Decided I wanted to get into the TC Contender. Bought a G2 frame via Gunbroker. Attached a TC synthetic rifle stock and a 16 1/4" 300 Blackout bbl from SSK. It shoots superbly, with and without a suppressor. I am VERY happy.
OK, let's put a pistol grip on it with a 32 H&R Magnum 10" bbl. Oops, since G2 frames are not being made now, G2 grips are not super easy to find. Ordered a Choate rubber grip...that ought to feel good in the hand. Oh no, if you tighten the supplied grip screw so the grip is snug, you can't cock the hammer. OK, let's put washers in place so I can tighten the grip screw and not have it go so far into the receiver. Even then, the grip is "squirmy" on the frame...it doesn't feel snug to the frame, but what do I know...that could be normal. What I do know is that as I shoot, I have to keep tightening the grip screw as I shoot to keep it somewhat snug.
I'm not a great pistol shot due to my vision situation, but still, the groups were not very good. Using my reloaded 32 H&R Magnum ammo that all shoot nice in my revolvers, here's typical WC (Speer 98gr lead hollow base wadcutter with 2.0gr Bullseye) and SWC (Hornady 95gr lead semi-wadcutter with 4.9gr AA#5) groups...distance is irrelevant as we compare to later groups at the same distance, same sights, same ammo, same number of shots (10), same light conditions, same rest. Note: Both these bullets were discontinued by Speer and Hornady, but I bought multiple boxes when I learned they were discontinued since they shot so well in the revolvers.
The wadcutters wanted to shoot as about half were close together, but half were outside (mild recoil). The SWC's, a more powerful load, just weren't consistent. More powerful, more squirming of the frame to grip as the pistol fired???
I found a Contender forum and read through 20 years of posts, picking posts that seemed to have info I might use. Found a few posts talking about poor groups when grips don't fit well. OK, it's better/snugger grip time. Sharps Bros makes a grip with a pic rail on the back so a pic rail attaching stock will fit if used in a rifle configuration. Watching videos on it involving kicking rifle cartridges, it looked like the grip made from nylon-12 was sturdy. Bonus: I have a SIG pic rail interface folding rifle stock. I can simply leave the grip attached all the time, putting on and removing the stock depending upon pistol or rifle use of my G2 frame.
The pic rail grip arrived a day early. Attached, it was MUCH MUCH firmer to my frame and the grip sides held the frame pins in place vs the rubber grip that let the pins walk and stick out of the frame. This morning, off to the neighbor's range. Everything was the same as before, except the grips. While the grips sure look different, the feel in the hand felt fine to me. First photo shows typical WC group with the new grip (multiple groups were fired to confirm size and adjust sights). Top bullet hit was from a cold clean bore.
Next is the SWC group with the new pistol grip. Much better than before.
Not shown, but I got the same kind of results with my 5.0gr AA#5 with 100gr plated Rainier bullets load (Rainier is out of business, but I stocked up). Without measuring any groups, but just looking, it appears the firmer grips cut the groups in half. 5 shot groups would look more impressive with several bullets in the same ragged hole, but I started off with 10, so I continued with 10 this morning while testing the new grip. I'll take a photo of the Sharps Bros grip and post it shortly. I'm pleased with the outcome. I suspect that using a wood pistol group would give similar results. Knowing how well I can hold the sights vs the target, I bet a machine rest would cut my groups in half again.
OK, let's put a pistol grip on it with a 32 H&R Magnum 10" bbl. Oops, since G2 frames are not being made now, G2 grips are not super easy to find. Ordered a Choate rubber grip...that ought to feel good in the hand. Oh no, if you tighten the supplied grip screw so the grip is snug, you can't cock the hammer. OK, let's put washers in place so I can tighten the grip screw and not have it go so far into the receiver. Even then, the grip is "squirmy" on the frame...it doesn't feel snug to the frame, but what do I know...that could be normal. What I do know is that as I shoot, I have to keep tightening the grip screw as I shoot to keep it somewhat snug.
I'm not a great pistol shot due to my vision situation, but still, the groups were not very good. Using my reloaded 32 H&R Magnum ammo that all shoot nice in my revolvers, here's typical WC (Speer 98gr lead hollow base wadcutter with 2.0gr Bullseye) and SWC (Hornady 95gr lead semi-wadcutter with 4.9gr AA#5) groups...distance is irrelevant as we compare to later groups at the same distance, same sights, same ammo, same number of shots (10), same light conditions, same rest. Note: Both these bullets were discontinued by Speer and Hornady, but I bought multiple boxes when I learned they were discontinued since they shot so well in the revolvers.
The wadcutters wanted to shoot as about half were close together, but half were outside (mild recoil). The SWC's, a more powerful load, just weren't consistent. More powerful, more squirming of the frame to grip as the pistol fired???
I found a Contender forum and read through 20 years of posts, picking posts that seemed to have info I might use. Found a few posts talking about poor groups when grips don't fit well. OK, it's better/snugger grip time. Sharps Bros makes a grip with a pic rail on the back so a pic rail attaching stock will fit if used in a rifle configuration. Watching videos on it involving kicking rifle cartridges, it looked like the grip made from nylon-12 was sturdy. Bonus: I have a SIG pic rail interface folding rifle stock. I can simply leave the grip attached all the time, putting on and removing the stock depending upon pistol or rifle use of my G2 frame.
The pic rail grip arrived a day early. Attached, it was MUCH MUCH firmer to my frame and the grip sides held the frame pins in place vs the rubber grip that let the pins walk and stick out of the frame. This morning, off to the neighbor's range. Everything was the same as before, except the grips. While the grips sure look different, the feel in the hand felt fine to me. First photo shows typical WC group with the new grip (multiple groups were fired to confirm size and adjust sights). Top bullet hit was from a cold clean bore.
Next is the SWC group with the new pistol grip. Much better than before.
Not shown, but I got the same kind of results with my 5.0gr AA#5 with 100gr plated Rainier bullets load (Rainier is out of business, but I stocked up). Without measuring any groups, but just looking, it appears the firmer grips cut the groups in half. 5 shot groups would look more impressive with several bullets in the same ragged hole, but I started off with 10, so I continued with 10 this morning while testing the new grip. I'll take a photo of the Sharps Bros grip and post it shortly. I'm pleased with the outcome. I suspect that using a wood pistol group would give similar results. Knowing how well I can hold the sights vs the target, I bet a machine rest would cut my groups in half again.
