Older Contender question.

[wbunning]

Hey folks.
I have an elderly female friend who inherited a few firearms from her father and needs to sell them, and she has asked me to help her accomplish that. A couple are straight forward, but there are two that are a little different. Before I get them offered up for sale, I need to check a couple of things.

The first is with the Thompson Center Contender shown below. Cool gun.. 3 barrels in .22 LR, .22 Hornet and .357

This is the older Contender, not G2. I am not very familiar with Contenders.. Think I only fired one once and never owned one. The firearm appears to be well maintained, no rust, bluing looks at least 90%. BUT.. the stocks don't look standard to me. The forend has no screw hole as is commonly used to attach to the barrels.

Does anyone recognize these stocks? Does that forend just slide on and off? I don't want to get to tuggin' and jerkin' on it before I know what's up with it.

Thanks for any help. Note: not for sale just yet. I need to determine it's proper value first.

[dieselpower]

wow, hold on and get a lawyer if the ATF will not assist you.

The older Contenders had serious legal issues with them and many were considered SBR.

dont do anything until you get the facts on this.

[wbunning]

I know that there were barrels chambered in .45/410 that are illegal since that makes it a SBS. She doesn't have that barrel. I didn't think these were much different than any other pistol with interchangeable barrels, and that they are legit in Ca as they are single shot, and as long as the frame has a barrel on it. Thanks for the heads up. I'll do some more investigation.

wow, hold on and get a lawyer if the ATF will not assist you.

The older Contenders had serious legal issues with them and many were considered SBR.

dont do anything until you get the facts on this.

[Jimmy's]

Everyone owns first gen T/C Contenders they have no legal problems. OP they are stock grips and forend they are held on with one screw each. Get the set and enjoy it. Net worth is about $900 actual street value about $650$700.

[wbunning]

Everyone owns first gen T/C Contenders they have no legal problems. OP they are stock grips and forend they are held on with one screw each. Get the set and enjoy it. Net worth is about $900 actual street value about $650$700.

Thanks for your input Jimmy. I know the forend is supposed to be held on by a screw, but there's no screw hole in the bottom of this one, which is why I wondered if it was original or not. I don't have it here with me now to double check. But if you look closely at the photo.. no screw where I thought there should have been one. What am I missing? Your value figures are what I had thought.

[ojisan]

Only the .45LC / .410 barrels are illegal in CA as a SBS.

The fore end simply pulls straight down and off...it's held by a spring catch in the grip that clips onto the nub sticking down from the barrel.
This looks original.

Rear grip looks a little square sided.
Possibly a replacement or optional grip.
The ones I have seen had a target style grip with left side thumb rest.

[Dezrat]

Only the .45LC / .410 barrels are illegal in CA as a SBS.

The fore end simply pulls straight down and off...it's held by a spring catch in the grip that clips onto the nub sticking down from the barrel.
This looks original.

Rear grip looks a little square sided.
Possibly a replacement or optional grip.
The ones I have seen had a target style grip with left side thumb rest.

Concur. The pistol grip doesn't look like anything T/C as far as I recollect from back when I was pretty into them. Or anything I remember seeing in the aftermarket for that matter. Homemade?

[wbunning]

Only the .45LC / .410 barrels are illegal in CA as a SBS.

The fore end simply pulls straight down and off...it's held by a spring catch in the grip that clips onto the nub sticking down from the barrel.
This looks original.

Rear grip looks a little square sided.
Possibly a replacement or optional grip.
The ones I have seen had a target style grip with left side thumb rest.

Cool. Kinda what I thought. The grip has no thumb rest. Thanks!

[wbunning]

Concur. The pistol grip doesn't look like anything T/C as far as I recollect from back when I was pretty into them. Or anything I remember seeing in the aftermarket for that matter. Homemade?

Possibly homemade. I'll have to ask her. I'll get that forend off and see if there's any labeling. Not a big point one way or the other.

[ojisan]

wow, hold on and get a lawyer if the ATF will not assist you.

The older Contenders had serious legal issues with them and many were considered SBR.

dont do anything until you get the facts on this.

Don't over react.
You should get the facts before posting.

The issues with Contenders was that you could go from pistol to rifle back to pistol which was not legal under Fed law until the issue went to court.
Court decision was T/C Contenders can be swapped back and forth between pistol and rifle legally.

The only issue is shotgun cartridge accepting barrels in a handgun in CA.
Note the .44cal hot shot cartridge version barrels are legal in CA as they do not use fixed shotgun shells....these are considered the same as snake shot cartridges for .22LR, .38 Special etc.

Now you know.
Have a nice day.

[wbunning]

Don't over react.
You should get the facts before posting.

The issues with Contenders was that you could go from pistol to rifle back to pistol which was not legal under Fed law until the issue went to court.
Court decision was T/C Contenders can be swapped back and forth between pistol and rifle legally.

The only issue is shotgun cartridge accepting barrels in a handgun in CA.
Note the .44cal hot shot cartridge version barrels are legal in CA as they do not use fixed shotgun shells....these are considered the same as snake shot cartridges for .22LR, .38 Special etc.

Now you know.
Have a nice day.

Great input, ojisan. Much appreciated. I did a little research and found quite a bit regarding the Ca illegality of switching between rifle and pistol configurations. That won't be an issue with this one.

[Jimmy's]

Forgot the early first gems push and pull forends. This is correct. The grips were offered in several styes as well as forends. I have two sets that look like the OPs. And at least four other styles. Two of the the grips have aluminum bottom plates with thier icon Cougar on them these are held on by two very small screws.

[CSACANNONEER]

wow, hold on and get a lawyer if the ATF will not assist you.

The older Contenders had serious legal issues with them and many were considered SBR.

dont do anything until you get the facts on this.

Sorry, you're wrong unless you are talking about people illegally configuring them into SBRs which would be no different than illegally configuring any handgun into a SBR.

[wbunning]

Forgot the early first gems push and pull forends. This is correct. The grips were offered in several styes as well as forends. I have two sets that look like the OPs. And at least four other styles. Two of the the grips have aluminum bottom plates with thier icon Cougar on them these are held on by two very small screws.

Great. Thanks.

[dieselpower]

Don't over react.
You should get the facts before posting.

The issues with Contenders was that you could go from pistol to rifle back to pistol which was not legal under Fed law until the issue went to court.
Court decision was T/C Contenders can be swapped back and forth between pistol and rifle legally.

The only issue is shotgun cartridge accepting barrels in a handgun in CA.
Note the .44cal hot shot cartridge version barrels are legal in CA as they do not use fixed shotgun shells....these are considered the same as snake shot cartridges for .22LR, .38 Special etc.

Now you know.
Have a nice day.

dude, dont tell me I am over reacting when you dont have all the facts or until you have investigated all the facts.

https://www.atf.gov/file/55526/download

I told him to investigate using a lawyer, not some guy on the net.

that is not over reacting that is the proper and legal thing to do since it now appears you have no freaking clue what you are talking about.

a quote from the BATFE...

Such weapons must be registered and are subject to all requirements of the NFA.