The New Tech Force Contender 87: Part 1

The Tech Force Contender 87 is a handsome gun, and quite the handful as well. Weighing in a 9 lbs. without a scope, this gun isn't for the small of frame or child-sized shooter. Lengthwise it measures out at 47", and requires an adult-sized shooter to handle comfortably.

The stained-wood finish is nice and even, and the fit of the stock to the action is much above average. The butt pad of the gun also has been well-fitted to the rear of the stock, and provides a nice soft shoulder rest.



Fresh out of the box, you can easily see the fine finish on the metalwork. Though not the deep, rich blueing of a European gun, the oxidized finish is even and deep, with the logo of the gun embossed just behind the breech opening of the action.



The pressed checkering of the gun is positioned on the grip and forearm of the gun. It works well to provide a tactile surface if you are shooting in damp conditions or have sweaty palms on a hot day.





A scope rail is provided for mounting a scope, with a factory-installed scope stop to aid in keeping your scope mount from creeping away on you. Part 2 of our report on the Contender 87 will feature shooting results while scoped.

The factory open-sights feature fiber-optic inserts, green at the rear sight and red at the front site. Lining up on your target is quick and easy with this arrangement, and plinking is a breeze with the open sights.





The cocking mechanism of this gun is, of course, the underlever style. Once you've brought the arm all the way down to open the breech, a beartrap safety device engages and locks it into place. In the trigger group you will find the release for this safety feature at the front of the trigger group. Pull this back and the cocking lever can be returned to firing position. The safety is located between the beartrap release and the trigger. All three, the beartrap safety release, the safety, and the trigger are easily accessible with your finger inside the trigger guard.



Now, if you look at the stats on the description page of the Contender 87, you'll see it claims that the velocity is near 1100 fps with .177 caliber pellets. And they aren't kidding, either! Look at the figures below on the three pellets I tested today.


Beeman Kodiaks - 917 fps


Chinese Domes - 1057 fps


RWS Superdomes - 1082


The above pellets are not the lightest you'll find, rather they are of average weight except for the Beeman Kodiaks. And if you do your math, you'll find foot-pound energy (fpe) levels that prove this gun has the power to deliver in the field!

In part 2 of our report, we'll mount a scope, shoot some groups, and play with the trigger just a little bit. But you can already see that for $189.95, you'll get a lot of gun for your hard-earned money. So stay tuned for the rest of the report coming in the next few days.