What's this piece?

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Last Post 22 October 2019
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max503 posted this 21 October 2019

After taking the grip off my Contender pistol I noticed this piece lying on my bench. It might have come out of the grip when I took that plastic plate off the bottom, but I'm not at all sure it did. Sorry about the blurry picture. It looks like spring steel, one end is square/normal, the other end is definitely broken. It looks like a piece of brittle steel that has been snapped like a stick. Could it be a leg off a spring?

The reason I was taking the grip off was to give it a good cleaning. Last time out at the range I had a few light primer strikes which resulted in misfires. Don't know if these two things are connected.

Next question: Is it any big deal to take the Contender action apart? I'm fairly good at work like this. I can disassemble/assemble an S&W revolver, no problem. Guess I could look up the process on YouTube. Anyone know of any good videos?

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CBA Member

GBertolet posted this 21 October 2019

Could it be the pin from the rear sight leaf?

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CBA Member

max503 posted this 21 October 2019

Pretty sure its spring steel.

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CBA Member

Ross Smith posted this 21 October 2019

check to see if it's the pin gizmo on the firing pin selector. I'm using a paper clip after I lost mine.

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CBA Member

R. Dupraz posted this 22 October 2019

max503

Pretty hard to tell if that piece came from your Contender or not by just looking at the photo. Depends on which model you have. A first (G-1) or a later G-2. Or variation thereof. There are some parts differences. As a wild guess, it resembles the tail of the hammer strut from a G-2.

Not enough info. Is the frame operational as is? Doubt that it is from a spring. as all the springs in both models that I have are either coil or wire. no leaf.

Light strike miss fires. Several possible reasons. Some are weak hammer spring. defective hammer block and spring, excessive headspace caused by oversizing cartridge. What was the cartridge ?

S&W revolver disassembly is easy, Contender frames not so much. No side plate that exposes all the parts. Have to work through the bottom of the Contender frame. Some frame pins secure more than one internal part so the use of slave pins is a must when reassembling. Some internal wire springs are reinstalled under tension.

M. Bellm Contenders has a multi page step by step Contender disassembly down load with photos on the net if you have a copier. Better than most videos. If no copier access and interested, Pm me. Maybe we can work something out.

Google--

Bellm Contender disassembly

Contender schematic parts drawing

Bellm Contenders -- Much information there.

Specialty pistols forum

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CBA Member

max503 posted this 22 October 2019

Not clear in the picture but it's a straight piece of wire. Mine is a stainless model, has serial number begins with an "s", and yes it is functional. I'm shooting it now. Have had two light strikes out of about 35 rounds. I'm shooting 429421 with 9 grains of Unique out of a 44 mag. One time that it misfired I closed the action very lightly. I'm using cci standard primers. Thanks.

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CBA Member

max503 posted this 22 October 2019

Come to think of it, I don't think it's misfired with any other barrel.

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CBA Member

Bud Hyett posted this 22 October 2019

Could the wire be the tail of the firing pin spring? After many shots, the firing pin spring gave up at the juncture point and broke from fatigue. There may be enough of the tail piece to maintain the hammer at full cock and give a light blow.

This is a YouTube video on disassembly and assembly.