Gents, All of you with the cannon breech guns sound off. How are the triggers ? Consistent quality ? Way back in the 80's when the first models were advertised I wanted one but my local gun dealer could not get one in,consequently when a used Contender hit his shelf he convinced me to settle for a T/C. The rest is history. Still intrigued by the design 'lo these many years later. I been thinkin' more about them lately..........45nut
Posts: 538 | Location: elsewhere | Registered: 07 July 2001
The Competitor pistol is a neat gun. The trigger is completely adjustable (once you find an .035" allen wrench) for sear engagement, weight and overtravel. The gun is a lil heavy but i have gotten used to. I like the fact that a 16" barreled Competitor is similar in size to a Super 14 Contender. Another big plus for the Competitor is that they have numerous barrels in stock of various configurations. When i decided that i wanted a 16" 405 Win without a brake, i contacted them and they actually had one that was ready to ship!! Available calibers include the belted magnums. They also have several bases available depending on what you desire. You can check them out here > http://www.competitor-pistol.com/index.html
HTH,
Posts: 1574 | Location: Western Pennsylvania | Registered: 12 September 2002
I would have to agree with Mike. I think they are one of the best shooting around. I will soon Have 5 Frames and 17 barrels from 17 HMR to 45/70 Check out my wedsite for Competitor pistol
[ 06-30-2003, 16:23: Message edited by: Paul Dustin ]
Ok Paul, With all the calibers listed how do you decide ? Jeeze.....It's tough enough out here on the edges of reality without having THAT many choices !!!! I guess I oughta re-think this for awhile.... I more question though...extraction...ejection ? Does the pistol pop the empties or drop them in your hand ? TIA 45nut
Posts: 538 | Location: elsewhere | Registered: 07 July 2001
I have 2 different ejectors. The small kicks the 7tcu case out with authority. The medium just kinda pops em outta the chamber. I have noticed that the medium extractor has a lil corrosion on it and need to polish it off before i call it bad.
Posts: 1574 | Location: Western Pennsylvania | Registered: 12 September 2002
HI 45nut Small cases will pop right out of the chamber and cases like the 308 will come out about 11/4" out of the chamber and the larges cases like the 375 JRS will come out about 1/2" out of the chamber. I only have two frames and four barrels right now. I have order three more frames and 13 barrels I'm doing away with my Contenders and going with all Comptetior pistol. Well this is how I decide what gun to use is when I walk out the door I use the gun in my hand that may take an hour or two before I hit the door. My son ask the some question Here a list of what I will have.
17HMR 16" BBL Be here in 12 weeks 17 Remington 14" BBL Be here in 19 weeks 22 Hornet 14" BBL 1-9 twist AT HOME 221 Fireball 14" BBL Be here in 19 weeks 223 Remington 14" BBL Be here in 12 weeks 6mm TCU 16" BBL Be here in 12 weeks 257 Roberts Imp 14" BBL Be here in 19 weeks 7mm TCU 14" BBL Be here in 19 weeks 7-30 Waters 14" BBL Be here in 19 weeks 30 Herrett 14" BBL Be here in 19 weeks 308 Winchester 16" BBL Muzzle Brake AT HOME 357 Herrett 14" BBL Be here in 19 weeks 358 JDJ 14" BBL Muzzle Brake Be here in 12 weeks 358 Winchester 14" BBL Muzzle Brake AT HOME 375 JRS 16" BBL Muzzle Brake AT HOME 454 Casull 14" BBL Muzzle Brake Be here in 12 weeks 45/70 14" BBL Muzzle Brake Be here in 19 weeks
[ 07-01-2003, 16:52: Message edited by: Paul Dustin ]
Why the low pressure cartridges like the hornet, TCUs, 7-30 and the Herretts when the Competitor will handle the high pressure stuff??? Not a criticism, just interested in how you arrived at your choices......
Like you, I have also thought about liquidating my Contender stuff and converting it all over to the Competitor.......just haven't been able to bring myself to do it yet.......
Posts: 1499 | Location: NE Okla | Registered: 22 May 2002
I wont be sending my Contenders or XP down the road anytime soon. I still like the contender for the straight walls, the XP as my vamint rig and the Competitor in the 405!! I think that the competitor has particular advantages (especially for hunting) over the encore but my STILL one day own one. I am considering another barrel for the competitor, like 300 Win Mag in either a 16 or 18" barrel!
BTW, i would like to peddle my competitor 14" 7TCU barrel with the steel weaver/dual dovetail mount. This barrel MY have 100 rounds through it. Anyone that is interested, please send me an email.
GonHuntin Why I picked out these cartridges is I have dies and about 300 or 400 rounds for each one and the Hornet is 1-9 twist I can shot a 35gr bullet at 2986fps from a 14" BBL and I can go up to a 60gr bullet and push it at just under 2400fps. For the 6mm & 7mm TCU I like them and with the 6mm TCU I can push a 80gr Remington or Nolser bullet over 2900fps and 7mm TCU with a 120 Nolser around 2500fps. For the Herretts You can push them a little fast but I just like shoot them. For the 7-30 Waters I can get about 200fps faster out of a Competitor pistol over a Contender pistol. For the change over I like the middle grip pistol best. I had a Remington XP 100 in 7mm BR year ago and I could out shot anything I had in a Contender. I went with the Contenders for they had more caliber chamber in there gun. If Remington would had more caliber I would of stayed with them and with the Competitor I can change caliber just like I could with the Contenders. I still like the Contender pistol it is I shoot the Competitor pistol best.
Thanks for the info Paul.......I can understand why you would choose something if you have dies and brass for it already!
I'm a bit surprised that you can get 200 fps more velocity out of the 7-30 in your competitor verses your contender..... how is the brass life at that pressure?
I have 3 Competitor barrels now, a 22 K-Hornet, a 250 Savage and a 350 mag.......I am still trying to decide what to get next......
I really like mid grip on the Competitor and short overall length resulting from the cannon breech action.
Posts: 1499 | Location: NE Okla | Registered: 22 May 2002
How is the recoil with those Competitor's in a heavy kicker.Looks painfull with an all plastic grip.One thing I like about the Contender is you can get nice rubber grips and such.Maybe I just need to shoot a Competitor and see for myself.
[ 07-02-2003, 21:59: Message edited by: T/C Nut ]
Posts: 608 | Location: Washington | Registered: 28 May 2003
Recoil with the competitor in a big bore is HEAVY! I have never fired a Encore in a big bore, so i cannot speak to that but will say that the Contender in a 444 has MUCH LESS recoil than me 405. I would recommend trying a competitor on the grounds that the trigger has been adjusted previously. The trigger on mine was just "ok" until i made the adjustment. Overall, i like the competitor a lot. I actually prefer it for offhand shooting. The contender still has its place in my inventory and the encore may also one day. I have done a bit of bench shooting with the competitor but, IMHO, the center grip does not lead itself to that type of fun.....
Posts: 1574 | Location: Western Pennsylvania | Registered: 12 September 2002
If you use a muzzle brake on the big ones the Recoil is not bad. I have a 375 JRS I shoot 300gr bullets out of at 2450fps and the recoil is less then my 45/70 Contender with muzzle brake and a 300gr bullet at 1997fps. You need to try one
[ 07-03-2003, 04:22: Message edited by: Paul Dustin ]
Getting the bug for a competitor. Sixteen inch barrel with a brake. Now which is a better choice A) .444 Marlin B) .375-.444 Marlin ( How hard to form the cases ?) Thanks for any input, Hee Haw
Posts: 92 | Location: Las Vegas, Nv | Registered: 26 November 2002
Of the two choices listed, I'd go for the 375 X 444.....case forming consists of lubing a new 444 case and running it in the 375 X 444 die......
However, since the Competitor is not limited to low pressure cartridges like the contender, why not go for something with a bit more punch? You can always down load to lower velocities yet you have the ability to throttle up when you need more power!
Posts: 1499 | Location: NE Okla | Registered: 22 May 2002
HeeHaw You need to see what they have in stock they are working on 3 guns and 10 barrel actions for me right now and it will be about 21/2 months before they have all the action to fines me barrel action. So you are liking at 16 to 20 weeks before you can get one done and if you do go to my website before you buy I can get you a good deal on one.
Paul
[ 07-03-2003, 22:24: Message edited by: Paul Dustin ]
Paul - saw them on your website. Are these guns accesible in local gunshops? (Pa.) I've never seen one in 3-D, and would like to handle one. Prices, options, and versatility look good in this package.
Posts: 309 | Location: Pennsylvania | Registered: 31 December 2002
T/C nimrod I do not know of any gun shops that handly the Competitor pistol. You may fine a use one ever now and then in a gun shop. Do you live close to Mike (MSSmagnum) if so I would ask him if you could come an see his. The Competitor pistol is one of the best offhand shooting pistol just about like the old Remington XP100 and not bad off the bench. You have 426 caliber to pick from.
GonHuntin I check with the friend that has a Competitor in 7-30 Waters his is a 14" BBL and he is getting 2489fps with a 130gr Sierra Bullet the best I could get with my Contender 12" BBL was 2085fps He told me he has reloaded some of the cases about 8 times now an they look good. He is loading them with 36.7gr of WW748.
[ 07-04-2003, 01:02: Message edited by: Paul Dustin ]
quote:Originally posted by T/C nimrod: Paul - saw them on your website. Are these guns accesible in local gunshops? (Pa.) I've never seen one in 3-D, and would like to handle one. Prices, options, and versatility look good in this package.
I have NEVER seen one of the competitor pistols before until i found mine on AuctionArms.com. If i remember right, it came from around the Philly area, could have been my XP though. If you were closer, i would be happy to meet with you and let you shoot it. If you are gonna be on this side of the state at some point, let me know....
Posts: 1574 | Location: Western Pennsylvania | Registered: 12 September 2002
I just thought I would hop over to this forum and take a look.... now I might have to buy a Competitor and become a regular. I am ashamed by my weekness to peer pressure.
Posts: 593 | Location: My computer. | Registered: 28 November 2001
quote:Originally posted by DanD: I just thought I would hop over to this forum and take a look.... now I might have to buy a Competitor and become a regular. I am ashamed by my weekness to peer pressure.
LOL! YOU REALLY NEED ONE!!
I would like to have a 2nd grip and breech. I think that the next barrel i purchase i will buy as a barreled action. It is also nice to have the 2nd breech if you are using multiple ejectors as the ejector is fairly easy to change but not at the range.
Posts: 1574 | Location: Western Pennsylvania | Registered: 12 September 2002
Gents, You have replied with a lot of information to process. Thank you all. I think a Competitor in 458x2" would be awesome and it would fit into my 45 caliber preference very well indeed. I have 3 45-70 choices to play with and one is a unbraked tapered 16" contender. That one gets a lot of attention at the range,but not many takers. A 458 Competitor would be even better. Brass being easy to come by,450 Marlin dies work dandy,and cast bullets should provide all I need for choices there. Yes I shall look into that option. Where do I start ? Paul ? TIA 45nut
Posts: 538 | Location: elsewhere | Registered: 07 July 2001
45nut which one of the 45 Cal. would you like. let me know and we can see if he has the barrel in stock. If you would like to talk to Richard at Competitor here is he number 1-603-532-9483 let me know
Paul
[ 07-07-2003, 15:58: Message edited by: Paul Dustin ]
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I think that the competitor has particular advantages (especially for hunting) over the encore but my STILL one day own one. I am considering another barrel for the competitor, like 300 Win Mag in either a 16 or 18" barrel! 
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