45 Colt in Contender

[happyhunter1911]

I used to handload 45 Colt for a Ruger New Model Blackhawk.  The Ruger and Contender are both listed in reloading manuals as being able to handle loads similar to 44 mag.  Since I still have the dies and brass I am considering a 45 Colt barrel for my first Contender.  Does anyone have experience with 45 Colt in a Contender.  How is accuracy?  Is the TC barrel made to good dimensions for 45 Colt?  The Ruger NMBH is infamous for improper dimensions.

Thanks,
HH

[trucha]

I have the old octagon 8" with the external choke and muzzle brake.  It is chambered for 45 Colt not 45/410.  If I am carefull I can sometimes get groups under 1" at  25 yards with a load of 18.5 grains of 2400 under the Speer 225 grain JHP.  I have never run this over the chrono with this gun but it went about 1125 fps out of my old .45 Colt Ruger with the 4 5/8 bbl.  I have 2 friends that have the 45/410 barrels and they don't shoot as well as mine with 45 Colt ammo, but they use them mostly with shotshells.

[Lone Star]

I currently own two .45LC Contender barrels, one factory 10" octagonal without choke, and one 10" Bullberry custom.  Both are cut with what is apparently the same SAAMI chamber dimensions - but both are quite tight, a surprise with the factory tube.  Neither will chamber brass fired in my 4-5/8" BH.

Accuracy depends on the load.  With the very thin barrel walls (looks like a 12ga. shotgun at the muzzle) on the octagon I keep loads in the upper end of the SAA data.  The barrel heats up fast and accuracy with open sights is ~1.5" at 25 yards with loads it likes.  The Bullberry barrel with 4X Leupold shoots 2 moa at 100 yards with carefully put together loads using BlueDot and the 250XTP.  I've taken several deer with it, lots of fun.



.

[243dave]

While I enjoyed my 45/410 barreled contender it was not accurate with 45colt ammo, from what I have read this is common.  It is such a long jump for the bullet to engage the rifling because the chamber is cut long to allow use of the 410 shell, I believe this is the cause of the lousy accuracy.  It was used to kill a couple deer inside 30yds but that was about the limit of its use.  My brother enjoyed it more with 410 shells, he killed rabbits, squirrels and even a pretty nice turkey with it.  It was a fun and very versitile barrel but just don't expect any kind of accuracy from the 45/410 (when shooting 45colt ammo) that you know the contender platform is capable of.  If you find one in just the 45colt, get it, it will do everything the 44mag will, the 45colt is a great round.   
Dave       

[cwlongshot]

For about two years I had to have a 410 contender... Working in a gun shop with a clientell buying and selling allot of contenders, I had the ability to see a good number of used barrels come and go. SO, I would buy and shoot them and sell them until I found one that shot a 410 to the point of aim. (MOST do NOT!!) Occasionally I would shoot Long Colts thru them. I never shot one taht would shoot worth a darn! (At least six barrels)
 
I also had a 10" and a 14" 45 COLT barrels. Both of these shot very well. My father still owns my 10" barrel.
 
CW

[Swampman]

Not all of them are .45/.410s.  I had a 10" barrel in .45 Colt and it shot great.

[Keith L]

I have been told that the TC 45 colt barrels are not throated correctly, but the one I have shoots well.  It is a `12 inch barrel, old enough to have the front sight soldered on.  With handloads at 100 yards off the bench I have shot many 1.5 inch groups.  With my sight going the way that it is even with the scope I know it can do better than I can.

[Bullseye]

I had a 45 Colt 10" (not 410) years ago.  That was before I kept records so I do not remember what the accuracy was.  I was loading Ruger T/C rounds for it and splitting brass on the second loading.  I sold it because I thought I need to load them hot and it was of no use to me.
 
Since then I have bought a S&W 45 Colt and load it to normal levels and have gotten a new appreciation for the 45 Colt.  I have since found another 10" Contender barrel in 45 Colt (not 410) and have played with it a little.  With open sights it seems to shoot normal pressure loads well, but I have not gotten serious and tested the full accuracy potential of it yet.

[Doublebass73]

10" Contender 45 Colt only chamber, here is a 25 yard group with open sights using the 250 XTP and 2400.

[Blackhawker]

I once had a 10 inch 45LC/410 barrel.  While it was a blast to shoot .410's out of, it really suffered in the .45 Colt department.  Being 10 inches, there was probably only about 6 or 7 inches of rifling in the tube, not to mention that a 45 Colt bullet would have to jump about 1 inch of gap before it hit any rifling. 
Overall, if I shot a ten round string of 45 Colt rounds from this barrel, I'd say about three or four would stray off as flyers...and BAD flyers too!  Needless to say, I sold the barrel within a few months.
 
If you're going to get a .45 Colt barrel for your Contender, get a dedicated .45 Colt and not the combo 45/410.

[Ladobe]

As the other replies allude to, the TC factory 45 Colt ONLY barrels are very serviceable and can shoot very acceptable groups - the 45/410 barrels commonly do not shoot 45 Colt as well by default.   Pick of the litter would be a bull barrel, although the 10" octagon doesn't do too bad either.   It wouldn't shoot hot loads as well as a bull though.   Length would be what suits your use for it, but a 10" is enough for as far as you would ever shoot with open sights, and even longer ranges when scoped.   By default custom barrels would do a little better than any of those from TC.   But most folks wouldn't notice the difference hunting, some not target shooting, so justifying their higher cost is a personal choice thing.
 

[Dirty Bob]

If you get a .45 Colt barrel, do yourself a favor and try it with normal .45 Colt loads. I was surprised at the accuracy and power with just a 250 grain SWC with normal pressure. Recoil was mild, and the load had amazing penetration (7 gallon milk jugs full of water, and it kept on going -- that's 42 inches of water, with power left over). I only wish I'd had more jugs with me that day.

For small and medium game, you probably don't need to hotrod the .45 Colt. Your brass will last longer, and the SAAMI-spec loads should be very pleasant in a 10-inch Contender. I was shooting a Ruger Blackhawk. A .45 Colt (only) Contender barrel is on my wish list.

All my best,
Dirty Bob