Contender barrel extentions

[Turk1961]

Has anyone used barrel extentions on a 14" Contender barrel to make it legal for a rifle?  I have been told it would be legal.  Is that true?  Who makes these and who do you recommend to install?  Once installed, could a non-smith (me!!!) remove it.

Will one change the grouping of the barrel?  My 14" 357 Maximum shoots great now.

[cap'n bubbleoff]

Hi Turk,
I've thought along those same lines myself. Like-Wow, this barrel shoots pretty good, if I could put it in rifle configuration I wouldn't have to have a benchrest or at least shooting sticks to get near it's potential.
However, from what I've read in these forums, any barrel extensions, brakes, flash hiders, ect. would have to be permanently attached, i.e., welded or something similar. I did read about a barrel that was threaded and pinned--permanently? What's permament in this world? Maybe try a search for "barrel extensions". later, CB

[southern utah]

Choate did make them. Had one on a barrel. There is a hole on the underside of extention for welding. Tried to have it siver sodered but would not stay. You will have to grind the weld off to remove it. When I removed mine with a dremel grinder and drove it off there was a deep grind mark and gouge the length of the extention.

[newhh]

You will get lots of different answers on this one.  If you ask ATF people you might get a very short "NO WAY" or you might get a very in depth answer.  Basicly the extention cannot be removed easly in the feild.  This means that for you to remove it in the field, it would take time and tools.  I don't think many of us would go through the trouble that it takes.  

I think your best answer would be to talk to some of the custom T/C smiths and have a minimum effect break made that would extend the barrel to just over 16".  If made correctly it won't hurt your accurracy and may even improve it by proper venting of the propellent gasses. If the break is made so that most of the gasses vent more to a foward angle than to the sides, this will reduce both the noise and blast effect of full breaks.

The break could be threaded and lock-tighted with the high heat type.  Not many of us are willing to stick the end of the barrel in the fire to get it hot enough and then grab an expensive break with visegrips to remove it, but it could be done.  If you had a far foward weilded front sight with set-dovetailed front post then you could use a set screw under the post.  To remove break you unset post, remove post, remove break locking setscrew, remove break and install muzzle cap, reinstall locking setscrew and post but don't fully set it, then resight barrel adjusting post and lock-set post when finly sighted properly.  Shouldn't take any more than 1.5 to 2 hours and 30 or 40 rounds and a few well chosen words.  No problem.  By the way, the T/C breaks seem to be almost glued on.  Quite a few people have talked about the break flying down range during bench shooting and then trying to find the darn thing.

[southern utah]

extention has to be permanent NOT removable. If you get caught with a short barrel it is a federal charge and kiss you firearms goodby. A 3" removable brake on a 14" barrel is still a 14" barrel.  Take the $40-50 for brake and the smith charge to install and go by a legal rifle barrel.

[Turk1961]

Looks like the best is a new barrel.  But now what brand should I buy?
16 1/4", 18" or 20", bull or not?  With the 357 Maximum, what would I gain going to 20" from 16 1/4"?

[444encore]

For a barrel extension to be considered permanent according to batf standards it must be attached in such a way that it cannot be removed without applying a temperature of at least 1,200 deg. F.
i.e. it must be silver soldered.

[hkg3k]

444encore has it correct on this matter.  SS or welding, and welding does terrible things to bbls.  In the alternative, you may pin an extension in place and then weld the pin to make it permanant.  Doing so does not subject the bbl directly to the heat of welding.......as what was done in the case of southern utah's extension.