.444 Marlin Barrel for a Contender ???

[Davemuzz]

A gun club member has a Contender .44 mag. barrel that he had rechambered to a .444 Marlin. He stated he has shot the thing twice as when he does, it's the most punishing thing he has ever done to his wrist.

He wants to sell this barrel and I was thinking of buying it, but I know the .444 would be a real frame bender by itself. Would magna-porting be enough to keep the barrel from harming a Contender frame?

If maga-porting would tame this beast, what would be a fair price for the barrel, considering I would incurr the cost of the porting?

Or is it just better to think Encore and .444? (I don't currently own an Encore)

Thanks.

Dave

[KN]

The contender was never intended to chamber the 444. Do yourself a favor and get it in an Encore. I have two and they are just about my favorite barrels. You can load it too top end performance and not worry about it blowing up in your hand. If you havn't seen them there are some pics floating around the net of one in lots of pieces.   KN

[tlyne]

Please take KN advice. You will be doing your self a favor. Twyman

[Redhawk1]

Well, I will be the odd man out. I had a 444 Marlin barrel for my contender. It was a 44 Mag rechambered for the 444 Marlin. I shot hundreds and I mean hundreds of rounds through it and "NEVER" harmed my contender frame. I sold the barrel when I bought my first S&W 500 Mag.

I did not have a muzzle break or mag-na-porting done on it and I did not think it was to punishing. But I am a recoil junkie.  If you do get it and want to tame the recoil, give David White a call and have him install a muzzle brake on it. I have had several barrels with his muzzle brake and they work great.  

[EdK]

Would magna-porting be enough to keep the barrel from harming a Contender frame?

It will spare you some of the effects of recoil but no, it will not do anything to preserve the Contender frame itself.

Ed

[Davemuzz]

Well, I think you have answered my question. I am saving my penny's for an encore anyway as I want to get a .243 barrel (I don't know why---oh yeah...now i remember...'cause I don't have one) and a 460 S&W hand gun barrel. So, if'in I'm gonna do that anyway...I may as well just wait and put those penny's towards an encore .444 marlin handgun barrel.

Or...can ya get a 416 carbine barrel for the encore? I have ta look :eek: ...after all, Redhawk says if your gonna make a hole, make it a big 'un!

Thanks for the advice. I like my Contender frame and really don't want to custom bend it. I know I can buy more....but $ don't grow on trees...at least not yet.

Dave

[w4dsb]

I have a 14" 44 mag rechambered to 444 marlin and it is a pussycat to shoot
it does have a muzzle break on it
my 45-70 14" contender barrel is the hardest one on me and it has a break too, come to think of it my 309 jdj recoils pretty hard too!