contender?

[RICKGO1]

I am the new owner of contender with the barrel marked 45 colt. The person who sold it to me said it was 45 colt and 410. Inside the barrel it looks like two steps and long way to the rifling. Is it 410 3 in or the short one.Does any know? I put a 410 3in in it and it closed just fine. Should I pull the trigger?:?:

[Harry O]

No. Don't pull the trigger, at least not yet. A 3" unfired shell will fit in a 2-3/4" chamber, but it is unsafe to fire. There has to be room for the front folds on the shell to open up in the chamber for it to work. You can try a fired case in the chamber, but you have to make sure the folds are full diameter to make sure. You can stuff the fired shell with something to make it stay open when inserting it.

[Ron B.]

I had one of those; mine was good for 2-3/4 410s.

About the 45LC side; mine was very not accurate. So much so, I sent it back to TC! They returned it; claiming it was fine. At 30 yards, shooting my best reloads it was a 2 inch spread off bench! I sold it; and quick. I told the person whom purchased it I wasn't satisfied with the combo setup. He wrote back, after receiving it claiming he planned to use the 410 for snakes. I've since wished he killed a bunch! :)

GRB

[RICKGO1]

You did much better then I am. My best at 25 yards has been 3.5in. Someone said it was the 2 in jump from the chamber to the rifleing.

[lathesmith]

I had one of those barrels once, and it was no great shakes for accuracy. Mine did its best with the largest diameter bullet you could stuff in the case. I even tried some soft-lead .458's, and they worked the best of anything! I'd say 2" is about as good as you could reasonably expect with this, which doesn't come anywhere near what my 357 mag barrel will do with 38 wadcutters.
lathesmith

[Rocky Raab]

The problem with a barrel that is supposed to handle two very different rounds is that it ends up shooting neither one very well.

Two things are vital with a 45 Colt/.410 barrel and both deal with the removable choke. Namely, never shoot 45 Colt with the choke installed, and never shoot .410 with the choke removed. The choke is designed to stop any spinning of the shot charge when firing .410 shells, but you do not want to do that with the 45 Colt.

Lastly, the .410 doesn't come in 2 3/4" version. It comes in 2 1/2 and 3" so if 3" shells chamber without resistance, that's what it is chambered for. To be absolutely sure, run the depth stop extension of your calipers down the wall of the chamber until it stops. For a 3" shell, the step in the chamber should be about 3 1/4" from the rear of the barrel (to allow the crimp to open).

[C A Plater]

Rocky Raab is right. I don't believe TC made any barrels that were 2½" .410 chambers but were all 3". You are probably safe but be sure call TC and get clarification on what you have. I have the 10 inch vent rib model with the internal choke and only shoot .410 shot shells through it. I am not aware of anyone who was satisfied with the performance of .45 Colt shot through one of these barrels (with the choke removed) so I never tried it. I look at these barrels as a way to get a legal .410 shot pistol and with in it's range (20-25 yards) is as effective as any other .410. If the state ever ponies up my tax refund I'll order me a proper .45 Colt barrel.

[wiljen]

it works best as a 45 using 9.3x74r brass blown out straight. Several of us have experimented with that barrel and case combo.