.410 or 28 Gauge?

[greenrivers]

What is the general concensous of the Contender shot gun barrels? Are they worth the extra money or do they perform no better than the inexpensive breakdowns?. I need one for pest control and an occasional bird hunt. Are the .410's available with chock tubes or choked full as all others?
Thanks for any input.

[OLDHandgunner]

I have a 28ga Custom Shop with rib & chokes on my G-2 Contender. Got it new in box at a gun show 4-5yrs ago. The guy said that it just wasn't selling at $ 200. He'd had it awhile and he said make me an offer, so I had $ 140 in cash and he took it. It is a High Luster Blue finish. A good addition to the rest of my Contender barrel collection.
 
It handles and shoots excellent. Use it rabbit hunting alot because it is so light and compact.

[Iowa Fox]

You made an excellent buy on that 28 ga barrel OldHandgunner. I would have jumped on it at 200. I have a 21" and 24" 410 barrels and really like them. I wanted an Encore 20ga but just could not justify the price for something I really didn't need. I found an old Bay State 20 like new for 75 so I got it instead. Where the barrels really shine is if you are taking one frame and a few barrels on a trip.

[greenrivers]

Oldhandgunner, someday I hope to fall in that same barrel and get that kind of a buy! I would love to own a 28 and would never look back at the .410. (seems I've said that before.) I fell into the Contenders quite by mistake, but have grown quite attached to them. They do everything well and with little fuss. I have several nice dedicated shotguns in twenty and twelve gauge, but they are a bit much for around the house pest control. When I first moved here a rifle was fine and I could shoot almost in any direction. Safety prevents that now. A .410 is hard to beat for squirrel control though.

[Mike Scott]

Everyone should have a 28 gauge contender barrel!  There are not many of them around but they should be available if/when the TC Custom Shop reopens.  Dave Van Horn has made some too.  The factory TC 410 barrels are as good as any 410 shotgun but they are expensive.   You can probably buy a couple of cheap single shot shotguns for the price of the TC barrel.  I have a "matched pair" of G2 410 and 28s with 24" VR barrels and love them. 

[greenrivers]

Do the .410's come with a rolled choke, or are they screw in? I have not even seen one in my area. I would have no trouble buying one for a bit more than the singles as it would do well with my barrel set. A 28 bore would complete it. I assume that they all have the raised rib?

[OLDHandgunner]

Where the barrels really shine is if you are taking one frame and a few barrels on a trip.

This is what is so great about the Contender. When we take our vacations in the fall. The hunting seasons have just opened. I take my Contender with a 23" heavy .223 barrel for calling coyotes, my 16 1/2" .22 match Bullberry barrel for squirrels and partridge and the 28 ga for walking log roads & orchards for partridge. One gun, 3 barrels that cover about all the game.
 
If I was a bear hunter I would bring along my 23" Bullberry 30-30 AI.
 
Life Is Good. 

[Iowa Fox]

Do the .410's come with a rolled choke, or are they screw in? I have not even seen one in my area. I would have no trouble buying one for a bit more than the singles as it would do well with my barrel set. A 28 bore would complete it. I assume that they all have the raised rib?

The smooth bore T/C barrels have smooth srewed in internall choke tubes. The 410 Contenders came with one tube which I assume is Full choke and have vent ribs. The 20 ga. smooth bore Encore barrels comes with three choke tubes and also vent ribs.

[greenrivers]

Thank you Iowa Fox, that is what I was looking for. I should have known that T/C would take it all the way and do them right. Seems to indicate that my search for another barrel is on. A call to Ed's T/C's in the a.m..