Author Topic: History Question about Contenders (Read 612 times)

teamnelson · « **on:** April 24, 2005, 01:45:25 PM »

I have a frame that as near as I can figure was produced in '73. However, it has the competitor grip on it, which I am guessing was not the original. Does anyone know which grip would have come on a spanking new Contender in '73?

Racepres · « **Reply #1 on:** April 24, 2005, 02:16:56 PM »

My bet is that it was the "super sleek & stylish" Herretts w/ the finger grooves.. However it could have been the Herrett's w, the "ridge" for a finger groove that extended down the length of the grip. I call them the "second generation" grip ... I can get ya pix if it becomes an issue ...as I have examples on hand .... Marty

fyrepowrx · « **Reply #2 on:** April 24, 2005, 05:48:28 PM »

not long ago i bought a Contender of that vintage to get the barrel & scope that was on it. I was assured by the previous owner that it was all just as he had bought it some 30 years ago...it had the second one that Racepres mentioned, not the "fingergroove" herret style, although i do like that one too, at least on smaller calibers..on big bores those wood grips eat my hand up.

RonF · « **Reply #3 on:** April 25, 2005, 01:43:46 AM »

I bought a Contender in 1973, #42,xxx which had this smaller grip with the ridge down the left side for a thumbrest for right handed shooters, so that one is correct for your gun. It is a nice grip for those with smallish hands, but that "horn" behind the hammer is mighty uncomfortable for hard kickers. Still, it's not as bad as the first style grip, which will absolutley chew up your hand with hard kickers.

RonF

Graybeard · « **Reply #4 on:** April 25, 2005, 02:49:50 AM »

I'm not a TC historian by any means nor a collector. But as best as I can recall from the TCs I personally owned back in that time frame I believe the grip described by Ron is period correct for the early to mid '70s. I found it to be serious pain with the 10" .44 Magnum I was firing with iron sights back in that day. I lost a lot of blood to that gun.

Racepres · « **Reply #5 on:** April 25, 2005, 06:28:29 AM »

FWIW The Herrett's finger groove style w/ the matching "Flaired and pointed" forend are to my eye the most stylish of the contender woods... They were not all created equal in my experience... once I found one that actually fit my hand, I think I may be able to tolerate the "dreaded 10" octagon .44"... Having a grip that fits the hand makes my 357 Herrett a relative pussycat and the 375 Win. almost fun... I don't at all care for "rubber" grips, so I am willing to seek out correctly fitting wood examples. Marty

Herr Trigger · « **Reply #6 on:** April 25, 2005, 09:58:03 AM »

I just picked up my 1st T/C contender sn 180xx It has a 10 inch 25-35 oct bbl. Can anyone tell when it was made???

Keith L · « **Reply #7 on:** April 25, 2005, 10:41:21 AM »

Even though I prefer the G-2 to the original Contender I kept one of my originals so I could use "rubber" grips on my heavier recoiling barrels. I always felt (with no real grounds for this) that I wouldn't be able to hold on with smooth wood grips. Maybe the whole problem was the size of the grips, not the composition.

Curtis · « **Reply #8 on:** April 25, 2005, 12:29:08 PM »

Quote from: Herr Trigger

I just picked up my 1st T/C contender sn 180xx It has a 10 inch 25-35 oct bbl. Can anyone tell when it was made???

Jan. to June 1981 per http://www.handgunhunt.com/tech/t1/index.html

Curtis

Herr Trigger · « **Reply #9 on:** April 25, 2005, 01:32:10 PM »

Thanks Curtis