Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Original Contenders being produced again

Saw this up in the Single Shot forum and figured some of the handgunners might be interested as well. Trying to find more details but the gist is that the original Contender frame is being produced again in stainless and black nitride/oxide. Not sure how popular a single shot pistol would be these days but I always liked the original and had barrels in .44 Mag., .357 Mag, 22 Hornet and .22 LR, with their custom shop carbine barrels in .22 Hornet and .221 Fireball. The 10" .22 Hornet barrel was extremely accurate and that .221 Fireball was a fun ground squirrel rifle. From what I can gather the new one will sell for around the cost of the better used ones although I'm seeing prices from $275 to a bit over $300, that's for the frame alone with no barrel or grips. Hopefully they offer full handgun or carbine models so you don't have to go piece one together.

Gunbroker fixed price ad to pre-order with availability after 1/1/20: https://www.gunbroker.com/item/842510480

From that ad:

Here is the simplest way to describe the NEW SSK-50 frame, the "BEST EDITION OF THE LAST MODEL ORIGINAL CONTENDER MADE". The exception is that it is made of stronger materials and to more consistent specifications, with state of the art CNC technology.

Manufactured by Lehigh Defense/SSK Firearms in PA, they have revived the legendary T/C platform from the ashes, and this is the best news for the single shot community in decades. David Fricke of Lehigh Defense, was first introduced to the Original Contender 41 years ago, and he is the driving force behind the revival of this platform that was discontinued roughly 17 years ago. He also has a passion for the wildcat calibers created by his friend and mentor, JD Jones, and has a quoted goal of "Making Wildcatting Mainstream" bringing forth the resources of probably the most innovative ammunition and bullet manufacturer to support that goal with ammunition, brass, dies and bullets.

Since this frame includes the "easy open trigger guard revision" all G1 Contender, current production T/C G2, MGM, Bullberry, and SSK Contender barrels will work on these frames.

100% Crossover Compatibility: meaning that all Original Contender barrels, stock sets, grip sets, and accessories will work perfectly on this new frame. Any chambering that worked well on the Original Contender will work as well or better on this frame.

The new SSK-50 boasts a Stainless Steel frame with a black nitride finished trigger guard, black oxide finished hammer and trigger to create a stunning package. The trigger is as good, if not better than the Original Contender's famous trigger that we hear about all the time.

3 frame options are available on this initial offering:

1) The LYNX engraved edition for $275-shipped to your FFL dealer.

2) The HausOfArms Logo (in place of the LYNX) edition for $275-shipped to your FFL dealer.

3) The "Flatside" has no engraving and has an up charge of $40 as these are hand selected for finish perfection, just like the old days at the custom shop, shipped to your FFL dealer.

Unlike standard T/C offerings that we have been accustomed to where the frames are designated at the factory and shipped with the appropriate stock or grip set. These frames are not designated therefore can be used for either pistol or rifle just like an AR lower checking the "other" box on page 2 of the 4473! If a full firearm is shipped then that would designate to either handgun or long gun box being checked on the 4473.

Lifetime factory warranty.

Cool beans!

i am one of the ones that like a contender, in my case a first generation. i got a 357 barrel with a real early reddot scope on it, 44magnum, and 45colt. i later acquired a scoped .223 ten inch barrel. it is boringly accurate at 100yards. the .45colt barrel using .410shotshells is surprising on birds.
i wouldn't mind getting a center fire rifle barrel for it.

I know what I am getting for Christmas.

Noting how quickly this is falling in the thread list, I have a suggestion for Lehigh.

Produce an AR-15 style grip or alternately a polymer squarish grip with replaceable back strap. Sell factory threaded barrels with Picatinny rails already attached and forends with built-in rails, or offer full surround M-LOK handguards. Market it as the ultimate deep cover sniper weapon with a total OAL that will fit into a backpack.

They could create their own market niche and then dominate it!


















































A good start but this isn't going far enough to be truly "tacticool". Go big or go home...

Would a Bump-stock be legal?

Good question, might make a good legal test case.

Remember when Choate was making a folding stock. I would kill for one now.

Any opinions as to the effectiveness of the additional material of the the G2 versus the original flat side Contender action? J.D. Jones says it doesn't make ant difference in preventing frame stretching and Mike Bellm says it helps a little. I notice the Winchester Model 94 Big Bores have additional material for the 308 and 356 receivers.