"Sawtelle" grip on a 1st Generation T/C Contender?

[MatthewVanitas]

This was a bit of a silly impulse buy, since I already sold off all my other Contender gear to another THR member, but I picked up a 1st Generation Contender a bit back. It's the old type with the hollow hammer, where the rim/centerfire selector is just a slotscrew in the hammerface that you turn with a Phillips.

It came with some rather unusual furniture, including a rather ornate grip, on the base of which is a big square plate with "Sawtelle" engraved in it. Is that just some schmuck's name, or was that a producer of T/C target grips? Google has failed me on this one.

Minor sidenote: how do you remove the forearm on a 1st Gen? There's no screw! Are they just held on by tension? I don't want to just yank on the thing.

Will post pics later if that would help.

-MV

 

[steveno]

the very first fore ends just snapped on but once they got to the heavy recoil rounds they started screwing them on. it would be wise to change it over to the split locking lugs if it hasn't been changed

 

[Seismic Sam]

1st gen T/C

I have one of the original TC's with original furniture, and one of the barrels I got was the 44 mag with the brake for shotshells along with it. It's the old original octagon barrel, the whole thing weighs 19 ounces, and the original grip style appears to have been designed to try and shear your thumb off your hand with every shot. It took me a MONTH to "get rid" of a box of Remington 240 grain factory loads with this gun so I could use the brass, and I could only bear to shoot it 2 - 3 times a day. In addition to the grip, the trigger housing spur extended down and could be depended to bone bruise your 2nd knuckle with every shot.

These days I shoot a 500 Smith with no problem, and I'd still NEVER want to shoot my TC .44 with factory loads. I don't know what caliber barrels you got with yours, but look out if they're the big magum calibers.

 

[steveno]

yes a 44 mag in one of the original octagon barrels can be very brutal. been there and done that. not again for me also

 

[griz]

I have an early one in 44 mag too. The grip that came with it was thin enough to be brutal with full power loads. I quickly got the bigger "target" grip they were offering at the time. The origonal grip had an engraved plate for a grip cap. I don't remember what was on it, but I don't think it was Sawtelle. That sounds like a cell phone that will cut through 2X4's.

 

[fisi]

i put pachmeyers on my .44 contender. all the difference in the world.
sounds like someone just carved their name in the wood, thank god it wasn't
on the metal...i've seen that too many times or else they put their ssn on it..
what waste of a good firearm.........

 

[MatthewVanitas]

@fisi: this is no Bubba-carving, there's an actual metal plate perfectly matched to the base of the grip, which is professionally engraved with the name "Sawtelle". It's got to be either the name of the maker/company or the name of an owner who had nice custom grips made.

@steveno: so, if there's no screw visible anywhere on the forend, I just pull firmly to get it off? I pulled lightly and it didn't budge. I'm understandably nervous of just yanking on it unless I know for sure that it's supposed to just click off.

-MV