Test Report New Contender Kit By E. Dixon Larson

Utah engineer solves two perplexing problems that have hounded an otherwise super handgun.

American Handgunner· September/October 1980, Page 72

http://americanhandgunner.com/1980issues/HSO80.pdf

 
Ed. I did a quick search on Google Patent, no hits on granted or applied for patents at this point. 12 Oct 2016.

The Thompson-Center Contender has often been termed as over 30 guns in one, at last count that is. Since Warren Center designed the unique handgun with interchangeable barrels some 14 years ago, it has become a very popular firearm with an accent on accuracy. Few would attempt to dispute that the TIC Contender has been proven as one of the finest all-around sporting arms ever designed to date. The ease of barrel changing makes it the most versatile handgun available, and at a modest price. One good tuned frame and lock works, and a few assorted barrels, and the proud owner has a plinker, a snake gun, a deer hunter and a super silhouette dropper.

The only real serious design faults on the Contender are the trigger group:

No. 1 is the brutal spur extending from the bottom of the trigger guard. This spur, up to now has been necessary as an opening lever.

No.2 is the abnormally long reach to the trigger, brought by the trigger guard lever design. I have experienced both problems several times while silhouette shooting the Contender.

Any attempt at a conventional two-hand grip, firing anything much above 22 RF, can be a painful experience for the shooter who attempts to put both sets of fingers behind the spur. He soon learns he cannot put any gripping pressure on the front of the spur because the action opens easily with a live round in the breech. It should be pointed out that while the gun opens fairly easily with a live round in the chamber, such is not always the case. A heavily loaded case can stretch when fired, causing a great deal of force to be required to open the receiver.

After experiencing the ownership of over a dozen TIC Contenders and continually plagued with the two problems, John Aspenwall of Sandy, Utah, decided to apply his technical education as an Engineer and solve the two objectionable features. After three years of modifications, he felt he had achieved the ultimate in redesign by providing a breech opening mechanism actuated by a small lever at the bottom of the butt. This modification permitted a redesign of the trigger guard and elimination of the knuckle-busting spur. The compound leverage mechanism fits inside a standard T/C grip with some re-machining of the inside. The outside of the grip is not altered and no modification of the Contender frame is required. The compound leverage applied by the butt lever makes it easy to open the breech while shooting maximum loads. The grip hand can be kept in place and ready for the next shot. The re-designed trigger guard, with no spur, provides for easy conventional two-hand gripping.

The new design trigger gets the trigger finger back up in place, at about the same point-of-pull to the other three fingers.  The relationship is comparable to that of the Government Model.45 Automatic. The trigger is still adjustable as on the unmodified Contender group. Aspenwall's patent is in process as this is written. The Conversion will be a simple parts changeout that will not require a gunsmith or any special tools. Retail price will be about $87.50. Deliveries expected to begin in October. For more details write John Aspenwall, 1327 E. Madrid Way, Sandy, UT 84070.