Hi all. I have a TC G2 in 44 mag with the 14 inch barrel. Last week I found an older 10 inch 44 mag barrel. Of course it did not fit and i read an earlier post about the new vs old locking lugs. So I called TC which is now S&W cust service and ordered the new parts. Since I had new parts coming I did a little honining on the old lugs so everything measures within a thou or so of the g2 lugs. Didnt work. I still have not gotten my parts so I decided to take the lug out of the new barrel and put in the old. This still didnt work. The barrel will close to where the mouth of the chamber is just below the fram then stops dead with either set up. If i get the closed action shut the get the pin in place it will only open a small bit the stops dead again. I have measured both barrels at all spots and the old barrel is actually a few thousandths narrower and can not find any difference. Both are factory barrels with the stars. Anyone have any ideas.
Thanks Aron

almost sounds like the lugs are catching on the recoil plate but why one barrel is fine and the other is not I don't know. If the barrel causing the problem has a heavier locking lug spring it could make a difference. Is the recoil plate on your gun protruding a little bit from being flush?

Well, my new parts came yesterday. I switched the lugs, spring, even the roll pin that holds everything together and it still won't fit. Same problem of going partway closed and stopping. As for the recoil plate I don't think it is protruding, at least as far as I can tell. Anyone have another idea? Thanks

Wow, the fact that you got parts is impressive. Many guys are getting the cold shoulder from S&W.

Have you looked at the extractors to see if anything is hanging up or damaged? If there is some debris or damage not alowing the extractor to retreat fully into the mortise, flush with the breech face, it could be hanging up.

Thats where I would look. Sounds like it might be the extractor. Check to see if it is bent or like s4s4u said look to see if a burr or something like that is protruding.

Checked last night the extractor is not touching. I even cut down the old spring to see if pressure was the problem. Spoke to cust service again the advised I need the undersized set of lugs that they would send gratis. How is a gun setup to take any and all barrels have three sets of parts that a novice like me is supposed to magically understand. Oh well, i will try these and see what goes.

Buckeye33,

I had the same problem with an older .44mag barrel. The older barrels had a soild locking lug and will not lock up correct. I had order some newer split locking lugs and a new extractor, and it solved my issue. If you still are having issues you mite want to send it to Rod, or Matchgrademachines? just my thoughts.

As an update, I did get the second set of lugs and they did not work either. Spoke to cust service again today and explained what had transpired. They want me to send this and are sending a shipping label. Said they would fix it. All I did was be nice and explain what the problem was. For those who have said they are having a hard time with TC service my opinion of the matter is this. The CS folks have more S&W training than TC. The past two times I called both reps wanted to speak to a particular gentleman before making a recomendation. Both reps were pleasent but you could tell that Contender questions were beyond what they were comfortable with. Thank you all for your help with this project.
Aron

Buckeye, this is probably coming in late as you are getting a shipping label from TC but you might want to try this just for the heck of it. Remove the locking bolt and extractor then assemble the barrel to your frame and gently try to close the action. If it still fails to close the problem most likely is that the distance from the center line of the pivot pin whole on the barrel to the end of the barrel is a maximum dimension while the distance from the pivot pin whole in the frame to the frame of the pistol is a minimum spec. The combination of these two extreems is apparently causing the bottom of the barrel to hit the frame and keep it from closing. You can probably visually check this by looking in the action when trying to close it. If this is the problem the cure is to face off several thousands from the rear of the barrel. Mike Bellm has extensive information on this procedure on his web site http://www.bellmtcs.com/store/. Facing off the rear of the barrel will in no way change the headspace.

Another thing you can do to check this is to take the barrel that works and try placing different thickness feeler gauge blades at the end of the barrel and action and then closing the action, start with a .0015 gauge. and work up until you can no longer easily pull out the gauge. Don't force things here! Then install the problem barrel and try this with the thinest feeler gauge. It will not close and my guess is that the gauge will be "pinched" between the end of the barrel and the frame and you will be able to feel that if you try to pull out the feeler gauge. If this is the case your barrel definately needs to be faced off a few thousands. A simple test, give it a try.

I had this exact problem a while back. The piece on the barrel that the pin goes through is where I was told to work. Back towards the frame end, the flat bottom angles slightly before turning straight up to the barrel. That corner is where I was directed to take a file to it until it would close. I didn't take much at all, barely even noticeable, but worked like a charm.

Chris, that was probably where mine was hitting. Looking at the other bbl I see where you mean. It is at sw/tc now. I will let everyone know when it gets back what they did.

When I was in the shop with Mike Bellm a couple weeks ago the fitting problem is one that came up. He probably has 2000 Bergara barrels that they screwed up the tolerances on so he is having to rework the lugs and then he has something like 8 or 10 different thickness lugs and he showed me how to go about fitting them but it's amazing how something so simple can get so screwed up. By the way if you buy a Bergara barrel they are fine but buy it from Mike. Bergara is still working on the fit issues but if you buy one from Mike you know it has been checked and is going to work.

As an update, two weeks after I sent it in the older barrel now fits. The barrel that came with it fits also. The slip said they modified the frame, but I cannot see where they did anything to the barrel. I thank you all for your help but I guess if you run into this call smith and let them take care of it. Now I need to shoot and start working up loads.

Gen 2 frames and old barrels are not worth the hassle. TC's are everywhere right now. Buy another old frame or two for less than 2 bills each, then you can take about any barrel built.

Have you done your home work on that answer? I just saying… LOL

I am more worried about AA barrels than I am “old contender barrels.” Of course then there are “old contender barrels” that I wouldn’t stick on my new G1 frames…

In short that is not an easy answer. TC has revamped their barrels several times. Mu-Wa-Hahahaha

I own one of the first stainless frames made and older carbon barrels and i love the the combo. Looks sharp and my 30 Herrett is one of the best bsrrels and calibers ever made. It is in 10", which in my opinion, is the best contender length.

I own one of the first stainless frames made and older carbon barrels and i love the the combo. Looks sharp and my 30 Herrett is one of the best bsrrels and calibers ever made. It is in 10", which in my opinion, is the best contender length.