Thompson Contender's??

[montdoug]

A buddy called who runs a pawn shop.
They have an older contender with a 10ish inch octagon gloss blue barrel in .221 Fire Ball. No rings, bi-pod, scope etc. 98%. Says I can get it for $300.00 even. Should I care?
Never had one but have a rifle in that caliber. Sounds like a starter kit to me, am I wrong.

[Ladobe]

Not a starter kit at all. When TC started in 1967 with the Contender's, and for many years after, they only offered octagon barrels in 8.750 (first year) and 10 inch blue versions from the first year. Later they added bull 10", 12", 14" pistol versions, and 16.25 and 21" carbine barrels (among others not as commonly seen). Now factory rifle barrels are 23". Vintage of the frame bears on value, with the easy open (from serial number 195,000 on) the most desirable, but even the earlier versions are very serviceable and will shoot both rimfire and centerfire. It's not often that you find an early frame in good condition for under $200, and easy open frames can run $300. Add another $125-150 for the barrel, plus whatever wood it's wearing and $300 is a great price in the condition you mention. FWIW, I just sold 3 easy open frames for $285, $275 and $235 based on their condition. Probably could have got more but I try to price reasonable.

In use there is a technique to learn with their relatively slow lock time, but they are easy to master and very accurate both in pistol and carbine/rifle configurations even with factory barrels, but especially if a trigger job and custom premium barrel are added. Will easily stay with upper end factory rifles (even the pistols) and give even custom rigs a run for their money and outshooting some of them. The 10" 221 Fireball is a shooter too owing to its roots coming from the Remington XP-100 10" specialty pistols. Some muzzle blast to deal with in a 10" but the recoil is mild enough. I've had 5 221's in 10" & 12" factory and custom and they all shot. Got my first Contender in early 1968, have owned nearly 50 frames and way over 200 factory and custom barrels since in many factory chambering's as well as a truck load of wildcats (the current Contender list of chambers possible is somewhere around 220). Many of the wildcats designed for the Contender take into the magnum range cartridges, the best known the JDJ's, Bower's and GNR's. I have routinely taken big and small game, upland birds, predators and varmints with them out to astonishing ranges. If you can live with a single-shot, there are few other ways to as cheaply add new calibers/wildcats and end up with an accurate package. All it takes is a barrel, brass and dies. Serious custom wood and barrels are readily available for them too from several sources if you want to dress them up.

Larry

A couple of mine from Bullberry...

[HOGGHEAD]

IMO the older Contenders on average are more accurate than the new Encores. Not by much. But still more accurate. I have a contender Super 14in 223 that will hit the cap on a pop bottle every shot at 100 yards.

If you do not buy, and your friends do not want the pistol. Please pass on the deal, if your dealer will also pass it on. No pressure here. But I would like to have one of those. Tom.

[17VLD]

You just got an AR,why would you want to go backwards now?
Besides who would want to have a handy little truck gun that you can leave
on the seat open and safe and be ready to shoot in 1/2 a second or less.
By all means don't look at Ed's Contenders website at all the barrels he has for sale,on no don't do it Doug it would be the beginning of an addiction you don't need.
Matt

[Jollygiant01]

Only if you really need another addiction. There are endless barrels, stocks, grips, sights, out there. For that price you can easily get out of it if you decide it is not for you. I currently have 3 barrels, a custom 11" 357 Max,
10" 410/45lc, and a 23" 223. I enjoy them and it will be the platfom for some 17 cal rimmed cartridge yet to be determined when, funds allow.

[TinMan]

If nothing else, you need to get it to experience first hand why the round is called "Fireball." I have one in a 10" bull bbl, and the muzzle blast/shock will definitely get your attention. P.S., the bull bbl is very accurate.

[Marks]

Doug,

That is a good buy. I had that addiction a few years back. My shooting buddy has both Centender, and Encore. I am fighting back, but I am getting weak. My buddy is looking at a 17 Fireball barrel, that my be more than I can take. I have been wanting a 17AH, that would make a nice carbine.

Mark

[dungheap]

Contenders have a huge appetite for U.S. currency. Once you get one (or maybe once one gets YOU), you'll find it will be nibbling away at your stash of cash for more barrels, brass, carbine conversion stuff and whatnot, so by all means BEWARE!! As walking rifles go, you'd find a carbine hard to beat -- light and accurate. My carbine started as a .22LR Bellm barreled rig, that took a whole bunch of PDs with CCI Stingers. Presently it has a Bullberry .17CCM barrel on it that has taken a fair share of crows and such. An absolute joy, and for all of them I've owned and shot, including years of silhouette shooting, the only thing I ever had to replace on any of 'em was a hammer spring. Be sure to adjust the trigger if someone hasn't already done it!

[Alan in GA]

so this is how it happens.....an innocent question..the mild pondering about a new weapon...and then a simple purchase and you're HOOKED.
I forgot how I got addicted, but Doug you're helping me remember.
Been 'in and out, in and out, in and.....still IN' with Contenders.
Just in the last few months I purchased [used] a stainless and a blued G2 frames.
7 or 8 pistol [10 and 14"] barrels, and one Bull barrel in 17HM2.
I don't know how it happens, it just does.
I'm really liking being back 'into' them.

IN a matter of 2 months I aquired:
22 LR 10" bull barrel
22 LR Match Bull 14"
30/30 Ack IMp 14"
.357 Maximum 14"
.357 Herrett 14"
.44 Rem Mag 14"
.45/70 12 1/2" stainless [cut the brake off a 14"].
and...the 23" bull blued rifle barrel in 17 Mach II.

I just woke up and there they all were........all I know is all my H&R Handi rifles got sold. Why have 'em anymore?!