Description
Item Description
Bryant Ridge Auction Company is pleased to present this scarce single-shot pistol today for a penny start auction; this is the Thompson Center Contender!
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This example features a 10" octagon .45 Colt hotshot barrel and an additional 10" octagon .22 Hornet barrel!
SPECIFICATIONS:
Manufacturer: Thompson Center
Model: Contender
Serial: 48197
Caliber: .45 Colt
Finish: Blue
Barrel Length: 10" Hotshot Barrel (8" Ported Octagon Barrel with 2" Removeable External Choke)
Optics/Sights: Fixed Patridge Style Blade on Ramp Base Front with Adjustable Notched Rear
Stock/Grips: Checkered Walnut Pistol Grip and Forearm
Action: Single-Shot
Markings: Standard
Bryant Ridge's Analysis:
The Thompson/Center Contender is a break-action single-shot pistol or rifle introduced in 1967 by Thompson/Center Arms. It can be chambered in cartridges from .22 Long Rifle to .45-70 Government. The most unusual feature of the Contender is how the barrel is attached to the frame. By removing the fore-end, a large hinge pin is exposed; by pushing this hinge pin out, the barrel can be removed. Since the sights and extractor remain attached to the barrel in the Contender design, the frame contains no cartridge-specific features. A barrel of another caliber or length can be installed and pinned in place, the fore-end replaced, and the pistol is ready to shoot with a different barrel and pre-aligned sights. This allowed easy changes of calibers, sights, and barrel lengths, with only a flat screwdriver required. The Contender frame has two firing pins, and a selector on the exposed hammer, to allow the shooter to choose between rimfire or centerfire firing pins, or to select a safety position from which neither firing pin can strike a primer. The initial baseline design of the Contender had no central safe position on the hammer, having only centerfire and rimfire firing pin positions, each being selectable using a screwdriver.
Three variants of the original Contender design were later developed, distinguished easily by the hammer design. The first variant has a push button selector on the hammer for choosing rimfire vs. centerfire, the second variant has a left-center-right toggle switch for selecting center fire-safe-rimfire firing pins, and the third variant has a horizontal bolt selection for choosing center fire-safe-rimfire firing pin positions. All three of these Contender variants have a cougar etched on the sides of the receiver, thereby easily distinguishing them from the later G2 Contender, which has a smooth-sided receiver without an etched cougar. Some of the very earliest Contenders, those requiring a screwdriver to switch the firing pin between rimfire and centerfire, had smooth sides without the cougar etched. The original Contender designs have an adjustable trigger, allowing the shooter to change both take-up and over travel, permitting user selection of a range of trigger pulls ranging from a fairly heavy trigger pull suitable for carrying the pistol while hunting to a "hair trigger" suitable for long range target shooting.
Contents:
This example will ship with a styrofoam box with a TC Contender label (non-matching serial number), an additional 10" octagon barrel chambered for .22 Hornet, and an external choke with remover pictured above!
Return Policy:
We gladly offer a 3 day unfired inspection policy from the time that the firearm is delivered to your FFL. Refunds are available for all qualifying orders.
Model: Contender
Serial: 48197
Caliber: .45 Colt
Finish: Blue
Barrel Length: 10" Hotshot Barrel (8" Ported Octagon Barrel with 2" Removeable External Choke)
Optics/Sights: Fixed Patridge Style Blade on Ramp Base Front with Adjustable Notched Rear
Stock/Grips: Checkered Walnut Pistol Grip and Forearm
Action: Single-Shot
Markings: Standard
Bryant Ridge's Analysis:
The Thompson/Center Contender is a break-action single-shot pistol or rifle introduced in 1967 by Thompson/Center Arms. It can be chambered in cartridges from .22 Long Rifle to .45-70 Government. The most unusual feature of the Contender is how the barrel is attached to the frame. By removing the fore-end, a large hinge pin is exposed; by pushing this hinge pin out, the barrel can be removed. Since the sights and extractor remain attached to the barrel in the Contender design, the frame contains no cartridge-specific features. A barrel of another caliber or length can be installed and pinned in place, the fore-end replaced, and the pistol is ready to shoot with a different barrel and pre-aligned sights. This allowed easy changes of calibers, sights, and barrel lengths, with only a flat screwdriver required. The Contender frame has two firing pins, and a selector on the exposed hammer, to allow the shooter to choose between rimfire or centerfire firing pins, or to select a safety position from which neither firing pin can strike a primer. The initial baseline design of the Contender had no central safe position on the hammer, having only centerfire and rimfire firing pin positions, each being selectable using a screwdriver.
Three variants of the original Contender design were later developed, distinguished easily by the hammer design. The first variant has a push button selector on the hammer for choosing rimfire vs. centerfire, the second variant has a left-center-right toggle switch for selecting center fire-safe-rimfire firing pins, and the third variant has a horizontal bolt selection for choosing center fire-safe-rimfire firing pin positions. All three of these Contender variants have a cougar etched on the sides of the receiver, thereby easily distinguishing them from the later G2 Contender, which has a smooth-sided receiver without an etched cougar. Some of the very earliest Contenders, those requiring a screwdriver to switch the firing pin between rimfire and centerfire, had smooth sides without the cougar etched. The original Contender designs have an adjustable trigger, allowing the shooter to change both take-up and over travel, permitting user selection of a range of trigger pulls ranging from a fairly heavy trigger pull suitable for carrying the pistol while hunting to a "hair trigger" suitable for long range target shooting.
Contents:
This example will ship with a styrofoam box with a TC Contender label (non-matching serial number), an additional 10" octagon barrel chambered for .22 Hornet, and an external choke with remover pictured above!
Return Policy:
We gladly offer a 3 day unfired inspection policy from the time that the firearm is delivered to your FFL. Refunds are available for all qualifying orders.
Shipping Details
Handgun Standard Shipping $50.00
Long Gun Standard Shipping $70.00
Any orders placed with magazines that are not compliant with your state, county, or city regulations will not ship with your order.
We strive to ship orders within the close of the following business day after payment and documentation is received.
Payment Details
We accept all forms of Payment including Personal Check, Business Check, PO Money Orders, Certified Check, Etc.
Please note we place a 7 business day hold on shipment, for all non-certified payments.
Return Policy
We gladly offer a 3 day unfired inspection policy from the time that the firearm is delivered to your FFL. Refunds are available for all qualifying orders.
Additional Details
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About Us
From a small town hobby, to a leader in the investment and collector grade firearms industry. Bryant Ridge Firearms is here to offer the best in quality and customer service when you are looking to unload your collector grade firearm collection.
