In the middle 1970s I saw my first Thompson Center Contender in a local gun store. It was unusual, being a single shot, break open, external hammer gun but that uniqueness hinted at intriguing possibilities. Simply put, once I saw it in the flesh, it captured my imagination and I had to know more. As it sat there among the DA revolvers and 1911 pistols, it presented itself as if it were making a statement: “I’m different but worth the chance.”