No-Tools Forend Bolts?

[teamnelson]

Anybody ever make a knurled forend bolt for Contenders? Seems like if you use washers to float the barrel, a finger tightened bolt would be strong enough to keep it secure, and sure make it handy to break down for packing.

[OK hunter]

I have seen some stand off plugs that allow the forend to be removed quickly and without tools.  Several of the online catalogs advertised them.  nornally will be seen with synthetic forends.

[Ladobe]

You may already know that TC offered snap-on forends in the early days, not for carbines but for the octagon handgun barrels.   A simple ball stud screwed into the barrel with a socket in the forend that press fitted onto the ball stud.   One of those good 'nuff things early on for what they went on maybe, but they didn't hold up with wear from repeated removal and installation and didn't provide a secure mount for "supported" forend shooting.   TC went from single screw forends on the carbine to two because they too didn't provide the secure mounting needed for what the carbines were capable of.  All moot points IMO if you want the secure forend mounting for better accuracy and are not too lazy to change a screw or two.   Bet I've installed or removed a few thousand (or ten thousand) forend screws over the years.   Even so and all added up they didn't take long.   

[teamnelson]

Ladobe, yeah I saw some of those snap-on forends at IHMSA shoots. And they seemed handy until they weren't, like some of the snap-on shotgun forends that seem to need a "tune-up" every couple years.

I set up a g2 carbine with a super 16 barrel as a lightweight pack rifle; slung its okay, and keeping an allen wrench in my pack to tear down isn't so bad, but ideally I'd like to keep it broke down in my pack until I got to where I wanted to use it, as long as I don't lose the wrench. I was just wondering if anyone had ever made knurled bolts - seems like folks are all a little individual in how they like to use their gear, and that's the beauty of the TC. You can set it up how you want it. 

[OK hunter]

I like the idea of knurled bolts to afix the forearm to the barrel but am uncertain of how to make it flush with the forearm.

[Ladobe]

A snap-on forend on a slinged TC, pistol or carbine, would mean using a barrel clamp sling stud.   Not a choice I'd ever take on any firearm.

Any machinist could make knurled attaching bolts for you and they wouldn't cost much.   Flush mounting may be possible depending on the thickness of your forend and the bolts head size, but also would require the forend to be hogged out large enough around the bolt head to facilitate getting your fingers on it.   Would be a pretty big bevel for most adult fingers, and of course weaken the attachment due to less left in forend thickness under the bolt to purchase on.   No different than a recessed sling stud, but they are usually down in brass inserts to help the strength of the forend wood they replace.

Unfortunately the three gents I had make most of my personally designed accessories for my TC's and other firearms are no longer doing custom work, one on the east and two on the west coasts.   All were long time TC users, so did an excellent job following just verbal descriptions of what I wanted.    And as old friends and hunting pards they did them more often than not as gifts.  So I didn't ask for royalties if them produced more for others.   

I'm sure Steve Stratton would make them for you if you want them from someone who makes and sells other TC accessories.   A search will find his website - he's in Hurricane, UT.   They could even doube as the sling stud if made to do so if wanted.

Luck with whatever you do.