Something about T/C Contenders I did not know.

The #1 community for Gun Owners in Indiana

Member Benefits:

  • Fewer Ads!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • Bigtanker

    Cuddles
    Emeritus
    Rating - 100%
    24   0   0
    Aug 21, 2012
    21,688
    151
    Osceola
    Lunkers TV did a video with Demo Ranch. One of the guns they were using was a T/C Contender in .44 Magnum. I had no idea the trigger system worked like this. I thought it was a hang fire.

    [video=youtube_share;BkWDZ17k46g]http://youtu.be/BkWDZ17k46g[/video]
     

    bwframe

    Loneranger
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    93   0   0
    Feb 11, 2008
    38,170
    113
    Btown Rural
    I think it might be stretch for those guys to say that it went off in a safe direction?

    Hookeye will be along soon to educate us on what might be wrong with that Contender, I'd bet. :)
     

    DoggyDaddy

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    73   0   1
    Aug 18, 2011
    102,032
    77
    Southside Indy
    I think it might be stretch for those guys to say that it went off in a safe direction?

    Hookeye will be along soon to educate us on what might be wrong with that Contender, I'd bet. :)

    I hope something is wrong with it. That's a terrible design if there's not.
     

    Hawkeye7br

    Expert
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Jul 9, 2015
    1,361
    67
    Terre Haute
    TC's have a dry fire feature that allows the shooter to dry fire without ammo and without cocking the hammer. The first click you heard when he pulled the trigger was dry fire, releasing the internal tension on the trigger. Then he pulled the hammer back, (dropping the hammer block) and let it fly forward into the firing pin.

    Essentially the same as holding the trigger back on an old single action revolver and fanning the hammer.

    Be familiar with your firearms.
     

    Whip_McCord

    Expert
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    May 14, 2010
    762
    63
    NWI
    Great description of what happened, Hawkeye. I'm surprised that most of the commenters seem to think a pistol that has been around for several decades was designed to do that and/or had an inherent trigger flaw. Of course it was operator error and not bad gun design. I have two contender frames (each w/ 9 oz triggers) and 9 barrels and have never had an issue, other than some worn parts repaired under their lifetime warranty. I'm sure Hawkeye has had similar experiences with T/Cs being a work horse. He's been shooting them longer than me now, since our club no longer shoots IHMSA silhouette matches. The only thing wrong with that Contender was the nut behind the trigger.
     

    DoggyDaddy

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    73   0   1
    Aug 18, 2011
    102,032
    77
    Southside Indy
    TC's have a dry fire feature that allows the shooter to dry fire without ammo and without cocking the hammer. The first click you heard when he pulled the trigger was dry fire, releasing the internal tension on the trigger. Then he pulled the hammer back, (dropping the hammer block) and let it fly forward into the firing pin.

    Essentially the same as holding the trigger back on an old single action revolver and fanning the hammer.

    Be familiar with your firearms.

    I would agree if he were holding the trigger back. If I pull the trigger on my single action revolver (without cocking the hammer), and then cock the hammer back, the hammer stays cocked until I pull the trigger, so not really the same thing. Not saying that the TC isn't designed the way you said it is, and yes one should be familiar with their firearms, but that's unlike any firearm design I've seen (not being familiar with TC's).
     

    Mgderf

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    43   0   0
    May 30, 2009
    17,877
    113
    Lafayette
    Just checked my Contender.
    It will NOT do what these imbeciles are claiming.
    Mine is a GenII frame, so there could be a difference there, but mine will not fire without pulling the trigger.
     

    Hookeye

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Dec 19, 2011
    15,039
    77
    armpit of the midwest
    Shot a bunch of TC stuff over the years.
    if the gun didn't fire (interrupter) I reset it and then it cocked normal.

    Never did what these guys did. Ever.

    But I know how the gun is designed and how to run it proper.

    * kicks rocks * too smart to ever get a Youtube channel
     

    Hookeye

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Dec 19, 2011
    15,039
    77
    armpit of the midwest
    Gen 1 if you let the hammer down, you must reset it to be able to cock normal.
    Most folks open the gun. But all you need to do is squeeze the trigger guard, no need to actually open the gun.
    Yeah, most folks don't know that LOL. But opening and closing might help if you have a locking bolt fitment issue.

    Gen 2 you don't, it's like an Encore. Can cock, let down and recock,

    Gen 1 can have light triggers too, made very light. Light enough they " bump off" with sharp closing.
    But the hammer isn't cocked when it happens.

    I don't know if one can pull back and let the hammer slap fwd after a bump off (or prev let down) and have the gun fire.
    Not sure how the interrupter works in that situation.

    Never tried it.

    Think a bud let the hammer down on a buck, then tried to cock the gun again without reset, hammer not stay back.
    Dunno if he tried the slip off and missed, of the gun not fire at all.

    Was yrs ago.

    I should go to the range and try it.

    But the video posted, was two people that did not understand how the gun works.
    Thats on them.

    If a hammer won't stay back (and you can tell by sound and feel) why would you let off it?
    Notice the poor muzzle control in the vid.

    Too busy playing movie stars and not paying attention to WTF they are doing.
    Friggin morons.
     

    Hookeye

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Dec 19, 2011
    15,039
    77
    armpit of the midwest
    Notice in the vid the initial hammer drop did not fire.
    So he cocked it again and did a slip off and boom.

    That the first one.

    Why did it not fire?
    Maybe something wrong with internals.
    Wonder if that allows for the slip off and fire.

    Bellm says springs get weak.
    Might be a new spring set make the gun safe for idiots.
    Maybe it is a design issue.

    Again, I've shot 7 or 8 Contenders over the years and have never tried that crap.
    Guess I'm not as special as momma told me.

    Old gun, proly bought used. Weak spring, broken part, gummed up?
    Dunno if there a mech issue or a design issue.

    Neither do the dumbfuggs in the video.
    But hype sells.
    And dipstick will put it in gunsafe in current (possibly unsafe) config.

    I should see if a Gen 1 in known good working order will do what they did.
    Could be a design issue.
    Hell I dunno.
    Never had that happen in all my years of shooting Gen 1 TC.
    Never tried it :)

    (edit: as pointed out by another, the gun was not cocked for oops #1)
     
    Last edited:

    Whip_McCord

    Expert
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    May 14, 2010
    762
    63
    NWI
    Hookeye, it did not fire the first time because, as Hawkeye7br mentioned, he did not cock the hammer, that puts it in dry-fire mode. He then tries to cock the hammer again without resetting the trigger (by opening the barrel) then the hammer fell since the trigger was not reset. It is not the gun's fault people do not know how to operate it correctly.
     

    Hookeye

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Dec 19, 2011
    15,039
    77
    armpit of the midwest
    Single action...........don't you cock the hammer and then pull the trigger?
    I know that's a long multi step process and folks might get lost somewhere in that chain of events.
    Maybe those folks would be better served with striker fired guns ;)
     

    Hookeye

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Dec 19, 2011
    15,039
    77
    armpit of the midwest
    Gen 1 can be reset without opening the gun.
    But you have to pull the trigger guard as if you were opening it.

    The actual opening is not what resets it.

    But opening may help if you have an interrupter/locking bolt issue where the trigger/hammer works normal, hammer falls and it doesn't go bang.
    People closing Contenders gently have had that prob. Brisk closing seems to alleviate it.
    But then w a light trigger, brisk closing can cause striker to "bump off".
    So on a light trigger you push fwd on the trigger while closing.

    That would no doubt be too confusing to the two dorks in the video.
     

    Hookeye

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Dec 19, 2011
    15,039
    77
    armpit of the midwest
    Just seems to me, watching the video......

    the two were a little overly animated.

    Hmmm, Redbull a sponsor?

    IMHO just shows a gun channel celebrity may not actually be a gun person.
     
    Top Bottom