I have a TCA 12" SS 45 long colt I check the chamber and it is 1.38 long I can set a bullet out to 1.718 OAL. So I pulled out some 454 brass and it will go in the chamber. I put a bullet in the 454 case and tried it and it went in. So my question is how do you keep people from shooting 454 loads in a 45 colt with a long chamber and is this somethimg Thompson/Center should adress. I have a e-mail in to them with this question to see what they say.

Paul-
Unfortunately, most TC factory chambers/throats are cut waaaay too long, and in most situations, it is impossible to seat a bullet to touch the rifling. TC may not admit to it anymore, but the main reason for this is to keep pressures low -- they apparently felt reloaders were a bunch of idiots who would load the Contenders to the brink of destruction with no regards for their own safety.

[ 09-26-2002, 07:47: Message edited by: Bobby Tomek ]

OK, we have a 357mag barrel that will chamber (and fire) Max and now we have 45 Colt barrel that will accept a 454?!?!?!?!?!

I think that they may have taken their logic to far!! Talk about potential liability problems....

Mike I'm going to check my 357 Mag next I think it has a long chamber to

The 44mag 10" factory barrel I had, the one that was the beginning of the end of T/C factory barrels for me [anyone recall the 4 back and forth return issue I had with T/C to get that barrel right?] this barrel's overly long factory chamber would chamber 445 Supermag brass.

Whether it would have done so with a projectile is something I never looked into though.

Definately this is an inexcusable condition in any product, and in the case of the 45Colt/454, very dangerous!

I contacted T/C concerning a 45 LC/.410/454 Casull Encore barrel. They never could give me what I thought was a real good reason that it won't work, said it would "ring" the chamber. I figured if you could shoot 45 LC in 454 and 410 chambers, why not a chamber for all three? They must realize that there is a potential problem with the Contender barrels, they had to know it after our E-mail exchange, if not earlier....

Regards, Bill

I checked my 357mag barrel and max brass wont chamber! I did remember after checkin that i was able to seat bullets to throat.

I may just end up sendin this barrel to have it punched out to max once Bellm starts rechamberin again....