington 700CP or custom build these little short barreled ‘snipr’ rifles...but have no clue about the XP100, Lone Eagle, MOA, Contender, Striker, Wichita, etc.

Here is one of mine. It has a 14" 7-30 Waters barrel and a Burris Scope. Handles and shoots great.

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I own a Contender that came with a 14" 223 barrel and a Leopold scope. The dealer I bought it from also had a bunch of barrels. So, I also bought a 10 " octagonal barrel in 22 Jet, which is what I really wanted, since I reload for that round. I bought them around 2005.

Then last year I was in a gun shop and they had a round 10" barrel in 221 Fireball. Picked that one up.

Contenders are pretty neat and I enjoy shooting it.

I have three Encore frames with rifle barrels in 243, 7mm08 and 7 Rem. Mag. Four Contender frames, two G2's and two older models. Pistol barrels in 22 lr, 7tcu, 30-30(14"), 357 Max and 44 Mag (14"). Rifle barrels in 7/30 Waters. 30 Badger wildcat and 223. I guess I like them a lot.
Probably the best thing I have done for accuracy is make sure they all have Bellm oversize pins in the barrel/frame attachment hole.

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Front sight and squeeze

222 Remington barrel, 30 Herrett and 357 Herrett for my frame all 10" barrels and 2 power scopes. I prefer my XP100s in 221 fireball and 6mm Remington.

I got my first one in 1978. My mom had to sign for it cause I wasn’t close to being 21 yrs old. Took some convincing but she did. It was a 14” 30-30. I was in it then. Couldn’t buy handgun ammo so after I got the .44 mag barrel I started to hand load.

I still have that original frame now with the custom Bellm .44 mag, 35 Remington rimmed, and 6mm-223 barrels. The factory 223 barrel with Burris 7x harvested 7 Sitka black tail every year for 10 years when I lived in SE AK. The Bellm ones I got in trade from him in lew of money he got for a job he didn’t complete. I haven’t done anything with the 6mm-223 barrel since I got it 25 + yrs ago but he did send dies with it.

Jim

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One here, too, with 22LR, 223, 357 Herret, 10mm, and 44 Mag barrels. I gotta admit I haven't shot it in a while; might have to change that if the weather holds. They are neat pistols, but getting into Steel Challenge and other aspects of our sport have let me neglect them, alas.

I have one with .223 and .35 Rem barrels, both scoped with 2x optics. I just killed my first deer with the .35 this year. I like the .223 alot, but my frame wont set off the primers in my military 5.56mm ammo. Frustrating because i have alot of that ammo.

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One of my bucket list guns. I’ve shot a few that friends had, from .22 thru .44 up to a .308 and a .45-70. Those two will get your attention.

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We few... We happy few...

I bought mine in .30H around late '74. Accuracy was no better than 5 MOA off sandbags no matter what I tried. Shelved that barrel in '99. Put the comped stainless 45-70 on it. That is a painful gun to shoot with full power 405gr ammo.

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The triple smoker

I bought my .223 Carbine in 1994. It was my go to stalking gun for groundhogs for years. 55 grain Winchester ammo shot less than an inch with a 6X compact Leupold at 100 yards. Over the years I lost count of the varmints that I killed with it. Other barrels in .22lr, .41 mag., and 30-30 have come and gone. The .223 is here to stay.

Have some with several barrels. They are Great fun and economical especially given today’s ammo prices. I can spend an enjoyable day at the range and only go thru 1 box per caliber 😁

444 Marlin

6x223

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Think twice, shoot once.

I have one with a bunch of barrels. .22 Competition, .22 Jet, .221 Fireball, .223, 38/357, 44 mag, 45 long cold / .410.

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Sag Harbor & Manhattan, N.Y.

Not a Contender, but I do have a Encore Pro Hunter Katahdin in 460 SW Magnum, I can spend a hour or two just casually launching 45LC downrange with it. The 460's and 454's are not as much fun but will garner some attention from the spray and pray crowd.

From back when I had a steadier hand and was more ambitious! Now I just take my Remington 700 in .270.

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Nice buck, sir.
That super 14 barrel ... was it a 7-30 Waters or 35 Rem?
You can still enjoy target shooting from the bench.
Just strap some legs on 'er

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Think twice, shoot once.

Mine isn't a Contender either, but an Encore with a .308 Winchester barrel. I like wood best, but with this gun I find its much easier to handle with goodyears.

Its a bear to unholster. I carry it in a shoulder holster draped across my chest. It takes a little doing and it (usually) doesn't come out too fast.

I had deer hunted with a .45 Colt Blackhawk for years. Just decided to switch to something different one year. On my first day out I had just walked across a a small hill and as i entered the valley, the deer popped up. Dropped my gloves and had her out of the holster faster than I could have imagined and one shot to the neck and he was down.

Biggest deer I ever got in 50+ years of whitetail hunting.

That was 2006. Guess what I've been carrying ever since?

I still have an original Contender in .22 LR that I used in NRA Hunter Pistol. I didn't shoot it that well, and sadly it gathers dust in the safe. The gross forward weight bias that the odd shaped grip induced didn't suit me. What was outstanding was the adjustable trigger. I need to pull mine out to measure it. It was approaching a set trigger. It was handy to dry fire for practice without cocking the hammer. I remember a guy had his Contender trigger TiN plated and worked on to get it to seriously light weight. An interesting piece.