Whiten
Member
I'm mainly on 1911Addicts but I picked this SW 25-2 up this weekend and like to share it
25-2 Gun Show Find
- Thread starter Whiten
- Start date
22hipower
Member
Nice find, mind sharing the SN? Most were 6.5 or 6 inch guns, the shorter barrels don't show up all that often. I'd replace the stocks with some factory targets but other than that, nice gun!
OP
Whiten
Member
N379320
I posted it on Addicts, seems that not many if any 4 in factory 45acp guns was made. Maybe a rebarrel at some point.
I posted it on Addicts, seems that not many if any 4 in factory 45acp guns was made. Maybe a rebarrel at some point.
22hipower
Member
The factory made 4 inch ones, just not all that many. Looks legit to me with the roll marks on the barrel centered as they are.
22hipower
Member
N379320 probably shipped in 1976 although you'd need a letter to know exactly when and to where.
mchom
Member
OP
Congratulations ! If that is indeed an original 4” gun they are hard to come by. If not it still looks well done so regardless an awesome gun.
You’ll want to get a letter or at least an invoice copy.
Here’s mine…gotten from a good friend here on the forum.
Congratulations ! If that is indeed an original 4” gun they are hard to come by. If not it still looks well done so regardless an awesome gun.
You’ll want to get a letter or at least an invoice copy.
Here’s mine…gotten from a good friend here on the forum.
Couldn't help but notice, the OP's gun is equipped with the Baughman ramp while mchom's gun has the Patridge sight. What's up?
mchom's box label indicates red ramp front sight and white outline rear sight. Indeed, very interesting!
OP
Whiten
Member
mchom Thats a good looking pistol.
Here are some more pics, can someone tell me about the numbers under the grips?
This pistol likes my SWC target load
Here are some more pics, can someone tell me about the numbers under the grips?
This pistol likes my SWC target load
It looks like it was factory reworked in June of 1978. R-S may mean rebarrel????
All the other stamps are inspection marks or approvals.
All the other stamps are inspection marks or approvals.
mchom
Member
My guns Patridge is post factory work. The OPs sights look factory to me
Wow, I didn’t know these existed. Looks like I’m adding a 4” 25-2 to the list 
22hipower
Member
If there was a barrel change it is likely that the SN of the gun would be in the ejector shroud along with a <>.
OP
Whiten
Member
Got the number but no <>
All I have is this funky old 6" 25ND. The 4" variations don't seem to come around very often.
22hipower
Member
That is a little odd. A gun produced in 1976 or so would not normally have the SN in the ejector shroud. S&W did do that when they changed barrels but I don't think I've seen one without the accompanying <> stamp. The only thing consistent though about S&W stamps and their meaning over the decades, is that they're inconsistent. I think I would letter the gun and then ask for a deep dive. Not sure that the SWHF has much from the period although the 6.78 stamp tells us that the service department did something with it in June of 1978 and it could have stayed in inventory that long having likely been built in late 1976. Possibly a special order where the buyer asked for a 4 inch and the factory built one for him, quite possibly from an existing 6 or 6.5 inch gun. Or perhaps a buyer in '76 sent in back in '78 for the 4 inch barrel. Definitely worth a letter though to confirm it as a factory 4 inch.
Last edited:
guntha45
Member
mchom's barrel markings are not centered either, which leads me to believe that he has a shortened barrel that reused the target sight from the longer barrel. Still, it's a nice gun!
guntha45
Member
Looking forward to Kevin weighing in on this!
Model19man
Member
Wow that is special! S&W did not make many 4" barrels. Mine is a 6.5" according to my S&W letter it did not ship with an extra cylinder although I have one chambered for 45 Colt. I bought the gun new from a dealer in 1981 - he had several with extra cylinders. Mine also has the Patridge sight with no white outline on the rear sight.
Mike LaNier
Member
I wish I could post pics; I have a pre-Model 25 (Model of 1955 Target) that was sold in 1956 to my uncle's business partner... with a "W" mainspring and 6 1/2" barrel. Awesomely accurate, and probably my most favorite S&W... I first shot that gun back in 1958 as a high-school kid, and was able to buy it before my uncle's partner passed... my grandkids will have to arm-wrestle for that one!
mchom
Member
Exactly. I’ve got a couple of other 4” guns (Outdoorsman & .44 HE) and Roy describing the factory grabbing an existing 6” barrel and chopping it down to 4” and adding a fee for this request.
And it explains the off centered markings.
guntha45
Member
I have a 5-screw model 1950 and a 25-2 model 1955
Looks like his barrel was cut down and a new sight put on it, the rollmarks aren't centered, might have been a 6" originally.
bananaman
Member
Great find! You have good stocks on it! Have always liked Herrett Grips. Just the right size for my hand. Your 25 is super nice! I have a 4" 625JM, (ACP) and a 25-15, 6" in 45 Colt. BobI'm mainly on 1911Addicts but I picked this SW 25-2 up this weekend and like to share it
Attachments
OP
Whiten
Member
I don’t know if I’m hurting the value or not but it shoots great
StrawHat
Member
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A bit to wade through in this thread! S&W did make a 4” barreled Model 1955 but not a lot of them. I am aware of two(?), maybe. Whiten, could you possibly post an image of the muzzle and one of the front sight from the side? Mike, same request to you. The barrel marks being centered leads one toward factory but Mike’s revolver is factory with off center marks. Any guess at a shipping date is just that, a guess. In my database I have N25,000 shipping in January 1971, N62707 shipping in October 1972, and N 301602 inFebruary, 1975. In one month there is this span of numbers, N458855 shipped February 1980; N689792, shipped in February 1980. Serial numbers are all over the place.
If it were mine, it would already have the application for a letter in the mail.
Here is my 4 1/4” Model 25-2, aftermarket work but marked similar to Mike’s revolver.
Kevin
If it were mine, it would already have the application for a letter in the mail.
Here is my 4 1/4” Model 25-2, aftermarket work but marked similar to Mike’s revolver.
Kevin
OP
Whiten
Member
StrawHat
Member
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The last image shows the yoke cut on the frame. No markings? No model number? No serial number? No assembly numbers? I can not recall ever seeing this before.
Curiouser and curiouser!
Kevin
OP
Whiten
Member
Angle of pic
OP
Whiten
Member
Few more
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