.45 Long Colt in a .410 shotgun?

SerenityNetworks · November 29, 2013, 08:37 AM

I understand something like the Taurus Judge can fire both the .45 Long Colt and a .410. That leads me to wonder can a light or medium loaded .45 Long Colt be safely fired in a standard .410 shotgun? If 'yes' then what would be the expected accuracy if fired from a smooth bore (traditional shotgun) barrel? If 'yes' are any .45 LC bullets made having some grooves to impart some spin to improve accuracy if fired from a smooth bore barrel? It seems a 200+/- grain LC bullet would pack more oomph than a 90 grain .410 slug - or would it, if the load were light enough not to exceed safe pressures in a .410 barrel?

The reasons I'm asking are: (1) Curiosity. (2) I'm considering getting a trunk/pack/early-season-squirrel gun, such as the Chiappa Double Badger .22/.410. Being able to fire a .45 LC from the .410 barrel would add a little more versatility to the gun if I ever needed it for survival or some other unexpected purpose.

Thanks,
Andrew

Bozz10mm · November 29, 2013, 08:52 AM

You could probably fire it at least once if it would even fit in the chamber. A big consideration is that the 410 barrel might might be choked which could cause a big problem. Accuracy would be about zero since there is no rifling in the shot gun. And I haven't ever heard of rifled .45 bullets. I think the Judge barrel is sized to fire 45 Colt and that's why it is possible to shoot the .410 shells through it. If the gun barrel was properly sized for the 410, you couldn't fire the 45 Colt in it.

Bottom line is I wouldn't do it.

**OldMarksman** · November 29, 2013, 08:54 AM

I would never consider firing a .454 inch bullet in a .410 inch barrel.

SerenityNetworks · November 29, 2013, 10:37 AM

Thank you. That answers that.

I wondered how the different sizes chambered. I figured it was some nuance in the measuring between pistol and shotgun that made them essentially the same. I now wonder if firing a .410 shell in a Judge leaves you with severely expanded brass.

Anyway, that doesn't deter me from wanting a nice little over/under. I was just wondering, "Hey, what if..."

Boomer58cal · November 29, 2013, 04:03 PM

Technically... If the barrel was thick enough you could have it bored out to fit the 45 colt. I don't know if the action or the chamber would handle the pressure.

Boomer

SerenityNetworks · November 29, 2013, 04:31 PM

It still sound like a, "No!" :-)

Bezoar · November 29, 2013, 04:47 PM

IF your life insurance and health insurance are paid up, and your feeling SUICIDAL,,, then you could try, but if you have a .410 shotgun that can fit a 45 long colt cartridge, your survivors will be RICH from the lawsuit.

Boomer58cal · November 29, 2013, 05:39 PM

I see you've been planning this for awhile

On the TV show "Sons of Guns" They loaded 410 shells with black powder and shot Arrows over 300 fps with it.

Boomer

Garycw · November 29, 2013, 05:44 PM

There's a couple homers on you tube firing 50 cal. BMG with a couple rubber bands around it from a 12 ga shotgun. I wouldn't advise that either.
http://youtu.be/sZaK7D4XVo8

Boomer58cal · November 29, 2013, 05:49 PM

At least they weren't dumb enough to fire it from the shoulder, but they still rate pretty high on the Dumbometer.

Boomer

TomL · November 29, 2013, 07:17 PM

I remember the TC Contenders offered a .45/410 same barrel. Two of my friends had them, I shot them with both shell/cartridge, we are still here, all fingers and eyes in tact.

pathdoc · November 29, 2013, 07:24 PM

Yes, there are some firearms designed and marketed to take and fire both with various degrees of interchangeability (I think NEF handi-rifles need a choke change).

Otherwise I'd be giving it a big miss for anything other than a one-shot, this-is-all-I-have-and-I'm-going-to-use-it life-or-death situation.

Boomer58cal · November 29, 2013, 08:24 PM

Quote:

.45 Long Colt

I remember the TC Contenders offered a .45/410 same barrel. Two of my friends had them, I shot them with both shell/cartridge, we are stillhere, all fingers and eyes in tact.

They're bored is not .410, it's about .45. They give you a slightly larger pattern with shotshells though.

Boomer

darkgael · November 30, 2013, 07:12 AM

There has been and still is continuing confusion about this idea, though most of the necessaries have been addressed here.
You can shoot .410 Shotshells in a gun chambered for .45 Colt....if the chamber is long enough. The Judge and the Contender .45/.410 barrel are examples of this.
It does not work safely the other way around though...shooting a .45 Colt cartridge in a standard .410 bore shotgun. Why? Modern .45 Colt loads use bullets that are .452" in diameter. The bore of a .410 is, well, .410"......and .410 shotguns frequently come with fixed full choke barrels. That reduces the diameter to something around .395".
People will tell you that they do this, that it has been done, that they have never had a problem....OK, "people" do lots of silly things.
Just because you can, doesn't mean that you should.
Pete

Salmoneye · November 30, 2013, 08:04 AM

Do Not Try This At Home

.444 in a .410 Bore

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-lyk1WyyJ4

Same gun with a .454 Casull

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAnbDvLIAac

BTW

I in no way condone what these guys did, and only present this here as 'an' answer to the OP...

darkgael · November 30, 2013, 08:20 AM

Quote:

.444 in a .410 Bore

I have seen that video. Nuts.
The .444 uses .429" bullets.
The .454 Casull uses the .452s.
Those two eventually blow that gun up.
Pete

Salmoneye · November 30, 2013, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Those two eventually blow that gun up.

Not that I have seen...Here's the third in the series...

More .454, some .45 Colt, and .44 Mag...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwX9mJvss1k

**44 AMP** · November 30, 2013, 11:09 AM

Short answer, NO!

The reason the .45/.410 barrels work is that that barrels are .45cal and the shotgun shells are .41 cal. It does NOT work the other way.

GunXpatriot · December 1, 2013, 02:41 AM

Only if you have "The Little .410 That Could" that IraqVeteran8888 had... Although, that did blow up eventually, but it took a while... Actually, I wonder if, had they exclusively fired .45 Colt, if the thing would ever have blown up.

But yeah, short of that, I wouldn't advise it...

Now if you were to have a gun like a pardner .410 that you didn't care about... You could fire as many .410's as you possibly could within reason to prove... heh... (Not from the shoulder obviously). If I was made of money, I'd probably try it myself.

darkgael · December 1, 2013, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Only if you have "The Little .410 That Could" that IraqVeteran8888 had... Although, that did blow up eventually, but it took a while... Actually, I wonder if, had they exclusively fired .45 Colt, if the thing would ever have blown up.

They really seemed to have tried to blow the thing up....and yet, they were obviously sad that the receiver blew apart.
I have been looking for that video and have been unable to find it on YouTube.
Is it still on?
Pete

November 29, 2013, 08:37 AM	#1
SerenityNetworks Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2012 Location: Allen, TX Posts: 416	.45 Long Colt in a .410 shotgun? I understand something like the Taurus Judge can fire both the .45 Long Colt and a .410. That leads me to wonder can a light or medium loaded .45 Long Colt be safely fired in a standard .410 shotgun? If 'yes' then what would be the expected accuracy if fired from a smooth bore (traditional shotgun) barrel? If 'yes' are any .45 LC bullets made having some grooves to impart some spin to improve accuracy if fired from a smooth bore barrel? It seems a 200+/- grain LC bullet would pack more oomph than a 90 grain .410 slug - or would it, if the load were light enough not to exceed safe pressures in a .410 barrel? The reasons I'm asking are: (1) Curiosity. (2) I'm considering getting a trunk/pack/early-season-squirrel gun, such as the Chiappa Double Badger .22/.410. Being able to fire a .45 LC from the .410 barrel would add a little more versatility to the gun if I ever needed it for survival or some other unexpected purpose. Thanks, Andrew __________________ NRA Life Member There are some ideas so preposterous that only an intellectual will believe them. - Malcolm Muggeridge

November 29, 2013, 08:52 AM	#2
Bozz10mm Senior Member Join Date: June 28, 2013 Location: Central Texas Posts: 287	You could probably fire it at least once if it would even fit in the chamber. A big consideration is that the 410 barrel might might be choked which could cause a big problem. Accuracy would be about zero since there is no rifling in the shot gun. And I haven't ever heard of rifled .45 bullets. I think the Judge barrel is sized to fire 45 Colt and that's why it is possible to shoot the .410 shells through it. If the gun barrel was properly sized for the 410, you couldn't fire the 45 Colt in it. Bottom line is I wouldn't do it. Last edited by Bozz10mm; November 29, 2013 at 09:00 AM.

November 29, 2013, 10:37 AM	#4
SerenityNetworks Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2012 Location: Allen, TX Posts: 416	Re: .45 Long Colt in a .410 shotgun? Thank you. That answers that. I wondered how the different sizes chambered. I figured it was some nuance in the measuring between pistol and shotgun that made them essentially the same. I now wonder if firing a .410 shell in a Judge leaves you with severely expanded brass. Anyway, that doesn't deter me from wanting a nice little over/under. I was just wondering, "Hey, what if..."

November 29, 2013, 04:03 PM	#5
Boomer58cal Senior Member Join Date: February 18, 2013 Location: closer than you think Posts: 967	Technically... If the barrel was thick enough you could have it bored out to fit the 45 colt. I don't know if the action or the chamber would handle the pressure. Boomer __________________ The number one cause of death in the 20th century. 290,000,000 citizens were first disarmed and then murdered by their own governments. This number does not include those killed in war. We're from the government, we're here to help

November 29, 2013, 04:31 PM	#6
SerenityNetworks Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2012 Location: Allen, TX Posts: 416	Re: .45 Long Colt in a .410 shotgun? It still sound like a, "No!" :-)

November 29, 2013, 08:54 AM	#3
OldMarksman Staff Join Date: June 8, 2008 Posts: 4,022	I would never consider firing a .454 inch bullet in a .410 inch barrel.

November 29, 2013, 04:47 PM	#7
Bezoar Junior member Join Date: October 19, 2004 Location: michigan Posts: 578	IF your life insurance and health insurance are paid up, and your feeling SUICIDAL,,, then you could try, but if you have a .410 shotgun that can fit a 45 long colt cartridge, your survivors will be RICH from the lawsuit.

November 29, 2013, 05:39 PM	#8
Boomer58cal Senior Member Join Date: February 18, 2013 Location: closer than you think Posts: 967	I see you've been planning this for awhile On the TV show "Sons of Guns" They loaded 410 shells with black powder and shot Arrows over 300 fps with it. Boomer __________________ The number one cause of death in the 20th century. 290,000,000 citizens were first disarmed and then murdered by their own governments. This number does not include those killed in war. We're from the government, we're here to help

November 29, 2013, 05:44 PM	#9
Garycw Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2011 Location: Ohio-Kentucky - florida Posts: 1,221	.45 Long Colt in a .410 shotgun? There's a couple homers on you tube firing 50 cal. BMG with a couple rubber bands around it from a 12 ga shotgun. I wouldn't advise that either. http://youtu.be/sZaK7D4XVo8

November 29, 2013, 05:49 PM	#10
Boomer58cal Senior Member Join Date: February 18, 2013 Location: closer than you think Posts: 967	At least they weren't dumb enough to fire it from the shoulder, but they still rate pretty high on the Dumbometer. Boomer __________________ The number one cause of death in the 20th century. 290,000,000 citizens were first disarmed and then murdered by their own governments. This number does not include those killed in war. We're from the government, we're here to help

November 29, 2013, 07:17 PM	#11
TomL Senior Member Join Date: June 9, 2009 Posts: 119	.45 Long Colt I remember the TC Contenders offered a .45/410 same barrel. Two of my friends had them, I shot them with both shell/cartridge, we are still here, all fingers and eyes in tact.

November 29, 2013, 07:24 PM	#12
pathdoc Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2013 Posts: 669	Yes, there are some firearms designed and marketed to take and fire both with various degrees of interchangeability (I think NEF handi-rifles need a choke change). Otherwise I'd be giving it a big miss for anything other than a one-shot, this-is-all-I-have-and-I'm-going-to-use-it life-or-death situation.

November 30, 2013, 07:12 AM	#14
darkgael Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2006 Location: Homes in Brooklyn, NY and in Pennsylvania. Posts: 5,473	Confusion There has been and still is continuing confusion about this idea, though most of the necessaries have been addressed here. You can shoot .410 Shotshells in a gun chambered for .45 Colt....if the chamber is long enough. The Judge and the Contender .45/.410 barrel are examples of this. It does not work safely the other way around though...shooting a .45 Colt cartridge in a standard .410 bore shotgun. Why? Modern .45 Colt loads use bullets that are .452" in diameter. The bore of a .410 is, well, .410"......and .410 shotguns frequently come with fixed full choke barrels. That reduces the diameter to something around .395". People will tell you that they do this, that it has been done, that they have never had a problem....OK, "people" do lots of silly things. Just because you can, doesn't mean that you should. Pete __________________ “Auto racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing are the only real sports ... all others are games.” Ernest Hemingway ... NRA Life Member

November 30, 2013, 08:04 AM	#15
Salmoneye Senior Member Join Date: December 31, 2011 Location: Vermont Posts: 2,076	Do Not Try This At Home .444 in a .410 Bore http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-lyk1WyyJ4 Same gun with a .454 Casull http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAnbDvLIAac BTW I in no way condone what these guys did, and only present this here as 'an' answer to the OP...

November 30, 2013, 11:09 AM	#18
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,832	Can you fire .45 in a .41? Short answer, NO! The reason the .45/.410 barrels work is that that barrels are .45cal and the shotgun shells are .41 cal. It does NOT work the other way. __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

December 1, 2013, 02:41 AM	#19
GunXpatriot Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 2011 Location: New York Posts: 393	Only if you have "The Little .410 That Could" that IraqVeteran8888 had... Although, that did blow up eventually, but it took a while... Actually, I wonder if, had they exclusively fired .45 Colt, if the thing would ever have blown up. But yeah, short of that, I wouldn't advise it... Now if you were to have a gun like a pardner .410 that you didn't care about... You could fire as many .410's as you possibly could within reason to prove... heh... (Not from the shoulder obviously). If I was made of money, I'd probably try it myself.