TC Contender?

Yes, I have bought my barrels used. Nothing in the world wrong with that. Several of my scopes used on my Contender were used as well. Again, all have been perfect. So making a blanket statement to "stay clear" is blatantly false.
Only if someone just wants a 'Tender because he sees one in a movie, only wants the one caliber they find, and doesn't realise the true potential they have is only reached if you handload then it may be less than a wise choice.
I think the guy that owns the LGS where I bought mine just a few years ago said it best. When his employees asked why he priced it so low his fans er was "I want to see if there are any real gun people coming into my store". He got the Contender in a deal with several other guns, made a good profit overall, and just wanted to see who would buy it.
 
but I am not at all convinced it is any better deal in the cases where a factory pistol is available.
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Oddball calibers? You mean like .22lr, .357 Mag, .44 Mag, .45 Colt, .30/30, .45-70, .223, etc? And those are just in Contenders. Encore has even more.

It isn't that they aren't available, it is that it doesn't make sense to me. I wouldn't buy any of those factory barrels for an Encore excepting possibly
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a super long pistol barrel.

I think I understand you point, and that's fine for you, for me, one of the big "selling points" of the Contender is that you can get barrels in common calibers.

What I mean is, while I do have "factory pistols" in many calibers, the Contender gives me another platform to use that shoots the same ammo, just by buying a barrel.

My first Contender was a .45 Colt/.410 (and ALL my Contender stuff was bought used). I had a .410 shotgun, and a Ruger Blackhawk .45 Colt. Another gun, that used ammo I already had. Yay!

Then I set out to get a barrel for everything that I already had, that would fit the Contender, and I wound up with .22LR, .22 Hornet, .222 Rem, .223 Rem, .30-30 Win, 9mm Luger, .357 Mag, .44 Mag, .45 Colt (only) .45 Win Mag, and .45-70. :D

I'm a fan of modern guns that give me a nostalgia feel. Ruger No.1 & No.3 Single shots, Blackhawks and T/C Contenders. There is just something 19th century about loading one single round, and making one precisely aimed shot, at a time.

If you don't get that, in part, anyway, you probably won't much like the Contender. The world is overflowing with repeaters, and the obsession with firepower, expressed as capacity. And that's fine, too. There are applications where the Contender is absolutely the wrong choice for the job.

But, in those cases where its not the wrong choice, its tough to find a better choice than the Contender. And that's because of their excellent triggers and extremely accurate barrels.
 
I have one in 375 JDJ. I have taken deer with mine. Great pistol!

If I were to do it again, I would spend more time with calibers like 30-30, 6mm TCU, 6.5 JDJ and 225 win.

Actually, I'll have one of those in a 15" in the next couple years.
 
Yes, I have bought my barrels used. Nothing in the world wrong with that.
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Fine, but if you are going to talk used contender prices I can compare with used single caliber gun prices. And there again I can often get a dedicated firearm for a very similar price.

just by buying a barrel.
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Sometimes and sort of. You will often need to buy extras for the sights/optic. Several of the factory TC barrels use front sight heights I bet 90% of shooters can't use. Like the 45/70 with a FS suitable for 400 yards. Sure, the 45/70 is a 400 yard cartridge, but I bet twice as many are using for deer inside 200 in straight wall states as are shooting paper at long range. As I previously stated, there are a number of forearms needed for different barrels and they aren't cheap. If you are only shooting pistol that will eliminate most of that issue, but converting to carbine is one of the valuable features in my book. Each forearm will also need to have sling studs installed if you want them. Yes, I installed a carry sling on my long barreled TC.

I don't see many claims of great accuracy from the other forums with regard to TC factory barrels and my experience with factory barrels has been mediocre. Some of them are just poorly designed. The 45 cal barrels used to use the same blanks. 45 colt, 454, and 460. The result is the thumper 450s and 460 rounds were all over the place b/c the twist is wrong.
I was disappointed in about half my factory barrels. The MGM barrel I have is pretty nice. @$340 NIB from Ed Kirkpatrick I would go that route for future barrels, but the whole package still isn't a steal in my book.

It is a lot like the two shopsmiths I own. A great idea. I had a lot of fun messing around with it. A fair amount of frustration about how little seemed to be true about the "just buy another barrel" pitch and the compromises of a 'do everything' platform. And, just like I have now converted to mostly stand-alone woodworking machines, I have also converted to dedicated firearms.
 
Fine, but if you are going to talk used contender prices I can compare with used single caliber gun prices.
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+- $200 used rifles in excellent condition?
Making less sense with every post.
But I'll still keep looking for that $200 Ruger #1 458 Wunxhester I want.
 
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They come with a conversion firing pin for rimfire, right?

Its fairly cheap to have a chamber reamed up to a larger, different round from an odd one, right? Find a budget .30 carbine, run to .30 herret, .22 mag to .221 or .222? .357 to .357 max? 7.62 Russian to a larger case using bullets with matching bore size?

A person might use about $2,000 getting used equipment and still get three barrels and a pair of decent sight packages, right?

New grips are numerous and reasonable? A clever guy can make his own grips out of premium wood, or find someone with a duplication machine and have blanks cut for hand finishing, or even make them by 3d printer?

Pistol, barrel, scope for the price of a used Browning?

My choice would be .17 hmr, .256 win, .357 max and a scope with interchangeable rings. Handloaded ammo and a sight in with each change and I would have three very versatile guns. Varmint, medium and large game to 1-200 yards. I could always buy three revolvers, but this would fit a single case and work with versatility.

The contender gives great versatility for a great price to make accurate hits. Sandbag shooters dream.
 
One additional thing to consider, about your "3 gun" battery (or however many barrels you have), you are using the same grip frame for all of them.

Same grip. Same trigger. Not three different guns with possibly different trigger pulls, but the same one, every time. And, its a nice, light, crisp, and creep free trigger, if you have it adjusted correctly.

If you think that doesn't make a difference, you need to try it yourself and see.
 
44,that is always a point to consider. If I concentrate too heavily on my Smith and ignore my colt, the moves that have become instinctive with my Smith don't work with anything else.

For decades now I have never gone out without at least two handguns and used them both in every session. I've reached the point that firing my da Smith is cleaner than any others.
 
Same grip. Same trigger. Not three different guns with possibly different trigger pulls, but the same one, every time. And, its a nice, light, crisp, and creep free trigger, if you have it adjusted correctly.
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That is a very good point.


Correct, the Contender does not have those Calibers it is the Encore. That was just an example and I believe it was done on several other calibers.

I just hope the buyers market is as excited about the TC switch barrels as you all when I go to sell mine next year.
 
But I'll still keep looking for that $200 Ruger #1 458 Wunxhester I want.
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I skipped this in a previous reply.
458 WInchester. $5 a pop for factory ammo
The factory rifles chambered in it run about $1500.
It is a perfect cartridge for a T/C switch barrel.
And it is, IMO, an odd ball caliber. None of my LGS are going to have it on the shelf. No one I know owns one. A whole year could pass without anyone shooting one at my local range.
If you want a 458 winchester on the cheap, which makes me assume you reload, then go for a TC switch barrel.

30/06, then there are better cheaper options.

The three barrels in a bag didn't work for me. In fact storing in soft cases didn't work well.
 
I have owned and shot Contenders for many years. Shot NRA Hunter Pistol Silhouettes for about 10 years, with great success. Also have used them for Deer hunting, with absolute fantastic success. The guns just simply shoot, with the greatest of accuracy.

I have 4 frames all with trigger work. All trigger components were hard chromed and then polished and honed to precise standards.

Barrels,
22 LR 10 in. Iron sighted
22 LR 10 in w/Burris 1.5 to 4 Scoped
32 H&R Mag. 10 in. Iron sighted
32 H&R Mag. 10 in. Burris 1.5 to 4 Scoped
30 Herrett 10 in.Iron sighted
6.5 mm TCU 14 in. Burris 2.5 to 7 Scoped
7 mm TCU 10 in. Iron sighted
250 Savage 15 in. Iron sighted (Custom Barrel)
357 10 in. Iron sighted
41 Rem. Mag. 14 in. Iron sighted

The 22's and 32's were used in the NRA Hunter Pistol Silhouette matches with great success. I managed AAA status across the board.

The scoped 6.5 mm TCU was used in IMSA unlimited class, and is a great Deer killer. Achieved 2200 FPS w/Nosler 120 gr. Ballistic Tip bullets. Accuracy is sub 1 inch groups at 200 yds.

In my case the Contender was a great competition gun, as well as a very effective hunting gun. As a fun gun for recreational shooting, the Contender has no peer. Pick your caliber. They are all quite accurate with proper Ammo. DLM
 
458 WInchester. ...

It is a perfect cartridge for a T/C switch barrel.

If you want a 458 winchester on the cheap, which makes me assume you reload, then go for a TC switch barrel.
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If you're going for a .458 in a gun as light as an Encore, better get that barrel with one HECK of a good brake on it!!!!

I have a .458 Win Mag. In a custom Mauser. And yes, I do handload for it.
 
One of my buttstocks has a fair amount of lead in it. The fore end has a bit also. Always easy to make a gun heavier. Brake works also. Personally, I'm not in the market at all, but if I was a T/C switch barrel would be a definite consideration.

I have 4 frames all with trigger work.
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Why 4 frames instead of one?
This is something I have noticed about the T/C fans on the two sights I listed. Most of them have quite a few frames and don't change their barrels on the guns they shoot a lot. They seem to have a bunch of dedicated set-ups and one or two frames they switch for the barrels they don't shoot much.

32 H&R Mag. 10 in. Iron sighted
32 H&R Mag. 10 in. Burris 1.5 to 4 Scoped
30 Herrett 10 in.Iron sighted
6.5 mm TCU 14 in. Burris 2.5 to 7 Scoped
7 mm TCU 10 in. Iron sighted
250 Savage 15 in. Iron sighted (Custom Barrel)
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I'd list all of these as oddball calibers. Can't find ammo locally, almost no one makes a gun chambered in them now. The TCUs and herrett are wildcats. If you wan't to shoot one of these a T'C switch is the platform to do it in, but you probably wouldn't come to a forum and ask if it is a good firearm purchase or not without mentioning one of those calibers.

22lr with 10 inch barrel.
41 rem mag isn't easy to find, especially in a 14" barrel. Production seems to go in runs and availability is spotty even in shorter barrels.


I'm really surprised all but one of those barrels are T/C. Most people who own lots of barrels seem to quickly move to the custom makers. Actually, almost all those barrels are third party, aren't they? The wildcats must be.
I bet your stocks are custom also.
And all that trigger work.
Far away from a stock gun others are talking about.

None of the TC factory barrels I have owned were bad, but they also weren't great. My TC muzzle loader is much better. The 45/70 has one factory load it shoots REALLY accurately. The rest of the barrels are kind of blah across the board.
 
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list all of these as oddball calibers.
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Oddball calibers?
Since when are .311”, .308”, .264”, .284”, and .257” odball calibers? There are plenty of cartridges made in each of those calibers and guns for them.
 
I have two contender frames, bought both used with barrels. Like I am guessing a lot of people looking for a specific barrel, sometimes you come across a package deal that includes a frame. I bought used 3 barrels and a frame for under $400 once so now I have two frames. I competed in silhouette in the 80s and 90s and found the contenders to be very accurate and I won a lot of matches with a 7 TCU.

No gun is all things to all people. I am an accuracy guy and with the exception of my Pardini Free Pistol (a single shot also BTW), the contenders are consistently near the top of the most accurate handguns I have. If you go after center fire accuracy you have to handload so the fact that a barrel may be a wildcat is meaningless. Plus the TCU series is based on the 223 Rem case which is some of the easiest and cheapest brass to come by and the 30-30 and Herrets use the 30-30 another very common case, etc. If a person handgun hunts or likes to shoot handguns accurately at distance, they will understand. YMMV
 
Oddball calibers?
Since when are .311”, .308”, .264”, .284”, and .257” odball calibers? There are plenty of cartridges made in each of those calibers and guns for them.
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Engineer or accountant? I know, the grey hurts the eyes.

If most people at the range have never heard of the CARTRIDGE it is an oddball for sure in my book. If no gun shop in my city carries the ammo it is an oddball. Re-loader only wildcats are well into that category.

The TC switch barrels are great for accuracy re-loaders, for people with too much money, and very few others.
 
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