I need some help from some guys who know more about these things than me. I'm looking at an early contender (Lion on the frame) coming up on an auction this weekend that has three barrels. I can only view pics on the auction site, but it appears that one barrel is a rimfire, one is .410/45 barrel, but the other is unknown (auctioneer is not answering his phone). My question is, what centerfire calibers came with a vent rib but had adjustable sights? That is all I can tell from the picture.

Thank you in advance--Pythonhunter

I don't recall seeing any but the 45-410 with the vent rib but I never saw one with adj sights

There is a flip-up rear sight on some of the hotshot barrels with a rib.

I tried to post a picture through Photobucket and it is not cooperating, so I'm going to try a link.

http://alhughesauction.com/wp-content/pl...01-CIMG1834.JPG

After reading through your thoughts, I checked it again and it may just be that he switched out the bead on the front, as it has a ramp, but it does look like it has just the flip up rear. I may have to drive down to take a look at it the morning of just to see what it is.

Thanks for you help--PH

Some do.

PythonHunter, I just bought my first Contender very recently and after scouring the web in search of barrels and parts, this is what I found. The most common vent-rib pistol barrels are chambered in .45/.410, and in 10, 12, and 14" lengths. There was a .44 mag vent rib barrel, though it appears uncommon, as I've turned up only one in 12". The sight setup for the vent rib was either an abbreviated ramp front sight or bead, and a notch rear. Also extant are iron-sighted "hotshot" barrels in .45 Colt, .44 Mag, and .357 Mag., that featured a removable "choke" extension, whereas the vent-ribbed barrels had an internal "choke". Hope this helps.

Thank you all again. This does help a bunch as this is a relative unknown to me. As they say, I know just enough to be dangerous (read into that as pi$$ away money very quickly). I will definitely go check it out tomorrow and find out for sure and let you all know.

Pythonhunter