Anyone have experience with factory Contender .22LR barrels vs. customs like MGM?

Would like to know if the custom is worth the extra $100. I am impressed with the workmanship on my MGM .44, but factory "Match" barrels are all over the web for $300 or so, and ready to ship.

Thanks.

I shoot IHMSA and a lot of the small-bore guys use TC factory "match" barrels. My brother has a 14" barrel that is not a match barrel and it shoots lights out. I have 10" TC .22 match barrel that shoots better than I do. You do you, but I wouldn't spend the extra money.

My factory "Match" 22LR barrel easily out-shoots 3 of my 5 tuned 10/22's.... I'm happy with it.

Thanks guys.

Pappy, I don't have any T/C LR barrels, just a .22 short match and a .30-30.

The .30-30 @100 yards:


The .22 short at 25 yards with an elbow rest:


The .22 short at about 15 yards:


Bullberry makes good stuff...

.22 LR


.30 Sneezer


I dunno anything about MGM barrels but never heard anything bad about them. So, the short answer to your question is I don't see much difference unless one is dedicated to competition shooting.

I have several other .22s, but the purpose of one for the TC would be as an understudy for my .44, a serious deer-killing machine (I hope). Wouldn't mind paying a bit more if there was a good chance of getting a real star, one that could replace one of my others.

With deer-killing in mind, I just cranked out 10 test rounds featuring 225gr XPBs over some 2400 in some jewel-like Starline brass. Wish me luck; I really like the way those spendy XPBs open up.

Okay guys, you talked me into it (I'm pretty easy). Factory SS Match barrel headed this way. Scope and mounts already in hand.

The .44 will whack most anything in NA. I use 300’ish gr cast and paper patch....boom-flop every time.

Thinking you will be pleased Pappy. My match barrel is very fine.

You will be pleased. I have 4 TC factory 22 rimfire barrels. The 14" SS Match is a shooter for sure, I need to upgrade optics to the 36x Weaver or 45x Sightron.

Where did you buy your 22 match barrel?


Where did you buy your 22 match barrel?

Haus of Arms.

Lots of places have them, but HoA's price was competitive when you factor in their free shipping, and they ship fast. I ordered mine Monday, and it shipped Tuesday. Arrives 06/01. I also bought my MGM .44 barrel from them.

Pappy, just for chitts'n giggles, when you get your .44 barrel....bullets are available from Montana Precision Swaging....







Li'l Gun will be your friend...

Already have the .44. Dialed it in with my usual XTPs over H110. Tried some XPBs yesterday over 2400, and was badly disappointed. Have enough to try H110 and Li'l Gun too before giving up on them.

First time out, I also tried some plinking loads I' made up for my Low Wall with Hornady swaged HPs over Trail Boss. Accuracy was sufficient for the purpose, but they lead just a bit, just like in the LW, even at about 900fps or so. Gonna Alox the next batch before loading to see if it helps. They hit pretty high compared to full-power loads, but not as high as they do in the Browning.

Those bullets look like the real deal. That patching looks like Tyvek. Do you cut your own?

Do cut them myself with 9# onion skin having around 25% cotton rag content.

Barrel showed up yesterday, and looks pretty nice. Had a bit of trouble at first getting the hammer to cock, but snapping it closed sharply a couple of times fixed that.

One problem remains. The screws for the EGW rail are too long (or the holes in the barrel too shallow, take your pick). The identical mount worked perfectly on the MGM barrel. I hate crap like that.

EDIT: Filed the screws and put some epoxy under the rail to boot. Oughta hold on a .22. Waiting for a still day.

When you get to shooting would you inspect the cases and look for a bulge where the extractor matches up. Mine leaves a small bulge right there and I am thinking about sending some fired cases in to TC and get their opinion. Shot it around 600 times so far no problems and steller accuracy so I hate to send the barrel back but I don't want to deal with a gas escape either.

[quote=Stump Buster]My factory "Match" 22LR barrel easily out-shoots 3 of my 5 tuned 10/22's.... I'm happy with it.[/quote


Hmmmm, doesn’t say much for tunes 10/22s.

Boy that is a fact! Mine will hammer a bunch of bullets into around 3/8ths of an inch at 50 yards. I was in the lane next to a young guy who had a bull barrel 10/22 custom and he was having trouble getting ten shot groups under an inch. When he saw my target he started saying he was ripped off and started acting pissed. I have seen some nice shooting custom 10/22's but his was not one of them.

I had a Contender .22LR and they are accurate. Ultimately traded it.

It won't out shoot this 10-22., Volquartsen barrel, Jard fire control unit, Hogue stock.

DF

I will bet that one will shoot! I have seen many 10/22's appear as money pits in pursuit of the holy accuracy grail though.

If yours has an issue then so does mine. All the cases from rounds fired this morning have that little bulge. I'm not gonna sweat it.

Did pretty well with both SV and RWS SSHP, and to very nearly the same POI. Thinking about a scope with more Xs, though the little Weaver works perfectly.

I have a .22 barrel from SSK. Shoots bug holes out to 50 yards with target ammo. It also puts a little bulge in the brass where it's unsupported by the extractor. It surprised me the first time I noticed it too. I've had it for years, it hasn't been a problem.

Used to have a Kimber .17 Mach2 1911 conversion unit. It would fire when slightly out of battery, and the cases bulged all the way around. Didn't care for that, so down the road it went, at a very slight profit.

An accurate little stinker, but scary. Wish I still had all the Eley ammo I bought cheaply for it.

Pappy, I'm a little late to this thread, but I have owned a 23" factory T/C stainless bull barrel and I still have (in the U.S.A.), a Carbine with a factory blued tapered 21" barrel, both with match chambers. They both shot better than I could. On still days, I could easily shoot 1" groups @ 100 yards. I had 3-9 scopes set on 9x. I mostly used PMC Target ammo and the cheaper grade of Federal Match. Both of my barrels were made by T/C before the move. RJ

Haus of Arms still has 22lr rifle barrels with the match chamber for $299 free shipping. Blued.

I think I need to pull the trigger so I have a low cost trainer to practice with. I've got an SSK 30-30 barrel to hunt with.

It sounds like the match chamber TC 22lr barrels usually shoot well.

Been busy with other stuff, so the G2 has been neglected. Have some better (?) ammo to try, SK Rifle Match and Flatnose. Unless it really outshines my other plinkers it may go down the road. The others all have much better triggers. Only so much room here. The scope will stay.

What scope are you using?

I've never had one that didn't shoot really well. The MGM barrels I'm using now seem to shoot a smidge better but that's at 100 yrds for silhouette shooting

Cool.

I ordered one. I'm setting the Contender up for my son. He'll have 30-30 for deer and 22lr to practice as much as he wants. 😎

Weaver Classic Rimfire 2.5-7. Got a place or two it can go.

I ended with an octagon barreled 22 years ago just because I wanted the frame.

I shot it with one particular batch of 22 LR UNOBTANIUM ammo and it was the most precise shooting 22 I own.
I shot a second group because I did not belie me when I saw the first group.
I had never shot a group like that out of a 22 at 50 yards.
Yep, two groups like that and only few rounds of that ammo were left.

My target 1022 shot like chit til i found ammo it liked.
Sk match got me .4 at 50 yards w just a Volq hammer, titan stock and GM bbl.
Nothing fancy.

Got a Super 14 .22 bbl. Dunno if match or not. Have to check. Purchased as package w other stuff.

I dont even have a frame LOL.

Have factory 10" and 2 1" . Both have done MOA with Eley Club on dead calm day at 100 yd. Neither is "match".

Some time ago I bought a Contender 10" octagon barrel, cheap scope and standard frame.
All I wanted was the frame, but luckily shot it before breaking it apart.
Best group I have ever shot out of a 22 LR at 50 yards.
Did not believe it so shot a comparable group te next day.
Ammo was some given to me and for several reasons is absolutely UNOBTANIUM.
Was only a few in the box, that is why I use it.

Oh well it shot better than I can with several average kinds of 22LR.
Did NOT like any of the Ely I had on hand, actually preferred Aufila of the "normal brands.
Every 22 LR burner is a unique story.

Wearing the Weaver T-6, it served with distinction during the Modoc County Squirrel Wars of the late ‘90s.

Of course every barrel is an entity in its own I have 2 TC 22 match barrels a 14" and 21". I have 2 barrels a 10" and a 14"not match chamber. The 14" match chamber is an incredible shooter. I have barrels I think from just about everyone except SSK.

I don't think you would be disappointed with a lightly used pristine factory barrel.

Picked up some TC stuff.

A Super 14 missing a dovetail lock (.22 non match), scope base.
And a 10" SS with no sights/or scope base (.22 match)
Wonder which will do best.

The 10" has some taper to it and looks stoopid with nothing on it.

Have no match ammo to test.

Well, the G2 moved on, sacrificed to the pursuit of an O/U 20ga. The scope was repurposed, moved to my 455SS, which also got a factory walnut American stock. Came out pretty nice.

I'm down to two factory non-match barrels, one10" and one 21" . The carbine has produced 3/ 8" five shot groups at fifty yards and 1" a t 100. The pistol can do 5/8" and 2" at those distances. Someone with better eyes and technique coil better those numbers. A match barrel for me wouldn't help much. I've had maybe 2 0 contender barrels since they were introduced and they were all good shoot ers.