interesting -but is it worth it? 22" 454 casull / .410

[steve_77]

Been thinking about a 22" carbine in 500sw or 454 and was curious and from my research & if math is correct - i was thinking it may be possible to shoot .410 in a 454 casull it if i ream out the rim recess diameter from .520 to .537 to accommodate the bigger rim of the 410. I know the pattern would be jacked-up (due to rifling and lack of freebore) but, i was primarily looking for a big game rifle that i can tweak to use on coyotes, ground squirrels, rabbits, and snakes.  I tried it out last night and i can get a 410 shell in the chamber of my other 454. but the rim wont alow the action to close. of course unlike the 45/410 combination i would not have the barrel freebore for the .410 since it would seriously impact 454 ballistics and accuracy. the 410 would only be used as a last ditch effort for the aforementioned critters, just looking to have a good all around rifle - would it work? is there anything that i night not have thought of. Nevertheless the combination would be very interesting to say the least. Any comments -- i found a few webpages for my research :

http://website.lineone.net/~dave.cushman/shotshellloads.html
and
http://www.reloadbench.com/cartridges/p454c.html

comments anyone??

[Ruskin]

Would a 45 long colt do what you want?  Wouldn't it accept the .410?

[steve_77]

no the 45 wouldnt handle the pressures - and also you would still need a special chamber - for the 410  - which would defeat the purpose

[KN]

Steve, TC has been making 45/410 barrels for years. I don't think accuracy is all that good because of the deep chamber though. I also heard that they stoped making them for the contender because you can chamber a 454 in one by mistake.  KN

[steve_77]

what i was looking for exactly is a stock 454 chamber, then just modify the rim resess -- and put the 410 shell in (ie there is no chamber for the 410 - and the hull would actually contact the 454 rifling. now the only reason id like to do this is for like im out in field after a long day and come across coyotes, ground squirrels or whatever - dont intent it to be a perfectly functioning shotgun - i admoit the patterb would be real bad - but what i do not want to do is chamber the 454 barrel for the 410 so there is free bore this is the problem with the 45/410 barrel - free bore kills accuracy.  

 so imagine if you will taking an 454 encore barrel and shoving a 410 in ther it will fit except for the rim causing the action not to close - so i figure if i ream out the rim recess (the 454 rim is .512) while the .410 rim is about .524 or so --figure if i ream it out to .537 all would be good - but not sure -- contacted tc custom they say thay wont make rifle 454 barrel, are there any other companies that make custom barrels - besides virginvalley? -- does my explanation make it more clear?

[KN]

Yes it does. I don't see a problem, except for accuracy suffering maybe. It should work fine. There is Bullberry and SSK that might make it for you.  KN

[RonF]

Well, I'm not the brightest bulb on the shelf, but it seems to me there is a problem here.  If the unfired .410 shell contacts the rifling, when it opens upon firing isn't the crimp going to be in the bore and constrict exit of the shot and wad?  Isn't that exactly why shotgun chambers are longer than necessary to hold the unfired shell, i.e. isn't that why they have the freebore?  I think I'd be very nervous about this!

RonF

[steve_77]

Ron - yes you are correct, and I admit i might be perhaps missing something but - it really shouldnt matter. Let me explain - the .410 wad and shot must be smaller than the 410 hull to fit in the shell, and if the whole shell/hull fits in the barrel of the 454 (as it does) - it would mean that there is a reanable ammount of dead space since the hull is a tad smaller than the base - the 454 round has .480" OD,  the 410 bore BASE is less than 0.475" OD - tight fit for the base but not for the hull - does anyone have the OD of the plastic hull of a 410? perhaps this would clear things up. What i was getting at is that the hull issnt too thick and if the .410 wad is .410 then the hull should be no bigger than .040 on both sides so the hull plastic would have to be thinner than .020 to work.  (.020 * 2 + .410 => .450 ) and in this senario the cartrige itself would act as a choke - as the hull expands in the barrel it should theoretically open with its petals falling into this dead space (.452" - the hull diameter)  where as the wad being much smaller than the bore would open-op a bit and seal itself to the bore. - Im not a expert either but it sounds like it would work, but perhaps im overlooking a few things