I've been keeping an eye out for a nice S&W 45 Colt for awhile now & missed getting a 625-5 that would have filled the bill but this one seems worth the wait. I found this nice Model 25-13, 45 Colt, 5" full lug barrel, limited distributor edition at the recent gun show, complete with the factory box & paperwork, being sold by an individual. Virtually unused with purportedly only half a box shot thru it.
It's a Colorado Commemorative Special, "Rocky Mountain Ram", 1 of 300, that has a blued carbon steel frame, with gold etched ram's head & lettering, and a bead blasted stainless steel (1.670" long) cylinder. It wears Ahrends Cocobolo finger-grooved wood grips, & also included a set of soft rubber Hogue round butt grips from the factory. For sights it's equipped with a red Hi-Viz (.270") front sight & a black notched (.126") rear sight. The trigger (.300") is smooth while the hammer is a checkered combat (.400"). Weight: 44.4oz with the wood grips. Product code: 160928.
The SCSW says it's was a 2004 model offering but the box/fired case shows this one was made in Sept-2003. What surprised me the most, if I read the SCSW (2006) correctly, is that the Model 25, in 45 Colt, was not previously cataloged with a 5" bbl. & additionally this is the only Model 25 that had a full lug barrel. Is that correct? I don't know what models have been offered since then but that seems to put this variation in limited company, in that regard.
Does anybody remember the name of the distributor (sporting goods supplier?) that commissioned this from S&W?
The SCSW also shows that this model had a start serial number of CTA21xx but mine has a CTA14xx serial number.
Dimensionally the cylinder chambers & throats are ideally sized so I'm hoping it likes to shoot cast lead bullets as much as I do. Barrel-cylinder gap is .006" & the trigger pull is a crisp 4-1/2#. The red Hi-Viz stands out pretty good, when sighting, & I'm anxious to see if it's well regulated to the rear's height, for what I'll be shooting.
While I guess this one could be called my second "pinto", the first was blue & white, had three more cylinders & was pretty ordinary for the time ('74 Pinto). This one seems just a little more unique, & might just have more power.
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25-13, Rocky Mtn Ram
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25-13, Rocky Mtn Ram
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25-13, Rocky Mtn Ram
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25-13, Rocky Mtn Ram
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25-13, Rocky Mtn Ram
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25-13, Rocky Mtn Ram
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PS: It was posted in a related thread that these guns were made for Sports Authority Group/Gart Brothers.
As for the wooden grips, I believe they are Ahrends Cocobolo S&W Tactical Grips, Square Butt Finger Groove model grips.
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