I picked up my new 325 TR from the LGS yesterday, cleaned it, and hit my indoor range this morning. Attached is a pix my best group of 5 shots. These were from 50' and single action.
Some impressions:
1) The grips are a nice rubber but fit poorly. The top part of the grip on the right side is quite a ways away from the frame. I called SW Support and they are sending me a new grip. Even if this fits better, I might go with a Pachmayr Diamond pro grip. I have these on my Model 60 and they fit me very well.
2) The gun comes with a nice gun rug, 5 moon clips, and the rail that goes below the barrel. It
does not come with the upper rail. I check with SW on this to confirm. They suggested buying one from Brownell's, etc. if I wanted.
3) The recoil with standard 230 grain 45 ACP is about like 44 Special. I was a little surprised at the amount of recoil. However, I shoot 44 Spl in a Model 29 which is much heavier than the 325. I also shoot a 1911 in 45 ACP. I would rate the recoil less than my 5" 1911.
4) This is my 1st gun that uses moon clips. I bought a demooner but not a tool to load the clips. The demoorer works great. Loading the clips by hand is not bad once you get the hang of it. It seems some clips or some parts of a clip are harder to get the round seated than others. Maybe this loosens up after a while. I am holding off on buying a clip loader for now.
5) I installed the rail and put my laser and my light on it. Both fit fine. I will be buying a top rail and a red dot sight in the future.
6) The trigger is good but different. The DA is about 8-9 lbs and the SA probably 4 lbs or less. These are my guesses since I don't have a gauge. The SA is nice. The DA is smooth but has a slightly different feel than my 686, Model 60 (with the Wolff spring kit), or my well worn Model 29. There is kind of a "hitch" right at the end of the DA pull. However it did not effect me at the range at all.
7) I use a Laser Ammo laser bullet with a 45 ACP adapter for dry firing. It works fine even though it will not fit in the moon clip. Just drop it into the cylinder and it works.
8) The gun was definitely fired at SW before it was shipped. The barrel and cylinders needed a good cleaning.
9) The gold dot front sight will work well in the daylight but is tough to see in the low light of the indoor range. I might swap it out for something better in lower light.
Overall a very positive impression. I plan to use it for home defense and at the range. I think it will work well in those roles.
325 TR 1st Range Visit and Some Impressions
Linear Mode
