pistol caliber bbls with chokes

[Scotsman1886]

I hope this hasnt been beatin to death but,,,
I just looked at 3 used Contender bbls in 357,44 mag and 45 colt and they all had choke tubes.
They are in great shape and the price is right but whats the story?
How will they shoot? I assume they are for pistol shot shells but the chokes unscrew and the bbls are rifled and have sights.
Worth a second look?

[Possum]

I have a 10" 44w/choke with sights and have shot well with open sights.  I'm not an open sight shooter, but I am enjoying shooting this barrel. It is really about an 8" barrel when the rifling starts and the choke  begins.  I am impressed with the accuracy.  I have yet to shoot it at 100yds, but the accuracy at 50 would make me think it would be hunting accurate at 100. I just have not had experience at firing at that range.   I am sure others have shot this style barrels at all ranges and they can chime in.

If you shoot one, just don't shoot bullet loaded rounds with the choke in.  They are made to fire the shotshells with the choke screwed in.  With the choke out, they fire and shoot like any other barrel.  I tend to leave the choke in a platic bag in my shooting bag so I never forget and shoot it with it installed.  Hope this helps.

[EdK]

As I got my TC "education" here on GB's site over the past few years I rarely heard anything good about bullet performance in these barrels. As I recall it is because of the freebore for the shotshells (I should qualify this as stating this was the 45/410 barrel).

Well as a TC shooter I just had to have a legal "sawed off shotgun" so-to-speak so I got myself a 410 barrel from Ed's TCs and have never once removed the choke. As I really also like 45 Colt and value accuracy I had an excuse for yet another barrel so I took care of that as well!

[Catfish]

What you see is really not a choke tube, it is just a barrel extention with straight rifleing to keep the shot from spinning and your pattern from opening at the muzzle. As for how they shot, I really couldn`t say. I`ve got to berrels like this that I got in a deal, but have never fired eather of them.