Do they still make them? I knew a guy that had a 7mm-08 pistol and he killed deer like the plague. Need to get one...

I think I read a few months back that they were closing down.

Pretty sure they are not being produced currently. There appears to be some companies making the barrels still.

I am interested in adding a scope to shoot paper from a bench. 50 yards would be the intended distance using the stock .22LR barrel. Anybody have recommendations on a scope for this application. Probably need 16-24 power.

They haven't made frames in more than a few years now I believe. S&W has tried to sell "T/C" for a while now with no takers (or what's left of it, mostly the name).

https://www.hausofarms.com has finally started to get their frames in the hands of customers.


I didn't take a lot of pictures back then, mostly just of targets I screwed up. lol

^ 100 yards 2x6 pistol scope.

Made a lot of rifle shooters unhappy back then. (including myself, and still do to this day, having expensive rifles with expensive scopes and doing LOTS more [i]precision handloading", and still can't do things those silly bend in the middle "pistols" with long eye relief scopes would do.)

quote:

Originally posted by got2hav1:
I am interested in adding a scope to shoot paper from a bench. 50 yards would be the intended distance using the stock .22LR barrel. Anybody have recommendations on a scope for this application. Probably need 16-24 power.

You probably do not need a scope. I used to shoot mine out to 100yds with just the iron sights. Off a sandbag on a bench could get 5 shots in the 10 ring of the 50 Yd Slow Fire Pistol target at 100yds. That was back in the 80's. No way I could do it now.

Smith & Wesson bought Thompson Center for the barrel making technology and machinery as they transitioned into making rifles.
After buying T/C, Smith & Wesson screwed the remains of T/C into the ground.
Nothing T/C is produced now. I did notice that SSK Firearms (SSK Industries) had started producing a new production Contender frame.
T/C Patents and Trademarks are long expired.

https://www.sskfirearms.com/fi...plete-receivers.html

The only "kicker" is it's Dealers only and must buy five frames. $1975 for five frames equals $395 per frame. But out of stock usually.
That's a pretty good Dealer price for a new production Contender frame in present financial times.

There is a booming business in Contender & Encore aftermarket parts. Particularly aftermarket barrels.

I needed a .50 Cal. muzzleloader pistol barrel for the Encore. I had to shorten a rifle barrel to get what I wanted.

quote:

Originally posted by got2hav1:
I am interested in adding a scope to shoot paper from a bench. 50 yards would be the intended distance using the stock .22LR barrel. Anybody have recommendations on a scope for this application. Probably need 16-24 power.

I don't think you'll find a pistol scope in the 16-24 power range.

Long eye relief scopes are typically much lower powered.

I'm not sure how small of targets you want to shoot at but I think you'll be surprised how well you can shoot your Contender with even a 2x or 4x scope at 50 yards.

And when the magnification on pistol scopes goes up, they get harder and harder to use.

There are plenty of people who shoot them with rifle scopes. Various disciplines, long range bench shooters. Silhouette shooters using the Taco hold. I've always liked the term Lee Jurras used, "Technical Pistol", because they're capable of great accuracy, at longer ranges, in more powerful cartridges than an average handgun. And they're only technically pistols. People call them "pifles" and "hand rifles", you have to find what you like, what you're comfortable with. What you enjoy, what makes sense to you and what doesn't. The guys shooting heavy stocked bench guns with big heavy flat bottomed stocks and forends, with rifle scopes on them... that never made sense to me. But that's me. They enjoy it, great. You could certainly shoot a .22 off a bench (or even off hand) with a rifle scope without fear of melon balling your eye out.

Good points everyone. I will give it some more thought.

On a low recoil round like a.22lr you can use a rifle scope.
I have a custom Savage Striker in .22lr that uses a scope that goes to 24x, no problems shooting off a good rest.
All the center fire cartridge barrels for my Contender use LER scopes.
The Burris 3-12 LER scope on my .223 barrel requires surgical eye position at 12x. A solid support is required.
When I shot IHMSA I used the Dead Frog position.
There are other positions for shooting rifle scoped handguns, some research will bring them out.

I have a Contender and an Encore. I have barrels for .22LR, 35Rem, .44Mag, .50 cal Black Powder, 7-30 Waters, .223, 30-30 Winchester, and 7mm-08. These pistols are amazingly accurate. Some calibers are very stout, others, surprisingly mellow!

Mine still has the fine wood stocks, but I bought the “ Goodyears”.
Currently these … only one frame.
.223
7mm. TCU
35 Remington
375 JDJ
41 magnum
45-70 Government

The only government that I trust , is a 45-70 Government.