As my shooting evolves, it seems my dream gun would be a Model 25 with a 4" barrel in .45 ACP. Was such a gun ever made by Smith in any number? Or, is this something I should forget about looking for?

A few 25's in 45 ACP were made in 5" but none in 4" until they offered the 45 Colt chambering. None in 4" in the ACP offering.

Your only answer, unless you are willing to settle for a 625 and even then the 4" versions are uncommon, is to find a 25-2 and have it cut down. I think a 45 ACP with a 5" barrel is ideal so I had one made:



In this case I found a less than collector grade Model of 1955 and had my gun smith cut it to 5". If not my favorite revolver it is in a tie with which ever one is the favorite. (smile)

Dave

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RSVN '69-'71
PCSD (Ret)

Like always when the question did S&W make something comes up, never say never. In 1976 I saw a 4" model 1955 pass through the new gun section of the biggest S&W retailer in the big city I lived in. It was of minimal interest to me at the time because I wanted long barrels on N frames for sporting use and just about every body and their brother were happy as a clam at high tide with a .38 or .357 in their holster. Now if you find that gun in mint condition it would be worthless anyway because it would be too collectable to be fired any significant amount so Dave T. has given you the best answer, have what you want made. Parts and pieces guns don't cost all that much and they make lovable shooters because you have no concern about wearing them out. In your shoes I'd buy a lightly used 4" 25-5 barrel, have my smith install it on a 25-2, and keep the 25-2's original barrel so he could switch them back if I ever changed my mind.

Best Regards,
Gil

I just purchased a 625-3 that has a 4 inch barrel.

I just completed this project, Hamilton Bowen shortened the barrel to 4" and Patrick Grashorn provided the Stag grips. I'm very pleased with the outcome. Kelye @ Belt Mountain

At a recent show I picked up a 25-2 barrel. I keep eying it and thinking about my 25-2 in the safe. I could cut the replacement barrel and keep the other should I or a future owner wish to return it to original. Seeing Dave's makes me think I should pursue this... but I would prefer a ramp sight.

Funny you should say that. After gouging about a pound of leather out of several holsters sight tracks, I had my smith turn the Patridge sight blade into a ramped blade. Just haven't taken a picture of it yet since the change over.

Dave

__________________
RSVN '69-'71
PCSD (Ret)

Wow, thanks for all the feedback. I currently own a 25-2 with 6" barrel but don't want to modify it. I also have a model 22 with the 4" pencil barrel. Shooting the two of these is what makes me think the 25-2 with the 4" barrel would be the perfect 45 ACP revolver for me.

Regarding getting a 25-5 barrel. Isn't there a difference in diameter of the bore to fit the 45 Colt vs the 45 ACP? Does it make a difference? About what would a 4" 25-5 barrel run you?

I think I'll start looking for a 25-2 beater and figure out the best option for a replacement barrel, either a cut down 25-2 or a 4" 25-5. Any thoughts on that?

NJG

http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-revolvers-1961-1980/149490-blue-m25-2-4-a.html

Per the above thread, if you’re talking about a 4" blue M-25 in .45ACP, you can stop looking. There aren’t any. There was maybe one or two from the factory, and there is the occasional cut-down from a longer barrel (one of which I was lucky enough to find.) But there are stainless .45ACP M-625s out there with the heavy underlug and 3”, 4” and 5” barrels. I think they’re also known as the Model 1989. Not common, but not rare either.

This is a project which I have been considering for a long while. The 45 ACP 25-2 in 4" is one that should have been made but never was. I seem to remember Doc44 has a special order one, but a factory job is unattainable for the majority of us.

I have a 25-2 with some holster wear toward the end of the barrel, and I also bought from a fellow forum member a spare barrel that's bulged at about the 4.5 point for a cutter. Now I need another 25-2 beater because I like my 4" N frames to come in pairs of nickle and blue. Then it's off for cutting and refinish.

I'm planning to do a pictorial when I'm all done which will include:
38/44 Heavy duties
25-2's
25-5's
27-2's 3.5"
27-2's 4"
Highway patrolmen
29-2's
57's
58's
all in one nickle and one blue. All I need at this point is another 25-2 and I'll have everything I need. Of course, if I find a 520 beater in need of a nickel refinish, I'll throw in a pair of those as well, but I'm not holding my breath on that one.

Sho nuff the later stainless 625 has come with 4" tubes, but back to the 25-2, which is an entirely different breed of cat . . .

Back "in the day" S&W really missed a great market with their .45ACP target revolver. Only in the last few years did they offer a 6" barrel option to the normal 25-2 with the 6 1/2" set up.

Lots of folks back then, understanding this model's incredible potential as a carry gun, had 'em chopped to 4," 3 1/2," 3 1/4," and in the case of the Jovino customs, sub 3" versions. Some smiths did great work . . . and some mediocre of course.

I stumbled across this one years ago . . . made in Savannah I was told back "in the day" by a fine wheelsmith (now unknown) who has long passed away.

Mine retains its N frame square butt, though others were converted to N frame OR K frame round butt versions. After I got it I radically narrowed and rounded the original wide, serrated "target" hammer for double action work in handgun matches and put that "dreadful" MIM cylinder release latch on the side (since I'm left handed an this latch works much better in fast, double action matches).

Mine wasn't ever told it is no longer a 1980 6" target revolver . . . for it still shoots incredibly tight groups indeed . . . and the trigger job is jaw dropping. It is the very last gun I'd ever part with, I love it so much. Here's my 3 1/4" dream gun, and I'm sure a 4" version would also be very sweet . . . though not quite as "concealable:"



I think it makes a great complementary "piece" for my 27-2 Model 27 . . . in original 3 1/2" barrel version of course . . .



Good luck on a successful conversion. The odds of finding an original 4" version are slim to none, as others have detailed.


Tom

While I've not measused the groove diameters of S&W .45 barrels because they've shot so well there's been no need to, I believe they are all about .452" groove diameter. .45 ACP barrels have GI Joe style bores with 6 small lands while .45 Colt barrels have the rifleing style typical of most S&W revolvers, 5 deep grooves with the grooves and lands of equal width. The theory that the deeper grooves are better for lead bullets sounds reasonable but both types have been very accurate for me.

The cost of your project will mostly be a matter of what barrel you stumble onto for sale and how your gunsmith prices his work. If you use a 4" .45 Colt barrel you don't have to add a front sight but it will be in the lathe a little longer and you'll have to shorten the extractor rod and center pin a little. That's because except for the 25-3s, .45 Colt cylinders are longer so .45 Colt barrel shoulders have to be cut back to get their forcing cones close to 25-2 cylinders.

I like to discuss projects with my gunsmith before buying parts and sometimes pick out the parts just so he'll be doing the job his perfered way. It never hurts to have your smith enjoying his time spent on your project.

Best Regards,
Gil

Saw this thread...I have 25-2 Effector by Jovino with original box & sn on the box simply says "custom". The gun was featured in (I think) Combat Handgunner & I had a copy of the magazine, but lost it in a move. My 25-2 has a pinned barrel, 2 1/2", round butt, combat hammer & trigger The the crane assembly has a ball bearing lock. Supposedly not many made & when I got it the dealer only had two & wasn't going to let go of either of them, but fortunately I has a Baretta BL-2 O/U riot that was part of a botched order by Garcia in 1964 for the Boston PD...they ordered 150 AL-2's & they misread the order at the factory. I even had a Baretta letter that documented the error. Anyway the dealer had been looking for one of these for years so we swapped.

No 25's but if you are looking for a shooter then the current 625's with 4 inch barrels in 45 ACP are great.

I have a 4" 25-2, that I thought was factory until it was lettered as a 6.5". I can't post a pic until I get home from work, but it's been posted on the forum before. The barrel markings ("45 Cal. Model of 1955" on the right and "Smith & Wesson" left) are centered for the barrel length, which lends to the belief that they made 4" barrels. It also has serial numbers on the rear of the cylinder and in the ejector rod cutout of the barrel, which match the serial # of the gun.

__________________
Tom
"Panem et Circenses"

Three years ago I bought a used 89 625 for my son & I swear its the nicest handgun I've ever shot. Was at a show two weeks ago & saw a S&W 625-6 V-Comp out of the S & W performance center...very nice, but very pricy.

Don't forget the hard to find .45 ACP Mountain Guns as well. They are 4" and a great gun. I wish I had one of those.

Tom

Is it possible to convert a Model 28 to .45 ACP? That might be a way to go.

__________________
“What you got, ain’t new.”

I just bought a 625-3 with a 4" barrel inb 45 acp. I really love that gun! I am a 5" barrel fan and would trade it for a 5" if I could find one as tight as this one is. But I'll be happy with the 4" if I don't run across one with a 5" barrel.

John

Here's what my 4" 25-2 looks like in pics.

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Tom
"Panem et Circenses"

Tom,

That is a fine looking 4". I still like my 5" but if I saw that one for sale I don't think I could resist it. (smiley face goes here)

Dave

__________________
RSVN '69-'71
PCSD (Ret)

Interesting. I didn't realize the model 25-2's had a model 1955 stamped on them. Seems like an oxymoron. Is it a model 1955 or a 27-2?

__________________
Go West young man..

Thanks Dave. I couldn't resist it either

__________________
Tom
"Panem et Circenses"

I have an S&W 25-5 Effector that I purchased at the Jovino gun shop in Manhattan around 1989. The problem is that it came with full moon clips for the .45ACP round (if you don’t use the clips you can't eject the spent casings with the ejection rod as it does not catch the rim of the casing). It is very difficult to remove the spent rounds from these clips as well.

Does anyone know what other ammo I might use that could be ejected from the cylinder with the ejection rod? I tried the Winchester 45 colt but this round is too big for the cylinder.

Attached Images

IMG_0324.jpg (96.9 KB, 102 views)

There are a few out there. I have a 1955 Target five screw with a 4 inch. It was originally shipped to Badger Shooters Supply. It unfortunately letters as a 6 and 1/2 inch but the lettering is centered like thomasinz's. I think they were created from time to time on special order - probably for very knowledgeable police officers. It just didn't matter at the time to record them as varying from regular production. Mine incidentally was very, very worn.

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S&WCA 1729

Back in the 70's SG-688 and I both had 25-2's cut to 4in. by Curt Hardcastle who worked and lived in the St.Louis, Mo. area. Forum member Leroy Thomas wrote about him at the time in various magazines and we were very satisfied with his workmanship. Perhaps if SG-688 sees this post he may post a picture. I continue to be "photo challenged". I should also add that those "cut down's" are smooth shooters.

You can use .45 Auto Rim (also known as .45AR). It's the same as .45ACP except it has a thicker, larger diameter rim to allow ejection without the use of clips. It's a bit hard to find - your local Wal-Mart isn't likely to have it. .45AR is shown on the right.



Or if you're just shooting at the range you can just use .45ACP without clips. Nine times out of ten the empty cases will just fall out, and the ones that don't can usually be pulled out with a fingernail. Once in a while you might need a pencil or something to poke one out.

There are also the Rimz plastic moon clips, which people say are easier to load and unload than the metal ones. They're also more likely to lose rounds if you drop one. I haven't used them myself, so I can't offer personal experience.

Ez Moon Clips

Also there are any number of mooner/demooner tools for getting cases out of the clips.

Moon Clips B. Demooner Tool: Tools



Or you can make your own out of a piece of tubing. The caption in the pictures says stainless, but plenty of folks have used ordinary copper tubing from the hardware store:




Probably the best solution though is to sell that Jovino Effector to me.

It's my believe that S&W manufactured a small batch of 4 inch 1955 Target barrels at one point and used them for after-sales installations on customers' guns.

I have a M-25-2 with such a 4 inch barrel. It originally shipped in January, 1972, s/n N241XX. It went to Jonas Aircraft & Arms in NYC. It was shipped as a 6-1/2 inch gun. It now has the 4 inch barrel with centered markings and the same ramp front sight as Doc 44's and thomasinaz's guns.

Mine has a box marked "Chesire & Perez" in white grease pencil on the lid and the end label says, "Test Gun - DeCalb Co GA" in the "Special Features" section. Inside the lid are stamped 2 dates, in red, JUN 3 1974 and OCT 18 1974.

It also has a cylinder chambered for .45 Colt installed. It's the short cylinder, like used in the Model 25-3, not the longer cylinder used in the Model 25-5.

The seller, well known in the S&WCA fraternity, said that it was a test gun for DeKalb County. Cheshire & Perez was a well known S&W dealer, distributor and warranty repair station. DeKalb adopted, bought and issued the Model 25-5 when it was introduced. Chesire & Perez would have had access to non-standard factory parts, like the 4 inch 1955 barrels and .45 Colt cylinders. The seller believes the gun was modified, and the 4 inch barrel added, in 1974, at Cheshire Perez, as an evaluation gun for DeKalb County.

I agree that S&W would have sold a bunch of 4 inch, .45 ACP 1955 Targets had they cataloged and offered them. They are a handy, useful revolver. Besides the one above, I have 2 other 4 inch Model 25-2's that were cut down to 4 inches. I really like shooting them.

Aren't we all forgetting about the 4" 625JM? I have one and they're pretty common.

You know...I might be willing to sell my Effector...I might consider replacing it with the S&W Govenor.

As mentioned by Joe Kent, this is one of the two 25-2 revolvers that Kurt Hardcastle cut to 4 inches for Joe and me in about 1984. Stocks are modified Farrant.



Added Joe's.

I had read on the forum of the S&W model 25-2, other than issued barrel lengths. This history concerns the M-25-2 pictured herein.It has been over 30 years

since I had handled and shot this revolver, so, I had to dig it out of the vault.It was purchased along with nine others, just as it came from the factory.
Several club members that I used to shoot with expressed the question " We would like to carry a S&W .45 caliber revolver, but not in the current barrel

configuration" A 6 or 6 & 1/2 inch was just to long for a concealed carry weapon.

The M-25-2's in question was purchased from Charles Greenblat, who at the time was the sole distributor for Smith & Wesson in the Northeast.he in turn sent

the pistols back to S&W for modification.This was late 1971 or early 1972 when the pistols were returned.
Our specifications were:
4 Inch Barrel
Red Ramp White Outline Rear Sight
Complete Re-Blue
Wide Trigger (.500) Wide Hammer (.500)
Target Stocks (They Came With Magna Grips)
Hand Tuned

Needless to say we had some support from the distributor and S&W.

I can't recall now if the barrels were the same, or different ones were installed at the factory. (See lettering on both sides of barrel)
It was one hell of a carry gun at the time, when it was finished.Price?? under $100.00 at the time, for the work, if I remember.

Best Regards to all our learned S&W fanciers

ammoman

Ammoman,
I am officially in love. Thank you for your post. I'd say that the original barrel was cut down, judging by the forward of center roll marks. I'm going to do just such a project as soon as I can find a donor gun. I'm curious if the factory would still do this work. Anybody know?

You can' be serious!? If so, I'll go buy a governor and trade with you.

S&W's customer service department quit cutting down customers' barrels in the mid- to late-1970's.

That is a really nice revolver, ammoman.

I have a 4 inch S&W 625 in 45ACP marked as a Mountain Gun; also marked as a 625-6

That would explain why I haven't been able to find one...

Here's one S&W built for Remington from a 1950 Target 45 in 1955.

Bill

S&W did make 4" .45acp revolvers. I have a 4" Model 26 that letters as one of two to the State of Maine. Some years ago I posted info about it and a copy of the relevant part of the letter.