Could anyone out there tell me anything about the 125 anniversary model 25? I believe it has a 6" barrel and states 125 Anniversary 1852-1977. Sorry but that is all the info I have at this time other than it is blued. No paper or box just gun; looks like it is in great shape. What would be a fair price?Thanks
ScottBart

I don't own one of these, but I have seen a few. The 125th anniversary pistol is in 45ACP and comes in a special presentation box with a blue hard bound book called "The First 125 Years of Smith & Wesson" by Roy Jinks. I think it also comes with some sort of 125th anniversary medallion as well.

I'm sure someone will come along with a picture of one of these.

The 125th Anniversary Commemorative is a 45 LC with a 6 1/2" barrel. It was produced in 1977 and 10,000 guns were made. It is designated the Mod. 25-3. Of that number 50 were made with special engraving and special ivory appearing magna grips. It was the first 45 Long Colt firearm S&W had produced in many years.....

The package includes the Roy Jinks book... "125 Years With Smith & Wesson". A special S&W medallion was included as well as a unique presentation case.. Specially selected smooth presentation target stocks completed the beautiful package.

It is one of the most handsome N frame guns S&W has ever produced...

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Terry

Probably one of a kind. It was not one of the 50 with special engraving but is factory Class A engraved.

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SWCA #1917

i picked up the complete set about a year ago....it's very nicely done...

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SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

OOoooWeeee! That is pretty, xray97....

Here is a picture of a consecutive numbered pair. I don't have one of the "one of 50" either. I think your class A engraving is better than those!



ScottBart...

The prices on the 125th can vary as widely as it does with all commemorative firearms. It depends on condition of the revolver and how many of the original extras are still included with the gun. Many people shy away from commemorative's because they believe they are too pretty to shoot. That's a shame.. It is a perfectly functional firearm. I know several people who shoot one as do I and are pleased with its performance.

Ten thousand of these gun were made and those numbers don't translate to huge increases in value or rareness to typical collectors. I've seen them sell recently for as low as $600 for a used gun without any extras and $1200 for an unused gun, new in the original presentation case with the original shipping carton. That particular gun also had a very low serial number which is important to many collectors...

They are beautiful guns, IMO, extremely undervalued and priced when compared to new production equivalents, and a worthy addition to anyone's collection, whether large or small..

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Terry

Found some rather bad pictures of the original S&W pre-production announcement that went out to all jobbers and distributors to invite orders for the new gun.

I received this flyer from a friend named Lando Currier, who was a manufacturers representative for the DeVeere Company that represented S&W and Bangor Punta west of the Mississippi.

I'll try to improve the pictures for any future posts.

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Terry

Fine looking handguns indeed. I must confess that my first thought was, "fine looking handguns, they must be great to shoot!".

Great revolver.
I even had mine cut for fullmoon clips.
Worked like a charm with handloaded .45acp , (250grains bullets)

This one shoots real good:



For the OP, IMHO without the case and all the goodies that went with it you are looking at a shooter (with a 125th stamp on the side), I wouldn't pay much more that $500-600 for the gun. You can find one "fully loaded" for not much more.

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Jim
Many K and N Frames

Thanks! I own an unengraved version that I bought before I "ran into" the engraved gun but when I saw the engraved for sale I had to have it. I have the presentation case, book, and medallion for both.

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SWCA #1917

Thank you all for the information and pictures. The gun shop wants 700.00 plus tax & monies for the transfer fee. Also, I have to go simply by looks, this place does not have a place to test fire.
ScottBart

Roger, that is really a nice looking gun.

If I remember correctly, the 50 engraved 125th Commemoratives were Model 25-4, while the standard ones were 25-3.

I bought two of them November 22, 1977. They were $350.00 suggested retail, but they were the first cataloged .45 Colt sixgun from S&W, they were limited in quantity, and prices went nuts at first. I shot one of them a little bit, cleaned it up and sold it at the next big gunshow here for $700. After a year or so, everybody figured out that 10,000 guns were actually not rare, and prices collapsed, especially when S&W introduced the standard production Model 25-5.

They are classy guns.

It is actually .45 Colt or "Long Colt," as is more commonly used for the name of that old revolver cartridge.

[QUOTE=BUFF;137131254]Roger, that is really a nice looking gun.

If I remember correctly, the 50 engraved 125th Commemoratives were Model 25-4, while the standard ones were 25-3.

I bought two of them November 22, 1977. They were $350.00 suggested retail, but they were the first cataloged .45 Colt sixgun from S&W, they were limited in quantity, and prices went nuts at first. I shot one of them a little bit, cleaned it up and sold it at the next big gunshow here for $700. After a year or so, everybody figured out that 10,000 guns were actually not rare, and prices collapsed, especially when S&W introduced the standard production Model 25-5.



Thank you! It has an interesting history. The original owner ordered the 125 th commemorative with Class A engraving and S&W accepted the order. Sometime thereafter the owner was contacted by S&W and advised that a mistake had been made in accepting his order as no Class A engraved guns could be made except for the 50 Deluxe editions. S&W offered to make the gun with Class B or Class C engraving instead. The owner hired an attorney, threatened S&W with legal action for not fulfilling the contract resulting from the original order, and S&W finally relented and made the gun per the original order. The gun letters as a 125th Anniversary commemorative with Class A factory engraving. Probably the only one that exists.

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SWCA #1917

That's a pretty great history.

should anyone here know where i can locate a key that locks the display box..please PM me..i would sure appreciate it

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SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

FWIW, there is one listed for sale in Brunswick, GA for $1195. Unfired in the wooden box with the book, medallion, key according to the seller and shown in a picture. Looks like the one pictured earlier in this thread.

One of the 50 25-4s:



The coin is solid silver and the book is leather bound and autographed by Roy Jinks.

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Dave

The 25-3 revolvers are very well done, and would make a very nice shooter, if not collector grade........

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dd884
JMHO-YMMV

If you plan on shooting it, be advised that the cylinder is shorter than the ones found on the M25-5; 'bout the same as a M28 cylinder (minus the recesses). If you like Keith style bullets in .45 Colt, you might need to deepseat and crimp over the front band. I used to do that for a .455 that was converted to .45 Colt. Still shot fine.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

i have one of these and was wondering if anybody could tell what yo use to replenish the gold highlighting where their are engraving s&w logo ect. thank you

I have one no box or coin, I had to pay $600.00 for it, I do not think it has been shoot much if at all..HTH

we have the 25-4 the one issued to the state of Iowa, box opened and looked at never out of the box, any Idea what it is worth?

There are several means by which one can obtain .45 Colt ammunition suitable to be fired in the shorter cylinder of the Model 25-3, as opposed to the longer length cylinder of the Model 25-5.

The first is to purchase one of several factory loads, many of which are short enough to work. W-W's and R-P's traditional factory .45 Colt load using 255 grain and 250 grain (respectively) round nose/flat tip conical lead bullets. These are short enough for the 25-3 cylinder. Both bullets are also available in bulk for handloading. They are sized about .455" or so and have a concave base. This, along with their relatively soft lead construction, allow them to bump up (or down if needed) to fit the different chamber throat and bores sizes encountered in guns from different makers and eras, and work especially will in any .45 Colt revolver made by S&W. A more modern factory load in .45 Colt is Winchester's Silvertip JHP. Federal or Remington used to make and may still sell lead SWC bullets assembled into appropriate cartridges usable in the 25-3.

There are also factory loadings out there marketed to the "cowboy" shooter that are short enough to work with the M-25-3 cylinder.

My favorite bullet to handload in the .45 Colt is a cast Lyman 454424 I put up in my basement. I size them to .454". They are a Keith-style semiwadcutter and typically shoot well. If they are seated and crimped in the bullet's crimping cannelure, the overall length will be too long for the cylinder of a M-25-3. The common adaptation is to seat this bullet a bit deeper in the case and crimp it over the front driving band of the bullet.

Another adaptation is to trim about 0.10" or 0.20" from a few boxes of standard .45 Colt cartridge cases and then to seat and crimp the Lyman bullet normally. So little case capacity is lost by doing this that my obtained velocities aren't any different from full length brass with the same powder charge when loaded to the rough equivalent of traditional factory ammo. This is my favorite tack. I mark the shortened cases with a red or black X across the bottom of the case. Right now, most of my .45 Colt brass, which is mostly W-W and Federal, have been shortened thusly. They shoot just as well in my longer cylindered Model 25-5 and 625.

This ammo is also great for any S&W that has been converted to .45 Colt using the shorter cylinders of .38 Special and .357 Magnum guns, like my .38-44 now-a-.45 Colt Heavy Duty Bowen Arms did for me.

I came across this thread searching for information about these 125th Commemoratives.

I'm sure that it goes without saying that I will always cherish the one that my brother kept and never fired and will soon find its place in my home.

I remember the day he bought these. He was stoked. He smiled from ear to ear.

Up until a couple of moths ago the day he bought them was the last time that I ever saw them. Seems to me I can remember him telling me that he shot one and sold it.

One day I will pass it down to one of my daughters.

WOW!!!!! Look at that!!

I actually got to post a post right next to his.

So awesome.

I few times reading his old posts I've felt like he was actually talking to me......