25-5 Cylinder Change

[ameridaddy]

My 25-5 8-3/8" was more of a scattergun at 25 yards than the precision revolvers I was used to from Smith. I found the throats were .457"-.458", measured with small hole gauges, which are more accurate than calipers, and the barrel slugged at .451". Not good. After reading cprher's cylinder change saga of success and pittpa's accuracy work with the 45 Colt, I contacted S&W, confirmed new 45 Colt cylinders were available for change out, sent them my 25-5 with a request for a new cylinder fitment and a Master Revolver Action job. Door to door was 9 weeks, arriving last Friday. The new blue cylinder really was indistinguishable from the older blue of the rest of the gun to my eyes, and the pull, timing and lockup were exquisite for double action. The single action is a little heavy for my taste, but very crisp. The most amazing thing to me was that the lockup was so crisp and early that I can feel the chamber click into place while I still have ample time to pull and final align the sights. None of my revolvers, while having buttery actions and crisp triggers, are that consistent and that early on every chamber in double action. That was money ($165) well spent.
I haven't been to the range to test accuracy yet, as I'm eyeball deep in tax preparation, but pittpa's experience was encouraging.

Now the down side. I was dismayed to find a screwdriver booger next to one of the side plate screws, scrapes I can catch a fingernail in along the edge of the side plate near the trigger, and a ning on the frame where it looks like the side plate was re-installed too enthusiastically. Take a look at the pics, and tell me if I'm being too picky, or should I send it back to Smith, and ask them to fix it. Can they fix it, in your opinions, or will I be getting in deeper with more rework, possible bluing mismatch, or a worse side plate fit if it's replaced and the risks that entails?

I've owned Smith revolvers more than forty years, but this was my first experience with the Performance Center. I'd value your advice.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

I'm think I'd be happy with the good stuff & ignore the other. I get your concern but it might be less hassle just to take it to the range & explore it's new found accuracy.

Hope you enjoy shooting it.

.

 

[pittpa]

Hope to see your range results soon. The weather seems agreeable in the east. How do the new cylinder throats gage?
As for the cost, you got cylinder, action job and cylinder fitment for $165? Just wanted to make sure I read that right. When Smith told me I had to have them install the new cylinder, I did not ask the price, I assumed it would cost a lot more. How much was shipping both ways, and did it ship straight back to you? Did you also keep the old cylinder? I ask because I've considered having another cylinder fitted to my 25-9 to then have it modified for shooting 45 ACP.

 

[Muley Gil]

If it were mine, I'd remove the cylinder and use a brass drift and tap down the spot next to the sideplate. Otherwise, I'd ignore the rest. Of course, my M25-5 got roundbutted by me about 2 months after I bought it and then it got stuffed in a Safariland holster on my Sam Browne belt and carried in a patrol car. Mine ain't perfect!

 

[ameridaddy]

1. Hope to see your range results soon.

2. How do the new cylinder throats gage?

3. As for the cost, you got cylinder, action job and cylinder fitment for $165?

4. Did you also keep the old cylinder? .

1. Me too!
2. Cylinder throats are 4 @.4525, 2 @ .4530. I measured hole gage with my calipers which read only 0 or 5 in the .000x place.
3. Dave - $165 was the action job. Cylinder @~$93 + $45 labor and ~$12 shipping brought the total to $315 door-to-door.
3. Yes, I got the old cylinder back wrapped in the brown anti-rust paper, and also the cylinder stop pawl (probably MIM), cylinder locking bolt (latch pin) and mainspring.

 

[pittpa]

$12 shipping? did they send a prepaid label?

 

[Gunhacker]

I'm surprised to read that S&W is doing 25-5 cylinder replacements now... at one time it was being said by the factory that there wasn't anything that could be done due to the supply of replacement cylinders being long exhausted.

Question... does the replacement cylinder have an ejector with the new style ratchet or did they use your old one?

 

[ameridaddy]

$12 shipping? did they send a prepaid label?

I bought a nice strong box from Fedex for $7, Smith sent a label as an attachment to an email. It covered shipping both ways. It's nice of Smith to share their commercial discount with their customers.

 

[ameridaddy]

1.I'm surprised to read that S&W is doing 25-5 cylinder replacements now... at one time it was being said by the factory that there wasn't anything that could be done due to the supply of replacement cylinders being long exhausted.

2. Question... does the replacement cylinder have an ejector with the new style ratchet or did they use your old one?

1. ...cylinders being long exhausted.
That's the answer I got from Smith for years. When I noted there were thousands of 25-5's out there with oversize throats, the guy said we make money selling guns, not parts.
Apparently when they brought back the 25 with the Classic series, cylinders became available. Thanks to an earlier thread by cprher, I became aware of the availability and the good results obtainable.

2. The new cylinder has it's own ratchet, probably a MIM part, since it has no ground faces like the old ones. They also lightly chamfered the cylinder charge holes.

In addition to the parts I listed in the OP, they replaced the extractor spring, the rebound spring and a plain straight pin I can't identify.

Call Smith customer service, tell them what you want, and they'll fix you up with somebody at the Performance Center to advise you of the possibilities.

 

[pittpa]

I bought a nice strong box from Fedex for $7, Smith sent a label as an attachment to an email. It covered shipping both ways. It's nice of Smith to share their commercial discount with their customers.

Well now, that puts the labor charge in an entirely different light.

 

[Muley Gil]

"...plain straight pin I can't identify."

That could be the overtravel pin that fits inside of the rebound spring.

 

[00Buck2]

I am eagerly awaiting a range report as well. A friend sent one back about 2 years ago and was told no more cylinders but that they could fit a new one. He did not want his 25-5 altered and kept it the way it was. He did some research and located a bullet with a larger diameter. It took some time to discover the proper powder and charge but it is a dead ringer at 20 yards now.
The 45 Colt is my favorite reloading cartridge, a large combustion chamber with a wide range of bullet weights.

 

[ameridaddy]

"...plain straight pin I can't identify."

That could be the overtravel pin that fits inside of the rebound spring.

Bingo! Thanks, you're exactly right. It was no longer need because the PC fitted an external overtravel stop on the back of the trigger.

 

[ameridaddy]

I am eagerly awaiting a range report as well. ... a large combustion chamber with a wide range of bullet weights.

Thanks for your interest. My thinking is along the same line, and I'm looking forward to trying a range of loads to see what I can learn.
It may be a while, though; I've had a pinched nerve in my upper back for about three weeks now that hurts like the devil and doesn't allow me to raise my right arm or tilt my head to the right. Had it about five years ago and it took three months to get over it then. I'm older and more arthritic now, so we'll see what transpires. With the beautiful weather and a couple of "new" toys to play with, the situation is really frustrating.

 

[Art Doc]

I still can't believe that S&W produced these screwed up guns for so long.

My 25-5 is pretty late (1981) and while I haven't measured the throats a .454" bullet will not drop through.

When the 454s are pushed through the barrel they seem to work OK.