Big Bore Thompson Contenders

[Bob Wright]

I mentioned the Thompson Contender in another tread and the effect those fitted with rubber grips had on my hand.

These guns were fitted with a number of barrels from SSK industries. At that time, J.D. Jones lived just s sort distance from where my daughter and her family lived. My son-in-law had befriended a man who did some work for J.D. and chose to introduce me to the Contender. We shot many rounds of .30-30, .43 JRS, .338 Woodswalker, .444 Marlin, and .45-70. The .45-70 was especially vicious, as some of the loads were made around 500 gr. cast bullets that had been lubricated with Teflon tape instead of bullet lube.

I just recently learned J.D. has sold SSK industries and is living in Arizona now.

Bob Wright

 

[Bullthrower338]

Your information is correct on Mr Jones retirement. He was an innovator in the industry. His 300 Whisper was the precursor to the 300 Blackout of popularity. I have an SSK whisper barrel and was building brass from 221 fireball long before the Blackout was standardized. I love the contender, not sure how many barrels I have for them but it is a bunch. I believe I have 4 contender frames. My favorites are the 375 JDJ and a 17 ackley bee that was built from a 17 HMR barrel. I don’t own a barrel that doesn’t impress me everytime I shoot them. Got a couple of the TCR aristocrats also and love them!

 

[Dan in MI]

As another Contender fan I’m going to guess you shot with a presentation grip. They were terrible. The Gripper version is exceptionally comfortable.

That said, for most part I share your disdain for rubber grips. I bought some for my Super Blackhawk and I don’t think they lasted 20 rounds.

 

[JBP]

I got into the Contender when I had my 1st retina detachment 28 years ago and was advised to stay away from high recoil long guns. I got a 30-30 barrel with my frame and added .375 Winchester, .35 Remington, .223, .222, .22 Hornet and 10 mm barrels. The only issue I ever had with
it was T/C came out with the 2nd Generation frame and added some new barrels like the .17 HMR and .204 Ruger which I got. Both barrels would not fully open after a round was fired. I talked to a gunsmith at T/C who had some unkind words about the engineers and told me to send both barrels back. They were worked on but still had the problem so I sold them. Sold off all my barrels a couple of years ago except for a .38 Super that I had made by Bullberry Barrel Works.

 

[contender]

"As another Contender fan I'm going to guess you shot with a presentation grip. They were terrible. The Gripper version is exceptionally comfortable."

^^^^THIS^^^^

The wood factory grips were NOT built to handle heavy recoil. Brutal even with "medium" calibers.
The rubber grips,, as noted,, the "Presentation" variety were better,, but still not properly shaped to handle too heavy recoil. But the grippers,, by far,, handle things very well. I have a 45-70 bbl, and while still a handfull, it's manageable.
My favorite caliber for decades has been the 7x30 Waters. With the grippers,, it's a pussycat to handle. I've actually even ground a bit of rubber off in a few places to better fit MY hands, and that combo has accounted for over 100 whitetails.

 

[Bob Wright]

An aside story to thst day:

As I said it was my first time shooting the Thompson Contender. They had started me out with the .30-30, then to the .35 Remington. When shooting the .35 Remington, I had a misfire. The trigger "broke" but the hammer stayed back. I slide my trigger finger out of the trigger guard and waited for what I calculated one minute, keeping the muzzle down range. I was using a two hand hold, and after that minute, brought the gun dwn so it was about a 45* angle. As I did so, the pistol fired, the recoil flipped the gun back so the front sight cut a little cut under my Wright cheekbone!

From what I was told, that frame had been used to test many high performance barrels and the innards had many burrs and dents. We retired that frame and continued shooting, as they had brought five or six frames and a box of barrels.

Bob Wright

 

[Bob Wright]

"As another Contender fan I'm going to guess you shot with a presentation grip. They were terrible. The Gripper version is exceptionally comfortable."

^^^^THIS^^^^

It was the fact that the grips were rubber, not wood, that abraded my hand. Wood grips allow the gun to slip without rolling up little rolls of skin.
Smooth wood adorn all my heavy kincin' Rugers.

Bob Wright

 

[BearBiologist]

When I took my class on animal capture using "trank" guns, we had a modified Contender that shot .22 nail-gun blanks and had a 50 cal barrel for the syringe. It was my favorite! We also had a Marlin 22 semi-auto that that had a revolving cylinder for the syringes. Nobody, even the instructors, liked it. You had to cycle the action and rotate the cylinder by hand for each shot. It might even have been experimental. Hated blowguns=I wasn't good past about 10 feet or so.

 

[Rumrunner]

I really like the contenders. I sold my Encores because they weren't as comfortable. I have 2 actions with barrels in 221, 375 Win, and 44 mag. The latter two are factory ported. Recoil isn't an issue, except that sometimes the knuckle on the middle finger of my shooting hand gets hit by the break-action lever. A set of weight-lifting gloves cures this. My hardest decision is which one to use when deer hunting. I also have two SRH's in 44 mag, one is 9.5" and one is a custom 5". Oh, these tuff decisions.

 

[Dave Schwaab]

A LONG time ago, I had an original Contender Super 14 in .35 Remington. I really loved that gun, but I never got to take the hunting trip I bought it for. The very first time I shot it, I did so one-handed, to convince myself that I could handle a rifle caliber in a handgun and eliminate any possibility flinching. I used to shoot that gun with the standard open sights at 125 yards, hitting old one gallon paint cans as the equivalent of the vital area of a deer. (My eyes aren't up to that today!) Sorry I let that gun go.

When pistol caliber carbines started becoming a thing a few years ago, I figured it might be fun to have one in my own favorite pistol caliber. Now, I grew up watching Wyatt Earp, the Lone Ranger, Paladin and Josh Randall, so that favorite caliber is .45 Colt! Remembering how much I had liked that original Contender, and the words of Capt. McNelly, I bought a G2 Contender Rifle Action and had Match Grade Machine make a custom 24 inch barrel for it. Once upon a time, I would have fitted a good set of Williams peep sights to that gun, but, in deference to my aging eyes, I went with a variable power telescopic sight from BSA that I found at a reasonable price. I think I could stretch the range for a .45 Colt out of that gun to 300-400 yards, maybe even 500, I just haven't had the chance to try it on a range that long.

 

[BearBiologist]

A LONG time ago, I had an original Contender Super 14 in .35 Remington. I really loved that gun, but I never got to take the hunting trip I bought it for. The very first time I shot it, I did so one-handed, to convince myself that I could handle a rifle caliber in a handgun and eliminate any possibility flinching. I used to shoot that gun with the standard open sights at 125 yards, hitting old one gallon paint cans as the equivalent of the vital area of a deer. (My eyes aren't up to that today!) Sorry I let that gun go.

When pistol caliber carbines started becoming a thing a few years ago, I figured it might be fun to have one in my own favorite pistol caliber. Now, I grew up watching Wyatt Earp, the Lone Ranger, Paladin and Josh Randall, so that favorite caliber is .45 Colt! Remembering how much I had liked that original Contender, and the words of Capt. McNelly, I bought a G2 Contender Rifle Action and had Match Grade Machine make a custom 24 inch barrel for it. Once upon a time, I would have fitted a good set of Williams peep sights to that gun, but, in deference to my aging eyes, I went with a variable power telescopic sight from BSA that I found at a reasonable price. I think I could stretch the range for a .45 Colt out of that gun to 300-400 yards, maybe even 500, I just haven't had the chance to try it on a range that long.

View attachment 22884

I took a 200 lb sow with my TC Contender in .35 Rem at ~200 yards. Missed on the first shot (shot over her @ 75-100 yards).

 

[Hawk-in-Wi]

that is really sweet

 

[bearskinner]

I use Contender G2’s for my long range hunting handguns, and really like the factory G2 rubber grips. The big boomers are a 375GNR and 310GNR, both extremely powerful, both with large radial brakes. I hold the grip really tight in my hand, with a firm wrist, and a loose elbow, to let the gun come up in recoil. I also lean a little sideways, so I don’t get hit in the face! These are not daily shooters, but large caliber hunting guns that are extremely effective and powerful on the largest game.

 

[bearskinner]

 

[The Blackhawk Kid]

 

[The Blackhawk Kid]

 

[The Blackhawk Kid]

 

[xtratoy]

I have the 45-70 Contender barrel and had a 444 Marlin barrel. By far the 444 Marlin was far more violent. Both barrels had T/C's muzzle brake. Even a medium loaded 300 grain handload in 444 was way stouter than a factory 400 grain in 45/70 as far as felt recoil. The 444 was a re-chambered super 14 44 Mag and the 45/70 is a Super 16. I have the stock to convert to rifle but that makes the 45-70 a 2 shot rifle. To light of a gun driving into shoulder in my opinion and that was 25 years ago. I used to enjoy big recoil but not so much anymore.

 

[wheelgun1958]

One frame. 10 inch barrels.
22 k hornet
7tcu
30 herret
357 herret
357 mag
44 mag

My brother has a 14 inch ported 45/70. Such fun!

 

[Dan in MI]

I have shot and owned most every production caliber T/C made. The biggest and baddest I’ve shot weren’t production though. 50 Alaskan and 50-70. While I am not real recoil sensitive those were both one and done.