Author Topic: What did I buy?  (Read 904 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Harryo1

  • Trade Count: (1)
  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 30
What did I buy?
« on: March 28, 2013, 01:49:41 PM »
  Just put a Contender pistol on hold.  It is marked 375 TC.  Doesn't chamber 375 JDJ or a 375 Winchester.  I'm thinking that it may be a 375 Super Mag.  Anyone have a factory Contender barrel chambered in this round?  Thanks for any help/info.

Offline Ladobe

  • Trade Count: (91)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3193
Re: What did I buy?
« Reply #1 on: March 28, 2013, 03:13:07 PM »
The 375 Super Mag has been done in Contender's, but I've never shot one chambered for it.   You might look at the chamber to see if it is for a tapered case.   The Dan Wesson 375SM revolvers developed for IHMSA I've seen and shot though, and they had problems with cases sticking when shot.
 
375GNR has been done on Contender's.
 
The 375GNR#2 and 378GNR are Encore carts.
 
The 375 Jurras only doable on Jurras Howdah Contender frames that have beefed up.
 
You said it's not a 375 Win or 375JDJ.
 
375 TC?  Doesn't ring a bell.
 
Am I forgetting any others for the Contender folks?
Evolution at work. Over two million years ago the genus Homo had small cranial capacity and thick skin to protect them from their environment. One species has evolved into obese cranial fatheads with thin skin in comparison that whines about anything and everything as their shield against their environment. Meus

Offline Harryo1

  • Trade Count: (1)
  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 30
Re: What did I buy?
« Reply #2 on: March 28, 2013, 10:20:57 PM »
Thanks for the input.  Don't think it's a GNR or it would have been marked as such.  The 375 TC are factory markings.
Any ideas on when the 375 Super Mag came out?   It's on a very early stainless frame supposedly owned by a
longtime TC employee.  The 375 Win round seemed small diamter wise but was too long.  Being a tapered case
it might fit if shortened.  This would pretty much be what a 375 Super Mag is I think??

Offline Ladobe

  • Trade Count: (91)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3193
Re: What did I buy?
« Reply #3 on: March 29, 2013, 01:23:18 AM »
You now offer new information that can make a huge difference.   If it belonged to a TC employee, it could very easily be a "lunch time" special barrel... IOW something made by the employee not offered standard production by TC.   Your comment it is marked 375 TC only suggests that is very possible also, but not what cartridge it is for sure - "something" already out there, something they wildcatted themselves.   
 
Should be easy enough to tell the difference between a 375 Win and 375SM chamber though, the later will be about 1/2" shorter.   A chamber cast will verify what cartridge it is... but just measuring case head diameter and case length as best as you can probably would also.
 
The 375 Win is a modern version of an old Winchester black powder cartridge that Winchester came out with for a big bore lever rifle (sometime not too long after the mid 70's based on where I lived).   Don't remember which old BP cartridge off hand for sure, but probably from the 38-55 Win.   TC didn't add it to their standard production barrels until maybe early 90's if I remember from about when I got one to try it out.  I usually tried whatever they made new for the Contender's soon after they came out with them IOW.
 
The 375 Super Mag is a Gates wildcat from sometime in the late 70's/early 80's based on a 30-30 Win case.    Was probably about mid-late 80's when I first shot it in a buddies DW revolver.   TC never offered it as a standard production barrel that I remember, can't remember if they ever did from their so called custom shop.
 
Just a lot of guess work until you verify what the barrel is chambered for.   Maybe some of it will help you.
 
 
Evolution at work. Over two million years ago the genus Homo had small cranial capacity and thick skin to protect them from their environment. One species has evolved into obese cranial fatheads with thin skin in comparison that whines about anything and everything as their shield against their environment. Meus

Offline Harryo1

  • Trade Count: (1)
  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 30
Re: What did I buy?
« Reply #4 on: March 30, 2013, 12:38:06 AM »
Well I picked up the gun last night.  Tried a 375 Super Mag at the gun shop and it was a no go.  Looked it over closer at home and it appears to be based on a 35 Rem case necked up to 375.  Didn't notice at first that it was chambered for a rimless case.  I've never heard of this round??  Looks like I'll use the frame, wood and scope for now.  It's a real nice flatsided stainless frame.  Maybe rechamber it to something interesting down the road.  The Reader wildcats look impressive and I've got lots of 445 brass.  Thanks for the help.

Offline Ladobe

  • Trade Count: (91)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3193
Re: What did I buy?
« Reply #5 on: March 30, 2013, 05:46:03 AM »
Looks like, might be and now a rimless case apparently instead of a rimmed case you first alluded to, etc tells me that until you do a chamber cast to ID for sure what dimensions you're working with it would be just like it has been up to now... only speculation that may have hidden dangers.   I know of 375 wildcats based on "rimless" cases that are close enough to the 35 Rem case dimension to consider maybe (as well as on the 35 Rem itself).   But like with one of the rimmed I already mentioned that IMO is borderline safe on the Contender frame without down loading, I'm done shooting in the dark until the parent case dimensions are confirmed.  Too many Contender barrels have been chambered for carts that can be dangerous on it to the uninformed and unwary IOW.
 
 
Evolution at work. Over two million years ago the genus Homo had small cranial capacity and thick skin to protect them from their environment. One species has evolved into obese cranial fatheads with thin skin in comparison that whines about anything and everything as their shield against their environment. Meus