I just had a note from a friend who wishes to find a M22-4 barrel to put on his M25-12. Can any of you confirm that is a "doable" exchange, and if so, where he might find one.

Here are his comments.

Bob

"I am trying to find a different bbl. for one of my new model Smith pistols to swap out.

……You may remember seeing my 2001 Performance Center pistol Model 25-12 in .45 ACP. It is a copy of the Second Mdl HE N frame with upgrades, but with that curious small round butt. I got a set of "conversion" Hogue wood grips to convert the hand hold to full -size. I like those grips and, externally, they provide the same grip my Mdl. 25-5 has with the Hogue wood grips I installed on that pistol. The 25-12 has no safety lock on it.

…….Anyway, Thunder Ranch got some specials made - not custom shop I guess - denoted Model 22-4 in .45 ACP. As you know, this model has the old style grip, half moon front sight, pinned and replaceable, and a shrouded ejector rod that is 4" long. The Model 22-4 do not have the trigger stop my pistol is fitted with, the action is not hand fitted I presume, and the 22-4 has that lock above the cylinder release latch one seeks to avoid on the basis of aesthetics if nothing else.

…….So, to the quest. I am trying to locate a new 4" bbl such as that fitted to the Thunder Ranch Model 22-4 .45 ACP. I figure with out much bother my competent gunsmith could swap out the two bbls and I would have the best of both worlds as a result: a Custom Shop tuned and fitted Model 24-12 with a 4" third model HE bbl and no safety lock. That would be a wonderful pistol.

…….In particular, since I am hot to begin loading and shooting .45 Auto Rim in the Model 25-12, with the big Keith bullets and more power than can be usefully fired in the Model 1911 automatic, it would be fun to have a pistol more like my old 4" .44 Special third model HE that shoots so well for me. I do not plan to shoot maximum Auto Rim loads, just some with a little more bang than you get with the Army's re-do of the old .45 Schofield black powder cartridge used in their Single Action Colt…..which is the 230 grain hardball .45 ACP.

…….By the way, reading up on handloading for pistol in general, I find to my delight that the .40 S&W almost exactly duplicates the old .38-40. How about that?"

Not an expert on this particular subject(or any other subject), but IIRC barrels intended for the ACP round were rifled differently than those for the 45 Colt. Shallower lands/grooves for the FMJ ACP and deeper for the lead slugs of the 45 Colt. I do not know if this continues today, but it was at one point as I compared barrels from a WWI 1917 to a post WWI 45 Colt which I belive was what is now known as the M23. There was a noticable difference as stated above. Now days with the bullets more likely to be JHP or JSP than soft lead maybe the procedures in rifiling are different. I am open to further info from those who might really know.

I think the easiest thing to do is just call S&W on the phone and ask them. If anyone knows they would, and they have the barrel and could install and regulate it.

Thanks for the replies. I suggested contacting the Factory for their input too.

Bob

Bettis, The mod. 25 is a target sighted[rear] gun. The barrel on a mod. 22-4 is a "replica" of the 1917 revolver so the front sight is not set up for an adjustable rear.Additionally,I believe, the profile of the barrel will not mate well with the 25 frame [esoterically]because that barrel has no rib running down its length. Stranger conversions have been sucessfully done in the past to good effect but it is a matter of what you want the end product to look like and how many"cubic dollars" you are willing to spend.
I just purchased a .45 ACP slender 4" barrel[ala Mountain Gun] from Midway[2 months back order]but that barrel DOES have a rib and is compatable with adjustable rear sights. This is a stainless steel barrel so the host gun being blued steel will pose a re-finish problem of some sort but, this may be the way to go with this "conversion". Best of luck to your friend, Nick

Thanks, Nick. I will relay that information.

Bob