New & improved 45 Colt loads for TC?

[labgrade]

I've one of those .410/.45 Colt barrles for the Contender. Just recently started doing some Speer 260s & should have a Lyman 255gr mould delivered toot sweet.

Anybody doing anything trick with these barrels that beefs up the 45 Colt to somethinng better?

Inquiring minds & all that ....

Looks like a fire-formed case from .444 Marlin, .454 Casull, etc. (coupla contenders - no pun intended) for a larger capacity case & a bit beefier round.

Anybody been playing with this at all?

 

[Okiecruffler]

This may be what you're looking for.
http://members.tripod.com/~cdk357/mongo.html

 

[labgrade]

That's part of what I was looking for.

Thanks, Okie.

 

[labgrade]

I've e-mailed the gent in the Mongo page & waiting for a reply.

Looks like the .454 Casull could be used asthe case is about .1" longer & the .45/70 actually other than the rim being about .010" thicker - may have some problems with closing 'er up.

Anybody run across nifty stuff for sqeezing out some extra from this barrel, I'd appreciate a link.

Looks like the only problem with beefing up the .45 Colt is the brass being on the thin side. Certainly not the chamber length = it takes 3" .410 shells.

 

[WESHOOT2]

UNH-UNH

Federal (not available as 'new') or Starline case.

 

[Okiecruffler]

I've been wondering about the 454 cases myself, seems like it would be an easy fix as long as you stayed way back from 454 pressures.

 

[labgrade]

I duuno, Okie, Dissolving the Mtyh, by Linebaugh has some pretty good info about beefy loads in Ruger's six-shooters.

Seems a main problem is the brass having to expand to fill/seal the chamber & then subsequent resizings - back & forth in not so tight chambers. I do think that with 454 brass (& long enough chamber) one could push the limit pretty decently. "pushing the limit" being a key phrase.

Pressure being a function of case size & all, seems the added case volumn would allow more umph.

TCs certainly got enough chamber space - enough so that the 45-70 case looks doable.

Too, looking at the difference between the chamber wall thickness of this 45 Colt versus .309 JDJ barrel - looks appealingly similar. Same-same for brass head diameter, so "bolt thrust" ought to be identical assuming similar chamber pressures & that JDJ is right up there with a .308 Win

Lots of assumptions, I know, but makes me go "Hmmmm" nonetheless.

& likely we need a goodly disclaimer 'bout now:

I HAVE NO IDEA IF THIS IS SAFELY DOABLE TO ANY EXTENT. THIS IS MERELY AN INTELECTUAL EXERCIZE TO THIS POINT.

(I mean to find out though.)

 

[Okiecruffler]

The contender is a strange bird, pressures effect it in some strange ways. I've never really understood why it can handle the 309JDJ, but not the .308. I'm with you, the pressures look pretty close. But I do know that none of the custom guys will chamber a contender barrel in 454, and that has to be for a reason. But I also figure you know what you're doing and wouldn't start with a pipebomb load. Might be interesting. Unfortunately, my contender is currently sidelined since I can't get it to open. Very sad, I didn't realize how attached I've become.

 

[labgrade]

Okie,

Reason between the .309 versus .308 is the diameter of the case head. 309 uses a much larger 444 Marlin case which distributes the bolt throst over a larger area. Ran across the formula recently, but don't have it at hand.

Thanks for the heads up re nobody will chamber for 454 - yup, gotta be a reason .... but TC makes a 45/70 bbl.

More stuff to look into before I actually DO make a pipe bomb.

Again, anybodt with info in this regard, please pass it on.