Author Topic: Your first Contender... (Read 4008 times)

mstake · « **Reply #60 on:** February 18, 2005, 05:22:49 AM »

my first was in 1998 or there abouts when the encore hit the market, low nubers on my frame 5 digits. it was the 308win. still have it, would ever get rid of it!!

Born2shoot48 · « **Reply #61 on:** February 25, 2005, 04:55:57 AM »

I think mine was a .22. I head shot a turkey from the deck of the Mayflower.

RonF · « **Reply #62 on:** February 26, 2005, 02:13:58 AM »

Looks like I'm the old guy here (but not by much - rockbilly is close).

April 1968 with two octagon barrels; .22 rimfire and .256 Win Mag. Still have it along with a bunch of other stuff. These are great guns!

RonF

nase02 · « **Reply #63 on:** February 27, 2005, 02:09:50 PM »

Ny first was a was a used 357 mag with red dot scope bought the frame from ED's in 2002. Last fall traded my 45 Ruger for a G2. Just picked up 45 acp custom shop barrell. Total now four barrells and two frames. I think I hav e the bug.

MF · « **Reply #64 on:** February 28, 2005, 06:48:18 AM »

1983? .357 maximum super 14. It's still my favorite barrel!

SLAVAGE · « **Reply #65 on:** February 28, 2005, 09:00:15 AM »

well this week is when ill have my first contender got the barrel 357 max 10 inch bull a few months ago last week i got pach forend an gripper grips
an the frame older stly pre easy hope it itsent too hard to open left the dealer the other day now all this snow in pgh i might not be able to get it for a few days
an that sucks lol

Nate C · « **Reply #66 on:** February 28, 2005, 11:10:39 AM »

Jan 1996, 10" oct 44 mag hot shot. Old style snap on forend and wood grip.

That thing was such a pain to shoot its a wonder I ever bought another one.

TC Shooter · « **Reply #67 on:** February 28, 2005, 08:01:53 PM »

1989 - 357 mag 10" , barrel and frame still with me!

Defender of Liberty · « **Reply #68 on:** March 01, 2005, 04:05:52 PM »

Last year I bought my first T/C Contender. It was a limited edition commemmorative Herrett pistol with case in .30 Herrett. I bought a .44 mag barrel at the same time. A week later I bought a Encore with the following barrels: 12 Ga turkey barrel, .45/70 pistol barrel, .454 Casull pistol barrel, .480 Ruger pistol barrel, .30-06 pistol barrel, and .450 Marlin pistol barrel. The .450 Marlin is the only one that actually causes any pain, but it only lasts for a second. :grin:

flyfisher · « **Reply #69 on:** March 16, 2005, 06:08:07 AM »

Well, here's the rough tally: (just in case you really want to know)

Year first owned:
1960's: 3
1970's: 14
1980's: 18
1990's: 13
2000+: 19

First Barrel:
.222 Rem: 4
7-30: 4
44 Mag: 10
30-30: 11
.223: 7
.22 Hornet: 3
.357 Herrett: 2
7mm INT Rim 1
.22 LR: 12
35 Rem: 1
7mm TCU: 3
30/40 Krag: 1
410: 3
.256 Win. Mag. 4
.357 Mag: 3
.30 Herrett: 2
45 Colt: 2
22 Mag. 1
357 Max: 3
.41 Mag: 1
.308 Win.: 1 (encore)

Looks like the .22 LR, 44 Mag, and 30-30 are the most popular, but I guess that we all kind-of would have figured that.

Thanks to everyone who participated, I never had any idea that it would have been this successful. Hopefully, it has also been a fun trip down memory lane. It brings me back to the exact moment that I purchased my first Contender some 9 or 10 years ago...I can still remember how it felt to bring that big pistol up and take aim for the first time...

Thanks again,
Coop

skb2706 · « **Reply #70 on:** March 16, 2005, 07:14:22 AM »

Someday somebody is going to ask my 12 year old son the same question ....he will be able to answer

April 1, 2005

.204 Ruger carbine, Contender G2 frame w/ Mueller 3.5 x 10 44mm scope on Leupold one piece mount, old set of Redfield four screw rings and factory wood. 200 rounds of hand loaded 32 gr. bliztkings.

Happy Birthday to him !!

GregP42 · « **Reply #71 on:** March 16, 2005, 07:22:49 AM »

Oh wow, that was sooooo long ago....

1988: 6.5mm TCU 14inch

Followed soon after by a .41 mag 14inch and then, well just say there have been a bunch through here, but I miss my 6.5 most of all.

Greg

1dahunter · « **Reply #72 on:** April 27, 2005, 12:09:36 PM »

Just recently got my first one a 1974 model came with a super 14 30-30 and 44 mag barrel. Jimmy

umax5555 · « **Reply #73 on:** April 27, 2005, 03:15:24 PM »

I just bought mine last weekend at a gun show. It is a Contender with and incredible trigger and a 10" .22lr, 10" .357 mag and a 14" .223. I am amazed at how accurate they are. Thinking of possibly getting a 22 hornet and maybe a G2. Where is a good place to get hardshell cases? I can't find one long enough.

Curtis · « **Reply #74 on:** April 28, 2005, 02:22:47 AM »

Quote from: umax5555

Where is a good place to get hardshell cases? I can't find one long enough.

This link was posted by a gentleman in the Contender/Encore Rifle forum: http://www.elitetacticalsources.com/client/details.php?pid=1276

Looks like a good one.

Curtis

Phil Magistro · « **Reply #75 on:** April 28, 2005, 03:02:17 PM »

I bought my first Contender in the late 70's - a .357 Herrett. I fell in love with that cartridge even though it was a pain to make the cases. For a while I owned over fifteen barrels of different calibers and bought, sold and traded way too much. Eventually I sold everything I had including the frames. In the late 80's I picked up two frames and put on the barrels that I still use today - a 10" .338 Woodswalker and a 14" 309 JDJ.

Phil

Zero · « **Reply #76 on:** April 28, 2005, 03:33:53 PM »

My first TC :grin:
I received it by pure luck,I was at a california
state championship silhouette match, And I bought a five dollar
raffle ticket,I don`t even know why I bought it, because at that
time I thought the TC was the ugliest pistol that I have ever seen
This was in 1989 and the pistol was a 10" 357mag, with 200 rd`s
of brass...... that was the hook..... And I`ve been on it ever since.
Now I have 3 safes and a vast assortment of TC everything..
My wife just looks at me and shakes her head.....She thinks
sometimes that maybe I should have stayed home that fateful
day.........Thats my story.... :grin:

Iowa Fox · « **Reply #77 on:** April 28, 2005, 04:57:38 PM »

Ok, I quess I will pipe in.

In 1969 I got out of Uncle Sam's Army and married my long time girl friend a few months later. Shortly after my Brother in Law and I purchased a couple of Model 19 Smiths. Boy, Did we shoot the Hell out of them. I mean thousands and thousands of rounds of cast bullets.

One Sunday we went to the In laws for Sunday dinner and he told me about the ugly pistol he had purchased. He called it the "CLUB CONTENDER", but boy did it shoot. After dinner we fired a few rounds and he was right. In the next couple weeks my OTHER Brother in Law and I purchased a couple of frames together. We paid 75.00 for the frames with grips and forends.

They, the TC's have probably given my families more pleasure than any other firearms we own.

I still have the Wife, Brothers in Law, Mother in Law, all the frames, Barrels, Kids, Grand Kids, and so do they. Still got the Smith also.

If anybody looks at the logo of Hunters Specialties, that guy in the LOGO is my Brother In Law.

YUP! We are shooters.

JD

patw · « **Reply #78 on:** April 30, 2005, 04:47:50 AM »

First one was in mid 90's. My wife got me what I wanted, a contender with a 16" 45-70. Have added a couple of frames and quite a few barrels since then. Still trying to get the 45-70 to shoot good enough with me holding it; maybe this will be the year I feel confident enough to take it hunting.

lisa1lacy2 · « **Reply #79 on:** April 30, 2005, 06:35:30 AM »

1995 with a 10" 223 don't have the 223 any more but got a 7-30 about the same year love it I think a 375jdj is coming soon :-D

Author Topic: Your first Contender... (Read 4008 times)

Zero