Tech Force Contender 49

Recently Tom Gaylord did a write up on the Contender Model 49, giving it high praise. I know Tom and run into him occasionally at airgun functions, and talk with him from time to time on the phone. After reading his article on the '49, I wanted to take a look at it myself.

I picked up the gun for review at Compasseco and spent a good portion of the day today shooting it on the back porch in between deer hunting activities. I shot several different types of pellets through the gun, and I'll post some pics of the patterns a little further down the page.

First off, this gun is a relaxing gun to shoot. Since it doesn't have open sights, I mounted a Tech Force 2-7x32 scope on it. It isn't hard to cock, and the behavior is very well-mannered. Is it as nice as an R-7 in fit and finish? Of course not, but this series of Chinese-made guns that Compasseco has started carrying are indeed a step up from the truck sale Chinese guns you find most of the time. The finish is a reddish-brown stain, but there is no checkering anywhere. The action is held in the stock with two front screws and the fasteners in the trigger guard.

The trigger and trigger guard are plastic, but the trigger has a contoured shape with a textured surface. It is nice and wide, and I found myself liking it quite a bit. It broke cleanly and consistently, helping me with shooting decent patterns after I found the right pellet.



The safety is a crossbolt at the rear of the breech area, and it releases with a sure click. It is not re-settable, so you will need to fire the gun or cock it again in order to reset the safety.



The muzzlebrake is a nicely-machined addition, giving a little extra length to make the cocking even easier. It is held on with 3 set screws, and is very snug and sure, as well as attractive.



As I mentioned earlier, I shot some patterns with it at 15-20 yards into a piece of drywall left over from my latest project in the basement. I tried the Chinese domes that Compasseco carries, as well as the RWS Superdomes, Crosman Premiere Heavies (10.5 grns), Gamo wadcutters, and Gamo Hunters. The best two pellets were the Crosman Heavies and the Gamo Hunters. Take a look at the pattern the Gamo Hunters gave me below.



The gun I reviewed shot a little slower than the one Tom reviewed. You will find some degree of difference in spring strength in many Chinese guns, so I wasn't surprised at this. (I have a TF-34 that is hotter than most with a stock spring, so I test my guns over a chrony to make sure they are doing what I think they are velocity-wise.) My gun was shooting a very sedate 530 fps, with little more than 8 fps variance through a five shot string. That is nice and steady, easy to shoot, and excellent speed for the accurate shooter. That is about the speed that Olympic guns shoot to attain the best accuracy.

This gun behaves well, shoots very pleasantly, and is an excellent alternative to the R-7. It isn't meant to take on the R-7 in fit and finish, but in the category of plinking and can-mangling, it more that holds its own. At the current price of $79.95, I would welcome this gun to my battery of airguns. It is an excellent entry-level gun for small-statured shooters as well as young teenagers. My wife shot it this afternoon as well, and she remarked at the lack of recoil. Like I said, it's just a nice little gun to shoot!