Forgive my lack of knowledge as to whether this topic has been covered recently. I'm in the hunt for a blackpowder hunting pistol. Preference is a Contender or an Encore. So my questions are:

1) was a Contender blackpowder barrel ever made, either by commercial or custom channels? A Contender with a muzzleloader barrel and a barrel in a light rifle chambering would be the perfect set-up for my neck of the woods.

2) I recall that there possibly was a 15" Encore barrel made in stainless, and/or a complete stainless pistol when I bought my Encore rifle (configured as a muzzleloader) back in 2006...can anyone confirm this and comment on the availability on the used market?

3) If so, is it so uncommon that it's like searching for hens' teeth?

My goal is to put together a Contender or Encore pistol for both blackpowder and regular gun seasons, but I need to know what components or guns I have a reasonable chance of finding, so when something good pops up, I can buy it with confidence.

A company called Gonic once made BP barrels for the Contender. They come up for sale once in a while.

T/C used to market a blued Encore BP pistol with a 15" barrel, not sure about SS. Those barrels also come up for sale once in a while.

Bullberry will make you a BP barrel for your Contender, as might some of the other custom barrel makers. You can have a 45/70 barrel converted to BP, but it would probably be cheaper to have one made.

The 45-70 route is about $100 for the work plus barrel and savage plug. But you have the option of smokeless if you want. I might go this route even though I have a striker converted already.

I have a blued Encore setup with 308win and a 50 MZ custom shop barrel. I really like the MZ setup but the price for a used pistol barrel is getting pretty obnoxious if you can even find one. I think it would be cheaper to get a good used rifle barrel and cut it just at the foreend and recrown. I have seen a few post one here with pics of such a conversion so maybe we will see a few more replies. I would not worry with the ramrod or front sight. Mount a scope or red dot and carry a separate ramrod.

I have a factory blued 15 inch 209X50 TC Encore barrel. I got mine from edstc.com. Give him a call.

Great ideas here; keep 'em coming!

I have a SS 15" Encore in 209x50. It is one of the early custom shop barrels. Fun to shoot but haven't really shot it much.

The custom shop usually is where I saw the stainless ones come from. I used to have one from OTT in 50 cal for the contender. It now resides with a fellow board member but it was a tackdriver. I sold a Gonic 45 rifle barrel a LONG time ago, don't remember where I got it from though....

You can buy a complete CVA Optima BP pistol for less than the cost of a T/C barrel.

s4s4u, I looked into those and seriously considered that. However, due to NY laws which are unfriendly (to put it mildly) to handgunners, I decided to go the Encore or Contender route so as to have a handgun that would go from big game firearms season to blackpowder to varmints--or whatever else struck my fancy in the future--on one frame. The Optima looks like a great pistol though.

That is unfortunate. Are they as bad with muzzleloaders as with cartridge firearms? According to federal law a ML can be shipped right to your door.

You got PM.

s4s4u, here are some of the highlights of NY law regarding handguns:

NY is a "may-issue" state. Owner needs a "permit" or have police/peace officer status to simply possess any handgun for any reason. Up until the passage of the NYSAFE Act earlier this year, each county of the state issued the permit and had the power to restrict possession to certain "reasons". The NYSAFE Act initially created a bit of confusion as to what entity--State Police or county Sheriff's Office--is responsible for the issuance and renewal of permits. What is certain is that the permits, which used to be issued for a lifetime in most counties in the state, now have to be renewed every 5 years.

Generally the permit is restricted to the following general categories, four of which I can recall at this time: premises-only (can possess only in your place of residence), business-only (can possess only during your work hours), hunting and target shooting (can possess only going to and coming from hunting and a range), and unrestricted (generally, all legal purposes including carry concealed). In most of the rural counties, permits have been issued as unrestricted. However, in counties where there is a much larger urban/liberal population, the local authorities issue restricted permits, to the point that it is de-facto impossible to obtain a permit, let alone a permit without any restriction. Think NYC and surrounding areas.

Once a person has jumped through all of the legal hoops required to obtain a permit, that permit holder must then gain permission from the local issuing authority (normally a county-level judge) to make any changes to his/her permit. This includes address/name changes and acquiring or disposing of a handgun (all of which in your possession are listed on your permit by make, model, caliber, and serial number--and legally you are not allowed to possess a particular handgun unless it has been approved and is listed on your permit).

So essentially, if your local authorities don't think you need a handgun for the right reasons, you don't get a permit, or it is issued to you but with conditional restrictions. If they think you don't need a particular handgun, you don't get permission to buy it.

And as far as ML pistols, you may possess them without a permit--unless you also possess the supplies needed to load and fire the pistol, in which case that handgun has to be registered in the same manner as any other modern handgun. Conservation law defines a muzzleloader in such a way as to exclude blackpowder revolvers for use during the special muzzleloader season, in case you're wondering about that too.

I hope this sheds some light onto my interest in a multi-use, multi-season handgun over a specific-use piece.

I searched for some time trying to get bp barrel for the T/C. And bought the Optima, mounted the Bushnell trophy on it this weekend. Hopefully sometime this week. I can get to the range.

Time to move?

Very much so. But I've got 18 years left in my current employment. Unless I win the lotto or have some other windfall, it's not likely to happen in the immediate future.

The Contender option with a custom barrel and a shortened ramrod stowed in the backpack is looking better by the day. For a dude used to standard size revolvers and 150-yd. or less shots in the Northeast woods, and being familiar with the Encore in rifle configuration, I'm beginning to think an Encore pistol is just a little too much gun for comfortable packing around here.

The hunt continues.

I will mention that I have a Contender (14” 44mag with M82X, and other barrels) but not in a muzzleloader. I use the same holster to carry the 14” scoped Contender as I do the 15” iron sighted Encore in 50 MZ. My current loading for deer hunting in the Encore is 85gr Triple Seven FFFg with the 385 gr Hornady Great Plains bullet. To say the least, this is a handful. The extra mass of the Encore helps control that loading. However I am sure that presented the opportunity to acquire a MZ Contender barrel, I would jump at it. Deciding on only one is difficult but I don’t feel bad recommending the Encore.

Been to NYC once a long time ago, didn’t like it and have avoided it since. I prefer the ability to walk into any retailer that sells guns, pay my hard earned money and walk out with what I want and not worry about what anyone else thinks about it, especially the government.

Bullberry makes 45 and 50 cal BP barrels for the 'Tender. IIRC, $299 for blued and $50 more for SS.

WildShot, I'll agree that both are fairly substantial pistols once you get into the scoped 14-15" barrels. Question for you, since you own and shoot both, do you find that on the Contender that the reach to the trigger and overall "gripping" is more similar to a "standard" size revolver or are the two so similar that it doesn't make much of a difference during shooting?



Not my cup of tea either. I try to avoid it and generally do so unless work or a major social obligation requires it. Granted, there are a lot of "tourist-y" things and places to see if you've never been there before, and if you're also a foodie, there's a lot of great places to eat, at least in Manhattan. But I could never live in the urban environment.



Would you happen to know what the safe load data is for a 209x50 Contender vs. a 209x50 Encore? I know the Encore is a larger and stronger frame, but as to specifics, that's all I know. IIRC, the factory book for the Encore pistol mentioned 100 gr. as a max load. Though my gut feeling is that a 100 gr. charge might not even burn completely in such a short barrel, so the point might be moot anyway.

My book states the max load for the Encore is 110 grains. I use 100 grains of Triple 7 and a saboted 300 grain 45 caliber XTP. I also use the Triple 7 primers as with a regular 209 primer I lose accuracy. I believe the regular primer ,having more power, will move the load before igniting. I also believe the heavier bullets give more time to burn the powder. I'm no expert, just what I've read and experimented with.

I have Pachmayr grips on the Contender. They are the original design that Pachmayr offered, no finger grooves. I would have to say that these grips make it reasonably close to what you would find on other handguns but it is still a different feel. Hard to compare to a revolver but then I have Hogue Monogrips on most of my revolvers.

My Encore still has the factory wood grips. This is a larger than average feel. My first impression was that it was too big and I had to stretch to reach the trigger. I came to appreciate the larger grip after shooting full power loads. I have not committed to a grip change but that remains an option.

I don’t think you can get a true picture just by handling the guns in a shop. It would be best if you knew someone that owned one of similar configuration that will let you shoot theirs. The perspective will change when you pull the trigger and have to hang on to it especially with heavy bullets and max powder charges.

When Bullberry came out with their Contender BP barrel they tested with 200 grains of pyrodex and a 300 grain slug, IIRC. The barrel will take more than the person behind the trigger can.

Wow, that's a stout load, to say the least! Certainly displays the quality of their barrels though.

This is the barrel that Glenn is referring to...


....and he's correct; it's a tack driver!

Yes it does. I'm not 100% certain about the bullet weight, but 200 grains was the propellant.

Well s4s4u, I was comforted by that. An excellent-condition, used, blue/walnut G1 Contender is now on its way to me as I type. Now to get a custom m/z barrel, cut down one of my old (alum) T/C ramrods, and a quality optic to complete the set-up.

Excited.