A contactor for selectively connecting at least one alternating current (AC) power line to a load and sourcing an AC current having periodic zero crossings includes a fixed contact; a movable contact mechanism; an operating mechanism for engaging and moving the movable contact to an open position in the absence of a closing signal; and a synchronized opening mechanism for disabling the closing signal in synchronization with a zero crossing of the AC current. The operating mechanism is disengaged from the movable contact, in a closed position, by a gap having a predetermined length in order that the contacts are separated at the AC current zero crossing. The contactor may further include a vacuum bottle for enclosing the fixed and movable contact therein. The movable contact may be carried within the vacuum bottle by a bottle stem which protrudes from the bottle and has a surface for engagement by the operating mechanism. The operating mechanism may include a crossbar and an arm having a surface for engaging and moving the bottle stem. The gap may be an overtravel gap between the arm and the bottle stem. The length of the gap may be determined by a length of the bottle stem or, alternatively, by a thickness of the contacts. The synchronized opening mechanism may include an electromagnet which has a coil which is energized in order to generate a closing current and which is deenergized in order to disable the closing current in synchronization with the zero crossing of the AC current. The length of the gap may be determined from a closing velocity of the arm multiplied by a period of the AC current zero crossings. The length of the gap may also be determined from a breakpoint in a plot of an overtravel gap versus contactor contact breaking cycle operations.