thoughts on my 625 purchase please

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toad67

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Looking to get a wheel gun in 45acp since I have lots of ammo and need to find a way to burn some of it up:eek: Thinking I want a 5" version since plinking will be what it is used for. I don't really care for the JM guns, or a lock version either. I see some models of 1988 and 1989 and am thinking that might be the cats behind, but really don't know much about either one. I have an almost NIB Colt 1911 Trophy Gold Cup that I don't shoot and thought about getting rid of that and getting my hands on a nice 625. A model 25 would also be okay, except I see that they come in 45LC, which I don't want. Please let me hear your thoughts. Thanks in advance!

Todd
 
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I got a tip. It's one of those internet rumors, so I can't swear it's true. Here it is: the very first Model of 1988 guns in .45 ACP had a different type of barrel. It was cut different than the later ones. Some believe those early guns shot better. More accurate.

I do know for a fact that the first Model of 1988 guns had a product code of 100921. Which was used until about August of 1989. The pc for the Model of 1989 was 100927.
 
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Kernel Crittenden said:
I got a tip. It's one of those internet rumors, so I can't swear it's true. Here it is: the very first Model of 1988 guns in .45 ACP had a different type of barrel. It was cut different than the later ones. Some believe those early guns shot better. More accurate.

I do know for a fact that the first Model of 1988 guns had a product code of 100921. Which was used until about August of 1989. After that the product code changed to 100927. Which was the same as the pc for the Model of 1989. After about August of '89 the two guns shared one pc. Before that the Model of 1988 had it's own pc. So something changed.
Click to expand...

Vewry, Vewry intewestring....:rolleyes:
 
I HAVE A 4" MODEL OF 1989, WHICH ACTUALLY IS "THE CAT'S BEHIND". THE 4" IS HARD TO FIND. THE 3" AND 5" ARE MORE READILY AVAILABLE. I DON'T CARE FOR THE JM REVOLVERS EITHER. THERE IS NOTHING SPECIAL ABOUT THEM. THE STELLAR ATTRIBUTES OF THE .45 ACP CARTRIDGE ARE NOT FULLY REALIZED UNTIL YOU SHOOT IT FROM A REVOLVER…..

I LOOKED FOR A MOUNTAIN GUN IN .45 ACP FOR A LONG TIME, WITHOUT LUCK. (I HAVE THE MG IN 3 OTHER CALIBERS) THIS 4" MODEL OF 1989 CAME UP ON GB. I HAD NEVER SEEN ONE FOR SALE BEFORE, AND I HAVEN'T SEEN ANOTHER IN THE 3 YEARS SINCE I PURCHASED IT. IT WAS MORE MONEY THAN I WANTED TO SPEND, BUT I BOUGHT IT AT THE "BUY NOW" PRICE, ANYWAY. I DID NOT WANT TO LOSE OUT ON A 4" VERSION, WHICH IS MY FAVORITE LENGTH OF REVOLVER. IT IS WORTH EVERY CENT THAT I PAID FOR IT, AND THEN SOME. IT IS THE MOST ACCURATE, WITH THE NICEST TRIGGER, OF ALL OF MY REVOLVERS. UNLIKE MY GOLD CUPS, IT DROPS ALL OF THE BRASS IN A NEAT LITTLE PILE, TO BOOT……

IF YOU CAN FIND A CLEAN MODEL OF 1989, IN A BARREL LENGTH THAT YOU LIKE, JUMP ON IT ! ! ! DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME "LOOKING FOR A BARGAIN"--ESP A 4". LIFE IS TOO SHORT, TO MERELY BE A SPECTATOR. PEOPLE WHO OWN THEM RARELY SELL THEM FOR CHEAP, IF AT ALL. THEY DON'T LAST LONG, AND IF YOU SNOOZE, YOU LOSE. YOU WON'T BE SORRY….
 
I've got a 5" Model of 1988 and a 4" Model of 1989.

Both are tack drivers. I shoot the 5" gun more mostly because the 4" gun is close to NIB, and the 5"er is not. I do think I prefer the extra 1" barrel too.

The 4" gun was fairly reasonable when I bought it because most people wanted the 5" barrel for competition shooting.

A couple of years later, the 5" gun was a bargain. The guy sold it because of a rules change that no longer allowed a 5" barrel and he had to buy a new 4" gun.

You really can't go wrong with either the 1988 or 1989 in any legth barrel.
 
toad67 said:
[...] I have an almost NIB Colt 1911 Trophy Gold Cup that I don't shoot and thought about getting rid of that and getting my hands on a nice 625. A model 25 would also be okay, except I see that they come in 45LC, which I don't want. Please let me hear your thoughts. [...]
Click to expand...

After Tompkins PLC bought S&W in 1988 .45 revolver dash numbers became to confusing for me to remember but prior to that 25 dash 3s and 5s were .45 Colt and 25-2s were .45 ACP.

I did not tie up funds in 1911s or for that matter any other .45 automatics until after I had a S&W .45 ACP revolver. Nothing has changed my priorities. I don't mean to knock 1911s. I just love .45 ACP revolvers.

Kernel Crittenden said:
I got a tip. It's one of those internet rumors, so I can't swear it's true. Here it is: the very first Model of 1988 guns in .45 ACP had a different type of barrel. It was cut different than the later ones. Some believe those early guns shot better. More accurate. [...]
Click to expand...

My recollection, backed up by samples of each vintage, is that the one change in S&W's .45 ACP rifling did not occurr during or around the end of Model 1988 production. Other than barrel lengths there were two differences between Model 1988s and Model 1989s. First, 1988s had black patridge front sights and 1989s had black ramps. Second, most of the lettering changed from roll stampings to laser etching. 1988s continued S&W's traditional use of GI specification rifling with 6 narrow lands in .45 ACP revolvers. That set S&W's .45 ACPs apart from all their other chamberings which used 5 groove rifling with deeper grooves equal in width to the lands. .45 ACP revolver rifling did not change until about 1997 when S&W discontinued broach cutting production revolver bores larger than .22 caliber. .45 ACP bores rifled by eroding away metal with electricity have 5 grooves the same as all the other calibers. These newer barrels vary quite a bit in appearance. They all have rounded corners in the bottoms of the grooves and rounded corners at the top on the lands. Some look more like polygonal rifling than traditional rifling. The change in rifling was accompanied by controversy over whether they are as good for firing lead bullets.
 
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1988s made significantly after the switch to 1989s are news to me. I happen to own a 1996 625 that I had rebarreled with a Model 1988 barrel. Did you see something similar? Maybe S&W did a parts clean up of old barrels?
 
I recently bought a 1988 model off a different forum. The serial# is bdc4xxx but the seller had no box. The gun is like new with perfect factory rb combats on it. It is accurate & exudes quality workmanship. Its one of those guns you can shoot all day at the range.
 
There is a model of 1988 on GB with 4 days left in case op might be interested.
 
k22fan said:
Other than barrel lengths there were two differences between Model 1988s and Model 1989s. First, 1988s had black patridge front sights and 1989s had black ramps.
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You have that backwards - the Model of 1988 had a black ramp front sight. The Model of 1989 had a black Patridge front sight.

@regalsc - The original grips on the Model of 1988 were Pachmayr Grippers - you got a bonus with factory combats.

Adios,

Pizza Bob
 
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Kernel Crittenden said:
The newest Model of 1988 I've seen was made in 2002, so it had a good 13 year run. Same for the Model of 1989. Strange that two guns, both chambered in .45 ACP, would share a common product code but have different barrel technology.
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The "Model of 1988" rollmark was not used beyond 1989 when Smith changed to the laser etched "Model of 1989" - which did continue to be used into the 2000's, just as the "Model of 1955" has been used on Model 25's through the years.

Adios,

Pizza Bob
 
Pizza Bob said:
You have that backwards - the Model of 1988 had a black ramp front sight. The Model of 1989 had a black Patridge front sight.

@regalsc - The original grips on the Model of 1988 were Pachmayr Grippers - you got a bonus with factory combats.

Adios,

Pizza Bob
Click to expand...


You think? This is an early Model of '88 exactly as it shipped.



This one is a little later,but also a Model of '88. It did come with Pachs,which I replaced with these,which btw,are some of the most comfortable grips I've ever had.



f.t.
 
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With my 1988 model the owner told me the rb factory combats were original. I guess that some came with factory combats then.
 
I ordered my 625-2 in Nov of 1988. The LGS received it in March of 1989. With the exception of the grips, this is how it was received...

fe4g92.jpg


My serial number is BDC4597 and the product code is 100921.

A registry would be nice so that we can build a timeline of features on these guns.

Adios,

Pizza Bob
 
fat tom said:
[...] This is an early Model of '88 exactly as it shipped.

Click to expand...

Were you the first owner of your Model of 1988 that is wearing Combats? I ask because this thread is the first I've heard that any of them shipped with Combats. The well funded members at our local range who bought the first .45 ACPs they could find got rubber.

My first 625 was my 1994 Springfield Armory Commemorative. I figured it was smarter to buy one that matched my most fired handgun, a "sporterized" S&W 1917. In order to get it sold the LGS had to knock its price down to match standard 625s and I had to accept the decorations.
 
I just shake my head when people state that the later 625's have barrel's that won't shoot lead. I have used NOTHING but home cast bullets in both my 5" Model 625-6 (Model of 1989) and my all time favorite revolver, the Model 625-8 JM Special with 4" barrel.

They both shoot well under 1" at 25 yards and around 2" at fifty yards. I replaced the springs with a matched set of Jerry Miculek springs and set teh double action at 9.0 lbs. The single action is a crisp 3.0 lbs. They will be with me until they plant me.




They represent my favorite type of activity - range time with either!

Dale53
 
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