I recently bought a model 25-2 that I thought had a 6 1/2 inch bbl but in doing research I found out there were some other bbl lengths. This one has a 6 inch bbl. Any ideas on how many were made with the 6 inch bbl?

Are you measuring from the muzzle end of the barrel to the front of the cylinder?

The later ones had 6" barrels. I have one. Still the same gun, minus a half-inch.
Bob

One of each ! Sorry for the oil all over the finish in this photo !

Jerry

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.38/44 Outdoorsman Accumulator

I only have one 25-2 and mines a 6 inch barreled model.

A six inch barrel on mine. I like the looks of the 6 1/2 inch one but I have never shot one. Mine has large throats but it still is very accurate. One of my favorites.

Yes I am and actually it measures 5 7/8 inches. My dad had one with a 6 1/2 bbl that was marked 45 auto rim on the bbl!

Smith standardized on the 6" barrel rather than 6 1/2" in the late 70s-early 80s. As is true always with S&W, this change is gradual as all old stock is used up. This change applied to all N-frame guns that had previously cataloged the 6 1/2" barrel.

I don't think even Roy Jinks could tell you how many were made.

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Bob.
SWCA 1821

mines a 6 1/2"....1974

There were a few Smiths that were 6 1/2 bbl guns---at some point in time they no longer were 6 and 1/2 but became just 6" (late 70"s???). This applied to the 25 and 29 and maybe the 57---I do not remember for sure. I have seen a few 1955 25's where the bbl is mis-stamped "1950".

Like a previous post---my 25's have big throats--but shoot accurately yet do lead. I have read where some will use 454 cst bullets for these older 25's.

On that auto rim marked gun---I have never heard of that before---you got a picture SmithNframe???

look at the my post above.....it's a 45ACP/45AR....

Below are two Mod.25-2s "eyegots2no" refers to. The first is a 6 1/2" 1955 and the second is the identical Mod 25-2 mis-marked 1950. It also has a 6 1/2'" barrel. Both guns were purchased within a few months of each other in the late 70's.

I don't believe any Mod 57s were ever made with a 6 1/2" barrel. All were 6". The only factory barrel length variation I know of for the 57 no-dash was the one 5" in Doc44's collection. I don't think he'd let me have it.....

GLL - I'm curious.... Were those grips original to the two 25s you have pictured? I love seeing all the "N" frame guns from your collection...

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Terry

I wish I had a picture of the gun my father owned! He was an avid N frame collector. I do have some pics of his collection but none close enough to see the writing on the bbl. I do still have most of the boxes.

SmithNframe, Those boxes are worth a bit by themselves one that I have came in a wood box and then a cardboard box (plain brown card board) (by the way some of the 29's once would come with blue box and wood box---all in a sleeve--and then placed in large plain cardboard box---I once got a nickel 29 4" that came like that.)

TDC is right about the 57's being 6" only---at least according to this old 1972 price sheet that I have---I went back and looked. This neato sheet shows how each of the Smith's of the time came, i.e. which came blue or nickel, what bbl lengths, stocks, sights, etc. It is interesting to note that the 27's came with numerous bbl lenghts.

My 1975-produced Model 25-2, has a 6.5" barrel. Serial No. N3014xx.

My first Mod 25-2 was the 6 1/2" one, several years later I bought anogher and it was a 6" one.

Here is a bit of trivia. All the 6 1/2" guns I measured were actually a little over 6 1/2", and the 6" guns were a little under 6".

When you handled them side by side, I could actually tell a fair amount of difference, in how they felt...

I have 2 early Model 57's in 6.5".One in Nickel and one Blue. Kyle