While browsing auction site last week I got carried away and landed this 25-5 45 LC modified Snubbie. It's an excellent shooter, locks up nice and tight, and has super smooth action. Other than the obvious shortened barrel and bobbed hammer, the grip frame has been altered to K frame round butt. It came with Pachmayr's but I've been looking for a candidate for the installed grips. Even though they aren't the norm, I decided to try them on for this post. What you think?
Mainly...please share thoughts on quality of surgery performed on this 25-5 based on what can be seen by pictures. I'll be glad to post more detailed pictures if needed for evaluation.
Thanks so much!
Ray

Attached Images

	S&W 25-5 Snub Pic 1.jpg (63.4 KB, 1056 views)
	S&W 25-5 Snub Pic 2.jpg (71.0 KB, 824 views)
	S&W 25-5 Snub Pic 3.jpg (49.0 KB, 806 views)
	S&W 25-5 Snub Hammer Pic 1.jpg (64.3 KB, 731 views)
	S&W 25-5 Ball Detent Pic 1.jpg (38.3 KB, 709 views)

A great looking conversion. You have a fine pistola!

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S&W Accumulator

Looks great and nicely done

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Sceva
OGCA SWCA NRA

Looks nice. My kinda revolver, big bore snubbie.

Looks like mine...😎

Attached Images

CC38C550-0685-4F32-8F29-D17A236A357A.jpg (113.3 KB, 472 views)

Personally I don't like the grips but that sure is a sweet gun. Congrats!

Whomever did the work did a great job with the crown and ejector shroud. I'm guessing the yoke detent replaced the original ejector end detent. I really like the big bore snubbies. Nice gun!

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

I can understand how you got carried away.
Nice score!

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213th FBINA

Looks great, hopefully it fires as well. Nothing like a snub with a little Juice!! Enjoy, Be Safe,

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I BACK OUR BLUE

Very cool! Love the crown/shroud, and the curves to the hammer surface.

Who does the yoke lock? Is that a common mod?

Nice gun. Well done work

Looks like it could be a Jovino. I like it.

If it was my personal revolver I would find a replacement hammer, just not a fan of the bobbed spur look, other than that it's a fine looking piece.

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Rustychip
NRA Life Member

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Here are a couple of pictures to help visualize how ball detent functions on this particular M25. I've seen other Model 25's with this locking type conversion but no close up pictures to tell whether this is different or same as most.
Looking forward to finding out.
Thanks,
Ray

Attached Images

	S&W 25-5 Ball Detent Pic 1.jpg (38.3 KB, 268 views)
	S&W 25-5 Ball Detent Pic 2.jpg (28.3 KB, 287 views)

Don’t care for the Matt finish or the bobbed hammer, otherwise nice conversion.

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Pine_Worker
Ex-LEO, NRA Life

I like it. Really great job on the sway back of the hammer etc.
The finis is great for that gun. Adds to the serious look of a serious gun

I made mine out of a 1917 and used a 1950 barrel. Leaving enough barrel for the complete lug didn't add much length

Nice job, ain't crazy about the stocks but a definite purpose built revolver.

That's a great looking snub. I really like the grips.

As far as the barrel/ejector work, that looks really high quality. Do you have any idea who did the work? That would be helpful to know down the road should you want to move it along to another owner.

I like the bobbed hammer, although it becomes an issue if you like to use holsters with thumb breaks like I do.

Nice revovleer conversion

Very reminiscent of the Austin Behlert and John Jovino conversions from decades ago

I have a spare 8 3/8" Model 57 that I have been thinking about doing a Behlert type conversion to.

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"Acta non verba"

[QUOTE=Borderboss;140871926]That's a great looking snub. I really like the grips.

As far as the barrel/ejector work, that looks really high quality. Do you have any idea who did the work? That would be helpful to know down the road should you want to move it along to another owner.

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Borderboss...
I have no idea who did the work. I'm hoping a forum member comes along with one done in the same manner to help pinpoint the custom work. The ball detent work may be a clue but that is just a guess on my part.
Thanks for interest!
Ray

Very nice .45. I have a 625-11 that I eliminated the ball bearing aluminum yoke because it was flexing and the cylinder would go past the stop. I replaced the aluminum yoke with a s/s one and turned down a spacer. Fixed the problem. Also bobbed the hammer. Might have to get one in .45colt now.

Attached Images

B38E08E5-A89B-4F9D-AB16-9146B1DC5053.jpeg (97.8 KB, 1101 views)

I'm willing to go out on a limb and declare it's a Jovino conversion. No doubt in my own admittedly limited expertise. Every detail screams that it's one of theirs.
LOVE those grips, by the way. Laminated grips seem to run hot or cold but that's the best combination of colors I've personally ever seen. Love at first sight!!! I wouldn't dare ask if you were interested in parting ways with them, so I'll just add the search for their siblings to my list!

If your 625 snubby actually was a -11 then it would be chambered in 45 Long Colt.

The snubby 625 in your image is clearly chambered for 45 ACP, so it should be a -10 engineering revision.

Rememeber that traditionally in the 25/625 family, even-numbered engineering revisions are 45 ACP while odd-numbered engineering revisions are 45 Long Colt.

Of course all Smith & Wesson rules have their excptions.

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"Acta non verba"

Very, very nice 25. Being in .45 Colt makes it even better. I have a cut down 25-5 and it is such a enjoyable gun to shoot, launching those lead 255 Grain 45 bullets is a treat. It's hard to understand why there were not a factory model offering in this barrel length.

Great looking conversion! I really like it.

That thing is awesome....

Thanks for the correction colt-saa. Like your ‘brace’ of 625-11’s.

Very nice! Don’t care for the bobbed hammer but everything else is very nice.

Love those grips! Do you mind telling where you sourced them?

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Thanks for the nice comments. I ran across these grips on ebay approx. one year ago. They have the name RUSSWOOD stamped in ink on backside. I've never seen another like them. I just went online to see if they are still in business and had to send a request though their 2013 website. Were made by a fella named Russ Maloni. We'll see if I get response to my email.
Here is link I emailed.
https://michellescoggins.wixsite.com/russwood-grips

Nicely done, to big for a bobbed hammer for me, luckily beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I had a 28-2 converted to .44spl that looked identical. It was sold to me as a possible Jovino build but couldn’t confirm. It had some issues, needed to be corrected and the seller agreed to pay the cost. Shot like a dream afterwards. I sold it here on the forum a couple years ago.

I have the exact same gun. Same barrel mods, bobbed hammer, finish, same exact extra lock on crane, k round butt. Bought it a few months ago but first shot it yesterday. Worked flawlessly with some lswchp. 45lc

Attached Images

E4A8741F-FF91-4DCC-A66D-3588FABD032C.jpeg (89.7 KB, 82 views)

the grip frame has been altered to K frame round butt.
Sir, I believe your gun could wear N frame RB grips! Note the fit of your K frame RB at the top of the frame! This is where the difference between K and N frame grips exists! I would try a pair of Adhrends(company now closed) N frame RB grips!
jcelect

Outstanding. All business.

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I need ammo, not a ride.

Beautiful. Looks well done.

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Sure you did

I have a Mk II that was converted to .45 Colt. I have know idea who did the conversion. It came with Pachs on it as well.. I tried all of my grips and nothing fit it like i wanted. I contacted Mr. Grashorn and we came up with a set of grips that I am pleased with. I have a bunch of his grips so I could compare the shoulder fit. If I remember correctly, a K Round grip fit best up top. He built a set of oversize grips for me, I marked them with a marker and then sent them back to him. When they came back they only required very little fitting.
The pics kinda washed out the grips, I think they look really good in person.

Attached Images

	IMG_3236.jpg (101.3 KB, 85 views)
	IMG_3237.jpg (103.6 KB, 64 views)
	IMG_3238 (1).jpg (76.6 KB, 60 views)
	IMG_3239.jpg (73.8 KB, 54 views)

Nice one.
As so many others have said, it could almost pass for a Jovino Effector if it were still in the original blue finish instead of the matte finish.

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Send lawyers, guns & money...

Apparently my revolver looks the exact same as the original poster’s gun because it is the same exact one. He let me know it was traded to someone who put it on GB. I bought it. The S&W world is pretty small.

I don't know how I missed this thread back in August. But, I've found it now!
I'm a huge fan of the S&W .45 Colts. I've got four of them.
I'm also a big fan of big bore snubbies. I built this .45 Colt from a bare neekid Model 28-2 frame about 10 years ago. I've shown it here many times before, but I love showing it off.

You decide you don't like it, contact me.

I would be very proud to own and carry that one !

Beautiful work, I am very partial to the .45 colt. Now I have to add something else to my list of "want to haves" lol. Thanks for sharing.

Truly defines the term "Hand Cannon". I am not a fan of the grips or the bobbed hammer, but it is not my gun and is otherwise very cool.

Enjoy.

Gorgeous piece. That barrel shroud curve does indeed look like the work of Jovino. I've always wanted a 625 snub in 45LC.

Yours would look amazing with some dark wood grain boot grips or even some rubber ones. I'd also love to see it with a bronze front sight insert

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SWCA 3563
10mm aficionado

Very nicely done! The hammer fits my taste, and the finish is fine. Does someone have a photo of the Jovino ball detent job? I believe that Behlert did them the same, and the location was different from SFIDEC's gun. I believe that the location on SFIDEC's gun is theoretically superior (detent would tend to stay engaged on recoil), although there may be no practical difference.

Nice gun!

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Formerly Model520Fan

Apologies for jumping onto this bandwagon late, but I just had to chime in and offer some thoughts; firstly the OP's Model 25 is a really high quality conversion. Lot's of little details point to a gunsmith taking the time to do it right.

Secondly, I'm going to be one that states decidedly that it's not a Jovino conversion, or a re-done Jovino Effector, mainly because the Effectors had the ball detent installed in the barrel ejector shroud, and not in the yoke as this example shows. Beautiful detent work in this example however; not sayin' I know what it is...but I can tell you what it isn't.

With all the enthusiasm seemingly out there still for big bore Jovino snubbies, I wonder how many here would actually pay to have their wheelgun customized with a "Jovino package", just like Mr. Jovino's gunsmith had done by hand, whereby all the characteristics of a Jovino Effector (or Terminator) were re-created for carry?

I've put the photo of this Model 25 up previously; it was hand-crafted by that Master himself; I was there to watch it.