A combination of a contact tip with a retaining head for a welding torch, wherein: said contact tip comprises: an elongated, generally cylindrical body having a front contact end and an opposite rear retaining end; and a central aperture defined by an inner wall of said body, said aperture extending through said body from an opening at said rear end to an opening at said front end, and a front insert inserted into said opening at said rear end of said contact tip body, said front insert including a central bore extending therethrough; said aperture having a front portion and a wider diameter elongated portion than said central bore adjacent said front insert, said front insert having a length that is shorter than a length of said wider diameter portion; said retaining head has a front end, a rear end, and an opening at said front end; said contact tip is retained in said opening at said front end of said retaining head; said contact tip with said front insert and said retaining head together define a passageway for consumable electrode wire; said passageway includes said front insert inserted in said contact tip, a rear portion defined by an inner wall of said retaining head, and a middle portion entirely defined by said wider diameter portion of said contact tip aperture; said wider diameter elongated portion is wider than both said front insert central bore and said rear portion; said insert central bore of said passageway has a length that is shorter than a length of said middle portion; so that, in use, a consumable electrode wire fed through said passageway does not contact said retaining head and contact tip in said middle portion of said passageway and only contacts said retaining head and said front insert central bore of said contact tip in said front and rear portions of said passageway. said contact tip comprises: an elongated, generally cylindrical body having a front contact end and an opposite rear retaining end; and a central aperture defined by an inner wall of said body, said aperture extending through said body from an opening at said rear end to an opening at said front end, and a front insert inserted into said opening at said rear end of said contact tip body, said front insert including a central bore extending therethrough; said aperture having a front portion and a wider diameter elongated portion than said central bore adjacent said front insert, said front insert having a length that is shorter than a length of said wider diameter portion; said retaining head has a front end, a rear end, and an opening at said front end; said contact tip is retained in said opening at said front end of said retaining head; said contact tip with said front insert and said retaining head together define a passageway for consumable electrode wire; said passageway includes said front insert inserted in said contact tip, a rear portion defined by an inner wall of said retaining head, and a middle portion entirely defined by said wider diameter portion of said contact tip aperture; said wider diameter elongated portion is wider than both said front insert central bore and said rear portion; said insert central bore of said passageway has a length that is shorter than a length of said middle portion; so that, in use, a consumable electrode wire fed through said passageway does not contact said retaining head and contact tip in said middle portion of said passageway and only contacts said retaining head and said front insert central bore of said contact tip in said front and rear portions of said passageway. an elongated, generally cylindrical body having a front contact end and an opposite rear retaining end; and a central aperture defined by an inner wall of said body, said aperture extending through said body from an opening at said rear end to an opening at said front end, and a front insert inserted into said opening at said rear end of said contact tip body, said front insert including a central bore extending therethrough; said aperture having a front portion and a wider diameter elongated portion than said central bore adjacent said front insert, said front insert having a length that is shorter than a length of said wider diameter portion; said retaining head has a front end, a rear end, and an opening at said front end; said contact tip is retained in said opening at said front end of said retaining head; said contact tip with said front insert and said retaining head together define a passageway for consumable electrode wire; said passageway includes said front insert inserted in said contact tip, a rear portion defined by an inner wall of said retaining head, and a middle portion entirely defined by said wider diameter portion of said contact tip aperture; said wider diameter elongated portion is wider than both said front insert central bore and said rear portion; said insert central bore of said passageway has a length that is shorter than a length of said middle portion; so that, in use, a consumable electrode wire fed through said passageway does not contact said retaining head and contact tip in said middle portion of said passageway and only contacts said retaining head and said front insert central bore of said contact tip in said front and rear portions of said passageway.