Those Elusive Mahogany Boxes

I’ve garnered a good many Thompson / Center collectables throughout the more than thirty years that I have been interested in such things and I am proud to say that I have been most fortunate in my endeavors. From frames and barrels, to catalogs and patches, I’ve had my hands on just about every item that was ever offered by the company, many of which I have owned, if even for just a few brief moments, before trading them away for something I considered somewhat more valuable or important at that particular period in time.

Having spent this much time in search of all things Thompson/ Center, I have acquired a pretty good feel for the items which have proven to be the most elusive and difficult to find. Somewhere close to the top of this list would be the early mahogany presentation cases that were offered during the very first few months of Contender production in the early spring months of 1967.

Prior to the introduction of the full size annual product catalogs, there were several various single and 4 page advertisements touting the various products being offered by this fledgling new company. Of the few that were actually printed, only the very earliest made mention of this scarce accessory. I have at least a half a dozen of the early 4 page red and beige catalogs, all of which are different, and only the first example depicts one of these well made accessories. These early catalogs differ mostly by way of the number of cartridges being offered, with the very earliest depicting the original five chamberings which were at the time the 22 LR, 22 Hornet, 22 Jet, 22 Win mag and the 38 special. Many of these catalogs are stamped with the announcement “ 357 Magnum now available” as was the example I photographed for use with this article. I dare say that only a matter of weeks had passed before the switch to the red lined walnut presentation cases took place which would mean that very few of these mahogany examples were ever actually made. My guess of 50 or less might someday prove quite accurate, for they are by no means, easy to find. Throughout the first few weeks of production, Mr. Center sent a number of Contender frames and barrels to just about every gun writer in the country, and to my recollection, only one individual reported of having received a mahogany presentation case with his order. I have in my collection, what I believe to be, a copy of every gun publication being offered in the spring of 1967, and to my recollection, only once, was the mahogany box pictured or spoken of.

With a retail price of $26.00, I surmise that most of the individuals who were purchasing frames and barrels throughout this time period were probably kicking in the extra ten bucks to get another barrel rather than a wooden box. By the second printing of the 4 page red catalog, frames were now depicted with the etched puma pattern and mahogany boxes had been replaced with the red lined walnut offerings which were now priced at $29.50 per unit.

The mahogany case that I have in my collection measures 17 ¼” long by 8 ½ inches wide and 3 5/8 inches in depth. The lift out tray is routed to the outline of the Contender pistol and will accommodate a complete gun with either the 10 or 8 ¾ inch barrel attached. The bottom of the box beneath the lift out tray is routed to accept a pair of barrels of either length. All surfaces appear to have been coated with a varnish type of finish.

As writers across the country tested and evaluated this all new entrant the world of single shot handguns, certain complaints were voiced about the downward curvature of the rear portion of the trigger guard assembly and most who took the time to voice their opinion suggested that this area be modified with a bit more downward curvature in an effort to improve the gripping surface and to help eliminate the possibility of ones fingers slipping from the guard assembly as upward pressure was exerted during the loading and unloading process. Almost immediately, the design of the trigger guard assembly was changed to include a bit more of a downward curve in an effort to address these complaints, and very few guns left the factory with the first design guard assembly attached. This change is quite subtle and not easily spotted by the untrained eye. I have only one very early flatside frame (serial No 1021 ) so equipped and have only found one or two others in the thirty plus years that I have been collecting that were of this earlier first design.

I do not as of yet know the source of these well made mahogany boxes, but it would appear that the gun sent to the manufacturer for pattering was also equipped with this early first design trigger guard assembly. The routing of the Contender outline in the removable tray portion is quite precise and allows very little room for any dimensional changes such as the thickness of the grip at its base, or the downward curvature of the trigger guard assembly. It would appear that a specific quantity of these boxes were in stock at the time of the trigger guard design change for it has been reported by those who have been fortunate enough to add one to their collections, that in many instances, this area of the outline in the tray had been modified to accommodate this new curvature change. Trays that did not have this extra little bit of material removed will in most cases, not accept a Contender with the re-designed guard assembly. The box in my collection has been so modified as pictured above, , and will accept guns with either design. I would have to assume that any of the boxes that have not been altered were shipped from the factory during the very first few weeks of production as all of these changes were taking place rather quickly.

The etching process was another of these very early upgrades, and by June or July of this same year, (1967) guns were leaving the factory so decorated. By the time the company introduced the next printing of its 4 page catalog, the Contender was now being shown with its latest ornamentation upgrade, and mahogany boxes had been replaced by the slightly more expensive walnut offerings as pictured elsewhere on this page.

How many of these early boxes were made and sold and by whom remains to this day unknown, but once again, I surmise that fewer than one hundred were ever actually produced. I would once again go so far as to venture a guess that perhaps fifty might be a more accurate estimate, for they were only offered for as little as several weeks before they were replaced by the walnut offerings, and sales of the Contender during this period had not yet taken off. In any event, these boxes do not surface very often and when they do make an appearance, they are enthusiastically sought after by all collectors, so you had best be prepared to pay a premium if you are serious about acquiring one to add to your collection. If I remember correctly, the last one that presented itself on the Gunbroker auction site sold for $375.00.

I remember several conversations I had with various T/C employees throughout the years prior to the horrendous fire that destroyed a large portion of the company’s manufacturing facility, where I was told that several of these boxes were actually present at various locations throughout the wood working area of the factory, one or two of which had not yet been assembled and were void of any hardware, and that attempts would be made to locate and purchase whatever quantity remained. Sadly, all were destroyed by fire before this transaction ever took place.

I was once of the belief that the same company that made the mahogany boxes for the Sturm/ Ruger company for its early vintage Super Blackhawk 44 magnum revolvers was responsible for the manufacture of those offered by T/C, but further research proved that the boxes made for Ruger were discontinued quite a number of years prior to the introduction of those offered by Thompson / Center due to the complete destruction, by fire, of the manufacturing facility used in the assembly of these once popular items. Hence, the origin of these well constructed T/C presentation cases continues to remain a mystery.

The red lined walnut cases which replaced the mahogany offerings appeared for a good many years on the pages of the annual product catalog and can be found in a number of variations, most of which cater to whatever specific grip or forend design was being offered during a particular period in which these cases were being offered. Many of the later walnut boxes were designed to accommodate guns with the Herrett style finger groove grips and forends which were quite a bit larger and would not fit in boxes that were made for the earlier 1st and 2nd generation styles of wood. I will outline the variations of these walnut offerings in a future installment of this monthly posting.

Art Lamontagne
President: Thompson / Center Collectors Assoc
tcaogs@metrocast.net

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