Thompson Center Contender Gunsmith Needed

[brassburnz]

I bought a barrel for my 2nd Generation Contender but I'm having trouble getting it to fire properly. I think my problem is with the lock-up. If you know of anyone in the Los Angeles area who is good with Contenders, please let me know. Thanks in advance.

[ar15barrels]

I do Contender/Encore work.
Poor lockup can be anything from poorly sized ammo to locking lug height/angle to interlock safety issues.

Mike Bellm has some really good articles you can read on this.

[Capt.Dunsel]

http://www.bellmtcs.com/store/

You typed "getting it to fire properly" is it not firing properly ( hope it is not firing on closing ) or did you mean "fit properly"?

Which Generation is the barrel ?
Who manufactured the barrel ?
Do you have the proper hinge pin ?
If firing problem how's the firing pin ? set to center fire or rim fire ( you didn't mention calibre).

I have barrels from 17 to 50 cal.( and everything between) both carbine and pistol , collector and shooter.

[brassburnz]

Essentially, I'm getting light hits with all of my barrels. In addition to that problem, some barrels are extremely difficult to break open the action. After reading the Mike Bellm articles, I think it has something to do with the bolt.

I will talk to Randall about it. Thanks.

[BSlacker]

Make sure it's unloaded. Close the action and pull back the hammer. In the recess where the hammer sets will be a small screw head. Make sure it is snug. It holds the breach face (bolt) in place. When loose it produces light strikes. Poor opening and such. Quick and easy to check. Use care when tightening you have to be off axis due to the hammer position. Snug with blue loctite keeps it tight without messing up the screw head. If you can cock it after closing the action you don't have a locking lug problem.

[ar15barrels]

If you can cock it after closing the action you don't have a locking lug problem.

And if adding a case is causing the lockup issues, its likely a sizing issue where long cases are keeping the frame from locking up on the barrel enough for the locking bolts to trip the interlock safety.

[BSlacker]

And if adding a case is causing the lockup issues, its likely a sizing issue where long cases are keeping the frame from locking up on the barrel enough for the locking bolts to trip the interlock safety.

It's unlikely that a bunch of his cartridge cases for several barrels are too long all at once. If the breach face (bolt) comes loose it does the same thing as a case that is too long most of the time. Action works fine without brass in the chamber. Closes fine with brass but is hard to open. The firing pins pass through this piece and they become loose and ineffective especially on rimfire. Causing the fail to fire. Some times the breach face seats and doesn't interfere. This only affects the lock up when the action doesn't close properly/completely. With my G2, the action becomes very difficult to open when the breach face came loose. Doesn't affect the locking lugs themselves. If it cocks it isn't a fault of the locking lugs. Plus they worked before.

[BSlacker]

its likely a sizing issue where long cases are keeping the frame from locking up on the barrel enough for the locking bolts to trip the interlock safety.

A Contender G2 won't cock if the interlock safety lever is not moved back by the locking lug. OP doesn't say it won't cock. OP says he is getting light strikes so the hammer had to cock. This is not a locking lug issue. The bolt or breach face, as I like to call it, likely is loose. Simple.

[ar15barrels]

I bought a barrel for my 2nd Generation Contender

A Contender G2

Ah, he said a second generation contender which is about 1971 to maybe the mid 1980's.
It will have the sliding selector on the hammer and the cat on the side of the frame.
That's what I was troubleshooting.

A contender G2 is about the fifth or sixth generation of contender frame and is more like a mini encore than any of the earlier contenders.

[ar15barrels]

It's unlikely that a bunch of his cartridge cases for several barrels are too long all at once.

Indeed.
As more information is obtained, it gets easier to diagnose.

[brassburnz]

Although I've had it for a long time, I don't know that much about Contenders. I initially bought the frame, Super 14 7mm TCU barrel and dies for metallic silhouette but never got started. That barrel and dies are in a box someplace in my garage. So I picked up a 10 inch bull barrel in .22 rimfire and shot that for a while. I recently picked up a Super 14 in .223 and 10 in. bull in 44 mag.

My back is all screwed up, so I'm relegated to shooting from a bench nowdays and the Contender is fun and inexpensive, but getting all of the barrels to work properly has become an issue.

I'll be visiting Randall when I get the time.

[Singleshot 7369]

Bump...for those of us newer to the contender

[scamp62]

tag