TC Forarm

[tripper]

Winter bordom set in so I decided I would attempt somthing new in making my own  bench grip and forarm for my TC. My quistion is should the hanger bar be beded in tight all around or should there be a little slack around it?  What I have done for now is to put a layer of elctrical tape on the sides and ends. The screws for the hanger bar set on a steel bar that is glassed into the bottom and the barrel is bedded about 1" infront of the hanger and in back of it. I built this with bench shooting in mind. Here is a pic.

[Keith L]

You may get more input on TC handguns on this one.  I think most of us Contender shooters try to float forends, but there may be other ideas.  Your stockset looks good.  I get the winder boredom, but don't have the skills to do such nice wood work.

[gunnut69]

With the Contender what you're really asking is should I bed to the barrel or the frame or both..as the screw attacjment means you will be contacting the barrel no matter what else you do I would bed to the barrel and leave the frame to float. This will mean the gun will 'shoot away' from hard rests but will do so to an extent anyway. If you bed the frame the screws and their bosses will apply tension between the barrel and the frame...

[tripper]

Thanks Kieth, This is the  first time for me to try somthing like this. I started several months ago and gave up because I didn't think pistol grip inletting was going rite. Well refinishing one of the 22's I came across the grip and decided to go at it again. The wood is nothing more then some hard wood flooring laminated together. The barrel is floating except for the small area around the hanger I bedded that thinking it would maintain the same prussure when laid on the rest.
 have a blessed day   Trip

PS Thanks for the input gunnut, If I am understanding you rite , I should add enough glass to the barrel channel to lift the hanger bar from touching the  bottom of the forarme and leave the clearance I now have around the sides and end of the hanger.

[gunnut69]

The hanger I'm assuming you are refering to is the boss that attaches the barrel to the frame? If so I suppose you are correct.. The forearm should be in contact with the barrel full length. The barrel can't free float in the normal sense as the forearm can't be attached only to the frame, it must be attached to the barrel. I would try a full length contact to help deaden barrel vibrations. Don't get the bedding tight to the receiver and the effect should be similar to adding mass to the barrel.,.usually a good thing for accuracy. What caliber is the TC in?

[Keith L]

Contender barrels have one or two threaded parts that attach to the bottom of the barrel that the forearm screws to.  A popular method of mounting involves a hanger bar, which is square stock that screws to the mounts on the barrel, then is inlet into the forearm and the forearm screws to the hanger bar.  The forearm and the frame are not in any contact at all. 

Most folks float their forearms with spacers of some sort, and don't bed at all.  Some use rubber O rings over the screws.  I cut spacers our of shotgun shells and give the barrel a little relief.

[tripper]

Keith you are rite in what I am refering to as the hanger bar, mine is the two screw system with one screw attaching the forearm.  The TC is a 14 " 7x30 Waters. I've had it for around 15 years now and it has become my main deer gun. I started this project just to see if I could pull it off. My biggest problem now is I wont have any place to realy test the results until warm up and melt down in the spring. According to the puter is has warmed up to -2 now.
 If you read my first post I guess I am setting with a little of both methods now.
 Thanks for all the input, if it doesn't work as is I'll know what to try next.

[Keith L]

I would bed the hanger bar and keep all wood and bedding material clear of the barrel.  Let us know how it works for you.

[gunnut69]

I'm certain;y not an expert with the TC but if the bar is screwed solidly to the barrel the barrel is really irrelavent. The stress geberated by the heating of the barrel will bend it and force the impact to move on the target.. Bedding the barrel solidly to the barrel allows it to act as a vibration dampener much like a bit of pressyre on the forearm of a rifle will many times settle it down. The disadvantage of either is that the barrel is in hard contact with any rest the forearm touches. Putting a silicone bed in the forearm might help but that I've not tried.. Keep us in the loop, sounds like an interesting project..

[tripper]

Will diffently let you know how things go once I can get out to shoot it.

[tripper]

Well guy's I finaly got out to shoot the above project and here are the results.
Distance was only 50 ydrs. and rounds were three different expiermental loads for the 223 barrel.
a toltal of 10 rounds were fired.
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[tripper]

Another try on pic.
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[gunnut69]

Great groups with a little verticle stringing. Could be the different loads..?

[tripper]

The different loads is what I was thinking to, they were loads my bro gave me when he got rid of his 223. Will have to work some up one of these days. Will also have to put the 7x30 barrel on and see how it does.