S&W pre 25 45ACP revolver

[jmsj]

I had been looking for a 45 ACP DA revolver that I could afford for sometime. A couple of days ago I was asked to look at some guns that a coworker had for sale. This one was in the bunch and I snapped it up.
It was covered in dust, had freckling and some light rust but I was pretty excited to see it. On closer inspection I saw the "45 Cal Model 1950" on the barrel and got more excited. Obviously it is pretty well worn and on closer inspection I could tell somebody cut the barrel down and remounted the front sight ramp and built the front sight that is on it. This was a little of a disapointment but for what I paid for this gun, I can live with it. When they cut off the barrel they did not recrown the barrel, so I will have to work on that. I shot it yesterday just out the back door at rocks in the horse pasture and found that with the rear sight screwed all the way down it still shot way to high. I'll have to work on that also. When I cleaned the gun I found that there was no rust in the chambers or throats. I checked the throats and they .4525"-.453". The bore cleaned up well but has one tiny spot that I can't tell if it is fouling or if it is rust. I have not slugged the bore yet.
I have already ordered some moon clips and a Tyler "T" grip. I have not yet decided whether to refinish this gun or not. I love "gray guns" but I can also see what this would look like with a new slow rust bluing finish. The original finish on this model was not a high gloss finish and I think this would look really cool. Monday I'm going to find out the back story on this gun. The holster that came with the gun is also very worn. It looks like it might have traveled many miles horseback on a cowboy's hip. If it has a great story to go with the gun, I'll probably fix the mechanical issues and leave the finish the way it is

http://i961.photobucket.com/albums/ae97/jmsj515/1911%20gunworks/DSC00278_zps7316b575.jpg (http://s961.photobucket.com/user/jmsj515/media/1911%20gunworks/DSC00278_zps7316b575.jpg.html)

http://i961.photobucket.com/albums/ae97/jmsj515/1911%20gunworks/DSC00279_zps101e1e8d.jpg (http://s961.photobucket.com/user/jmsj515/media/1911%20gunworks/DSC00279_zps101e1e8d.jpg.html)

http://i961.photobucket.com/albums/ae97/jmsj515/1911%20gunworks/DSC00280_zpse87121ec.jpg (http://s961.photobucket.com/user/jmsj515/media/1911%20gunworks/DSC00280_zpse87121ec.jpg.html)

http://i961.photobucket.com/albums/ae97/jmsj515/1911%20gunworks/DSC00281_zps47b328fc.jpg (http://s961.photobucket.com/user/jmsj515/media/1911%20gunworks/DSC00281_zps47b328fc.jpg.html)

[Dale53]

jmsj;
Crown that baby and load up some good cast bullets and you will have a fine "working" gun. When I was just a kid my father had a new Model 1950 Target with 6.5" barrel and later got a Model 1955 heavy barrel model. Some of them had large throats but yours sounds about right. It should be easy to get a good shooting load.

My favorite bullet for my pair of 625's (.45 ACP) is a Mihec excellent copy of the H&G #68 bullet ahead of 4.0 grs of Bullseye or equivalent (presently Titegroup). If you prefer a 230 gr bullet, then Lee's 230 gr truncated cone works rather well, also. It's not quite as accurate as the #68 but will shoot about 1 1/4" at 25 yards off a rest (the #68 will do well under an inch at 25 yards).

My 625's have become my favorite revolvers. At least one of them will get a workout tomorrow:Fire:

Dale53

[StrawHat]

That revolver is what I was looking for back in the 70s! Never did find one so I built my own using a 28-2 as the chassis. Great revolver. I use wadcutters and SWC in mine. 800-900 fps and they hit like bricks.

Great find, crown it and shoot it!

[Mk42gunner]

I'll second Dales recommendation to shoot 200 grain or lighter boolits. Going by the height of the front sight I needed to make for the 25-2 that I had back in the early nineties, you have about half the front sight you will need for a 230 grain projectile.

I think I would crown the barrel and put a T-grip adapter on it and call it good. Get a bunch of full moon clips and shoot it a lot.

Robert

[jmsj]

Thanks Guys,
The more I look at the worn finish the more I like it. I will definitely put a new crown on the barrel. Can't wait to get this project going. Problem is I have way too much going at work, chasing kids around and other guns on the bench right now.
Dale,
I was hoping you would comment. I know that you are a big 45 ACP revolver fan from past posts.
MK42gunner,
Using an online sight adjustment calculator, it calculated that I need to remove .050" off the front sight (.250" originally) for the 200 grain loads I shot that day.
Thanks again guys,
jmsj

[EMC45]

Removing front sight material will make it shoot even higher.

[Larry Gibson]

with the rear sight screwed all the way down it still shot way to high

jmsj

If that was the case then you will have to add to the front sight, not "remove .050". I've probably had a dozen + M1917s (Colt & S&W) along with a couple M1950s and a M25 numerous years back. Most were trading/selling stock though. I tested a lot of different cast bullet loads in them from mild 185 SWC loads to the heavier Keith loads of yesteryear. I also settled on just using my standard 45 ACP practice load of any 190 - 205 gr SWC over 5 gr Bullseye. It always shot very well and at 890 - 900 fps was a good "thumper". I kept one I took in trade that someone had dovetailed a M1911 rear sight into the back strap and had put a higher front sight on the 5 1/2" barrel. I'd also picked up a new M25 6 1/2" barrel so I put that on it and replaced the rear sight with a Micro adjustable. It is one sweet shooting revolver and actually shoots better than the M25 I had. I also slimmed down a set of target grips to fit my smaller hands. I call it a M17/25.

I used a lot of full moon clips but went back to half moons for casual shooting because if you shoot just 1 -3 rounds you can replace the half moon clip and keep the revolver loaded up for the next cow pie or rogue pine cone that charges.........

Larry Gibson

105399

[9.3X62AL]

Thanks Guys,
The more I look at the worn finish the more I like it. I will definitely put a new crown on the barrel. Can't wait to get this project going. Problem is I have way too much going at work, chasing kids around and other guns on the bench right now.
Dale,
I was hoping you would comment. I know that you are a big 45 ACP revolver fan from past posts.
MK42gunner,
Using an online sight adjustment calculator, it calculated that I need to remove .050" off the front sight (.250" originally) for the 200 grain loads I shot that day.
Thanks again guys,
jmsj

If the revolver is shooting high with the rear sight bottomed out, you will need to ADD--not subtract--front sight height with a given load. Barrel time/recoil arc/sight height issue.

[jmsj]

If the revolver is shooting high with the rear sight bottomed out, you will need to ADD--not subtract--front sight height with a given load. Barrel time/recoil arc/sight height issue.

OOPS!
Thanks for Catching that. I know that is what I meant but it came out backwards.
jmsj

[Larry Gibson]

From the picture it looks like the blade is pinned in so it should be easy to remove and weld up, reshape and re-install. Or a new front sight blade can be made or probably still bought. You might want to adjust the front sight height with the rear sight 5-6 clicks up with the heaviest bullet load at standard velocity. I got about 12 - 14" of vertical dispersion with 185 - 260 gr bullets at 25 yards. Setting the rear at 5 clicks and then filing the front sight down so the high impacting load (slowest, heaviest bullet) was zeroed at 25 yards. That should leave sufficient (especially with your shorter sight radius) elevation adjustment to bring the faster lighter weight bullets (they hit lower) up to zero.

Were it up to me I would just recrown the barrel, put the Tyler grip adapter on it and redo the front sight. That's a fine looking revolver to me with some "history" about it. Of course it would look good refinished too! Just a matter of what you want.

Larry Gibson

[kens]

doesnt that shoot 45 Auto Rim also?

[Mk42gunner]

doesnt that shoot 45 Auto Rim also?
Yes it should. ~Twenty years ago when I had mine .45 Auto Rim brass was made out of unobtainium, so I made do with full moon clips and a homemade demooner (six inch piece of ½" copper with an end cap and a lip on the business end).

Robert

[Lloyd Smale]

very cool piece!

[Char-Gar]

About 1992 I walked into a gun store in Farmington New Mexico and found a cut down 4" Smith and Wesson 1955 Target Model for a very reasonable price. I took it home. It had several "issues" that I fixed with a change out of some internal parts with others I had in my parts box. Still it shot high with the rear sight all the way down.

At that time, Smith and Wesson sold rear sights in three different heights (high, medium and low). I bought a "low" rear sight blade and that brought the point of impact down where I wanted it. You might check and see if S&W still offers these. It is an easier fix that jacking with the front sight.

I do believe that most likely this is my favorite working sixgun. 242 Keith SWC (452423) over 7.5/Unique will go across the crony screens at an honest 940 fps. This is plenty of stomp for anything I want to do. I load these in the 45 AR case and use lesser stuff in ACP cases in moon clips. It is my opinion that the AR cases turn in a little better accuracy.

[jmsj]

[QUOTE=Char-Gar;2786830]
At that time, Smith and Wesson sold rear sights in three different heights (high, medium and low). I bought a "low" rear sight blade and that brought the point of impact down where I wanted it. You might check and see if S&W still offers these. It is an easier fix that jacking with the front sight.

Char-Gar,
I did not think of going that route. You can't see the rear sight in the pictures but the rear sight blade on this gun is pretty beat up also. I'll have to measure the rear sight leaf and see if this will work.
I would still like to change the front sight back to the original style patridge front sight. I have done this before for a K22 Target Masterpiece that someone had changed to a FO front sight. Problem is it is pretty hard to find an original or a good copy of an original. I could go w/ a SDM gold bead patridge sight blade. Other than their logo etched in the side, it is a pretty good looking sight. If any one has an original patridge front sight they would like to sell, let me know.
I guess I could quite being so lazy go buy some 1/8" 4140 and mill out a front sight.
Thanks Guys for the great ideas,
jmsj