I have posted this here many times in the past. Any 25-5 with the 3 letter, 4 number serial system will have correct throats at .452" -.453", and will shoot as good as you can hold them.

I agree that if the owner won't measure/check them, then he probably knows that they are oversized and doesn't want to admit it for fear of losing a sale.

If the gun is pinned, have someone check the serial number for a DOM. If it is a later N prefix gun made in late '80 up to the change in '82, it might have correct throats. S&W was well aware of the problem, and had started correcting the throats during this time frame. In fact, at one time you could send your gun back, and they would fit a new, correct cylinder for free, but those days are long gone.

Don't overlook the 25-7 and 25-9's either. They are even better. The dash 9 has all the endurance upgrades, and the dash 7 has most of them, plus they have throats that almost always mic out at .452". They are well known for their accuracy too.