T/C Contender inquiry.

[Jingle]

I agree Ralph, Bullberry are wonderful!

Jean,September and Troy are super friendly I can't say enough good things about Bullberry I would feel almost bad going anywhere else, lol

Most importantly their work is excellent!

[Chuck Miller]

I've used Bullberry, Virgin Valley(haven't used MGM), OTT, and Mike Bellm. Virgin Valley and OTT have closed, my understanding is a couple of the VV guys went to MGM. I've gotten great work from the lot of them but I would choose Bullberry if I had to make a choice. The process of dealing with them and their service are top shelf, especially Jean.

[Iowa Fox]

If I was a younger man again I would buy a nice Contender frame and Encore frame of the N H vintage. That would be to just have on hand to cover the full range of barrels and chamberings offered by all barrel makers. I'd shy away from the non easy open Contender and the Encore & G2 made after the overtravel screw was dropped. Factory TC barrels all shot very well, or at least the ones I have. I purchased my last frame a G2 SS right after they came out. Since that put me on frame #25 and I have never pined a barrel to it it might be the last. TCs are certainly a lot of fun from cat sneeze cast lead loads to full power Encore loads.

[Jingle]

Looked at 2 used Contenders today.

One had a square/block shaped button that pushed in to switch from center to rimfire and felt kind of hard to open and it had the cougar etching. Came with .357 and 221 barrels.

The other opened easier and had the dial shaped selector for center/rimfire and the cougar etching.

How can I tell otherwise which is what and what is which and hinge pin lugs etc??????

[17tbs]

Jingle,

I have the frame with the dial. It has a very good adjustable trigger. Mine I purchased back in 88.

[Iowa Fox]

Jingle, On the blued cougar frames try to stay above s/n 195,00. All the stainless were GTG. Stainless frames will have the letter S at the front of the s/n.

[dungheap]

Originally Posted by Iowa Fox

Jingle, On the blued cougar frames try to stay above s/n 195,00. All the stainless were GTG. Stainless frames will have the letter S at the front of the s/n.

Why? Other than various changes (firing pin selector, trigger adjustment, trigger shape, release, etc.) I never saw much difference in the performance of pre-G2 frames. Did I miss something?

[dungheap]

Originally Posted by Jingle

Looked at 2 used Contenders today.

One had a square/block shaped button that pushed in to switch from center to rimfire and felt kind of hard to open and it had the cougar etching. Came with .357 and 221 barrels.

The other opened easier and had the dial shaped selector for center/rimfire and the cougar etching.

How can I tell otherwise which is what and what is which and hinge pin lugs etc??????

If you end up with a Contender that seems to open hard, try this: Place your first and middle fingers against the trigger guard, slqueeze, and sort of smack those fingers with your free hand. Any frame I ever encountered would open quickly and easily, and you don't have to smack your fingers so hard that they hurt. If this were not true, I surely would have found something else to shoot those 40 and 80 round silhouette matches back in the day.

[Iowa Fox]

Originally Posted by dungheap

Why? Other than various changes (firing pin selector, trigger adjustment, trigger shape, release, etc.) I never saw much difference in the performance of pre-G2 frames. Did I miss something?

195K is where TC switched to the easy open frame (trigger guard pivot pin located above the trigger. My very first frame which I still have was an early one, I never thought it opened hard with the same vintage barrels. Most latter barrels just didn't open or fit the best.