What is the difference between the Model pre-26/26 acp and the model 25 acp?

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That's gonna leave a mark.

IIRC, barrel profile.

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Formerly Model520Fan

Thank you.

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That's gonna leave a mark.

The 1955 45 Target or Model 25 has a heavy barrel and came standard with target stocks, target trigger and hammer. The 1950 45 Target or Model 26 has a tapered (lighter) barrel and came standard with Magna stocks, standard hammer and trigger.

The Model 25 weighs 45 ounces; the Model 26 weighs 39 ounces. The Model 26 was introduced in 1950 and discontinued in 1961 with only 2,768 revolvers being made. The 1955 45 Target was introduced in 1955 and is still in production (I think).

Bill

M-26 is a pretty good holster gun if you can cope with just .45 ACP power. You can load it up to equal .45 Colt power with 250 grain Keith bullets and have a pretty potent sidearm.

The heavier barrel of Model 25 just adds weight. Okay for a target gun, which it is, but not needed in a holster arm.

I owned a Model 26 or pre-26 and finally figured that for the bulk, I might as well carry a .44 Magnum. At the time, Remington offered a good lead medium powered .44 load. I think Buffalo Bore still makes a sprightly .44 Special round for when you don't need full Magnum power. The gun lasts much longer if not hot rodded all the time.

Today, I'd wear a M-629 in that role, and it'd take the same nice Safariland M-29 holster. Mine is black,basketweave, nicely lined with green "elk" suede.

I did use the M-26 as a house gun, and feel sure it'd do well in that role. But it wasn't very accurate with factory .45 AR bullets, and I hated using half moon clips.

Finish on most M-26's is a satin blue, not much better than on a M-28. More M-25's have been made with bright blue finishes, I think.

BTW, as a target gun, my Colt Gold Cup .45 auto was easier to shoot really well than the M-26 was.The problem with lead .45 Auto Rim bullets is that they were too soft to take the rifling well. In that model, it's designed for jacketed bullets. I've read that harder cast bullets work better.

I really dislike .45 ACP revolvers. As an emergency war item in WW I, the M-1917 made sense. But for personal use, you can make better choices for similar bulk.

I don’t have the pre-25, but I am very happy with my 6.5” pre-26. I was very very fortunate to find one in this condition with original grips.





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

BTW, when I had my M-26 in 1968, I had no idea that so few were made.

As a collectible, it has merit beyond what I said of its qualities as a "using" gun.

I think the OP needs to buy a copy of Elmer Keith's, Sixguns. It's a good source of data for .45 Auto Rim loads as well as a basic study of handguns, mainly in the USA .

Get the 1961 revised ed. It covers some good guns not yet made when the 1955 edition was published. Reprints have been made over the years and may cost less.

Pictured below is my Pre-Model 26, top, and my Model 25-2, bottom.

Also is a copy of my letter on the Pre-Model 26. The Model 25-2 is vintage 1975.

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	100_4603.jpg (84.0 KB, 104 views)

No model 25, but a (pre) Mod.24, 2 (pre) Mod 26's (45acp and 45LC) and a Mod 22.



All great shooters.

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SWCA #3356, SWHF#611

When I was an LEO, I wanted a 4”, 45 ACP, revolver. Try to find a M26 or M25! No such luck. The best I could do is convert a M28-2 to ACP. It worked and still works great for me.

Kevin

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Unshared knowledge is wasted.

So, how do you load that 4" .45 to get five-inch .45 auto ballistics? S&W and Colt used 5.5 inch barrels in 1917. The added half inch supposedly made up for the gas loss at barrel-cylinder gap.

What velocity do you get from factory .45 ACP ammo in that shorter barrel?

Fascinating, just fascinating!

Back in 1987-88 I served in the USNR with a DPD officer who carried a 4" Model 25 in .45 Colt. It took me a long time to scratch that itch but a Forum member handled it for me a couple of years ago.

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Come and take it!!

T S,

If you are asking me that question I have no idea. Don’t own a chronograph and have no desire to buy one. I load 240 grain full wadcutters over Red Dot or Unique. Also load 260 grain SWCs and some 240 grain SWCs.

Kevin

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Unshared knowledge is wasted.

The 1917 does NOT have a barrel only half an inch longer than a 1911, if you measure both barrels from muzzle to back of chamber.

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Formerly Model520Fan

A 5" 1911 barrel is 5" from breach face to muzzle.

A 4" model 25 is over 5 3/4" from breach (recoil shield) face to muzzle.

My 1911 will only reliably function with certain bullet shapes and power loading. My revolvers function fine with a 185 grain bullet at 650fps or a 255gr SWC at 1000fps.

I have acp revolvers from 2 1/2" to 6 1/2" in approx 1" increments. I should crony them all.

I think the OP could do better than a 60-year-old source of reloading data.
There are tons more powders and bullet styles today.

Keith’s .45 AR data may well have used balloon-head cases.

I just found a M-26 with 6.5" barrel. 1955 TARGET. I don't know much about this model. Ser# is S52075XX. Can anyone tell me when it was built and what grips would have been on it from the factory? It now has aftermarket rubber grips and I wold like to get it back to original. I can't seem to find much information on this model. Also I'm interested in an approximate value even though I'll never sell it. I'm thinking of chamfering the cylinder to make reloads faster. Would that decrease it's value?

Here's a picture of my two. The 1950 (from 1953) is on the left in the 3 photos. The 1955 is from 1956. The first photo really shows the difference in the barrel profile. I shoot them both, but I prefer the pre-26. Great classic revolvers.

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	20210113_082025.jpg (65.3 KB, 38 views)
	20210113_081953.jpg (74.1 KB, 38 views)

Nice find,

.

???? Is this the barrel marking? If so, you do not have a Model 26. The Model 1955 is the heavy barreled target revolver which became the Model 25-2. The Model 1950 is the tapered barrel target revolver which became the Model 26. If it was built after 1957-8, it should have the model number in the yoke cut.

See the first photograph in Post 18.

The Model 1950 could ship with either Magna stocks or unrelieved Target stocks. The Model 1955 came with target stocks, if I recall correctly.

There is a lot of information on this forum and in the Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson, Fourth Edition.

Value, today, what are you willing to pay? In good - very good condition, expect to pay $900+. Higher condition more, lower condition, less $.

Yes, it would turn an otherwise collectible into a shooter grade. If you want fast reloads, use round nosed bullets, full moon clips, (I recommend the ones from Ranch Products) and practice. Lots and lots of practice. With full moons, you do not place the clip into the chambers, you drop it and it finds its own way into the chambers.

If you want a revolver to customize and shoot hard, the Model 1950 is not the one I would recommend.

And, a hearty Buckeye welcome from NE Ohio!

Kevin

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Unshared knowledge is wasted.

Thank You. New here so I didn't realize I posted twice. I couldn't find the first one so I thought it didn't work. Dealer sold it to me as a Model 26 so they must have misread it also.

IIRC, wasn't there also a change to the rifling in the 1955 Target (aka Model 25) to better handle cast bullets so popular with target shooters?

I could be mistaken though. Memory is failing!

For about 60 years S&W used broaches to cut the grooves in .45 ACP revolver barrels. While broaches were used .45ACP rifling matched U.S. Army specifications, 6 grooves that were a lot wider than the lands. While they were broach cut .45 Colt barrels had five equal width grooves and lands the same as all other centerfire calibers. I have owned 1917, 1950 and 25-2 .45 ACPs. Their rifling looked the same to me. However, I never bothered to measure them because in revolvers best accuracy is obtained by fitting the bullet diameter to the cylinder throat diameter, not the groove diameter.

If anyone is wondering, I did notice that this is a zombie thread.

What's a zombie thread??

Back from the dead. Check the dates of the earlier posts.

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SWCA #3356, SWHF#611

Zombie thread? This is merely a year old. I have revived threads from 2010 and probably earlier if they were interesting.

Kevin

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Unshared knowledge is wasted.

Is there something wrong with resurrecting a thread?

We don't mind when it is a gun thread or related topic.
{Unless maybe it is "9mm vs .45" or an open carry thread. }


Lounge threads that weren't worth reading in the first place- not so much.

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

I have both and both are shooters, but I prefer the 25 no dash with the heavy barrel.

How about bear gun threads? Asking for some friends.