Hi Folks new to the forum. I recently purchased a 25-5 45 colt. unfired with presentation case...beautiful! Well after reading about the clocked / crooked barrel problem I checked my new pistol. Well think I screwed the pooch on this one. It looks like the barrel bore in the frame was cut off axis! The barrel looks like it is going into the frame crooked! What to do!?

Post some pictures showing the problem. Folks here can help you assess the issue. Or, send it to me and I'll dispose of it properly. Might even be willing to trade one of my "not crooked" ones for it. Good luck. And welcome to the forum!

Jeff
SWCA #1457

First thing is did you purchase this gun to shoot or to collect? If you purchased it to shoot then see how point of impact is affected. You never know with these things. The best looking gun could still shoot horribly.

sorry for not replying sooner. i purchased it for shooting/collecting. i did not know about the barrel problem at the time but when you see it, it sticks out like a sore thumb. i guess it's ok to shoot, never been fired, but it bugs me that i didn't see it before i bought it. more importantly what happened to the resale value? i payed $1100. thought it was a good deal

Post pics please I have a 25-5 and a 25-2 and have no idea as to what this problem is that you speak of...but mine shoot great so I suspect I don't have it. Are the grooves between the top of the barrel, frame and rear sight noticeably off kilter?

Hi EarlB. If you look where the frame and barrel meet the grooves do not line up and the front sight is not at 12oclock but between 12 and 1...looking into barrel. Also the barrel goes into the frame at an angle, to the left. Ill post some pics but still not sure if I should shoot it.

I bought a used Anaconda off of gunbroker with the same problem.Emailed colt and they had me send it in.They fixed it and shipped it back on their dime.It looked and shot great.It shot waaaay to the left before I sent it in.

As long as the barrel, forcing cone and cylinder lines up - it's gonna shoot safely. Now with the situation you describe where the front sight isn't at 12 o'clock, yeah accuracy would be in the pooper. I'm getting upwards of 40 S&W revolvers now, haven't seen that problem yet. In fact, I also picked up a 8-3/8" 25-5 today, nickel late pinned gun. You had me run to check it closely but everything lines up good. Earl

Ah, the fable barrel pin didn't stop a canted barrel. Actually the pin allows the barrel to move several degrees in with direction while installed. It really does nothing besides look good and reassure people who really don't understand the system. If it isn't to much cant a smith with a frame wrench and a barrel block can adjust it without removing the pin.

The barrel runs at an angle thing is of far greater concern. Best would be to get a range rod and check barrel to cylinder alignment. A range rod just slips down the barrel and will catch on an out of time or aligned cylinder throat. With a 45 you could use a piece of 7/16" (.4375)round stock if you make sure the end is square and wasn't cut of with a shear.
You could even turn one end to a point and with cylinder out see if point hits firing pin hole. Another approach would be a good steel straight edge held down the side of the cylinder and check gap from frame to muzzle along barrel and do both sides. If it is actually out of alignment, it could be 2 things, barrel shank or frame either that shoulder on one is not square or the threads and shoulder are not square. But, the barrel/frame thread is pretty tight so if it is the shoulder it couldn't be much. Unscrewing the barrel a couple turns and using a feeler gauge might tell you if it is a shoulder. But, I digress, if the misalignment is small a GOOD gunsmith could do something that would make you cringe. Support the barrel and frame and then wack the frame/barrel juncture with a Babbitt bar. That is exactly how the get a fixed sight gun adjusted to strike point of aim. Really.

But, hey go shoot it. It is possible the slight barrel cant will work as an adjustment to the slight barrel to frame angle and be just right. It isn't going to blow up especially with anemic factory 45 colt loads, It might spit a little lead at worst. You could start out with cowboy action loads as they are pretty low power.

By the way, with the cylinder closed does a feeler gauge of the same thickness start and go through from both sides. Or does say a .006 start from one side and only go 1/2 way? Another Possible indication of some barrel to frame misalignment

Hi Steelslaver, thanks for taking the time for your diagnosis. I did check the frame /barrel interface for parallelism using a straight edge per your suggestion, and there is at least 0.200" from muzzle to frame!! Multiply that by 50 yards and I think the bullet will hit somewhere on the next block! I think I will try calling Smith&Wesson to see if they can do anything.

If your decimal point is in the right place I would ship it to
S@W that is way out of line.

Ah yes! Actually, mis-vectored barrel... Not! This the rare "Coriolis Force corrected" Model, accounting for the rotation of the earth between time bullet leaves the barrel and reaches target. Requiring the gun to be fired due North for proper factory-set calibration. (Off True North... Consult NASA!)

Or, dumb humor attempts aside.... What about factory contact as suggested. A letter (better than phone) to S&W concerning fixing 'THEIR FACTORY ERROR'! Can't believe they'd not offer best efforts to correct the situation regardless manufacturing date here. Such IF such truly factory work producing this situation and not previously addressed with prior owner.

Misaligned rotation one matter, canted barrel in frame quite another. Such sounding the frame problem rather than barrel itself.

Just an inexpert take

0.2 in about 10" is huge amount of out. In 10' that would be 2" and at 100yds about 5 feet. Can't hurt to see what S&W will do. Good luck. Please let us know what happens.