610 or 625??

[Mlcompound]

Assuming I can even find one. which of these would you prefer? By the way I am set up to load either caliber.

[dilly]

The thought of a 610 has always appealed to me. I like how in my 357 I have an option for lighter loads (38 spec) and a pretty hot round as well. With a 10mm, you could hunt if you chose. Not many people choose to hunt with a 45 auto.

Nothing at all wrong with a 625. Additionally, there are 625's in 45 colt and if I'm not mistaken they can be affordably modified to shoot 45 auto AND colt. It's a pretty simple cylinder reaming job.

I've always kind of wanted one of those elusive 45LC Redhawks that can take the hot ruger only, reamed to accept 45 auto as well.

The 610 has a pretty hardcore cult following and they don't go for cheap on gunbroker.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I have only seen one 610 and the guy could shoot.

The 625 would be my choice simply because there are more of them out there, in fact I'm kind of looking for one right now.

Randy

[376Steyr]

If you are already set up to load for either one of them, I'd go for the 610. If nothing else, you'd probably have the only one on the block. And you wouldn't have to worry about your buddies bumming ammo off you at the range.

[Tom Herman]

I would go for the 625.... Either .45 ACP or .45 LC. Currently have a Model 25 in .45 LC... I bought it many years ago because Ruger didn't happen to have a double action .45 LC at that time (I've bought Stainless Redhawks in .45 LC since them).

-Tom

[Stonecrusher]

625 of course. I love mine. Just got my second in a trade a week ago. A 625-8 with 5" barrel. I trade a 4" nickel Model 29-2 for it and think I got the better end of the deal! They will shoot any .45 acp or AR up to .45 colt levels and are accurate as anything ever made. I have noticed that they eat ammo faster than my other revolvers. Must be the Jerry Miculek speed loading option with moon clips that comes factory installed. While I can't come close to Jerry, moon clips are six times faster than loose rounds.

[HATCH]

I have a 610 and 5 625's.
One 625 is LC the others are acp.

Its a toss up.
The 625 lc can be cut for moon clips and you can shoot 45 acp, 45 lc and 460 Rowland
The lc can be shot without clips but the others with.

[JSH]

I wish the 40sw would come back in the wheel gun. I know I know ya can shoot them in the 610. I don't like the results using 38s in a 357.
I have a 625 jm. Bought brand new. To be honest I was very disappointed with it from the get go. On the other hand everything I have done to it has improved it. One or two things left barrel is pinched in the frame. And get rid of those darn grooves in the trigger. I think my main issue with the new sw is I have played with too many early ones.
Jeff

[imashooter2]

What do you want to do with it? Plink? Hunt? Serious targets? Action shooting?

[Mlcompound]

Just shooting for fun (plinking and challenging friends). Who knows about the future? I may get into competitions or something.

[imashooter2]

Then you want a 625. A 610 would be plenty of fun to shoot, but a 625 loads faster due to less metal between the holes.

[Lloyd Smale]

if your looking for accuracy or looking for a deer hunting gun or at least one that you could make do with on deer sized game the 610 hands down. Ive owned two 610s and they were the most accurate smith revolvers ive owned in any caliber and the couple my buddy has shoot as well. If your looking for cheap shooting the 625 is the king. acp brass is still easy to find and molds are abundant for the 45s. Ive had 3 and out of the three one was very accurate and two were mediocure. Plenty good enough for what there used for but i havent shot many that would shoot one inch 25 yard groups. 2 inch is more the norm for them. Another advantage to the 625 is that they can be found alot cheaper then the 610s. My last 610 was a 3 inch gun and I sold it for 1300 bucks used!! I still regret selling it but i sure got a fair price for it. Im pretty flush with handguns right now and new ones dont fit in the budget very often but if i plunk down money on another handgun it would probably be a nightguard 610.

[MGD]

I agree with Lloyd, every 610 I have seen shot very accurately. Have not heard of anyone having an accuracy problem with a Smith 610. Get one and you will be tickled.

[Intel6]

I have a 610 and a few 625's and while I like my 625's and shoot them more, the 610 is a great gun and that woudl be my choice. If you didn't reload then I woudl reccomend the 625 but since you do go for the 610.

Neal in AZ

[Viper225]

I have a 610 No Dash, a 310 Night Guard, as well as a 625-3. I like them all. Like was said above the 610 is very accurate.
The 610 also shoots 40 S&W with no issues. I have shot far more 40 S&W through mine than 10mm.

I recommend getting which ever you get a chance to buy. You should be happy with either.

I prefer the 610 over the 625 by a small margin. I have owned both since the early 1990's.

Both are Power Custom Combats. My 610 was originally a 5". I had Ron Power shorten it off the back to a 4" in around 1993. I carried it for 15 years as a Deputy Sheriff, and a couple years as Police Chief. I ended up ordering a Tex Shoemaker Semi Break Front Security Holster for it after having the barrel shortened in 1993. I could have probably ordered the Tex Shoemaker holster for the 5" barrel. Today I would have left the barrel alone as a 5".

I wish S&W would bring the 610 No Dash back out in a 4" priced where you could buy one from Buds for around $700.

In my opinion the 10mm is a little to light weight to deer hunt with. I do handgun hunt deer. Get a 44 Magnum or larger to deer hunt with.

Bob

[Hatiwolf]

I shot a friends 625 ... and then ran back to the pawn shop to pick up the 6" 610 no dash they had. They wanted 900 and I talked them down to 500 over a 2 week period (no moon clips, no box, bent sight blade, scratched up cylinder face from cleaning and problem releasing the cylinder smoothly - all being repaired currently with Jerry Dawkins). Spend an hour scrutinizing a gun in a pawn shop and its easier to get your price as they start to think you know guns - fooled them! I picked up my 6" 686+ earlier this year for the exact same price after only a 45 minute scrutinizing from a high of $699. The 686 I was sweating on the price, the 610 I knew I was getting my price and quite possibly less had I not been so eager to say yes when I walked in and the guy threw me the price before I even got to the gun case. With all of her problems and while waiting on going to a smith, she was less than inaccurate. I buy no gun for practice shooting only so my friends 625 was just not an option for me as I really cant find a practical use for 45 acp beyond paper target. If I could find a 625 6" in 45 colt I would own it in a heartbeat. While a cool idea to show off against my friends and their 1911s the round just has too little velocity and energy for me to take seriously for real life use.

Agreed that factory 10mm is not suitable for hog and deer hunting. Factory ammo is geared toward being useable in auto guns rather than showcasing the wonderful abilities the round has to offer (or most any round above .22). Underwood and reload for use in the field. Factory for showing it off at the range to people new to 10mm and making useable brass. Nothing feels better than letting a friend or new friend at the range test fire it once then let them go get a box from the range house to use in your gun so you can get free brass!!! Seeing as how the range only has american eagle ... I guess its better than kicked and stomped on brass after going through a stock glock 20, but not by much.

[Mlcompound]

I am still looking for either one. I would lean towards the 610 at this point but I probably won't be able to say no to the first of either caliber I come to. I have yet to hear a single negative comment on the 610.

[Hatiwolf]

The good thing about the 625 is they are still being produced. A local gun store has one in 3" in stock.

[Lloyd Smale]

500 bucks has got to be the deal of the century for a 610!

[km101]

Then you want a 625. A 610 would be plenty of fun to shoot, but a 625 loads faster due to less metal between the holes.

And the 625 will be easier to find brass and bullets for, plus the brass and bullets will be cheaper which will mean more practice! Both are great guns, but for plinking or competition, the 625 is definitely the way to go!

[Michael J. Spangler]

Haven't shot a 610
But I love my 625!!
Super accurate and fun. I shoot mostly target loads but I have loaded some stout wadcutters. I don't think I would hesitate to take appropriately sized game with a 250ish grain bullet at 1000fps. Not to mention you can chamber it for 460 rowland if wanted.

[Mal Paso]

This is silly. They are both excellent guns. Get both! BLT has both and it hasn't hurt him one bit. In fact he got to go to Philadelphia. Maybe if I got another caliber I could go somewhere.[smilie=1:

[Artful]

I like my S&W 25 in 45 ACP but I would also like a 610 - I vote get both as well.

[BLTsandwedge]

Jus' came online Mal, I want to know about that brand new granddaughter! To everyone- Mal Paso looks like he should have great-great-great granddaughters....but don't tell him that. That's 'twixt you and me.

Anyways... like others said...it is about purpose. My 625, when loaded jus' right with a well-prepared #452389 or #452630 will etch the 10-ring all day if you are up to it. The benefit of the 610 is the ability to shoot .40s. I've done a heap of 'sperimenting with .40s in the 610 and you can get equal- yep- equal accuracy from VERY carefully crafted .40s out of the 610 as compared to auto-rim ammo from the 625. That means with the 610 you can get both .40 performance and 10mm performance....but that's got to mean something to you....not to mention time and energy spent by you to develop the loads. To me it means the same as shooting .38s from a .357 or .44 Specials from a .44 mag- with all the necessary effort to get accuracy from each load. I like versitality. BUT......I've never owned a revolver that could out-shoot a 625 with plain-Jane handloads. So much for cylinder jump issues, huh?