Contender Carbine in 30-30

My current thinking:

The serial number on my frame is 3xxxxx, so I should have no problems with a G2 barrel (anything above 196xxx should be fine).

I would like a MGM 23" barrel with the .810 diameter muzzle. This should be the same as the G2 factory profile.

I would like to get a Boyd's stock. There is no issue with the butt (I think maybe a 13" LOP since I like a bit shorter pull and end it with a Limbsaver since I am becoming a recoil wimp in my old age.) My problem is the foreend. The Boyd's standard rifle configuration is for a 13/16" channel (0.8125") and the foreend screw spacing is 3 9/16" (3.5625" Center to center). The MGM barrel widget lists a Super 16 (3.550") Rifle foreend screw spacing. Will this work with the Boyd's Stock without a lot of work on my part? I know that 0.0125" is just a little bit off, but I would like to know in advance.

Has anyone been down this particular road?

I have too many memories of small amounts of material becoming a big pain to deal with elegantly.

 

I build my own furniture

 

Beautiful. I wish I had the talent.

How do you handle the barrel bedding?

 

Contender barrel fitment generally comes down to pre- or post- easy open lock plungers. Put an old barrel on a newer contender frame and it may lock up to where it needs disassembled to open the barrel.

Dont own any rifle length barrels, but do own 10" and 14" 30 Herrett and 10" 357 Herrett barrels: 30-30 based wildcats.

 

On forearm for contender building, a router bit cuts the channel and a drill press plunges for dovetail countersink and forearm screw channel.
Consistent screw tension and adequate clearance to frame sides provides nearly free-floating status for the barrel.
Dovetail spacing is easiest for 10" bbls. (1 pillar), super 14, and 12" bbls have 2, and rifle and carbine have 2 but different spacing.
Only the rear dovetail position is common on all three.
The only factory barrel that's unique to dovetail spacing is the early 21" tapered bbls that had a single screw.

 

I have a fairly early Contender carbine and had a G2. Bought a new 30-30 TC barrel and while it fit the G2 it wouldn't fire. Fits and fires fine on the old frame. Accurate with just about anything I put in it. 150, 170 factory go under 2 MOA, cast 125, 150, 175 seem to be about 3.

 

There are Contender specific loads out there for their chambers.
My 14" 35 Remmy is a beast when using factory loads...but loaded down and using 357 mag bullets? sweetie
My 14" 44 Mag...again bit of a beast with most full house loads...but loaded down will still make porky pig stop moving.
The 45-70...ugh...set up as a carbine and is a bit rough on the shoulder...but Trailboss makes me look like a bad dude with it.

I have a 23" TC custom shop 25-35 about to be in my possession....and I am VERY excited

 

Now I am beginning to get torn. EABCO just announced that they have made a run of Contender Carbine barrels in 22 WRM and 22 Hornet. Should I make the carbine in one of those or go with a 30-30 custom barrel with 1-12 twist?

Decisions, decisions...

 

Just picked up a 20" SSK barrel from Graf's in 6.5 Grendel myself.

I have pistol barrels in both 22 mag and 22 Hornet. As well as a Handi-Rifle in 22 Hornet. I would choose the hornet over the mag. Hornet vs 30-30 would depend on what i wanted to do with said rifle. Just punching paper, 22 hornet. But if i wanted to take a deer or something with it, definitely 30-30.

 

I have 30-30 barrels for both my Contender pistol and my carbine. One is no fun, the other is great fun. Both can and have produced great groups. I don't shoot the short one any more. My experience in barrel interchanging has been somewhat erratic. My 30-30 fit my G2 but wouldn't fire. A couple others over the years required major disassembly to get the gun apart after mounting the barrel. I'm down to two carbines, one pistol and ten barrels. Need to sort and downsize.

 

I don’t have a contender in 30-30, rifle or pistol but if I did, I would, work up a load for the 110gn barns TAC Tx bullet at around 2000-2100 fps @ the distance of impact.

 

I have the 14" 30-30 barrel in my Contender handgun. I use 125 Nosler BT's on deer and it is very, VERY effective! Also, just SUPER accurate as in under 1" at 100 yards from a good rest.

 

I have a 14” 7-30 Waters barrel in my T/C collection. It is my favorite hunting handgun and extremely accurate. I started out using the Nosler 120gr BT bullets, but switched to the Hornady 139gr SST bullets. Both will easily shoot under 1” groups at 100 yards all day long. The SST’s have accounted for several deer.

 

I have considered them for my 30 Herrett. Just never pulled the trigger. The long and super pointy-ness of the TAC TX intrigues me for a single shot pistol. I did recently get some old old Remington Bronze Points but they are 150grn. Thats the heavy end for 30 Herrett. Still on the hunt for a super long and pointy bullet for the 357 Herrett.

I did recently come across a 10" 30-30 barrel i forgot about, hiding among my others.

 

I get along good with the 7-30 Waters 21 inch barrel and the 21 inch and 14 inch 35 Rem. barrels.180 grain Hornady SSP's at around 2,000 FPS out of the 21 inch 35 carbine are great whitetail medicine,as are various 120 grainers in the 7X30.My shooting buddy has a 14 inch 30-30AI and with 125 grain bullets,it's crazy accurate and very deadly on deer size game.Very versatile firearms,they are.

 

I took a look at SSK (see https://www.sskfirearms.com/30-30-ackley-imp-cbl18.html)

One of the standard barrels they offer for the Contender is an 18" in, among other things, 30-30 Ackley Improved.

The possible barrels are now a custom MGM 23" barrel in 30-30 Win with a 1-12 twist or the SSK 18" in 30-30 AI (plus dies) with a 1-7 twist. My primary use will be for bullets 170 gr or less.

Question 1: How close will the performance be for these two configurations? The AI will buy some performance but the 5" barrel length is a lot of barrel and the performance may end up a wash.

Question 2: Has anyone had any trouble fitting an SSK barrel to a G1 Contender Frame?

 

Just bought an SSK 20" stainless barrel for my G1 frame. Fits, locks, and unlocks like it should.

I bought it from Graf's. They have both 14 and 18" stainless 30-30 AI barrels in stock. Only 1 left of each. My 20" grendel barrel was less from Graf's than the same thing ordered from SSK's custom shop (SSK had none in stock for the pre-made price)