Recently acquired a used 4" 625-8 / .45acp. Plain vanilla - not a PC, or JM. 1st "lock" gun for me.

One trip to the range (so far) w/ a box of WW 230 ball, & "lock" aside, if it shoots hard cast as well as the ball, it will be a keeper.

Accurate & easy to shoot. Timing is perfect, & fitting is pretty good - B/C gap 0.005", headspace 0.007". S/A trigger is crisp & clean. D/A trigger is smooth, but some what heavy. No surpise there, I guess. D/A pull would probably benefit from a set of springs.

Also noted that even though the headspace will increase to 0.017", the revolver will function with out moon clips.

Surprised to find 6 lands & grooves in the bore, as I thought 5 was the S&W standard... Can anyone provide info on this? Thanks in advance!

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Regards - GCF

See my reply in the gunsmithing section.

4 upgrades included in the -8 model.

1. Rifling designed for lead bullets
2. Cylinder shortened - to minimize torque and bullet jump to rifling.
3. Barrel and forcing cone extended to cylinder
4. Retain max sight radius available

I shoot one in 45 ACP and it is absolutely just damn fun to shoot.
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"If you kill enough of them, the rest will stop." - Gen. Curtis LeMay

Thanks for your response. W/ regards to your point #2, I think some of the 625-8's may have the new style short cylinder, but others have the older / longer cylinder.

Could you take a length measurement of yours? My cylinder is 1.5" OAL.

Additionally, I've been told that the 625 / .45acp series has shallow / 1911 style grooves, but although I have not yet slugged the bore of my revolver to measure the them, the rifling looks quite robust. They actually look deeper then the grooves in the barrel of my 625-6 MG - chambered in .45 Colt. This would confirm your point #1.

And fun to shoot? Not only fun - but amazingly easy!

__________________
Regards - GCF