45 colt chambers

[22popnsplat]

I bought a barrel from the Thompson custom shop , Chambered in 45 colt . This barrel has a chamber long enough I can load a 454 cartridge with a 300 grain bullet. I would never shoot a casull in my contenders , I know that they wont take the pressure . I was never able to get it to shoot decent , even loaned it to a friend to use for testing some bullets for a Magazine article and he gave it back because he couldnt get it to shoot either.
I talked with Bill in the custom shop and he had me send it back . Hopefully I will get something back that will shoot .

[22popnsplat]

Just as a side note I asked what kind of accuracy should one expect from a 45 colt pistol barrel , The results should be 2 1/2 inch groups at 50 yards . I thought that was not so good , I have rugers that will do that out of the box and I hold the contenders to a higher standard . I guess i will have to wait and see.

[Keith L]

That sounds like one of the 45LC/.410 barrels.  They can chamber a shotgun shell, and the long jump to the rifling gives groups like you describe and larger.  I have a factory 45LC barrel that I shot yesterday and got groups that small offhand.  Rested it will do much better,

[Lone Star]

Keith is right, the .45/.410 barrels don't shoot jacketed bullets well at all, but they don't to terribly with the factory hollow-based bullets. 

I have a 10" custom .45LC from Bullberry that will shoot 2 to 2.5 moa at 100 yards consistently.  It took awhile to get that level of accuracy with jacketed bullets, but both Hornady 240 and 250-grain XPTs did it.  I ignore the crimp groove and seated the bullets out to be just short of the lands, this helps a lot.  My better accuracy was with AA-9 and BlueDot, the latter giving the best groups - this is likely due to their ease of ignition compared to H110, etc.   I have used cut-down .454 WW brass with good success as well as WW .45LC cases. 



.

[sweetwyominghome]

For several years, I had a 12" Bullberry barrel in .45 Long Colt. Topped with a 2.5-7x scope, it routinely put 3 shots into MOA or better at 100 yards.

But it's unfair to compare that barrel -- a true custom -- with a standard TC production item (barrels from the Custom Shop ARE standard production items but with a few more choices in caliber, contour and length). Overly-long chambers in the straight-walled pistol cartridges are the norm at TC.

And, if the barrel in question does indeed have the toilet bowl throat that many TC barrels are famous for, you will indeed endure a stern test of patience if you intend on getting some decent groups out of it.

My best advice is to have a 'smith cut an actual leade into the riflingl. Then, try some heavier (hence longer) cast bullets (such as those from Cast Performance). You could even try come pointed cast bullets intended for various rifle cartridges. Experiment with your seating depth, and you may just come up with a load that shoots surprisingly well.

[Keith L]

There are PLENTY of factory barrels that shoot exceptional groups.  Even without a trip anywhere to get modified.  Please don't get scared off because of one problem and a poster that makes good use of every opportunity to slam TC.  I am sure that the barrel you get back will meet your needs when you develop the proper load for it.

[sweetwyominghome]

Keith L-

I DO NOT slam anyone, as you claim, and resorting to childish implication is anything but fruitful.

Yes, there are tons of excellent TC factory barrels out there. I know as I have plenty of them in my safe. And, another Encore frame will be on my doorstep later this week. But I will not prostitute ANY product for ANY reason, and you'll never catch me promoting any product with the enthusiasm of some junior high cheerleader.

When I do choose to speak, I can assure you that everything I say is backed with experience and fact. I won't regurgitate internet myth and half-truths or something I think I may have read a few years ago. If I don't have the facts, I don't speak. It's really that simple.

However, I do know that the "facts" don't always agree with your thinking as a number of remarks with snide implications from you tend to follow virtually any time I post. Nonetheless, I am hoping that most here can differentiate and distinguish between the unbiased chronicling of a product -- yes, that means BOTH the good and bad characteristics -- and something else that amounts to libel and slander (better jargon than "slamming, don't you think?).

Have a good week...

[Keith L]

Anyone who reads your post with any regularity can see where you are coming from.  You can use all the fancy words you like if it makes you feel better.  But when you speak in absolutes and are wrong expect to have the truth come out from time to time. 

[sweetwyominghome]

Fancy words? Absolutes???

I speak with fact and can substantiate any thing I say. So if that's something you consider an absolute, then so be it. (But to clarify my sarcasm: by definition and the truest sense of the word, I do not speak in absolutes.)
 
As to my choice of wording,  I speak here as I do in everyday conversation with my family, including our young children. Yes, we're educated -- and I offer no apologies for that.

But I guess I must apologize if my choice of "fancy" words offends you...

To make amends, I aint gonna do that no more, no way...

[nilescoyote]

I bought a barrel from the Thompson custom shop , Chambered in 45 colt . This barrel has a chamber long enough I can load a 454 cartridge with a 300 grain bullet. I would never shoot a casull in my contenders , I know that they wont take the pressure . I was never able to get it to shoot decent , even loaned it to a friend to use for testing some bullets for a Magazine article and he gave it back because he couldnt get it to shoot either.
I talked with Bill in the custom shop and he had me send it back . Hopefully I will get something back that will shoot .

I have a encore barrel that is 454, but Ive never shot anything but 45 colt in it. accuracy at 50 yards is around 1 to 1 1/2 inches for three shots, at 100 yards it is not hard to keep them under 3 inches with a quality rest.

[sweetwyominghome]

nilescoyote:

All things considered, that is very good accuracy for shooting the shorter .45 LC in that chamber. And as you have found out, a consistent, repeatable shooting position along with a good rest make a tremendous difference in the results.

[22popnsplat]

Just a little additional info , I went to the custom shop for this barrel for two reasons . The first is that the 410 barrel is illegal in Kalifornia , and the second is that I did not want to have the bullet make that real long jump to the rifling . I considered using 454 brass with 45 colt loads in them but as I do have 2 454s there is a remote possibility that I could load it with a real 454 in it . I have considered using 444 marlin brass trimmed down if i end up with the same barrel back.
Contender barrels often have a very long throat and i have several that do and shoot very well , this 45 colt barrel just would not , I tried a variety of bullet and powder combinations as well as loaning to a Friend who is also a accomplished shooter with the same results.

[Steve E]

I have one of the MGM sale barrels in 45 Colt(14 in.) and it is one of the most accurate Encore barrels I have or ever had. It will put 5 shots touching at 50 yds and should do just about as good at 100yds I think. My 454 Encore pistol barrel(15 in) will not shoot near as good but still is accurate enough to meet factory standards.

                                                                Steve E.........