S&w M25

[redgum]

Just another dumb question I guess.
Due to the scarcity of 625's I'm considering a S&W M25 in 45 Colt.
I've been wondering if this spinner will fire 45 acp in moon clips.
If not, what mods are required.
Any knowledge shared would be appreciated

[square butte]

You cannot shoot .45 acp with half moon clips out of the .45 colt cylinder in the S&W model 25. You would need a new cylinder in .45 acp and that would require the half moon clips unless the cylinder is made in such a way that the cartridge headspaces off the inside of the chamber. I believe, as per a couple of conversations with Hamilton Bowen, that it's a very difficult canversion to make and is less costly to buy another model 25 in .45 acp. I had the same dream at one time. Now I own one of each.

[9.3X62AL]

MANY of the S&W Model 25-5 examples in 45 Colt from the late 70s/early 80s had HUGE throats (.455"-.456") and .451"-.452" grooves, and accuracy suffers accordingly in its original caliber. The fix is to run shoulderless cast boolits at throat diameter and have the forcing cone re-cut with the "Taylor" 11-degree slope. The Model 25-2 I had in 45 ACP/AR of this same vintage had wide throats, too. PITA!

[Bass Ackward]

Scarcity? They always seem to be on the sales sites and for close to what I paid for mine. Currently there are no less than 5, in both 4" and 5" configurations, on GunBroker.

[monadnock#5]

My introduction to the 625-8 was through Gun Tests magazine. Being one who likes to fondle a prospective gun purchase before laying out the cash, I searched high and low in gun shows and every gun shop within 60 miles. No dice. I finally went to the Alstead Gun Shop and special ordered one. Luckily the dealer had a stack of Gun Tests on the shelf, as he wouldn't put the order in until he had a part#. Model# alone wasn't good enough for him.

If you have a dealer nearby, give him a try.

[redgum]

Scarcity? They always seem to be on the sales sites and for close to what I paid for mine. Currently there are no less than 5, in both 4" and 5" configurations, on GunBroker.

.......sounds easy, but try gettin one into Australia :(

It's a whole lot easier to buy one that's already here if you can.

[Jon K]

Good advice from Al, I had bth 25-5 & 25-2, in that order. PITA......

Before I started casting, I had these guns, and now that I am casting, I don't knbow if I would want the challenge, that they present. I would be happier with a Model 27, 29, or 57.

Just my opinion,
Jon

[Dale53]

Well, I can answer for the 625-6 and 625-8 - they are dern near wonderful. They are SO-O-O-O-O easy to load accurate loads for. Love both of mine! I would do it all over again in a New York Minute!

Dale53

[GLL]

The answer to the early 25-5 throat condition is to buy a 25-7 instead ! Problem solved ! :)

Later 25-5s and 25-9s had proper throats.

25-7s and 25-9s are outstanding shooters.

Jerry

http://www.fototime.com/D6DBB36312AD6AD/orig.jpg

[lathesmith]

Well guys, there is another way,but I'll be the first to admit it ain't for everybody. Just take your beautiful 25-5 with the lousy .457 throats like mine has/had, and install a 5" full-underlug 625 barrel in place of the original 6-incher,and also install a 45ACP cylinder. Viola! Problem solved! Some people don't like the mix, but like I keep saying, I love my bastard handgun. And, it DOES shoot! Isn't that the whole point?
lathesmith

[targetshootr]

I have a pinned 4" 25-5 with proper throats. Someone at the factory must have snuck it out.

[GLL]

targetshootr:

S&W seemed to correct the oversized throat problem on 25-5s about 1981 just before they deleted the pinned barrel. I also have several that have correct throats. Unfortunately I have a couple made in 1978 with huge throats as well !

Jerry

[9.3X62AL]

Jerry et al--

One of the PPC guys at work decided that he NEEDED a 45 Colt PPC gun for line-cutting advantages on B-27 scoring rings, this was about 1985 or so. He knew about my 25-2 and a couple friends' 25-5s, and didn't want to run the risk of wide tolerances. He scored a Model 28 that had seen better days and provided same to his gunsmith, directing that a truck-axle-contour barrel with Aristocrat rib and grooves at .451" be screwed into place, and the 357 Magnum charge holes be opened to 45 Colt MINIMUM chamber specs, with throats at .4515"-.452".

6+ months and several hundred+ 1985-strength dollars later, he got his new toy and a 225 grain wadcutter mould. I cast the boolits for him, and that revo just drove tacks. Don't let anyone say that a 44 Special or Magnum can out-shoot a 45 Colt--if the revolver's dimensions are correct, it will be a push. 44s just tend to be more closely-toleranced. The same gunsmith who built this revo was the source of the info on correcting the wide-throated 25-2/25-5 examples, it was almost a cottage industry for him.

[nicholst55]

I've got an early 25-5 with throats that vary between .456-.457"; groove diameter runs .452". Accuracy is a sometimes thing, but it generally shoots pretty well with .454" FLATBASE cast boolits - bevel base is another story entirely.

Someday I'll do something either with it or about it. In the meantime, I mostly shoot my M24 .44 Special.

[square butte]

Any one ever try a hollow base .452 or .454 in ane of the large throated 25-2's? I have no experience with this style bullet and don't know if it would be appropriate, but seems an interesting possibility. I have a 25-7 and a couple of the 25-2's with large throats. I understand from th Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson that there was a run of 25-6, much like the 25-7 pictured above , but in .45 acp. Anyone ever seen one of these? I think i'd like to have one .