Hello-
Can anyone tell me more about this Model 25-2? It is in the N73XXXX serial range, so I understand it was built about 1980. However, I can find no reference to this configuration – round butt, 2.5 inch barrel, red ramp/white outline sights, a very rounded smooth trigger and a rounded (combat?) hammer spur. Any input would be very useful – I could not find any info my recently purchased copy of the “Standard catalog”
Thanks in advance!
Mark

Attached Images

Model 25-2 Red.jpg (37.7 KB, 395 views)

OMG...I got one of them to. It's not listed in the book nowhere. That's because it was a popular gunsmith conversion to do for awhile. Really big bore snubby.

It looks like a Jon Jovino custom!!!

Welcome to the forum and congrats on getting a desirable modified gun. Really cool big bore snubbie.

Nice guns, what are the bbl lengths? Thanks Larry

Pete950-Thanks for the John Jovino hint. It has helped a great deal - This gun does appear similar to the others I see on the web. I will pull off the grips and look, I think I have learned that Jovino marked his guns with a "J" inside a triangle. Do you know more/

Larry-Pretty sure mine is 2.5" but I will double check.

Combat - Nice gun! I've never seen another. Do you know who did the work on yours?

Finally - Can anyone guess on value? I bought it about 20 years ago for about $325.

It is definitely worth considerably more than you paid for it! It is a little tricky to judge value on modified guns, because you have to find a buyer that wants that modification, but I'd bet you could easily get $700 for it.

That'd be about half or more of the fellas on this forum.

I think that is a Jovino and believe they called it an Effector maybe

It is definitely a conversion...not factory item. Jovino started doing these and other gunsmiths also made them. Look for the "J"; last I knew Jovino was still in biz in NYC...you could call them.

I know a guy who 'accumulates' these.

__________________
Bob.
SWCA 1821

I will go against the crowd and say it is not a Jovino Effector.

Most Effectors had the word Effector roll marked on the barrel. Most Jovinos were 2 5/8" in barrel length length. While it is hard to tell from a single photo, the barrel radius does not look like Jovino either.

However do not worry. Almost every major gunsmith did this modification back in the late 70s and early 80s. Who made it 30 years ago will not alter the value too much one way or the other. Just enjoy it.

Mine is an Austin Belhert with a 2 3/8" barrel

I can tell you for a fact that the grip frame (is not) marked with a "J". I have one that lettered as a Jovino, no mark. You can get a letter & that will tell you. But it looks like one to me.

Sort of reminds me of one of the cut downs John Jovino Co of NYC was doing, but the picture is not close enough to be sure.

Everyone-
I removed the grips. There are two mark on the right side of the grip frame - a "C" in a circle (like the copy right mark) and a "V" in a triangle (triangle has rounded points)
Both marks are fairly large and deeply and clearly struck. Does this help identify the gunsmith?

The Barrel is 2.75 inches from face of the cylinder to the muzzle.

If I letter this, I am assuming that the letter will most likely only show the original configuration shipping to a wholesaler, correct?

Thank you for all the help!

Mark

Mms, I think I can make room in my safe if you're not happy with it. I would love to have a chopped mod 25-2... I am envious

__________________
Randy
Provenance nerd

Nice piece. There was a number of 'smiths doing big bore snubby conversions back in the day, Jovino's and Behlert were probably the biggest names. The problem with them is the difficulty you have finding out who built a particular gun, as most weren't marked and the "package" of mods was basically the same for everyone - shortened and recrowned barrel, shortened ejector rod, crane ball detent, smoothed and rounded trigger, recontoured hammer spur, grip frame reduced to K round size, and a great action job . Of course, if you have paperwork or some solid oral history, you're good, but as the OP said, lettering one of these guns only tells you the original receiving dealer and original configuration. If it was sent directly to a place like Jovino's that's a big clue but if an owner commisioned the work after the original purchase you may never know who customized it.

I don't recall ever seeing a marked Jovino N frame snubby, never heard of them stamping the letter "J" on the grip frame, either. Their Effector guns had 3" barrels and kept the full length ejector rods and they were stamped "EFFECTOR" on the barrel. The shorter guns had shortened ejector rods and used a crane ball detent to lock the cylinder in place. I have seen a couple of Behlert snubbies that were marked on the barrel but most of his were not marked, which I find interesting because so many of his autos are marked on the slide.

__________________
Don't kiss smiling dogs!

Added to must have list.

Everyone - Thank you for your warm welcome, kind words and helpful advise. Ive had this gun for 20 years and always thought it was a production gun.

I'm feeling like I should dress it up a bit - replace the rubber grips and get it a nice holster. Some advice re grips would be appreciated - wood or stag, and from whom? Does the conversion pose any particular ordering/fitting problems?

For a holster I am considering a floral carved Tom Threepersons style from Lobo Gunleather. I have used Lobo before and liked them, and I've never had a Threeperson style holster and this seems like a good excuse. However, does anyone have any experience with such a skimpy holster with a large frame/short barrel? I am concerned it would be unbalanced and feel clumsy.

Thanks

All-

I couldn't stand not knowing, so I requested a factory letter. I got it this week. This snub shipped on July 17, 1980 as a 6" blued model with target trigger and hammer to Jonas Arms and Aircraft Co. New York City, NY.

Well, I guess the itch is scratched, and that certainly is a cool company name, but its not Jovino or Behlert.

Does anyone know anything about Jonas Arms ans Aircraft?

Thanks

Mark

Just because it did not ship directly to Jovino or Behlert does not mean that they did not do the work.

Most of the firearms gun smiths work on are sent to them by the owner.

In my experience Austin Behlert almost always signed his work. If he did this it would be on the barrel.

As for grips, I'm biased. Extended and checkered Spegel Boot Grips would be my only choice for your gun.

Keith
[email protected]

This my Behlert 25-2. I am the 3rd owner, bought it from another forum member who purchased a pair (one blued, one hard chromed) from the original owner who had them built by Austin Behlert. As I posted earlier, I've only seen a couple of Behlert N-frame snubbies that were marked, however, all of the competition revolvers that he built that that I've seen were marked. I also have a couple of Behlert 1911s that are marked and almost every other auto I've seen that he built was also marked on the slide.


This Colt Gov't "Bob-Cat" is a good exampled of how he signed/marked his guns, though not all of them had "Cranford, NJ" below his name.


I bought a set of round butt stags for my Behlert gun and they did not fit correctly, the dimensions were slightly off, they fit my 327NG perfectly, though. When looking for grips for these guns you have to remember that they were built before S&W was doing RB N-frames. Also, the grip frame on each individual revolver was modified by hand so some variation is to be expected. According to posts by Austin Behlert on the pistolsmith.com forum he would cut the frame and reshape and reweld it to K RB dimensions. I think this is one of the reasons that these guns (both Behlerts and Jovinos) came with Pachmayr Compac grips, they allow for some variation in grip size and still fit correctly at the top of the grip frame, where a regular K/L grip is too small. My gun came with a set of combat style grips that fit it perfectly and were clearly made for that gun. If you want something different than the Pachmayrs, you may need to find a grip maker that will make a set to fit your particular gun.


Also, something to remember about the John Jovino Gun shop is that John Jovino opened it in 1911 and sold it in 1920, the new owners never changed the name. They did many conversions in their shop but the work was done by gunsmiths employed there, John Jovino himself never built any of the N frame snubbies or Effectors that came out of there.



.

__________________
Don't kiss smiling dogs!