Thanks for making this video. The TC contender is an awesome platform and totally safe if you learn how to properly handle it. Those idiots in the other video were treating it like a single action revolver. It is NOT that platform. It operates differently and that doesn’t mean it’s unsafe. You did a great job explaining that in this video.
That was a very well done presentation. Having great fun with my Contender that I have had since 1976. Still competitive in silhouette shooting matches with my friends at the club.
Thank you for this video! I've owned one of these for many many years and this gun is exceptional. Accurate, versatile and a ton of fun. I've never had any problems or concerns; no trick just simple respect for a loaded firearm and reading the user manual. I watched that video you referenced sometime ago and immediately recognized the shooter error the moment it happened; the guy should be embarrassed.
when i saw that video, i couldnt believe they had the gall to blame the gun instead of themselves. i do not remember them owning any bit of responsibility for what happened. instead, blame the inanimate object. you are correct, they SHOULD be embarrassed!
I have one for 35 yrs and I have never had any trouble and I have a 2lbs customer target trigger but you are spot on it has to be recocked and yes the safety selector
@@eloiseharbeson2483 ...yeah, i wouldnt make a habit of slamming the hammer down on the firing selector, but it is there in case something should slip. truth be told, i keep the firing selector in the firing position for whichever barrel i have on. i use multiple layers of safety practices to safely operate the contender.
A hammer fired, single-shot firearm with a safety. TBH I have never used the "safety" except to select for the rimfire or centerfire firing pin. Anyone who finds the owner's too difficult or time consuming to read has NO business handling firearms. One of several reasons that I don't hunt any more is that ANY chump can get a hunting license in this state.
He was a character. His wife got to the point she worried (rightfully) and didn’t want him to handle firearms. She wouldnt let him leave the house with a gun. One of my cousins was taking him somewhere, and as he went to start the engine, Gene insisted that he check the oil first. So my cousin popped the hood, and sitting on top of the engine was his cased contender with ammo. He asked Gene how he got it there without the wife knowing. Gene said he slipped the caretaker $20 to put it there when Rita wasn’t home. 😂😂😂😂😂 You can’t keep a good man down!
I've got 3 different TC contender frames and 1 G2 frame with a pile of different different pistol barrels and 3 full length rifle barrels for the G2 , Absolutely love this system
I still kick myself for not getting a .45 caliber muzzle loading barrel for my Contender when they were available. Not sure how much it would actually get shot, but I wish I had one just for its coolth.
Thank you for the very valuable information. I'm 57 & got my first 22 Winchester when I was nine. Owned firearms every day since then. This will my first TC. Not a popular piece with the people I normally shoot with, so your video's have been very helpful. Got a chuckle out of me when your dogs got up in your grill in one of the other video's.
She is not afraid of gunfire so i have to constantly watch her. She also loves to track and we run scent trails as often as we can to keep her happy….she loves doing it.
if you ever have a question, feel free to reach out here and i'll try to get back to you as fast as i can. youtube sends me notifications, so i usually can get to it within a day. i am always happy to help!
Exceptional firearm. I've owned and hunted Every year with it since 1983. It is very safe, Very Accurate and it will Not go off "by itself". Human error if it goes off.
I've got a pretty good collection of frames and barrels. About 25 different catridges and 4 frames. The barrels run from mouse to moose. A bunch of wildcat and obsolete cartridges. Lots of fun to go to the range with things that no body has ever seen.
You are in luck then! Thompson Center has been bought from smith and wesson and is soon to be back in production. Btw- this video does NOT apply to encores. I believe that G2 contenders are different as well.
@myronman3 Indeed. I'm pretty eager to see how the brand's revival plays out. I don't know if I'll be able to hold out for the new Encore release, but I'll do more research in the meantime.
The original Contender is quite dangerous. I have one of the first ones made. There is no safety switch on the early ones. They added the safety after incidents. To switch between rimfire and centerfire on the early ones you needed a screwdriver. Your model is an upgraded version. As for reading the manual I have not seen a manual for the original 1967 version of this firearm.
Excellent video. Not all Contenders, say under the 9000 serial #, have that safety selector switch on the hammer, (which is also the selector for center/rim fire if I’m not mistaken), still great info for those who obtain them!
I just bought my first Contender and it does not have that safety. Its in the 39,000 serial number range. I guess its possible someone changed it out but it does not look like the gun has been messed with.
Also, I bought a used TC and the guy that had it before me had the trigger pull adjusted so if you touched the trigger, it would fire. I adjusted it to where I felt safe. Be safe. J
i have mine set light....you can touch it, but any pressure put on it, sends the round. the ability to set the trigger to your taste was one of the greatest things about it.
Good information! My Contender is the same as yours , I read that in their book first ! It’s not a problem , only a few minutes to understand how it functions!
Great video. Just got my first Contender and it took me all of 10 minutes to get familiar with its workings. Mine does not have the hammer mounted safety however. So loaded pull trigger go boom. Empty no boom. Simple.
you are 100% correct. i THINK that the original ones had a screwdriver-type slot to turn the selector from rimfire to center. for the life of me, i can not remember if they had the safety slot on the earliest model or not.
Good info for Novice Contender Handlers. all men may be created equal in the Eyes of the Lord yet we all have differing abities, Stay Focused when handling fire arms & Stay Safe.
Great common sense video and safety steps. A clean, well-maintained gun in proper working order is 100% safe, unless it is handled unsafely and that responsibility falls on the handler every single time.
Interesting. Iv deer hunted with one some and just got a 410 barrel for turkey season. Mine doesn't have the safty.. i never had any issues. I didn't know breaking the barrel would drop the hammer i never tried it. I always just get a firm thumb grip on the hammer and lower it. But on mine you don't actually don't have to open the gun to recock. Just pull the lever back that opens it and don't open the barrel and you can recock.
I love TC Contenders, however a weak hammer sear spring can create a unpredictable hammer. If the gun if very dirty it can be even worse. Clean and replace spring… good to go.
shoot a deer with it and tell me that it doesn't fit that definition. or a tin can, or a paper target. i know your intent, but playing word games is not the way.
@@myronman3 You described hunting with a gun. In fighting a war or committing a criminal act, one would use a weapon to cause physical damage to an object or injury to human or death to human. Any object ( stick, screw driver, hammer, gun, knife, etc.) used in criminal act to cause bodily injury or death is a weapon. Any object used for hunting is a hunting equipment or tool.
@@tyronekim3506 God bless ya, but we are going to have to disagree on this one. if you think my weapons are for hunting only, you are in for a rude awakening. the 2nd amendment is NOT about hunting. not even close. trying to hide behind that is a losing battle and actually hurts you more than it helps. stand tall, tell it like it is, and apologize for none of it.
@@myronman3 Words have specific meaning. Objects used to commit crime or to be used in war is a weapon. An object is considered a weapon of the said object is used to harm or kill a person. An object can be used for multiple purposes. Your gun would be a weapon if used in criminal activity or in self defence or for fighting in war. A screwdriver would be a weapon if used to harm or kill a person. Otherwise, the screwdriver is a construction or a household tool. Your gun would be a hunting equipment or tool if used for hunting to take game. No one is denying you of your 2nd Amendment Rights. That is built-in to the US Constitution. I own guns and have used them for hunting, target practice and for target shooting competitions but hope will never be used as a weapon for self-defence or war. I hope my message will expand your cultural horizon. Apology not needed. Be safe and in good health.
knowing the proper operation of any tool is essential. whether it be a table saw, a nail gun, or a thompson center contender. ignorance of the proper handling of any tool, doesnt make that tool dangerous.....it is the ignorance that is dangerous. which is the reason i made this video....to combat that ignorance and help people. please spread the knowledge to anyone you know who owns one of these. and thanks for stopping by AND your input! it is always appreciated!
Any gun is dangerous. Not understanding any gun before you load it is dangerous. Been shooting Contenders over 30 years and NEVER had an unintentional discharge. The manual explains how to de-cock the gun safely with plenty of warnings in red ink.
@@eloiseharbeson2483 spot on....the only problem is, there are a lot of guns out there for sale that do not come with manuals. thus my effort to spread the word.
That top lever is NOT a safety. It is a firing pin selecting lever. (The Contender accepts both rimfire and centerfire barrels, hence the dual firing pins.)
i would agree that it probably wasnt designed with the express purpose and i would also agree that i wouldnt rely on that and that alone. however, you'll notice that the firing pin selector IS raised on the end and it IS designed to stop in the middle. as i said in the video, i am not a big fan of letting things slam, so i wouldnt use it that way or rely solely on that. in fact, i DO NOT even use it, other than a firing pin selector.
@@myronman3 So you don’t use it as a safety, and you agree that it wasn’t designed as a safety, and it’s not intended to be used as a safety - yet you make it being a safety the headline of your video? I don’t get it.
@@justjonoutdoors seriously? Your take away is getting hung up on that? Dude, i am not here to argue semantics with people. My intent was to educate folks one the safe way to handle this system-hopefully saving someone from a very bad day. If your take away from this viseo is to get hung up on that, go take a walk and rethink what is important.
to be completely honest those rifle caliber pistols are just about worthless they mave some use as a back up or side arm but as primary weapon taking for taking game theyre worthless ive seen jack wagons trying to hunt with em on public land before but i never seen them actually take game with em but i always hear them fire and then here some lame excuse for missing the deer now a days i limit my hunting to solely on my fiances property we dont allow but two others to hunt the property and they dont use those goofy rifle caliber hand guns they laugh at em just as i do WILL NOT RESPOND TO COMMENTS
Completely depends on the person using them. A quick search on youtube will yield a plethora of videos with people enjoying great success with contenders and encores. I will agree that as far as handguns go, it is easier to carry a rifle than one of these. I prefer revolvers (most times) myself.
i concur. i LOVE the break action guns. education and spreading the word is key. share this with any contender owners you know...if they already know, great! but if not, even better.
The Contender does have a weirdness to the hammer. You can cock and release it in such a way that it doesn't lock back. I have been de-cocking mine correctly for over 30 years and totally forgot that you could de-cock it in such a way as to cause an unintentional discharge before I watched this.
Quite well explanation. Engliah is a second language for me and I got it all. By the way, looking like Lance Henriksen in Hard target unloads it, and he's doing it completly wrong, just like u said it shouldn't be done. It's not his fault, he is just an actor but it's for sure wrongs of people who's in charge for weapon on a set.
Very nice work !
One of the finest firearms ever made.
Thanks for making this video. The TC contender is an awesome platform and totally safe if you learn how to properly handle it. Those idiots in the other video were treating it like a single action revolver. It is NOT that platform. It operates differently and that doesn’t mean it’s unsafe. You did a great job explaining that in this video.
That was a very well done presentation. Having great fun with my Contender that I have had since 1976. Still competitive in silhouette shooting matches with my friends at the club.
Thank you for this video! I've owned one of these for many many years and this gun is exceptional. Accurate, versatile and a ton of fun. I've never had any problems or concerns; no trick just simple respect for a loaded firearm and reading the user manual. I watched that video you referenced sometime ago and immediately recognized the shooter error the moment it happened; the guy should be embarrassed.
when i saw that video, i couldnt believe they had the gall to blame the gun instead of themselves. i do not remember them owning any bit of responsibility for what happened. instead, blame the inanimate object. you are correct, they SHOULD be embarrassed!
I had heard this was a problem with the contender. Glad you pointed out how to safely deal with this . And showed it on camera . Thaby you !
I have one for 35 yrs and I have never had any trouble and I have a 2lbs customer target trigger but you are spot on it has to be recocked and yes the safety selector
Exactly! They are great systems.
Except my Contender manual advised against dropping the hammer with the FP selector on safe to prevent damage to the selector.
@@eloiseharbeson2483 ...yeah, i wouldnt make a habit of slamming the hammer down on the firing selector, but it is there in case something should slip. truth be told, i keep the firing selector in the firing position for whichever barrel i have on. i use multiple layers of safety practices to safely operate the contender.
@@myronman3 Absolutely! "This is my safety" while waving my index finger!
A hammer fired, single-shot firearm with a safety. TBH I have never used the "safety" except to select for the rimfire or centerfire firing pin. Anyone who finds the owner's too difficult or time consuming to read has NO business handling firearms. One of several reasons that I don't hunt any more is that ANY chump can get a hunting license in this state.
Merci pour cette mise au point, j'ai utilisé un contender pendant des années et je n'ai eu aucun problème, il suffit de lire le mode d'emplois.
Inspiring story about you Uncle who suffered a stroke. Still able to target shoot and even hunt. God bless him.
He was no quitter, that is for sure.
He was a character. His wife got to the point she worried (rightfully) and didn’t want him to handle firearms. She wouldnt let him leave the house with a gun. One of my cousins was taking him somewhere, and as he went to start the engine, Gene insisted that he check the oil first.
So my cousin popped the hood, and sitting on top of the engine was his cased contender with ammo. He asked Gene how he got it there without the wife knowing. Gene said he slipped the caretaker $20 to put it there when Rita wasn’t home. 😂😂😂😂😂
You can’t keep a good man down!
I've got 3 different TC contender frames and 1 G2 frame with a pile of different different pistol barrels and 3 full length rifle barrels for the G2 , Absolutely love this system
they sure are a great platform and i was sad to see them stop production! perhaps someday it'll be brought back!
I still kick myself for not getting a .45 caliber muzzle loading barrel for my Contender when they were available. Not sure how much it would actually get shot, but I wish I had one just for its coolth.
@@myronman3They are indeed coming back 😊
Thank you for the very valuable information. I'm 57 & got my first 22 Winchester when I was nine. Owned firearms every day since then. This will my first TC. Not a popular piece with the people I normally shoot with, so your video's have been very helpful. Got a chuckle out of me when your dogs got up in your grill in one of the other video's.
She is not afraid of gunfire so i have to constantly watch her. She also loves to track and we run scent trails as often as we can to keep her happy….she loves doing it.
if you ever have a question, feel free to reach out here and i'll try to get back to you as fast as i can. youtube sends me notifications, so i usually can get to it within a day. i am always happy to help!
Exceptional firearm. I've owned and hunted Every year with it since 1983. It is very safe, Very Accurate and it will Not go off "by itself". Human error if it goes off.
You are the MAN Paul! I admire your commitment and dedication! What’s your preferred caliber?
I've got a pretty good collection of frames and barrels. About 25 different catridges and 4 frames. The barrels run from mouse to moose. A bunch of wildcat and obsolete cartridges. Lots of fun to go to the range with things that no body has ever seen.
Thanks for this info and demo. I'm on the hunt for an Encore, and this part of the usage has eluded me in my research. :D
You are in luck then! Thompson Center has been bought from smith and wesson and is soon to be back in production.
Btw- this video does NOT apply to encores. I believe that G2 contenders are different as well.
@myronman3 Indeed. I'm pretty eager to see how the brand's revival plays out. I don't know if I'll be able to hold out for the new Encore release, but I'll do more research in the meantime.
Had one forever. Have to be smarter than the gun
True and thank you very on sharing this
The original Contender is quite dangerous. I have one of the first ones made. There is no safety switch on the early ones. They added the safety after incidents. To switch between rimfire and centerfire on the early ones you needed a screwdriver. Your model is an upgraded version. As for reading the manual I have not seen a manual for the original 1967 version of this firearm.
Excellent video. Not all Contenders, say under the 9000 serial #, have that safety selector switch on the hammer, (which is also the selector for center/rim fire if I’m not mistaken), still great info for those who obtain them!
I just bought my first Contender and it does not have that safety. Its in the 39,000 serial number range. I guess its possible someone changed it out but it does not look like the gun has been messed with.
Also,
I bought a used TC and the guy that had it before me had the trigger pull adjusted so if you touched the trigger, it would fire.
I adjusted it to where I felt safe.
Be safe.
J
i have mine set light....you can touch it, but any pressure put on it, sends the round. the ability to set the trigger to your taste was one of the greatest things about it.
Like many things adjustable, they can be adjusted beyond usability.
Good information!
My Contender is the same as yours , I read that in their book first !
It’s not a problem , only a few minutes to understand how it functions!
Right on! The internet “experts” need to completely understand the mechanism they are using
Had a first gen contender. No issues. Have 2 second gen contenders and several barrels. No issues.
Great video. Just got my first Contender and it took me all of 10 minutes to get familiar with its workings. Mine does not have the hammer mounted safety however. So loaded pull trigger go boom. Empty no boom. Simple.
T/C had 3 different hammer systems. The first ones had no hammer safety. However the rest of what you say is the correct way for all systems.
you are 100% correct. i THINK that the original ones had a screwdriver-type slot to turn the selector from rimfire to center. for the life of me, i can not remember if they had the safety slot on the earliest model or not.
@@myronman3 No they didn't.
@@garyh1449 i only held one once....and that was for 30 seconds....MANY years ago.
Thanks for the good info.
Good info for Novice Contender
Handlers.
all men may be created equal in the Eyes of the Lord yet we all have differing abities, Stay Focused when handling fire arms & Stay Safe.
Great common sense video and safety steps. A clean, well-maintained gun in proper working order is 100% safe, unless it is handled unsafely and that responsibility falls on the handler every single time.
The need to open the barrel seems like a huge design flaw
Interesting. Iv deer hunted with one some and just got a 410 barrel for turkey season. Mine doesn't have the safty.. i never had any issues. I didn't know breaking the barrel would drop the hammer i never tried it. I always just get a firm thumb grip on the hammer and lower it. But on mine you don't actually don't have to open the gun to recock. Just pull the lever back that opens it and don't open the barrel and you can recock.
2:29 am
Dear sir.
Are you going to mark the Thompson
Center pistol
Again. And
When will it be ready to buy
I love TC Contenders, however a weak hammer sear spring can create a unpredictable hammer. If the gun if very dirty it can be even worse. Clean and replace spring… good to go.
I should add, a hammer slipping off the hammer sear would hit the hammer block without a trigger pull.
Very good video!!
Dam good points & great video, Thanks, oldgunbuff
Thanks - good info
Well done!
Weapon - definition: a thing designed or used for inflicting bodily harm, physical damage or death.
shoot a deer with it and tell me that it doesn't fit that definition. or a tin can, or a paper target. i know your intent, but playing word games is not the way.
@@myronman3 You described hunting with a gun. In fighting a war or committing a criminal act, one would use a weapon to cause physical damage to an object or injury to human or death to human. Any object ( stick, screw driver, hammer, gun, knife, etc.) used in criminal act to cause bodily injury or death is a weapon. Any object used for hunting is a hunting equipment or tool.
@@tyronekim3506 God bless ya, but we are going to have to disagree on this one. if you think my weapons are for hunting only, you are in for a rude awakening. the 2nd amendment is NOT about hunting. not even close. trying to hide behind that is a losing battle and actually hurts you more than it helps.
stand tall, tell it like it is, and apologize for none of it.
@@myronman3 Words have specific meaning. Objects used to commit crime or to be used in war is a weapon. An object is considered a weapon of the said object is used to harm or kill a person. An object can be used for multiple purposes. Your gun would be a weapon if used in criminal activity or in self defence or for fighting in war. A screwdriver would be a weapon if used to harm or kill a person. Otherwise, the screwdriver is a construction or a household tool. Your gun would be a hunting equipment or tool if used for hunting to take game.
No one is denying you of your 2nd Amendment Rights. That is built-in to the US Constitution. I own guns and have used them for hunting, target practice and for target shooting competitions but hope will never be used as a weapon for self-defence or war.
I hope my message will expand your cultural horizon. Apology not needed. Be safe and in good health.
Ok, no, that trigger nonreset is objectively dangerous
knowing the proper operation of any tool is essential. whether it be a table saw, a nail gun, or a thompson center contender. ignorance of the proper handling of any tool, doesnt make that tool dangerous.....it is the ignorance that is dangerous. which is the reason i made this video....to combat that ignorance and help people. please spread the knowledge to anyone you know who owns one of these. and thanks for stopping by AND your input! it is always appreciated!
Any gun is dangerous. Not understanding any gun before you load it is dangerous. Been shooting Contenders over 30 years and NEVER had an unintentional discharge. The manual explains how to de-cock the gun safely with plenty of warnings in red ink.
@@eloiseharbeson2483 spot on....the only problem is, there are a lot of guns out there for sale that do not come with manuals. thus my effort to spread the word.
@@myronman3 That is true and I had forgotten it. Can you even get Contender manuals these days?
@@myronman3 Might be nice if someone had one and had it downloadable in pdf files.
Mine didnt come with a safety 1970
Or you can put the hammer in the rim fire
Well said!!!!
That top lever is NOT a safety. It is a firing pin selecting lever. (The Contender accepts both rimfire and centerfire barrels, hence the dual firing pins.)
i would agree that it probably wasnt designed with the express purpose and i would also agree that i wouldnt rely on that and that alone. however, you'll notice that the firing pin selector IS raised on the end and it IS designed to stop in the middle. as i said in the video, i am not a big fan of letting things slam, so i wouldnt use it that way or rely solely on that. in fact, i DO NOT even use it, other than a firing pin selector.
@@myronman3 So you don’t use it as a safety, and you agree that it wasn’t designed as a safety, and it’s not intended to be used as a safety - yet you make it being a safety the headline of your video? I don’t get it.
@@justjonoutdoors seriously? Your take away is getting hung up on that?
Dude, i am not here to argue semantics with people.
My intent was to educate folks one the safe way to handle this system-hopefully saving someone from a very bad day.
If your take away from this viseo is to get hung up on that, go take a walk and rethink what is important.
@@myronman3 Exactly the response I expected.
Pyrenees pup?
a Maremma
to be completely honest those rifle caliber pistols are just about worthless
they mave some use as a back up or side arm but as primary weapon taking for taking game theyre worthless ive seen jack wagons trying to hunt with em on public land before but i never seen them actually take game with em but i always hear them fire and then here some lame excuse for missing the deer now a days i limit my hunting to solely on my fiances property we dont allow but two others to hunt the property and they dont use those goofy rifle caliber hand guns they laugh at em just as i do WILL NOT RESPOND TO COMMENTS
Completely depends on the person using them. A quick search on youtube will yield a plethora of videos with people enjoying great success with contenders and encores.
I will agree that as far as handguns go, it is easier to carry a rifle than one of these. I prefer revolvers (most times) myself.
Only an idiot considers a break open gun as unsafe. They are the safest type; keep gun broken until ready to fire.
i concur. i LOVE the break action guns. education and spreading the word is key. share this with any contender owners you know...if they already know, great! but if not, even better.
The Contender does have a weirdness to the hammer. You can cock and release it in such a way that it doesn't lock back. I have been de-cocking mine correctly for over 30 years and totally forgot that you could de-cock it in such a way as to cause an unintentional discharge before I watched this.
Quite well explanation. Engliah is a second language for me and I got it all.
By the way, looking like Lance Henriksen in Hard target unloads it, and he's doing it completly wrong, just like u said it shouldn't be done. It's not his fault, he is just an actor but it's for sure wrongs of people who's in charge for weapon on a set.
I AM VERY HAPPY I WATCHED THIS VIDEO, GOOD JOB...
Glad i could help!