Description
Item Description
Bryant Ridge Co. is pleased to present this awesome break-action pistol today for a penny-start auction; this is the Thompson Center Contender!
SSK Industries (now operating as SSK Firearms) and J. D. Jones are foundational names in the world of custom firearms and wild-cat cartridge development. Founded in 1977 by Jones in Wintersville, Ohio, SSK began by offering premium barrels and custom conversions for the Thompson/Center Contender and later the Encore platforms, especially in calibers and chamberings that the original manufacturers did not support. Jones himself, a gunsmith, ballistician and pistol hunter since his teens, had already made waves in the 1960s with the Super Vel line of handgun ammunition and by the early ’70s was actively designing novel cartridges and demanding higher performance from handguns. What makes SSK and Jones particularly important is their role in pushing the boundaries of handgun and rifle cartridge performance, bringing “big bore” and high-velocity thinking into handguns (and multi-purpose platforms) through barrel and cartridge design. Their custom work translates into parts made to tighter tolerances, designed for specialized hunting, silhouette competition and high-accuracy uses. The “JDJ” line of cartridges (created by Jones) and the custom barrels from SSK became a benchmark for serious handgun hunters and wild-catters, and that reputation for excellence carries over into the collector and custom-gun market as a mark of craftsmanship, originality and ballistic innovation.
This example was customized for BIG GAME hunting, which includes the chambering of the .375 JDJ and the Ported 14" Barrel!
SPECIFICATIONS:
Manufacturer: Thompson Center
Model: Contender - SSK / JDJ Custom Shop
Serial: 353794
Caliber: .375 JDJ
Finish: Stainless - Factory Engraved
Barrel Length: 14" Custom Ported Barrel
Optics/Sights: Mounted Silver Leupold Scope
Stock/Grips: Checkered Black Synthetic Grips w/ Finger Grooves
Action: Single-Shot / Break-Action
Markings: Standard
Bryant Ridge's Analysis:
The Thompson/Center Contender is a break-action, single-shot handgun (and carbine when fitted with a rifle stock) that earned a devoted following because of its simplicity, mechanical elegance and extraordinary flexibility: designed around a hammer-fired, hinge-locked frame the Contender accepts easily-swapped barrels and forearms in minutes, letting one platform serve as a rimfire plinker, a handgun-caliber varminter or a serious big-game pistol (examples commonly cover calibers from .22 rimfires through popular handgun cartridges such as .44 Magnum and .45 Colt). This barrel-interchangeability is the Contender’s defining feature — barrels are indexed to the frame, secured by a straightforward retaining screw and headspace system, and are available in a wide range of contour lengths, choke options (for the shotgun-pattern barrels) and chamberings — which makes the gun unusually adaptable for hunting, silhouette shooting, target work and handloaded experimentation. Mechanically the Contender is loved for its crisp, light single-action trigger and the rigid barrel-to-frame lockup that produces surprisingly fine inherent accuracy for a handgun; mount a long, heavy barrel and a good optic and the little break-action pistol will deliver benchlike groups that outclass many semiautos. The platform’s modular nature also extends to stocks and sights — sporting-style pistol grips, full rifle stocks, peep or globe iron sights, and scope mounts are all common — so users can tailor balance and ergonomics to the task. Practical caveats matter: because the Contender is a single-shot hinge design it relies on correct headspacing and solid lockup, so shooters should only use barrels and cartridges stamped for the Contender and follow safe pressure limits; very high-pressure rifle cartridges were generally addressed later by T/C’s stronger Encore line rather than the original Contender. Today the Contender remains prized by handloaders, hunters and silhouette competitors for its one-gun-many-roles capability, its straightforward field-strip and maintenance, and the enormous aftermarket of barrels, sights and accessories that let owners continually reconfigure it for new purposes.
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 - SSK / JDJ Custom Shop
Serial: 353794
Caliber: .375 JDJ
Finish: Stainless - Factory Engraved
Barrel Length: 14" Custom Ported Barrel
Optics/Sights: Mounted Silver Leupold Scope
Stock/Grips: Checkered Black Synthetic Grips w/ Finger Grooves
Action: Single-Shot / Break-Action
Markings: Standard
Bryant Ridge's Analysis:
The Thompson/Center Contender is a break-action, single-shot handgun (and carbine when fitted with a rifle stock) that earned a devoted following because of its simplicity, mechanical elegance and extraordinary flexibility: designed around a hammer-fired, hinge-locked frame the Contender accepts easily-swapped barrels and forearms in minutes, letting one platform serve as a rimfire plinker, a handgun-caliber varminter or a serious big-game pistol (examples commonly cover calibers from .22 rimfires through popular handgun cartridges such as .44 Magnum and .45 Colt). This barrel-interchangeability is the Contender’s defining feature — barrels are indexed to the frame, secured by a straightforward retaining screw and headspace system, and are available in a wide range of contour lengths, choke options (for the shotgun-pattern barrels) and chamberings — which makes the gun unusually adaptable for hunting, silhouette shooting, target work and handloaded experimentation. Mechanically the Contender is loved for its crisp, light single-action trigger and the rigid barrel-to-frame lockup that produces surprisingly fine inherent accuracy for a handgun; mount a long, heavy barrel and a good optic and the little break-action pistol will deliver benchlike groups that outclass many semiautos. The platform’s modular nature also extends to stocks and sights — sporting-style pistol grips, full rifle stocks, peep or globe iron sights, and scope mounts are all common — so users can tailor balance and ergonomics to the task. Practical caveats matter: because the Contender is a single-shot hinge design it relies on correct headspacing and solid lockup, so shooters should only use barrels and cartridges stamped for the Contender and follow safe pressure limits; very high-pressure rifle cartridges were generally addressed later by T/C’s stronger Encore line rather than the original Contender. Today the Contender remains prized by handloaders, hunters and silhouette competitors for its one-gun-many-roles capability, its straightforward field-strip and maintenance, and the enormous aftermarket of barrels, sights and accessories that let owners continually reconfigure it for new purposes.
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 with Insurance $50.00
Long Gun Standard Shipping with Insurance $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.
Payment MUST be received within 14 days.
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.
