Model 25 .45 LC...

[Truckman]

I turned down a 6" (not 6.5) Model 25-5 .45LC yesterday, pristine, presentation box, papers, tools, etc...$1400 OTD...I'm already thinking about going back for it......Ben

I figured I'd start my own thread here with a quote from another thread...In addition to the one described above I've found another, this time a Model 25-3 125th Anniversary edition...It appears unfired, but who really knows...Includes the original presentation grips, wooden case, book and plaque...At the same price as the one in my quote, would this seem like a reasonably OK price to pay?......Ben

 

[SS336]

I wishI knew. Prices are all over the board, mostly up. 2 years ago we would have laughed at that price, now we consider it.
Is it more than the new S&W equivalent if there is one? The price seems high to me but my mind has not adjusted to the new norm. I have a 25-5 and I wouldn't sell it for that, then again probably would pause if I was going to buy it.
I think that if you like it and can afford it, make an offer you can live with, then buy it.
It's only money.

 

[SS336]

Oh, yea, and here is a picture of mine to help you make up your mind.

 

[slight_turn_line_69]

I haven't been following the 25s much, but... I did record a sale from an online auction site at $1300 last January, just because I kinda wanted to know what mine was worth these days. I would think $1400 is about full retail price, but I could be wrong.

 

[Truckman]

Oh, yea, and here is a picture of mine to help you make up your mind.

That looks like the one I saw over the weekend...If it's still there this coming weekend, I'll try again...

I would think $1400 is about full retail price, but I could be wrong.

That's pretty much my thinking, but there's a hole in my accumulation that can only be filled by something in .45 LC...Being an underfunded addict really hurts......Ben

 

[robertrwalsh]

IMHO 1400 is a little stiff, but if you REALLY want it and you have the bread, what the heck. It's your money.

 

[Model19man]

If it comes with the presentation case, book, coin and appears unfired then the price is decent IMHO.

I see many for sale missing one or more of the elements selling for a lot less. Sure like mine.

 

[Pine_Worker]

In the current market, if you want it, you had better get it!

 

[Truckman]

In the current market, if you want it, you had better get it!

You are right...My intention right now is to go after the first one I saw next weekend...If it's still there, I'll get it...If not, I'll go for the other one...If both are gone by then Joseph Addison will have been proven right in his postulation of what Cato the Younger's daughter might have said......Ben

 

[ISCS Yoda]

If it comes with the presentation case, book, coin and appears unfired then the price is decent IMHO.

I would think that's right in today's market. The sole problem is that as a full bore collector's item firing it is quite a decision!

A 4" M25 was a grail gun for me for years and some time back a member of this Forum supplied me with this, much to my delight:

Since it's a shooter I didn't mind making a change:

Those pix are added just to whet your appetite even more.

 

[StrawHat]

You are right...My intention right now is to go after the first one I saw next weekend...If it's still there, I'll get it...If not, I'll go for the other one...If both are gone by then Joseph Addison will have been proven right in his postulation of what Cato the Younger's daughter might have said......Ben

If they are both gone, get in touch with me.

Kevin

 

[Vettepartz]

You might want to check the size of the throats in the cylinders. If my old memory serves me correct, some of these came from the factory with oversize throats in the cylinders, which I think may have affected the accuracy. S&W no longer waranties for this condition.

Does anybody here know what the correct diameters should be, and what would be oversize?

 

[cmj8591]

I just paid $20 for 100 large rifle primers. Everything is relative. Unless you are using money that would have bought food for your family, if you like it, buy it.

 

[k22fan]

I just paid $20 for 100 large rifle primers. [...]

If things get that bad I'll shoot my muzzle loaders until primers become more available.

IIRC it was Dixie Gun Works that sold kits for making your own percussion caps out of beverage cans and strike anywhere matches. The market is ripe for kits for reusing primers. Flatten the firing pin dent, reprime and reuse the old anvil. There's money to be made.

On the other hand in 1975 I paid through the nose for a sporterized S&W 1917. 25-2 .45 ACPs were scarce. I heard a rumor that the gunsmith in Warshal's downtown Seattle got the one the came in. That was so newsworthy that I heard the rumor from different strangers at a half dozen ranges over a period of months. The man who sold me my sporterized S&W 1917 told me my offer was foolish and he'd sell me an excellent condition Colt New Service fixed sight .45 Colt for half my offer. Consequently, if someone else wants to be the fool this time around then I shouldn't criticize. I literally shot 5 gallon buckets of home cast bullets through my sporterized S&W 1917 so my cost per shot is low. I still have it. I'm not going to torture myself by looking up what the New Service is worth today.

 

[SmithNut]

...snip....... I heard a rumor that the gunsmith in Warshal's downtown Seattle ......snip

Ahhh, those were the days, although they sold stuff for high prices, they were a pretty good store overall..... long gone now, progress... ????

At least we can see a snippet of the store when watching Harry and the Hendersons.

 

[AJ]

On the other hand in 1975 I paid through the nose for a sporterized S&W 1917. 25-2 .45 ACPs were scarce. I heard a rumor that the gunsmith in Warshal's downtown Seattle got the one the came in. That was so newsworthy that I heard the rumor from different strangers at a half dozen ranges over a period of months. The man who sold me my sporterized S&W 1917 told me my offer was foolish and he'd sell me an excellent condition Colt New Service fixed sight .45 Colt for half my offer. Consequently, if someone else wants to be the fool this time around then I shouldn't criticize. I literally shot 5 gallon buckets of home cast bullets through my sporterized S&W 1917 so my cost per shot is low. I still have it. I'm not going to torture myself by looking up what the New Service is worth today.

I have what is a Colt New Service. Actually it is Colt Model 1909 U.S. Army in .45 Colt. It is a hoot to shoot as it is 112 years old. I only shoot reasonable loads in it. It has been rebuilt at some period as it has New Service replacement barrel on it. Still a lot of fun to shoot.

 

[cmj8591]

If things get that bad I'll shoot my muzzle loaders until primers become more available.

I know. It killed me but I don't use many large rifle so I don't have a stash and I need to load some 30-06 for hunting. They had me over a barrel.

 

[Model19man]

You might want to check the size of the throats in the cylinders. If my old memory serves me correct, some of these came from the factory with oversize throats in the cylinders, which I think may have affected the accuracy. S&W no longer waranties for this condition.

Does anybody here know what the correct diameters should be, and what would be oversize?

I've owned several 25-2 in 45 Colt, several 25-5 and now the one 25-3 in 45 Colt. This is an old rumor that I hope keeps going forever because it keeps the guns out of the hands of people who think they know something important.

The reality is that I have never checked a throat in the cylinder. I just find what works in the gun to give it the best accuracy. Any of these is capable of better accuracy than I am. 35 years ago I was able to take the center out of a paper target at 25 yards with ten shots (M25-5, six 1/2" barrel). At that time I was using Unique with a 250 grain Keith SWC. Today I find the same round - with the range now requiring powder coating or plating - is very accurate in these revolvers. I bought several kegs of Unique back in the late 1980's, and still have a ten pounder that is unopened.

Keep posting that story it's keeping the price down for those of us who enjoy shooting these fine and very accurate guns.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

You might want to check the size of the throats in the cylinders. If my old memory serves me correct, some of these came from the factory with oversize throats in the cylinders, which I think may have affected the accuracy. S&W no longer waranties for this condition.

Does anybody here know what the correct diameters should be, and what would be oversize?

Mine has large throats. Shoots commode lid patterns at any distance with std .452" dia bullets. Went to a .454" dia bullet and sizer and all's well with the world.

 

[Jason Demond]

You might want to check the size of the throats in the cylinders. If my old memory serves me correct, some of these came from the factory with oversize throats in the cylinders, which I think may have affected the accuracy. S&W no longer waranties for this condition.

Does anybody here know what the correct diameters should be, and what would be oversize?

All the guns back then had the large chamber throats. They were SAAMI spec at the time, and any decrease in accuracy can be mitigated with larger bullets starting at .454.

There is not one single magical gun from the period that wasn't the same. I don't know when they were spec'ed smaller, but even -5s had them.

The -3 also has the shorter cylinder that will limit it's owner on bullet weight. That's the only real issue with the -3s.