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Post by oldschool on Nov 5, 2013 22:04:56 GMT -5
This is one heck of a thread (and a history lesson) whether you're a TC collector, "accumulator", shooter, or student of the history. How can you top "I started the IHMSA" or "then Elgin said"? Lee and David (and all the rest), I appreciate your contributions to the forum and to the industry and sport. It doesn't get much better than this. Indeed. I feel honored to hang out at a place where some of my early handgun heroes reside.
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Post by treborsnave on Nov 6, 2013 9:53:03 GMT -5
I've only got three barrels and one frame, but they take care of most of my hunting needs; 22 lr for little stuff, 223 when I need a little more oomph and 30-30 for deer hunting. All of mine are 21" carbine barrels, I never could shoot a scoped pistol very well. I've been thinking about picking up a 357 or 45 Colt pistol barrel just for fun.
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Post by AxeHandle on Nov 10, 2013 8:35:33 GMT -5
357 "Or" 45? Surely you didn't mean to type "Or"... "And" is the proper conjunction to use when we discuss TC barrels!
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Post by treborsnave on Nov 10, 2013 9:52:12 GMT -5
It will probably end up being "and" in the end.
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Post by bradshaw on Nov 10, 2013 18:07:33 GMT -5
treborsnave.... years ago I encountered a man considerably older than me. Hardwood knoll on a mountain. The gent walked with a alpinstalke, or wunderstab----"walking stick" in American lingo----and had a T/C Contender .30-30 Super 14 slung on his belt. His "holster" more appropriately identified as a carpenter's hammer ring, a steel loop riveted to wallet-size flap of leather for carrying a claw hammer. The pistol hung on the rear sight and trigger guard, scratching both, a detail which failed to arouse the hunter, probably descended from the Vandals. We had a short, whispered jawbone. He was in heaven, having, he said, taken deer with his modern day pirate pistol.
Turns out he wasn't the only one goes to the hardware store for his holster. I've run into others sling long barrel Contenders that way. David Bradshaw
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Post by bradshaw on Nov 10, 2013 18:26:58 GMT -5
Lee.... catching up on the thread here, I see you carved the first .45-70 Contender. I did a bunch of pistol data for Sierra and when I thought it was a wrap, they asked me to cover the new Contender .45-70. Removed the forend and taped a 26 or 30 pound bar of linotype to the barrel, and for each shot off the sandbag, slapped a 25 lb. bag of birdshot over the scope. Turned a gun that jumps into a pile driver. Folk who claim to want the grip axis behind the bore axis probably haven't tried it.
And a question: Do you know what duplex loads Ingram stuffed in his Contenders that turned 'em into auto ejectors? David Bradshaw
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Post by treborsnave on Nov 10, 2013 22:43:12 GMT -5
You know, I had a 12" hunter barrel, 44 mag that had been rechambered to 444 Marlin; I fired 7 shots through it and decided it was too much for me! As I recall, I couldn't make a fist with my right hand for a day or two after that, until the swelling behind my thumb went down a bit.
I've got nothing but respect for guys who can handle that level of recoil, but I don't want to be one of them.
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Post by gemihur on Dec 6, 2020 19:15:54 GMT -5
It good to see a great bunch of guys reminisce over their contender experiences. You can't find enough first-hand knowledge on these topics anymore. Looking over the chambers mentioned I was surprised that not more Ackley improved cartridges weren't used. The K Hornet might have been a 40 degree shoulder. All TCU chambers sport an Ackley shoulder. I've got a few specialty chambers but especially like to feel the thunder. 45-70 & 444 Marlin. David Bradshaw, Do you have any recall of Fred Rodney? TC ex-employee who formed Gonic Arms. I'd love to hear more about those that cut the path.
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Post by nhithaca on Dec 7, 2020 11:52:30 GMT -5
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Post by magnumwheelman on Dec 7, 2020 12:05:12 GMT -5
So I sold about 3/4 of my Contender barrels this last year... then this thread pops up, & I realized I never posted a picture of my barrel hangers... Now I'm down to 5 actions, & about 10 barrels
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Post by gemihur on Dec 7, 2020 13:18:33 GMT -5
That's dedication. Thank you! ... just curious, what's the chamber on the stainless barrel center-left? I recently acquired an SSK Bbl in 6x223 with similar profile It's a rather unique contour and wondered what would be the reason for turning down the diameter of the front of a barrel? and after I gave it a jacket
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Post by magnumwheelman on Dec 7, 2020 15:08:27 GMT -5
did you buy the 6X223 SSK from me??? that looks like the one I sold a few months back... the barrel in the picture was an SSK 6X223... mount looks the same...
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Post by gemihur on Dec 7, 2020 16:51:59 GMT -5
I bought it from a fellow shooter from west 'by God' Virginia last summer in a combined offer that I was trying to obtain a 54 caliber in-line that he'd had listed on Graybeard Outdoors. He said he got it from a machinist. It's a fine shooter, just couldn't figure out the turned down lathe work. Definitely takes the weight off of the 14" bull barrel's front. I already shoot the 6TCU in a 16" custom shop barrel so I figured, What the Heck!?!
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Post by AxeHandle on Dec 8, 2020 8:47:11 GMT -5
Did acquire that 257 TCU I needed. Not a factory barrel.... Virgin Valley. I'll not be running down any of those wild TC tangents like the Bullberry and SSK wildcats anymore but I do need a few more standard pistol caliber 10 inch bulls.
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Post by rjm52 on Dec 11, 2020 7:06:08 GMT -5
Been in the club for a long time.
Back about 1992 I moved to Rochester, NH, home of TC, and traded a Remington XP100 .221 Fireball to a friend for a 14" 6mm TCU...then the barrels and stocks started coming. There were always tons of used barrels at local gun shows...and of course the TC Custom Shop was only 2 miles from the house. Knew several people who worked at TC including my across the street neighbor.
Used to have a big collection of both pistol and carbine barrels but slimmed down a few years ago...now just have calibers I also have revolvers for. Have two Gen 3 Contender frames, one gold inlay G2 from from the Custom Shop and just bought a G2 S&W made frame a few weeks ago.
Carbine: TCA 16.5" .41 Magnum TC Custom Shop 18" .22 Long Rifle
Pistol: 10" Bull .22 LR 10" Bull .22 Magnum 10" Bull .22 Hornet 10" Octagon .22 Jet 10" Octagon .38 Super (2) 12" Octagon TCA .32 H&R punched out to .327 Federal 10" Bull .41 Magnum 14" Bull .41 Magnum rechambered to .41-445 SuperMag by Mike Bellm...it is the same as a Reeder .41 GNR #2. Kelly Brost, who I bought the barrel from, told me that Mike got hold of one of Reeder's chamber reamers and made the barrel at the request from a customer in Alaska. Reeder found out about and threatened to sue over a copyright infringement... I also confirmed this with Gary when I visited the shop in 2013. It will run a 255 at 2K fps...hurts to shoot out of a Contender which is why I bought the G2 frame.
In talking with one of the long time TC employees at the Custom Shop, he said the company regretted ever chambering the Contender in .45-70 as it was their only factory cambering that would stretch the frames. Therefor any customer who returned a stretched frame and said they had a .45-70 barrel would get a replacement frame even if it was a JDJ or other heavy hitter...
Too bad the owner chose to sell out to S&W...
Bob
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