Question or two about S&W 25 45LC

[Mike_60]

I have an opportunity to purchase one that appears to be an earlier gun with a pinned barrel, and it also appears to be in 99+ percent condition. It's even selling for a reasonable price. So far, I've only seen pictures, but it looks to be sporting a 6" barrel and the original stocks with a white outline rear sight and red front insert. My questions start with: I'm not looking for a safe queen so is this earlier version a desirable shooter? Are there any common problems with them? For shooting purposes does any gunsmith work need to be done to slick it up or to improve its accuracy? BTW, I am reasonably familiar with Smith revolvers, and own several, but just not the 'N' frames.

Thanks,
Mike

[shorty500M]

earlier m25s from mid '70s are often plagued with oversized chambers and throats, it is wise move to measures before purchase. that said i have an 8-3/8 from '76 that is just fine when fed bullets that match the huge throats

[square butte]

Not sure - but with a 6 inch (earlier were 6 and a half) it sounds like yours may be a 25-3. For shootable - the proof will be in the throat diameters. S & W got the cylinder throat diameters sorted out somewhere around 1981-83. Get some pin gauges and see how large they are. I have two 25-2's that have throats in the .456 -457 range. Too Large.

[Stonecrusher]

I had a 25-5 with 8 3/8" barrel with .457" throats. It did not like semi-wadcutter type bullets. They would group around 4" at 25 yds off the bench. However using Lyman 454190 sized .454" the bullets would touch at 25 yds. I guess the rounded nose would guide the bullets into the forcing cone with less damage after bouncing through the throats. None of the bullets I tried leaded either. This was using 7 1/2 grns Unique.

[Outpost75]

If they are too large, use that knowledge to haggle down the price.

If you complain loudly enough to S&W they will cut you a deal on recylindering.

But you can try .456-.457 bullets first and you may be pleasantly surprised.

[376Steyr]

Common problems: Be wary if the gun has excessive wear from a previous owner trying to hot-rod it into being a .44 Magnum. There are those who think anything a 44 can do, a 45 can do better, to include packing outlandish quantities of powder into a cavernous case.

[Char-Gar]

It took until the 25-7 for Smith to get the cylinder throats right, but when they did those pistols shot like a house-a-fire. Before that, they were problem children.

The large cylinder throats on the earlier models are far less than optimum, but those of us with older Colt SAs and New Services manage to muddle by with big soft bullets.

[9.3X62AL]

No arguments with that info above--they can be a little wide-throated at times. Round-nose or round-flatnose designs can make life better in such cases. A buddy of mine from work had a 44 Mag cylinder re-cut to minimum specs for his Model 25-5 x 6", to blend with its .451" grooves. GOOD GRIEF, did that revolver EVER shoot! He still has it and a couple other similar 45 Colt/N-frame derivations, and cannot be talked out of any of them at any price. Goodness knows, I've taken flyers at the concept more than once.

It was in the spirit of his ventures that I re-cut the throats on my 45 Colt Bisley Blackhawk. .448"-.449" throats transitioning boolits into .452" grooves don't bode well for downrange integrity--and didn't. I cut the throats out to .4525" and polished them to .453", and now a .454" boolit run through those throats into the .452" grooves makes symphonic music to 100 yards with just about any boolit design from 200 to 325 grains. Yes, I have run the RCBS 45-300-FN rifle boolit intended for the 45-70 through this rollerpistol, and they shoot right well sized @ .454". A little high in relation to the sights, but what's a few inches among friends if you know it will occur? Hold on the belt buckle & hit in the X-ring.......so long, hairball.

[Catshooter]

My 25 has a .452 bore with .456 throats. Throats are very consistent. So I found a 454424 off of eBay and it drops nice .457 boolits. I size 'em to .456 and they shoot very well.

I would also look at it's front sight. Some of the early 25s had low front sights, like about three sixteenths or so.


Cat

[Mike_60]

Well it seems pretty consistent that I need to really watch for over-sized throats. I've already bought, but haven't cast with yet, an NOE 454-255 for my Ruger and I was also thinking about getting his 454-325 too. Since Al's molds tend to be right on the money with WW material I might/maybe can find a combination that will work reasonably well, or possibly not. Sounds encouraging. BTW, after looking online at some pictures and comparing them to what I was sent via my phone it's probably a 25-5 with the 6.5" barrel, but it is definitely pinned. Thanks for all the suggestions and comments.