New to me S&W 25-5

[warboar_21]

Gents,

I just picked up a new to me S&W 25-5 and am looking for recommendations on loading. I have on hand the Lyman Devistator, Lyman 250gr gas check SWC, Lyman 335gr, Lee 300gr, RCBS 230gr CB, a Lee 230gr round nose, and just ordered a Lee 452-255-RF mold. I'm looking to the new Lee mold for large volume of bullets. Does anyone have any experience shooting the 452-255? Likes? dislikes? Anyone have a favorite load for it?

I know the 8.5-9gr of unique is the gold standard and it's what I mostly use in my other 45s.

Any particular loads that shine in the 25?

Recommendations for a good woods load?

Where can I safely load to as upper limits? I know Linebaugh wrote an article but it's nowhere to be read online and his website only lists loads for Rugers.

Any help would be appreciated.

[scattershot]

Loading info for the .45 Colt is everywhere, but for the best accuracy check your cylinder throats. Mine run .456+, and work best with soft .454 bullets, or jacketed.

[warboar_21]

Thanks.


I will measure the cylinder throats and go from there. Is it common for them to be oversized?

[rintinglen]

Years ago, I sold mine due to issues with large throats and poor accuracy. At the time, I did not know of the relationship between cylinder throats and bullet diameter and was still listening to a certain old time cowpoke who said to size to groove diameter.

[ShooterAZ]

I'm partial to the Lyman 454424. I use it in both the 45 Colt, and the 45AR. Noe has a clone of it as well. Unique is really hard to beat in the 45 Colt, the Lyman manuals show 8.5 grains of Unique as a top end load for this particular boolit.

[TMB]

I been using 9gr Unique with Lee 252gr semi wad cutter sized with Lee 452 sizer. Also just got a Lee 255gr flat nose but haven't made any yet. Have used 250gr RNFP Oregon trail silver bullets in past also with 9gr of Unique.

My 25-5 45 Colt does not have over size throats, my 45acp 25-2's are larger and the 452 bullets will fall thru, but still shoots pretty good with 230gr RNFP.

[Gray Fox]

The Linebaugh load he likes in an S&W 25-5 is 8.0 of Win 231 and a 250-260 grain boolit. I use that load with the Lee 255 RNFP sized to .452 in Starline brass and have had great results. My Rossi and Marlin lever guns shoot it well also. My SASS cowboy load I shot for 10 years was 1.5 grains less and worked great in the rifles and Vaqueros. I lube with LLA or 45-45-10. GF

[30calflash]

IIRC the older 25-5's had he large throats as mentioned. Later ones were better, closer to standard.

It's best to measure them and use a proper fit bullet.

[Bakebfr480]

8.5 grains of Unique with Elmer’s 454424 works great in my 25-5’s.

[Bigslug]

Provided it fits your throats, I see no reason at all why you shouldn't roll with your 6-cavity Lee. If they need to drop a little fatter, add tin. That general nose profile has become my "go to". I'd run Unique up to about 900-1000 fps and call it a day. There's very little walking this earth that wouldn't solve, and it solves it without beating up you or the gun.

[warboar_21]

Just finished measuring the throats of my cylinder and the best I came up with is between .452-.453ish with my calipers and then pushing a .452ish unlubricated bullet through. The coated ones that measured just shy of .454 don't go.
I measured after scrubbing with a brass brush and cleaning patches.

So now I don't have to change anything with different bullets, which is a good thing. Just need time to cast up a bunch so I can reload all of my 45 Colt brass. I thought I had a bunch more stored away than I did. Seems I have been shooting it more than loading it.

I do know that it's pretty accurate since I was able to swing the 3" steel plate with the first six shots at 25yds using some old Winchester 225gr jacketed ammo that a friend gave to me several years ago. I missed once with the 250gr SWC on the second cylinder.

I cut my range trip short as I had my first squib load in almost 30 years of loading. Not sure if it was a bad primer or what because the powder didn't burn but fell out between the cylinder when I pointed the gun downward. Bullet was lodged just inside the forcing cone and I didn't have anything long enough to dislodge it. Now I have to wonder if the rest of the rounds I have loaded are also faulty.

[jreidthompson1]

One of Linebaugh's articles on the model 25

https://web.archive.org/web/20180525...ault.asp?id=12

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[warboar_21]

Thank you for the link to the Linebaugh article. That was very informative. I didn't know that they could take the Ruger loads. Not that i'll try them in it but it's nice to know they could if it was needed.

Since I still have about 7lbs of Unique I believe I will stick with it and not exceed 8-8.5gr. If for some reason it doesn't shoot i'll look for a different combination.

[jreidthompson1]

Also

https://web.archive.org/web/20170531...0/writings.htm

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[TheDoctor]

The heavy loads, while they can take them, would use them sparingly, if at all.

[StrawHat]

I used the Lee boolit cast from 20/1 and sized it to .454. Loaded that boolit over 8.5 grains of Unique for a while and then switched to 3f black powder. Both loads shot well and accounted for several Ohio white tailed deer.

Kevin

[HWooldridge]

A friend of mine has owned one of the early pinned barrel versions for about 20 years. It is a tack driver, and he has killed a multitude of feral hogs and a few coyotes with it. I don't know what the bore ID is but he shoots a .452 Keith style at 255 grs with 15 gr of Blue Dot. From what I've read, it appears he got lucky since many of the old ones won't shoot well.

[warboar_21]

Mine is also pinned so i'm guessing i'm lucky as well because the cylinder throats are not oversized and the gun shoots well with bullets sized at .452 that I was using from my other 45s.

I tried looking up the date on S&W website and it came back with an error and didn't show anything. So i'm thinking it's early 80's.

[scattershot]

Try the 250 grain bullet with 6.5 grains of Red Dot. I didn’t notice any difference between that and 6.0 grains, so that’s what I shoot now. Glad your chambers are in spec. Happy shooting!

[warboar_21]

My mold came in today but won't have the chance to do any casting for a couple of weeks. Looks like it's going to be a nice bullet.