Suppressors Suppressed Contenders anyone

This was my “go to” rifle for whitetails once upon a time. Encore with 16.5” 45/70 with a 1:10 twist barrel. It would stabilize 730gr bullets. Pictured is one before it was fully seated. My actual bullet of choice was a 385gr cast deep hollow point shooting ~950fps.

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not that I want to go that heavy but I just ordered a Marlin Dark 45-70 and plan to shoot subs in it mostly. Got info on the molds you are using and rough idea of loads? I was thinking I would like a mold around 400-405gr mainly because I can use the Maker bullets for hunting if I go in that direction and coated cast for playing around. Pretty sure the new Ruglins are 1:20 twist, so not sure how heavy I can get away with and still stabilize.
 
not that I want to go that heavy but I just ordered a Marlin Dark 45-70 and plan to shoot subs in it mostly. Got info on the molds you are using and rough idea of loads? I was thinking I would like a mold around 400-405gr mainly because I can use the Maker bullets for hunting if I go in that direction and coated cast for playing around. Pretty sure the new Ruglins are 1:20 twist, so not sure how heavy I can get away with and still stabilize.

This isn’t my post and to be completely honest, I don’t even remember what powder I used. This may be something to play with but I think you’ll be a ways off on stabilizing it out of a 1:20. In the last few years I picked up a new hollow point mold for subs. One think I learned is though, the lighter bullets are quieter (less powder/gas) and let’s face it, a 300gr bullet is going to hammer deer/hogs still.


My picture doesn’t show the hollow points but this is the NOE 600MOAB mold with the deep hollow point pins. It’s popular in the 458 SOCOM crowd. I’ve never hunted with these.
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But my new favorite mold is an MP 462 Hammer. These will be absolute units for subsonic deer hunting. Could nearly take a shot out of the hollow point.

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That there is the exact idea I've had for a while. How well did it perform with the heaviest subsonic load, and what can you using
To be honest I never did much with the 730’s. I shot a steel plate behind my house and it totally knocked it off the stand 😂 otherwise I never hunted with it. I’m using a Form 1 suppressor to similar specs as the Sico Hybrid.
 
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To be honest I never did much with the 730’s. I shot a steel plate behind my house and it totally knocked it off the stand 😂 otherwise I never hunted with it. I’m using a Form 1 suppressor to similar specs as the Sico Hybrid.

And frankly, that lighter hollow point you showed would be much more effective on most game anyway. If you're not shooting something extremely large and/or dense (elephants, cape buffalo, etc) most solid bullet designs rapidly hit a point where adding more bullet weight does little or nothing to the killing ability. Sure, there's more "foot pounds" on paper, but it doesn't mean anything (as I'm sure you know, but many don't) when most of the power is retained out the far side of the animal.

For subsonic hunting bullets, designs with large hollow points in a mild-soft lead is where it's at. The machined copper hollow points have their place too of course, but IME have the most value in smaller 30 cal and under projectiles; as bullet diameters get larger from there they become more and more suited to 10-12 Bhn cast bullets with large hollow points.

FWIW I did mention using a 230gr Hammerhead wadcutter in 38 Spl earlier, but in all honesty I'd prefer a 180-200gr hollow point over that wadcutter for most deer sized game or smaller. With the right designs I've always seen better terminal effect from hollow points in subsonic loads than from any flat, rounded, or pointed bullet.
 
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And frankly, that lighter hollow point you showed would be much more effective on most game anyway. If you're not shooting something extremely large and/or dense (elephants, cape buffalo, etc) most solid bullet designs rapidly hit a point where adding more bullet weight does little or nothing to the killing ability. Sure, there's more "foot pounds" on paper, but it doesn't mean anything (as I'm sure you know, but many don't) when most of the power is retained out the far side of the animal.

For subsonic hunting bullets, designs with large hollow points in a mild-soft lead is where it's at. The machined copper hollow points have their place too of course, but IME have the most value in smaller 30 cal and under projectiles; as bullet diameters get larger from there they become more and more suited to 10-12 Bhn cast bullets with large hollow points.

FWIW I did mention using a 230gr Hammerhead wadcutter in 38 Spl earlier, but in all honesty I'd prefer a 180-200gr hollow point over that wadcutter for most deer sized game or smaller. With the right designs I've always seen better terminal effect from hollow points in subsonic loads than from any flat, rounded, or pointed bullet.
Spot on, you’re absolutely right. The heavy for caliber bullets are fun, but typically the mid weight bullets with a deep hollow point and soft cast lead are much better for hunting.
 
I've been curious about the T/C Encores for a bit, but with them being spun off from S&W, what's the situation on actually acquiring one these days?

I recently got into a .460 S&W mag revolver, and having an Encore chambered in that I can put my suppressor on would be a neat straight wall hunting rifle, if I can put a muzzleloader barrel on there, makes it even more compelling.

MGM for barrels looks like the way to go, but to someone new to the contender/encore ecosystem it has me scratching my head a bit. Advice welcome! (Suppressor would be a Dead Air Primal with a JMAC Keymount MD)
 
I've been curious about the T/C Encores for a bit, but with them being spun off from S&W, what's the situation on actually acquiring one these days?

I recently got into a .460 S&W mag revolver, and having an Encore chambered in that I can put my suppressor on would be a neat straight wall hunting rifle, if I can put a muzzleloader barrel on there, makes it even more compelling.

MGM for barrels looks like the way to go, but to someone new to the contender/encore ecosystem it has me scratching my head a bit. Advice welcome! (Suppressor would be a Dead Air Primal with a JMAC Keymount MD)
I think you’ll just have to find a used one. The price has gone up on them the last couple years so expect to pay a little more than previous years. Otherwise, nothin really concerning about buying one.
 
I've been curious about the T/C Encores for a bit, but with them being spun off from S&W, what's the situation on actually acquiring one these days?

I recently got into a .460 S&W mag revolver, and having an Encore chambered in that I can put my suppressor on would be a neat straight wall hunting rifle, if I can put a muzzleloader barrel on there, makes it even more compelling.

MGM for barrels looks like the way to go, but to someone new to the contender/encore ecosystem it has me scratching my head a bit. Advice welcome! (Suppressor would be a Dead Air Primal with a JMAC Keymount MD)
The TC brand was closed out, Contenders and Encores were discontinued. The frame in my picture was from S&W's final production run.
 
I think you’ll just have to find a used one. The price has gone up on them the last couple years so expect to pay a little more than previous years. Otherwise, nothin really concerning about buying one.

Yeah there is, there are no replacement Encore trigger parts available. If a Belm does a 3lb trigger job incorrectly on your gun and you end up with an 8oz trigger, you can't replace the parts.
 
Yeah there is, there are no replacement Encore trigger parts available. If a Belm does a 3lb trigger job incorrectly on your gun and you end up with an 8oz trigger, you can't replace the parts.
What parts are you having issues sourcing? When I google search “TC Encore parts” I’m seeing parts available from various venders. But then again, I’m also not sending my Encores off for trigger jobs. I just do the basic spring kits and have found those to be sufficient. And they’re easily reverted back to the factory parts.
 
What parts are you having issues sourcing? When I google search “TC Encore parts” I’m seeing parts available from various venders. But then again, I’m also not sending my Encores off for trigger jobs. I just do the basic spring kits and have found those to be sufficient. And they’re easily reverted back to the factory parts.

Any Encore trigger component except for springs are unavailable. Click the links that come up in your searches.
 
I just snagged a frame off gunbroker. Late 80’s, still has the cougar on it which was a must for me haha. I need a barrel from mgm, and then I’m going to have an old timer gunsmith near me make up a set of grips and forend for it out of some spalted maple I have laying around from a tree I cut down years back.
 
It's got a brake I need to get off first. It's been sitting the safe for a long time. It's been a while but I tried a few of the usual ways and had no luck. I'll probably resort to a vice if I ever get around to it.

I hope you use a good barrel vise at least, not a bench vise! :oops:
If you don't have one, it would probably be better to have someone turn the brake off in a lathe and save the barrel, than to booger up a decent barrel trying to get to the threads.

I say that after having had a couple people over the years ask me "can you fix this?" when showing me an otherwise decent rifle or revolver with vise jaw and pipe wrench marks all over the barrel. My answer was always a solid "no" of course.
 
There's one that's been coming around. I thought I got him with my .22 pistol off hand from 30 or 40 yards. Turns out I just got him in the leg and he's back with a limp. When I get him the rest of the way I'll take a picture. The last cat I got was five feet away, .22 through his little face shut the lights off instantly.

I leave them alone when they stay out in the pastures. If they come up to the house they get the heater. The ferals attack my shop cat, she has a job to do with mice and voles and I can't have her going down from a fight.

The big sleep came.

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I think you’ll just have to find a used one. The price has gone up on them the last couple years so expect to pay a little more than previous years. Otherwise, nothin really concerning about buying one.

The TC brand was closed out, Contenders and Encores were discontinued. The frame in my picture was from S&W's final production run.
thanks both. did some looking and with the current prices it just makes more sense right now to save it and put it towards a Big Horn Armory Model 90
 
Holy crap. I didn’t even know about the SSK frames. I literally contacted my FFL today about ordering a CVA Scout, having abandoned my plans for a T/C after seeing the crazy prices used frames are selling for. Now I have some thinking to do. It’ll cost me 3x as much to order the SSK and piece together a full custom over the CVA, but damned if I don’t want it…
 
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That's not bad. I wonder if they will ever get into the Encores.

Hi. I've been on Haus of Arms (and other sites) waiting lists since the SSK-50 frames were announced. Marty (H of A), gets VERY few per shipment and has over 1000 on the 'list'.
Just yesterday, I got a notice from Midway that they had SSK-50 Lynx models in stock and I snagged one. Nice to see the major sellers are sticking to the $395 price. I just paid a LOT more than that for a TC SS frame.
On Gunbroker last week, there was an SSK-50 (flatside) listed for $640. Just like the new Garmin chronograph. Midway and Amazon both kept the price at $599 but were near impossible to find for months. When they first came out, eBay had a BUNCH listed for $1000-$1200.
While I've had my Oehler 35P for 3 decades, the Garmin is SO much easier to use, there is no comparison.
If some enterprising soul were to make a small, wireless printer that would work with the Garmin, they will make a fortune. The paper printout on the 35P is awesome.
ron
 
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Didn't SSK buy the Contender rights? How's that work?
Curious by what you mean by “rights”. I haven’t actually looked into it so there’s a good chance I’m totally wrong, but I’d assume it’s no different than having R700 clones along with actual R700’s. SSK wasn’t advertising actual Contender’s, just Contender clone I suppose you could say.

Like I said, I have done zero research on the actual topic, I am just looking at it as cloning actions like what’s already being done.
 
Curious by what you mean by “rights”. I haven’t actually looked into it so there’s a good chance I’m totally wrong, but I’d assume it’s no different than having R700 clones along with actual R700’s. SSK wasn’t advertising actual Contender’s, just Contender clone I suppose you could say.

Like I said, I have done zero research on the actual topic, I am just looking at it as cloning actions like what’s already being done.
I thought I remembered something about them buying TC or the rights from S&W. There has to be something to it or else there would be no need to buy TC unless it was just the name only.
 
It shoots 45acp, has a short barrel, and probably should have been aborted right after inception. That is all

I'm trying to picture how you grip it with that folding stock, but it does look like a fun time.

What kind of can do you use with it? I'm half hoping it's some sort of tack-welded contraption of iron pipe and freeze plugs. :D