I recently purchased a 625-4 off GB, and it said it was chambered in .45 Colt, but even the pictures had the factory moon clips with it, and the barrel is only marked ".45", the word Colt is never referenced on the box, the gun, or the instructions once. Interestingly, there is a factory letter that Roy Jinks wrote up that mentions this was only one of 177 guns ever made (Lew Horton)....The gun has not been fired, but does chamber .45 ACP in moon clips just like my other 625's.....possibility the factory letter is wrong? I don't happen to have a .45 Colt laying around or I would see if it would chamber it, but sofar I see no mention of anything indicating it shoots .45 Colt other than the factory letter......kinda baffling. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

I am aware that the 625-7 3" is the 45 Colt caliber...not sure if they made the 625-4 in 45 Colt...sorry I'm not more help to you...Roger

I believe the -3 , -5,-7 & -9 625’s were all .45LC. If I remember correctly the -4’s were .45acp

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I reckon so

You can load & close the cylinder with moon clipped 45ACPs in it?

Moon clips that fit a 45ACP won't fit a 45 Colt. Are they the same as the ones you use for your 625 45ACP revolvers?

Is the cylinder's breach face machined with recessed cuts for moon clips, unlike on your 625 45ACP revolver?

What's the Product Code on the box?

Got any pictures for us?

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Waiting for the break of day

The way 45acp will work with moon clips and 45 colts chamber and head space correctly is if the center of cylinder is recessed .035, leaving a rim around the outside of the cyliner face that part of the 45 colt rim will rest on. Like this


Regular moon clips will not clip onto 45 colt brass as there is no rebate near the rim. If moon clips were relieved to clip on 45 colt case they would be very thin in spots

Not entirely correct, the -3 was .45 ACP Model of 1989, but I agree the -4 was ACP also. There also were -6's that were both, .45 Colt mountain gun with no lock and FP on hammer and .45 ACP with lock and frame mounted FP.

I've attached a picture of the gun, this was one of the GB pictures, I will take some better pictures of it when I get home. I'll also take some pictures of the factory letter and the factory box with the product code. Everything on the gun is factory, nothing has been modified so it is interesting to me that the factory letter would be wrong. I have checked the serial number on the gun and it matches what is referenced in the factory letter as well. The moon clips I was using in this gun are the same ones I use on my other 625-4, and I can load them, close the cylinder and dry fire fine with the snap caps in the moon clip. Also, if the factory letter is wrong will they send me a correct one free of charge?

Attached Images

S&W 625-4 3 inch.jpg (13.6 KB, 127 views)

I saw that auction. 99.9% chance the letter was in error. The barrel and box both indicate this revolver is .45acp. The 625-4 was a .45acp chambering in that configuration. If I recall correctly there was a very small number (50) 625-4 .45 Colt 5” revolvers with blued ‘pinto’ cylinder. Otherwise, the only .45 Colt 3” guns were 625-7s. But the one way to tell is to load a .45 Colt in the cylinder. Another member awhile back posted a 625 Model of 1989 marked as a .45acp that actually chambered .45 Colt and lettered as a .45 Colt... it was a 625-2 and is the only one I’ve seen. Anything is possible but unfortunately I think you were mislead.

Dug up this old thread from a search, because I just had the same experience - I lettered a 625-4 in .45 ACP and it letters as a .45 Colt. Roy Jinks stated it was sent from a production run of 88 revolvers in the CBB9*** serial range in 1996 - all with 5" barrels.

Anyone else got one of these?

Or have any thoughts about this?

Seems like part of the mess around early 625's mentioned in SCSW.

My 625-5 is in 45ACP.

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NHI, 10-8.

My 625-3 3” is 45 ACP.

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Pine_Worker
Ex-LEO, NRA Life

I also have 2 625-3’s in 45 acp.


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