May I present the Jovino Conversion S&W 25-5 in .45 Colt:





The barrel is right at 2&3/4". The grip frame has been converted to K-frame round butt. The stocks are Ahrends K/L round butt finger groove "tactical revolver" stocks, and waiting on them delayed the unveiling. While the frame fits, note that the tang on an N frame extends further than does a K frame. This doesn't show itself with the set of Pachmayrs that came on the revolver, but grips that cover backstraps on S&W revolvers should be at least misdemeanors.

This revolver made several milsurp rifles and some fantastic plastic expendable.

I shot the above pictured revolver for the first time today with some 255 grain Keith cast bullets over 5 grains of Trail Boss. While I realize that isn't a hoss of a load, it was a bit more pleasant to shoot than I expected.

That looks great. Did you get a ankle holster to go with it?

Nice looking outfit. A set of Ahrends N frames and you've got a real winner.

The grip frame has been converted to K-frame RB. Would N-frame stocks still fit it?

Nah, then it would show when I wear my kilt...

Excellent job on the conversion. Could we see a pic of the muzzle?
Did you do the work and if not who did?
Again, nice looking little bulldog.

It's a Jovino Conversion. No, I didn't do the work.

NICE LOOKING 25 !

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WILL WORK FOR AMMO!

Very fine snubby. I have one that looks identical in .45acp.
Does yours have any markings that demonstrate that the conversion
was done by Jovino? Mine is unmarked and may have been done by
Behlert or some other skilled smith.
How is the action.Mine feels very smooth.
Grips look great.

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That is VERY beautiful.

I have been handling this same revolver for a week or so, the OP was waiting for the stocks to come in before he would post pics. The seller is known to us well, and he advised it was a Jovino. It has a ball detent lock in the crane, and it is butter smooth, both in single and double action. We fired a few rounds out of it today, as well as my new to me 25-5 4 inch, and that little 25 is a shooter....
when he bought the revolver it had goodyears on it....

I like it.
Dave

Very nice. I've been wondering how a set of Ahrends K rb's would fit the Jovino...just like my S&W K bananas do .

I wish Jovino would have done the ball detent lock on the 57 and 657. It looks so much cleaner and then they could have had shorter barrels too.

KO

Did you two get speedloaders with the Jovino or the #25-5?

Loaded, they are about the size and weight of a can of Campbells soup.

Pics of the muzzle of my Jovino conversions are here.. 629-1 "Effector" !PICS UP!

KO

No loaders came with it. As this is already an altered revolver, I am thinking of sending it to Pinnacle and having it cut for moonclips and ACP so that I will be able to shoot either.

I have two HKS 25-5 speed loaders new in the package. I can send them to your office and you can share them or chase the mailman down the street looking for the box and keep them for yourself, LOL!!

P.M. me your address if you want them.

Nothing says business like a snub K-frame except, perhaps, a custom big-bore N-frame snub. Love it.

Where did you ever locate such a beauty

It located me. I was sitting in sheriffoconee's office, and he brought it to my attention. Then I just had to figure out what had to go and how many blood donations I would have to make to get it.

That is one very nice revolver you have there sir.

Fine N-frame custom!

I worked for Austin Behlert in Union, NJ in the late 70's and early 80's. The shop did a slew of these conversions, including shaving down the N gripframe down to K size. Barrel lengths were cut to order from 2" on up. I had a Model 25-2 in .45 ACP done including a Chromolly (S/S) finish but sadly it is long gone. These guns are keepers.

captainjohnsofd
Are you able to identify Mr.Behlert's work as compared to Jovino's?
To my untrained eye,unless marked or owner's knowledge,seems to
be hard to tell.
In either case, the work looks very good.

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Were the "goodyears" Pachmayr Compaq K-frame roundbutt grips without the Pachmayr emblem? If so, good chance they were put on the gun by John Jovino or an associate.

Those grips came standard on the early Jovino Effector conversions. I like the looks of them with the Pachs.

Wish I had one!

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C & L

I have one just like that. I wish I could tell who did the work on it.

Your Jovino looks great.
I recently had Mag-Na-Port make these two for me. They look very similar to the Jovino.
S&W model 28, converted to .44 Special.

S&W model 28, .357 mag.

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A great looking revolver. I've been searching for one in 45 ACP for many moons.
Beruisis

Back to the top. I recently picked up one of these 'Jovino' guns in 45acp. Feels great and I'm taking it on a big shooting trip in a week. Another poster asked if N frame RB grips would work on these guns. Anyone try both? Which 'fits' better?
thanks
ben

Hey pal - watch the kilt comments! LOL

There were a few really good smiths doing the conversions before S&W saw there was money to be made with the big bore snubbies. Unless there is something on the gun to ID the maker I am afraid one can never be sure who did the conversion.

Luckily, mine was autographed. It might have been because he had the whole barrel to sign.




bob

So far, I have come to the same conclusion as to being able to identify the unmarked "Jovino's".
The ones that have shown up look pretty close and the
Behlert's that have confirmed provenance do not have any
clear hints that I can see to distinguish them from Jovino's or other builders.

They all look good to my eye.

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Love them. I want one! Which is the better conversion, .45 Colt or .45 acp? I would think that a .45 Colt and then have it cut for moon clips would be the best of all worlds.

T

I see a lot of interest out there in 45 long colt double action revolvers, perhaps on the coat-tails of the cowboy-action shooters. Ruger sold all of its first batch or two of 4" Redhawks in 45 colt. S&W has never seemed to warm to it, perhaps because of the long love affair with the 44 mag. I do wish they would put out new product other than the 6" classic. You could actually carry a 3 or 4 inch gun, and 4" is legal for hunting in many areas, including here. Buffalo Bore and others make some good ammo choices, it's far from a forgotten cartridge.
Go see what a 4" Colt Anaconda in 45 colt sells for - yikes!
I think there is a market for guns just like yours. I want.

Weems is is the Americanized spelling of Wemyss. Wemyss equals MacDuibh (MacDuff). I'm thoroughly qualified to make kilt jokes.

Awesome looking 25.....

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K frame size grips would certainly interest me on N-frame revolvers. Magnas are about as large as I can grip properly.

Great looking gun, great caliber, and I am sure it takes up much less space than all the others you had to sell to get it.

I'm starting to like these jovinos.

That is a very BEAUTIFUL gun.

Please excuse me while I wipe away the drool & repent.

(Exo 20:17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." )

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