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Another Pawn Shop Find

reddnek
I went into one of the pawn shops thats on my list of favorites today and guess what I found. A Thompson Center Contender(I think the older model).45 Colt Barrel with a choke on the end(I guess this is the one that also shoots .410 shells).Anyway $350 out the door,I'll pick it up when next months pension check comes in.Several questions

1 How do I tell for sure wether its an old or new model.

2 Are the barrels and forarms interchangable between new and old models????

3 Does T/C still sell barrels for the old model????

I'm looking to find 22 Hornet,22 lr and 357 Magnum barrels I bought one of these when they first came out and stupidly sold it about 10 years ago, been sorta looking for one ever since. Damn I love pawn shops!!!!!!!
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Comments

7 comments

Date Votes
  • 11b6r
    I THINK that is the old model. IIRC, they dropped the 45/410 barrel combo in favor of the 44 mag/ 44 mag hotshot barrel, but would not swear to it. TC could answer that, tho,
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  • tsr1965
    The way to tell if it is an old or new model...the old model has a game scene on the side with a mountain lion, if I remember correctly. The new G2 looks like a baby Encore. All of the older contender barrels except the Armour Alloy II coated ones will fit the new or old the contenders. The Armour Alloy II ones must go with the corresponding frame that is Armour Alloy II plated.

    They actually dropped the 357 and 44 hotshot barrels for the 45 colt/410. The only thing to remember is if you are shooting a slug or a 45 Colt in there, is to remove the internal choke tube that has straight flutes in to stop the shot from spinning.

    Best.
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  • crisisbill
    Here is a chart to use to date your gun.
    http://www.handgunhunt.com/tech/t1/index.html

    http://www.handgunhunt.com/tech/t1/index.html
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  • grizzclaw
    I think there were 3 variations before the G2, the first had no safety, the second had a push through safety on the hammer, and the third had a kind of switch on the top of the hammer that you turned to change from rimfire to safe to centerfire. I've seen the frames with a Cougers head, or a Couger standing on a rock, I think the also made a flatside or smooth side before the G2. The first barrels were octogon, the one's for shot cartridges having an external choke. The later barrels were round with an internal choke for 45/410. If you don't have a wrench for the internal choke, a 3/8 Allen wrench works fine. The barrels for all the contenders interchange, I think, except for the muzzloader barrel. I'm told that the stocks and forends won't interchange between the G2 and the older Contenders, I don't know, I've never owned a G2. I was also told by a rep from TC, that the first 2 variations need to have the EZ open feature installed on them to help with the ease of opening. I had one first variation that didn't need it, and a second variation that did. I think TC only sells the newer style barrels, but you can still find the older Oct. barrels fairly readily. The newer 45/410 barrels came with a vent rib or adjustable sight. I'm pretty sure that I've seen older oct barrels that only fired a 45 Colt or a 45 shot cartridge but not the 410.
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  • tsr1965
    quote:Originally posted by grizzclaw
    I think there were 3 variations before the G2, the first had no safety, the second had a push through safety on the hammer, and the third had a kind of switch on the top of the hammer that you turned to change from rimfire to safe to centerfire. I've seen the frames with a Cougers head, or a Couger standing on a rock, I think the also made a flatside or smooth side before the G2. The first barrels were octogon, the one's for shot cartridges having an external choke. The later barrels were round with an internal choke for 45/410. If you don't have a wrench for the internal choke, a 3/8 Allen wrench works fine. The barrels for all the contenders interchange, I think, except for the muzzloader barrel. I'm told that the stocks and forends won't interchange between the G2 and the older Contenders, I don't know, I've never owned a G2. I was also told by a rep from TC, that the first 2 variations need to have the EZ open feature installed on them to help with the ease of opening. I had one first variation that didn't need it, and a second variation that did. I think TC only sells the newer style barrels, but you can still find the older Oct. barrels fairly readily. The newer 45/410 barrels came with a vent rib or adjustable sight. I'm pretty sure that I've seen older oct barrels that only fired a 45 Colt or a 45 shot cartridge but not the 410.


    It is NOT true that ALL barrels interchange. If you read my previouos post the Armour Alloy II barrels will only fit the Armour Alloy II frames. T/C even printed warnings about that in their literature of the time. It can damage the frames and/or barrels by interchanging them.

    Best
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  • grizzclaw
    I'm sorry, when I made the statement about the barrels, I forgot to reiterate what you said about those barrels.
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  • brier-49
    Just make sure yuo unscrew that choke before you shoot 45 colt thru it.
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