.410/45 Colt

[Adventurer 2]

I want to add some pictures of a handgun that I never could find substantial info on - Thompson Center G2 Contender in .410/45 Colt. The barrel is 14”. This configuration weighs 3.5 lbs. The recoil is not bad and I can fire this handgun with one hand.

Sometimes people complain about the sights :

You can see the sights are not built for precision target work. I think the brass bead front sight does cause some problems at 25 or more yards. I can hit clay pigeons out at 30 yards with just about every attempt when using 3” #6 shot shells. No problem putting the bead into the center of an orange clay pigeon. But At 25 yards the brass bead was covering my black circle target and I probably wasn’t exactly on target. Like I said, I don’t have problems hitting clay pigeons (on the ground) at 30 yards.

I hand load 38 special shot shells with #9 shot. The shot from a .410 3” shell can fill 3 38 special shot shells. This is a picture of #6 .410 3” shot and 38 special #9 shot shell:

My 38 special shot shells are only effective to around 5 yards. At ten yards my 38 special shot shells are not effective (8 holes all over the butcher block paper) This pic is at 5 yards:

The Contender .410 has no problem at 5 yards so I am skipping to a picture from 10 yards:

At 20 yards, I pulled the shot low/left but you get the idea:

At 25 yards, I shot high (I was standing, unsupported, it was cold out, I was hungry,…. the sun was in my eyes):

 

[Dave R]

With that kind of pattern at 25 yards--you could think about hunting dove/quail. Maybe.

How does it shoot .45 Colt?

 

[Pahoo]

I guess I'm missing the question or concerns on this post. I have the identical setup except that mine is not a G2 and my barrel is SS. I have taken Whitails w/.45Lc at around 40yds. and routinely use .410 on our "Deep Snow" rabbit hunts. I don't do much wing shooting with this as I using something more effective. I will have to admit that I don't care much for the sights, while shooting .45LC. My groups are fairly good or at least I think so. Plnning on using mine for Turkeys, this Spring just for fun and close range.



Be Safe !!!

 

[Adventurer 2]

There are two firing pins on the G2. There is a selector switch on the hammer which determines which firing pin is struck. Switch left to C for centerfire and switch right to R for rimfire. In the center position neither firing pin can be struck:

This is a picture of the hammer set to C:

In order to shoot buckshot, slugs, and 45 Colt ammo, the “choke” tube has to be removed. This tube does constrict the barrel but it also functions to stop the spin imparted from the rifling. The tube has raised, straight ridges on the inside. The height of the ridges taper from nothing at the start of the tube to what you see at the end of the tube.

In answer to Dave R – I think this barrel shoots much better than people give it credit for. This is a 5 shot group at 25 yards off of a sandbag:

Pahoo - I'm wishing you success hunting a turkey. If I still lived in the midwest, I think I would use one of two tags to take a Jake with this handgun.

 

[44 AMP]

I have a similar set up, except on the original Contender frame, and 10" barrels, without the rib, and with the standard Contender sights.

You find the .45/.410 barrels in three basic styles (and two lengths, the 10 & 14"). The oldest style has the regular sights, and external "choke" (straightener) tube, sometimes with some ports. The other style is the regular sights and internal choke tube, and the third style is the "shotgun" style with a vent rib and bead sight.

there's probably some other variants, but they are less common.

The 10" tube with internal choke is packable in a belt holster. Its large, but not so bad as the 14".

Try shooting some of the 2.5" shells, in my guns they pattern a little better than the 3" shells.