Author Topic: Southpaws and Contender pistols (Read 1213 times)

Three44s · « **on:** March 20, 2011, 06:27:21 PM »

I have been trying out a Contender pistol with a Super 14" chambered in .30-30 win. and I am a southpaw.

This is my first foray into single shot pistols ......... all my other experiences with short guns has been with revolvers (and autos).

I thought that working with .44 mag in various lengths of barrels would equip me well ........ but I am finding that is not the case.

Here's my problem: With the Super 14" it twists against my strong side wrist (left hand ........ bending it backwards)

I just bought a .222 rem 10" from a member here and it has no twist what so ever.

If I could find a solution to the twisting of the wrist, I would likely acquire a .44 mag barrel and have a hankering for a .35 rem tube as well.

Three 44s

lynneil · « **Reply #1 on:** March 21, 2011, 02:38:43 AM »

So, whats the problem? Clearly, if you can't hold on to a T/C chambered in a heavy recoiling cartridge, pick a less powerful one. No brainer.

luckydawg13 · « **Reply #2 on:** March 21, 2011, 03:21:30 AM »

my 357 max was the same more of a twist then a push back i put a break on it worked great
breaks do help a lot if the recoil is to much for you but you will need to plug your ears and muff

Three44s · « **Reply #3 on:** March 21, 2011, 06:10:05 AM »

Thanks for the replies.

I did not count the recoil as the problem ......... it's the hard sideways twist backwards against my left wrist. I shoot a Smith Mountain gun with heavy loads and it's no bother ......... I have two heavy Ruger double actions also in .44 mag ........ straight line recoil or muzzle rise are not an issue. None of these guns twist appreciably.

The cartridge I shot was a .30-30 and it's more of a medium ........ what I want is to move up to the .35 rem and as bullet weight goes up, recoil must follow.

What I am looking for is input from folks that shoot left handed and have conqueered this problem.

Three 44s

offhand35 · « **Reply #4 on:** March 21, 2011, 06:44:11 AM »

I shoot handgun left handed, but I am right eyed.......this drove my instructor crazy way back when...!
So....when I shoot handgun, recoil does not go quite straight back into my arm but inflicts a twist to the slight backbend in my wrist with the larger calibers. In addition to developing a strong 2 hand hold, I did get a contoured wood left hand target grip for my Contender which is much better than holding onto a stick of wood that is a little too big around for my hand, and allows the recoil to influence the shot follow up. This grip used to be available from T/C, but may no longer be.....I imagine you could find one on an auction site somewhere if need be.

I think you would find quite an improvement with this grip if you could find one.

luckydawg13 · « **Reply #5 on:** March 21, 2011, 07:39:08 AM »

try left handed grips Dave D can make them for you look here or look on specialty pistols forum
good luck

Keith L · « **Reply #6 on:** March 21, 2011, 01:41:52 PM »

Quote from: lynneil on March 21, 2011, 02:38:43 AM

So, whats the problem? Clearly, if you can't hold on to a T/C chambered in a heavy recoiling cartridge, pick a less powerful one. No brainer.

I would have preferred to do this off-line, but you have not activated the PM function for your posts. The OP asked a legitimate question and your answer is on the verge of a flame. You are new here, so it is worth letting you know that we don't appreciate attacking posts here. Read the rules for posting in the heading of this forum. This needs to be a friendly place.

Thanks,

Keith

Doublebass73 · « **Reply #7 on:** March 21, 2011, 03:17:35 PM »

I'm a southpaw who shoots a 10" .45 Colt barrel with open sights. I reload and shoot all the way up to max Ruger-T/C loads from the manuals which are basically equivalent to standard .44 Mag loads. These loads are a handful recoil wise but definitely what I would call manageable. I don't notice much torque, all of the recoil is the muzzle flipping backwards. I've never shot a rifle round in a contender for comparison but I think you should try the .44 Mag barrel first especially if you're already used to shooting the .44 Mag. I doubt you'll have any issues with it. If it turns out you don't like it you can always sell it on the classifieds here.

Three44s · « **Reply #8 on:** March 21, 2011, 07:07:55 PM »

Thanks for all the great replies thus far ........... as Keith L points out ......... this IS a friendly place!

As a matter of fact, a neighbor has offered me his 10" and 14" .44 mag barrels to try out as well. I think he wants to sell his "10" and I would like a .44 barrel sometime down the road.

This venture into Contenders is becoming fascinating! ..... I wish I'd tried this a LONG time ago!!

Besides grips and fore ends ........... I'd wondered about slings? Any thoughts there?

I recall from Elmer Keith's book Sixguns he mentions an acquiaintance of his that used a sling over the shooter's shoulders and tied to a revolver that helped stabilize it. A Contender would be easy to "hook to".

I've got an ideal situation. The deceased owner's son is in no hurry for his barrels or Contender back (I am very sure I'll keep the frame) and he brought me brass and dies for the .30-30 barrel ......... and today he even brought me the other barrel ... a .45/.410 in 10".

The other day, I bought a tapered 10" barrel in .222 rem from another great member on this board ............ all in all ........... I'm like a "hog in tall clover"!!

Thanks again

Three 44s

lynneil · « **Reply #9 on:** March 22, 2011, 08:55:10 AM »

Go on Bellm's web site. There is a write up on reshaping the stock similer to the revolver Bisley shape. The writer claimed it helped to diminish recoil twist.

lynneil · « **Reply #10 on:** March 22, 2011, 08:58:40 AM »

Name begins with a B, ends with M, has some L's in between.

Three44s · « **Reply #11 on:** March 22, 2011, 10:25:49 AM »

Thank you lynneil,

I'll check that out ........

Best regards

Three 44s

Keith L · « **Reply #12 on:** March 22, 2011, 12:57:58 PM »

Quote from: lynneil on March 22, 2011, 08:58:40 AM

Name begins with a B, ends with M, has some L's in between.

I am beginning to think you want to get banned. READ THE RULES! DON'T PLAY GAMES WITH THE CENSORED WORDS!

leadbutt · « **Reply #13 on:** March 22, 2011, 04:30:02 PM »

Have been shooting the TC's for about 30 years or so now I guess most of them in the heavy calibers,and I am left handed, first thing i had to do was change out the wooden grips for the Pachy type,for me much better at recoil control, have found that allowing the gun to come up and roll with the recoil has helped me also, can't shoot it like a DA revolver

Three44s · « **Reply #14 on:** March 22, 2011, 06:54:50 PM »

leadbutt,

You may be onto something ......... I'll have to go back and fire some more .30-30's with the intent of letting it roll up more. Maybe I'm bringing on the twisting motion myself because I am limiting the roll too much?

Right now, I'm just trying the frame. If (and I will likely buy it) and when I own it ....... I will be shopping for a different grip as this one is a wooden one expressly for right handers.

Thanks

Three 44s

lynneil · « **Reply #15 on:** March 23, 2011, 05:01:55 AM »

T/C makes a walnut grip with a rubber insert on the back. This is what I am currently using. I have an older (1980's) "PACHY" but I find it too short to really get a firm grip. Maybe the newer ones are better.

Three44s · « **Reply #16 on:** March 23, 2011, 06:11:42 AM »

lynneil,

That's what I thought ........ a wood grip with a rubber back strap ......... I own a Pachy for a Ruger Redhawk and it's too short for me as well.

Also, an all rubber grip will cause the hand to gain traction and the twisting motion I am attempting to conqueer would not be helped.

A wood/rubber hybrid grip would make more sense.

Thanks

Three 44s

Ladobe · « **Reply #17 on:** March 23, 2011, 11:34:56 AM »

Can't find an old file I put together many years ago and had saved on my computer for years (and the hard copy would be buried in storage someplace), so this is just from memory FWIW.

With a long developed shooting techique for my Contenders and after market/custom grips that fit my hand perfectly I never perceived any difference in torque myself no matter how mean the handcannon, but a possibility that might effect torque for some lefties for certain barrels that don't bother the rest of us might be because over the years at least some TC Contender factory barrels have been made with both R/H and L/H twists. Some early barrels were R/H and generally slower twist than those their later L/H twist barrels, but without the file I can't remember for which or if all cartridges except for a couple I actually sought out for specific uses for IHMSA matches myself some years ago. Thinking about IHMSA brings the 32-20 and 30-30 to mind and I've had them with both R/H and L/H twists for specific uses. Easy enough to look down the bore to see which twist your barrel has - R/H or L/H. Not sure if this also holds true to all of the barrels (again without my file) but another easy clue at least with the two cartridges mentioned is the R/H twist barrels had 6 lands and grooves while the L/H twist barrels had 8 lands and grooves.

As suggested the grips do help tame torque and recoil, but your shooting technique can also do so quite well. Easy start is to have custom grips made that actually fit your hand rather than using the "fits all" generic ones TC offers. There are several good TC grip makers around that charge reasonable prices and offer everything from utility to exhibition grade sets. Most of mine were from Bullberry, but I also had a lot of Pachy sets as well.

Might or might not be a factor in your case, but food for thought anyway.

HTH

L.

Doublebass73 · « **Reply #18 on:** March 23, 2011, 05:12:27 PM »

Quote from: Three44s on March 22, 2011, 06:54:50 PM

leadbutt,

You may be onto something ......... I'll have to go back and fire some more .30-30's with the intent of letting it roll up more. Maybe I'm bringing on the twisting motion myself because I am limiting the roll too much?

Right now, I'm just trying the frame. If (and I will likely buy it) and when I own it ....... I will be shopping for a different grip as this one is a wooden one expressly for right handers.

Thanks

Three 44s

That's a good point from leadbutt that I didn't think of. When I'm shooting max loads I don't try to fight the recoil, it's easier to just "roll with it".

Three44s · « **Reply #19 on:** March 23, 2011, 05:48:43 PM »

ladobe,

I thought about LH vs. RH twist and decided that grip and shooting technique were much less expensive solutions. The .30-30 barrel is just for trying as it is for sale along with the frame and a .45/.410 internal chocked barrel as well. The owner is a good friend as was his recently deceased father.

The son is in no hurry and even brought me brass and dies to give it all a good shakeout.

The .222 rem barrel I just bought on this forum is a keeper and the frame will surely be also. The .30-30 and .45/410 may or may not be keepers for me but my goal would be to end up with a .35 Rem for a bigger bore barrel to compliment the .222 rem on the varmint end of things.

If I don't get a handle on the .30-30 ........ I'm not going to be too keen on stepping up to a "35".

I thank you much for raising the rifling twist issue and I will investigate which this super 14" barrel is and report back here if it's significant.

The grip that I am using right now is not very south paw freindly ..... it's a factory wood expressly for RH shooters and the ridge that forms a thumb rest for a RH shooter lands squarely under my left hand (strong hand for me). When I own the frame, it's the very first thing I'll change.

I know from my revolver experiences, the grip is a big issue.

Hand in hand .... (pun intended) with the grip issue is the technique issue and I'll be working on that as well. One thing that goes with farming and ranching is being able to step right on ones door step and proceed to bang away .......

........... living in the sticks has it's advantages!

Thank you and best regards

Three 44s

Three44s · « **Reply #20 on:** March 23, 2011, 07:50:43 PM »

doublebase73,

I know I liked leadbutt's commentary ....... and yours too!

All good posts with good input ........ GBO is a very good forum indeed!

Best regards

Three 44s

Dixiejack · « **Reply #21 on:** March 27, 2011, 03:53:38 PM »

I bought a 10" octagon 30-30 barrel in the early 70's for my factory grip Contender. I shoot left handed and noticed the twist in the recoil. Since not having any Contender shooters around and no forums, I just assumed it was something to put up with. My problem was after shooting about 10-12 factory rounds my hand and fingers got a tingling, numbing sensation. Finally broke down and bought a shooting glove after a shooting a couple hundred rounds over about a two month period. The glove improved the feeling but I just got used to the twisting on recoil. Shooting a friend's Ruger .44 mag. was like shooting my .357 compare to that Contender thutty-thutty. Good old days. LOL

Three44s · « **Reply #22 on:** March 27, 2011, 06:38:58 PM »

Dixiejack,

That you had tingling in your hand does not surprise me ......... I felt that the backwards twist against my wrist was enough to be concerned about. Two rounds fired and I felt tendons getting abused.

I have shot enough 320 gr. lead slugs at max through a Ruger SRH with a 9.5" barrel to be used to recoil but this was different.

But with two cooperative friends with spare barrels, I'll get to the bottom of this.

And in the mean time, I have a 222 Rem barrel that I am fooling with. One way or the other, there is going to be a Contender hangin' around here from now on!!

Viva Contenders!

Three 44s

lynneil · « **Reply #23 on:** March 28, 2011, 05:34:23 AM »

I used to and still do compete in Ihmsa silhouette. I started of with various T/C calibers and barrel lengths. I then had a chance to try a friends XP-100. Shooting in the creedmore position, that gun would rotate back and smack me right on the bottom rib. A couple of shots, and I had a nice bruise, you talk about flinching. Several of the better XP-100 shooters watched what I was doing. They saw my problem and were able to correct my hold. After that, I purchased a used XP and continue to shoot it to this day. Maybe a more experienced shooter could elaborate on your problem by observation. PS-- I, still, every once and a while get smacked on that rib by the recoil.