[DanL]

Hi all,

Long time lurker, first time poster. The G2 thread made me decide to ask a question I've had for a while. I bought a Contender 20 years ago and have been using it steadily with no problems all this time. I've been waiting (and waiting, and waiting) for the G2 to come out so I can retire that poor beat-up thing. I finally gave up and bought another TC that showed up on the shelf of a local gunshop a couple of months ago that had a barrel I didn't have.

Anyway, what was the point of Thompson pulling the Contender a couple of years ago? The loading manuals all have a 'Ruger, Freedom Arms, and TC only' section, so I assume that the Contender as is (as was?) is plenty strong. With more beef on the frame are they planning on adding some calibers to the TC lineup?

I've almost bought an Encore several times, and may yet do so one day. But I can't think of anything I'm likely to hunt that I couldn't hunt with something between a .222, a 7-30 Waters, a 45-70, or some JDJ, Bellm, or Reeder wildcat, so I've just hung on to the Contender.

Why did they decide they needed an upgrade?

Thanks in advance...

 

[Drifty]

I believe that most of the changes are with the ease of opening the frame and with the hammer and trigger. On the G2 you can uncock and recock the hammer without opening the frame.

There may be some other things that they address but those I think are the main things.

 

[Gregory]

I think thre were"safety" considerations. If you take the current Contender and snap the trigger when the gun is not cocked, then pull the hammer back and let it go, it will drop on the firing pin and can fire a chambered cartridge. You can't do that with an Encore or G2 .
Greg

 

[Eric N.]

Who knows why T/C does what it does? May be they wanted to replace the Contender because they have replaced so many on thier warrenty.One thing you might not know is on the early Encores had an easy open trigger guard replacement also.Just like the Contenders.You can tell the differance by the finish,the old one is bright blue,the updated one is matt black.I think this was on the first 5000 or so. :-D