TC Contender & Encore (let’s talk)

[cfullgraf]

As pistols, with heavy recoil they seem to eat my fingers, I much prefer the XP-100. Most of the ones I have, stay in rifle form.

I shot production pistol in IHMSA handgun competition wIth a 10" 357 MAG Contender. I later got a Super 14 barrel chambered in 7mm Int Rimmed.

They shot well but as a handgun, they were a bit of a handfull.

I like 221 Remington Fireball. I traded a 30-30 Win 10" barrel for a 22 Hornet barrel and had the latter rechambered for 221 Rem FB. It shoots well but like a said before, then10"Contenders are a bit of a handful.

I got barrel and stock parts to make a 22 Hornet Contender carbine, it is great. Later, I got a Bullberry heavy 22" Remington Fireball barrel with associated Bullberry furniture. It is one of the most accurate rifle in my collection.

I've never fooled with an XP-100. Maybe someday.

All three of my Contender frames are first generation which have seveal adjustments for the triggers. In the early 2000'. I bought an Encore rifle and was disappointed with the trigger on the Encore. I got my Encore trigger adjusted by changing parts but not as convenient as with first generation Contenders.

I love the Contender/Encore concept but am disappointed with where the manufacturer has taken the product.

I'm not sure were the folks bringing aftermarket frames to market have taken the frames, so no comment here from me.

 

[xphunter]

I have a G-2 with a variety of barrels.
My XP's, and other bolt pistols get the majority of my trigger time

 

[doubleh]

Not long after they came out I bought one in .222 with a 10" barrel and equipped with a 2X scope. I had difficulty getting the same grip every time with the factory grip. No one was making replacement and I had neither the time not tools to make one myself and traded it off. I have kicked my myself repeatedly for that decision. I ran into one that looked really good in 223 with decent grips and a scope in a gunshop a couple of years ago for $600 but left it there as I had just spent my mad money for the day on a Encore earlier that day. Just something I couldn't take advantage of at the time. Now I kind of wish I had found the Contender first.

 

[41 Mag]

I have both a rifle in standard .223, and half a dozen barrels for the pistol ranging from .223 Ackley through 45 Colt. I got them for hunting purposes and enjoy them at the range as well.

The .233 Ackley and 7x30 Waters are as accurate as any of my rifles and have put down multiple sub 1" groups. The others are fun, but get limited use simply due to having other handguns in the same calibers.

 

[Fyrstyk]

I have 2 1st generation Contenders. One is set up for pistols (10" .22, .222, .357SM, & .44 mag and 12" .375Win.)
and the other is for Carbine barrels of 18" in .22 mag, .222, .256 Win, & .445 SM. I love the Contender concept and have owned them since 1978. I bought an Encore to use as a slug gun with 12 gauge rifled slug barrel, and now have rifle barrels in .270 and .338-06. I prefer the Contender, but for the higher pressure rounds the Encore fills the bill.

 

[doubleh]

An incident that sticks in my mind is that I carried my Contender pistol in my work truck and while traveling to a waterflood lease to repair and injection leak I spied a youg coyote on the left side of the road just standing and watching me. This was an oilfield road and I was the only vehicle around, probably for miles. I stopped and he stuck there just watching me. I was less than half a mile from the edge of the western caprock and there is a lot of small, loose rock on top of the ground. I very slowly propped up in the driver's window and put a 40 grain 222 bullet into the ground right in front of his belly splattering him with gravel. He went straight up in the air, whirling around while doing so, and fell flat of his face when landing. He was up and away with his afterburner kicked in an eye blink while I sat there and haw-hawed. I would bet he never stood and watched another vehicle come to a stop unless he was far distance away.

 

[someguy2800]

I love contenders, I've bought and sold a bunch of them. They are just neat and have one of the best triggers ever put in a production gun. This one below is one of the best I ever had. It was a 13" match grade machine barrel in 357 maximum. When I was shooting a lot and really on my game I shot several honest 3 and 5 shot 1 inch groups at 100 yards from a bench. I sold that one because if you really pushed it to its full potential it would shoot a 180 grain XTP at 2200 fps and it was brutal to shoot. You had to be really mindful how you held it to keep from catching the knuckle of your support hand behind the trigger guard under recoil. A couple times I thought I broke my finder and it turned purple for a week. I could load it down to like 1600 fps to make it more manageable, but the accuracy and trajectory wasn't as good. I had one in 45-70 for awhile. That was probably more total recoil, but didn't hit my hand as hard as that max did. I think contender pistols are best suited to more moderate recoil cartridges like a 44 mag or 30 herrett or smaller. I currently have a 10" chambered in my own custom wildcat, which is a 357 maximum case sized through a 300 ham'r sizing die. The result is ballistically similar to a 30 herrett but with much better brass life. I have a spare frame and have been trying to decide for a year or so if I should build it as a rifle or pistol and what chambering.



As for barrel lengths I have settled on 10" as the ideal barrel length for me. The 12-14" barrels are really front heavy and makes them pretty unwieldy to shoot unless you have a bench or at least a bipod. I personally think a pistol should be capable of being shot offhand from a standing or sitting position. If your pistol is 7 lbs and and can be carried in a chest holster or something then I don't really see the point. Why not just have a rifle? Even with an 8 or 10" barrel a contender is still very weight forward. An Encore is much larger and heavier, and honestly I don't have any real interest in an encore as a pistol because of the weight and balance. The reason I sold my 13 357 max was because I found it was just to awkward to shoot from field positions when hunting. I replaced it with my 30 maximum for target shooting and bought a Magnum Research Lone Eagle in 35 remington to use as my hunting pistol The trigger is absolutely crumby compared to a contender, but the center grip design makes it a lot easier to shoot from improvised positions. That group on the plate is 4 or 5 shots at 100 yards. I can't shoot it as well as my contenders, but plenty adequate for hunting.

 

[doubleh]

For anyone interested in a Contender HausofArms is finally shipping the SSK stainless frames. It will be sometime for brand new customers as they are filling back orders now. If I wanted another frame I would order in now to get in the line up.

I have no connection with the company except for receiving e-mails from them. Not even sure where they are located now.

 

[cougar1717]

Just some random T/C thoughts

Contenders and Encores are definitely unique and old-school.....but it's an easy way to spend a lot of money - extra barrels, optics for those barrels, stocks, forends, aftermarket trigger.

There's no way I would buy a used gun "barrel package" if I wasn't absolutely sold on the calibers because those are typically the ones nobody wants to mess with anymore. It's either oddball calibers with expensive brass or calibers that are very stout for the frame.

Be aware that even Encores have their limitations since it's a break action and not a bolt action rifle. The frame can stretch. I would stay away from any magnum rifle cartridge for long term use.

Rimmed cartridges are more optimal than rimless in this "platform" - haha.

These single shots are "ammo sippers" and very contrarian to this day and age of those who go to the range to blast. However, these are slower to fire than a single action revolver.

If you hunt with it - since "it's different" or maybe your state allows it in a muzzleloading type season, both shooting practice and reloading practice are important. The shooter has to shoot these guns the exact same way for consistency - ie - don't sight it in supported off a bench and sanbags and then use your field sticks on the hunt and expect it to shoot to the same POI. Use your field sticks to sight it in (or however you expect to shoot).

I would only get a fourteen+ inch barrel in a handgun if the cartridge needs the velocity. It's so muzzle heavy, it may require a rest, shooting sticks, or maybe you just have the wrist strength of a professional wrestler! Ten inch barrels are much more balanced while offering reasonable velocities.

If you choose to put a long eye relief scope on the barrel of a handgun... and you expect to fire it two handed, standing... don't expect anything more than 4x to be usable.

 

[Anchorite]

I just want someone to step in and make frames again. Or should we start crowd-funding and do it ourselves?

 

[someguy2800]

Contender serial numbers go up to like 450,000, so there are literally hundreds of thousands of frames out there and I suspect the owners of them are dying at a faster rate than new shooters are becoming interested in specialty pistols. So you will never have to worry about being able to get a frame in our lifetimes. Spare parts might eventually become a bit of an issue. I suspect that the main reason for TC going out of business was just because they had been making the same thing for so long, and had made so many of them, that their main competitor was their own used market. The old contenders from the 70's and 80's were nicer looking then brand new G2 frames, so who would go out and buy a new one, when they can get a better looking frame with a far better trigger on the plentiful used market? I think they pretty much saturated the market for single shot pistols. Also didn't help that the aftermarket made far better quality barrels in way more calibers than TC, so EABCO, MGM, SSK, and Bullberry ate that meal right off their plate.

 

[doubleh]

I just want someone to step in and make frames again. Or should we start crowd-funding and do it ourselves?

Read post #33. They are already being made.

 

[Anchorite]

Read post #33. They are already being made.

I forgot about those …. They have been rumored for a while, didn’t think they would ever materialize. Will have to check them out. Thanks.

 

[Gumby0961]

I have three Contender frames, not sure on the ages. Rifle barrels in 221 FB (Bullberry), 17 rem (Bullberry), .204 (TC). Using Bullberry wood I have struggled to get any of them to shoot tight groups. Would love to know what loads you are using In these calibers.

 

[doubleh]

I have three Contender frames, not sure on the ages. Rifle barrels in 221 FB (MGM), 17 rem (Bullberry), .204 (TC). Using Bullberry wood I have struggled to get any of them to shoot tight groups. Would love to know what loads you are using In these calibers.

I am no help with loads on your calibers. I have a 23" bull barrel in 223 and it is a serious tack driver with a Sirerra 40 gr. HP bullet over H322 powser of which I forget the grains as I haven't loaded ant for some time. This is to point out that they can be very accurate. What I have done is semi- free float the fore end by placing flat washers between the barrel and wood for a little barrel clearance. I place the trigger guard as close as I can get it to the bag on my front rest when shooting off the bench. There is quite a difference when you place the rest farther forward on the fore end with the farther you go the more the accuracy drops off. When testing loads I shoot 3 shot groups as the fourth shot starts climbing and increases with each addition shot. After the barrel is allowed to cool it's good again.

I also shoot the same sized barrel in 22LR and 17HMR. Of course neither are close in heat sensitivity as the 223.

The stock Contender fore end isn't really all that great for shooting off a rest so I glued up some walnut with a piece of aluminum bar in the center to give me the same size as the factor one at it's largest point and made a rest friendly fore end. It is straight with no taper at all. The bottom edges were rounded a bit and the top one some more. I made it a little longer and cut the front off at angle instead of rounding it off. I have found I prefer it over the factory one for all shooting.

 

[Gumby0961]

I am no help with loads on your calibers. I have a 23" bull barrel in 223 and it is a serious tack driver with a Sirerra 40 gr. HP bullet over H322 powser of which I forget the grains as I haven't loaded ant for some time. This is to point out that they can be very accurate. What I have done is semi- free float the fore end by placing flat washers between the barrel and wood for a little barrel clearance. I place the trigger guard as close as I can get it to the bag on my front rest when shooting off the bench. There is quite a difference when you place the rest farther forward on the fore end with the farther you go the more the accuracy drops off. When testing loads I shoot 3 shot groups as the fourth shot starts climbing and increases with each addition shot. After the barrel is allowed to cool it's good again.

I also shoot the same sized barrel in 22LR and 17HMR. Of course neither are close in heat sensitivity as the 223.

The stock Contender fore end isn't really all that great for shooting off a rest so I glued up some walnut with a piece of aluminum bar in the center to give me the same size as the factor one at it's largest point and made a rest friendly fore end. It is straight with no taper at all. The bottom edges were rounded a bit and the top one some more. I made it a little longer and cut the front off at angle instead of rounding it off. I have found I prefer it over the factory one for all shooting.

Thanks for the tips, I also use custom for ends for shooting off the bench. I use 40 gr vmax and Sierra 40gr hp in the .221. Will try your 3 shot method, the 204 and the 17 get warm real fast.

 

[bassjam]

I used to have a Contender with the 14.5" .223 barrel, with handloads it'd group about an inch at 100 yards with the 2x scope it had on it when I got it which surprised the heck out of me. The trigger was absolutely perfect. I thought it'd be fun to branch out and got a stock and .22lr rifle barrel for it, but discovered it just wasn't as much fun to plink with as my old Remington single shot .22's, and I had no reason for .223 at the time so I traded the gun away and sold the .22 barrel and stock. That was 8 years ago and I have no regrets. Neat gun and built well, it just wasn't for me.

 

[Gumby0961]

pics of My modest collection and carry case

 

[dickydalton]

I have one Contender frame and 4 barrels. The one it came with in about 1989 is a super sixteen in .223 that has dropped a few thousand prairie dogs. Then over the years I started stocking up on 44 mag Hotshot ammo because I knew that I would find a barrel someday. So now I have one and lots of rounds. The other two are a 45/410 and a 22 Hornet. My sons will have them someday I suppose.

 

[Hookeye]

Ive had several Contender.
Like shotguns, I hate switching barrels............so had 3 barrels..............and 3 frames.
Don't shoot IHMSA anymore and pops passed away.........and my good deer spot was sold.
Consequently am down to ONE Contender.
Stainless, had a 35 rem 14" w brake. Sold the bbl and put an Ingram .22 mag 14" on it.
Hunted yotes twice.
Cuz got a new $$$ caller, so we didn't get diddly LOL

Found a blued reg 14" .35 rem so put that on.
Took my .22 mag bbl to last semi local gunshow.
No interest.

There were two diff tables w barrels and complete rigs.
The crowd thought them invisible.

Prices on one table, reasonable (where I got my .35 rem bbl the year before).
No prices marked on other, but the guy was older, out of the game, and appeared to be willing to move stuff for decent offer.
Shame, as his stuff was very nice.
Price tags might have helped get people to stop and look.

Saw 2 Anschutz Exemplar .22 lr for sale, again, normal price. Might have gone lower.
IHMSA stuff is done for around here, and as folks bail or die off............stuff seems more available.
I know when my dad died, I took his IHMSA stuff to a shop to consign. Took a while but it eventually sold for good price.

 

[Hookeye]

Super 16 a few years ago. 35 rem. Sponge painted synth stock set, w Kydex cheek pc.
Only shot as a rifle, twitchy. Added epoxy and #8 shot in forend hollows which then made it easy offhand.

Looked goofy w 16.25" bbl, a full bull 18" and proly kept it.
Got a 760 Remington in .35 rem.
Having shot 870s and 1100's for decades, the 760 is a magic wand in the deer woods (for me).
So in handgun I went with another 14" .35 rem (3rd one).

 

[PO2Hammer]

460 S&W Magnum

460 with silhouette sights, awesome.
I liked the original up to 357 and 30-30.
G2 was a little better in recoil, but triggers are not as nice.
Encore with Pachmayer grips is gtg for the heavier calibers. I had an Encore with a custom 9” .44 Rem Mag barrel and open sights, a real sweet shooter.

 

[Pivot Dr]

I don’t shoot my Contender much anymore but, I rarely part with firearms so I still have it. It is a hoot to shoot and I kind of like the slow shooting single shot operation. I’ve got a Pachmayer grip and forearm on mine, have never fired a wood stocked pistol so I don’t know any difference between the two. I have 4 barrels that pretty well cover the whole range of what my interests were in having it. 4, 14” barrels, 17Mach IV with 4x scope, 14” 223 Rem with 2x8 scope, 14” 7 TCU, and a 14” 35 Remington. All shoot way better than they ought to. The two with scopes are in the 5/8” group range. A dime at 100 yd is in BIG trouble. I’ll bet the 7TCU and 35 Remington would do as well based on their performance with iron sights. I rarely shoot it anymore but I’ve got several hundred rounds loaded for all but the 223, thousands of those. No, it isn’t for sale! No, I do not lust for another.

 

[moose1858]

Contender vs Encore are both great!
i settled on Encore - multiple barrels; pistol / rifle /shotgun
This 410 pistol on a woods walk for grouse can’t be beat

Though it willnever take the place of my traditional muzzleloaders, my Encore in-line is fun as all get out and has its place on my rack and hunts

 

[jmorris]

I figure barrels are so expensive because they don’t sell them at harbor freight. There isn’t much too the lug, I’ve made a few just to use up some barrel blanks I had.






Then just TIG them to the barrel.



45-70 isn’t much fun, even as a rifle but 357 max isn’t too bad.

Suppressed .22 gets used a lot, can slow ammunition consumption and make kids focus on hitting it’s also a lot shorter than other single shots I have, even with the can.