[Buckshot1822]

Ok, I am looking at the possibility of buying a used contender with a 22 LR barrel on it for coon hunting.......

I have a few questions about it though, I believe it is an original contender not a G2.......I know that the old barrel fit the G2 frame, but what about the other way around, will a G2 barrel fit the old frame?

And also if I remember correctly isnt there something that you have to swith to go from rimfire to centerfire?

 

[slavage]

ther are basicly 3 contenders the first gen.. they have a screw under the hammer to change it from rim to center fire
then the the next is the ez open frame it has a hammer with a switch on the top these are all so a heck of a lot easyer to open hence ther nick name... then the g2
if u got a none easy open frame you can have it fixed to an ez open frame with the hammer redone you have to send it to TC and it will be about 50$

now older barrels have different lugs then the newer ones so that depends on the frame you have.. the ez open and g2s use the new locking lugs but if u get older barrls you can all ways swap the lugs out semi easy with a punch set and a few $$ tc will sell you some...

so the big thing is how much if its an none ez open frame ie the scew under the hammer they are the less costly ones.. then the ez open and then the G2s all so ther are AA frames and Stainless frames in the EZ open line....
the ez ones are all so known as G1.5's

so depending on the cost if its just a frame set of grips and the 22 barrel.. with the cost of say 50$ to have the paper work done i wouldent spend more then say 250-300 tops
thats if its an EZ frame if its not i wouldent go above 200 for the set again one barrel frame and grip set

contenders and encores have a bad resell value in the gun market to stores so they all ways get really low bids when trading them in... its kinda a following..
and all so the last 10 months or so just like every thing else in this economy they taken a hit bad all so barrels that used to sell for 220+ are barly selling for 160

oh and no matter what you have to have the FFL paperwork done they changed it a few years back that any TC contender/encore must be regestered as a pistol now

the last one i got was a none easy open one in a store had the frame two barrels three grips and paid 320 for it this was about 2 years ago when barrels were worth a good amount now every thing is tanking

but no matter what they are really fun to have an the nice thing is on the net guys are trading barrels like you used to do when you were a kid trading baseball cards shoot it for a while get tired of it and trade it off for a different barrel or sell it out right.. thers no paper work for barrels.

 

[bownut]

I beg to differ on a few points.

Only Contenders/Encores in PISTOL configuration need to be registered as pistols. If you're just buying a frame, there is now a spot on the 4473 to put "other" instead of long gun or hand gun. I won't get into the issues of switching from rifle to pistol and back, but will post a link to a site that has a VERY long discussion about it.

http://www.go2gbo.com/forums/index.php?topic=184325.0

There were actually 3 generations of "old style" contenders. The "old stle" contenders were almost always engraved. G2's aren't. They were also "flat sides"...the sides were flat, G2's aren't, they have a bump along the top and look like micro Encore frames.

The big difference is if you cocked an old style contender, and didn't shoot, you'd have to let the hammer down, open the action to re-set the sear, then you could cock and fire. The G2's allow you to let the hammer down, the re-cock without opening. The G2 triggers reportedly suck, while my 2 old-style contenders have the best triggers I've ever seen.

Most barrels will fit all frames, but as Slavage suggested, you may have to change the locking bolts around to get them to work. Armor alloy (looks like stainless but is not) frames don't work with blued or SS barrels. Hinge pin hole size is different, but can be opened up to accept blued/ss barrels.

Contenders are cool, but they tend to multiply like rabbits. I now have 2 frames and 5 barrels...with no end in sight. LOL

 

[tealdawg]

Bownut your just getting started...lol Contender 5 frames and 12 barrels...Encore 2 frames and 5 barrels

 

[bownut]

Bownut your just getting started...lol Contender 5 frames and 12 barrels...Encore 2 frames and 4 barrels

Don't tell my wife, but it's easier to sneak a new barrel or frame past the wife than a normal long gun! Plus they all look alike, so she'll never suspect a thing. LOL