I inherited a pair of 25-2s, I have done some research but am needing some answers on what exactly I have and what I can shoot out of them.
The first is a 6.5" 25-2 marked 45 cal.model 1955 on the bbl. I figured it was a straight forward 25-2 until I put a .45 LC round in it and it fit. Pics are 'clickable' to increase the size.

The second one is basically the same with some "slight" differences. For one it is marked 45 cal.model 1950 on the barrel and a .45 LC only goes ~2/3 into the cylinder. I am assuming it is a .45 auto rim.


If anyone can help me out with what I have and the value I would greatly appreciate it.

A 25-2 should be a .45 ACP/.45 Auto Rim. A 25-5 would be a .45 Colt. There are several other later versions of the 25 that are mostly in .45 Colt, but are some in .45 ACP. There are variations up to the 25-13 and possibly more. Check page 193 of the Standard Catalog of S&W for the entire list.

Your gun could either be a mis-mark, or someone has bored out the chambers to accept 45 Colt. The problem would then be what is the "head space". The 25-2 in .45 ACP has a greater space, to accommodate the 45 ACP in moon clips, or the thicker head .45 Auto Rim. Using 45 Colt in these chambers would not let the firing pin reach the primer to fire. If a .45 Colt cylinder has been fitted to the 25-2, the head space would be smaller than the gun with a .45 ACP cylinder. It would be difficult to fit a .45 Colt cylinder to a 25-2 as the cylinder is longer than a .45 ACP cylinder.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Thanks for the reply. These are both model 25-2, one is one of 1000 mis-marked "model 1950"s, the other is the conundrum. As you can see on the cylindar it has been fired, and I believe my dad used this in competitions. I don't know if he had the cylinder bored out, but I am pretty sure he used it with the .45LC, there were some boxes of ammo that were marked "S&W target". Were there any 25-2s made with the .45LC?

There were numerous variations of this fine revolver made. The 28-2 change is designated as the version which eliminated the trigger guard screw. There were also numerous commemorative models and special editions of this revolver made. Sine the only difference between the .45 ACP and .45 Colt versions is the cylinder and the barrel set back it would not be out of the question for a 25-2 marked frame to have a 25-5 configuration. Many S&W's (of the same frame size) have left the factory with a different model stamped on the frame.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

lemeatm,

The 25-2 "1950" is a well know mis-mark error shipped from the factory in the same time frame as the 25-2 "1955" were being made. They should be exactly the same gun except for the different barrel markings. I have both guns with the different markings that were purchased new about three months apart in 1977.

Since you have some concerns about any potential modifications you may want to consider taking them to a good gunsmith to determine if either or both have, in fact, been modified.

As has been mentioned in a prior post, some people attempted to change their 45ACP/45AR guns to 45 LC, a few trying to figure out a way to make a "convertible" cylinder gun that could enable the gun to digest all three ammo types. I don't believe there was any notable success for the "convertible" endeavor, the difficulty of doing so well explained by H Richard's posts.

Interesting questions. I believe you need a "hands-on" evaluation from a good gunsmith at this point... Very nice guns!!

JMHO

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Terry

Measure the cylinder length of both guns. Per the SCSW, there was a 25-3 made in .45 Colt that had the same length cylinder as the 25-2.

Also, at one point the factory supplied an auxiliary cylinder in .45 Colt for the 25-2. I know this because I have one. The same-length cylinder solved the head space issue that otherwise is present.

I am guessing but the first gun may be converted to 45 Colt. It can be done but it's very expensive. You need a 45 Colt cylinder or a smaller caliber the same length that can be bored out. Then you need to shorten the barrel shank (part inside the frame window) to accommodate the longer cylinder.

Does the first gun appear to have a longer cylinder than the other one?

S&W manufactured some 1955's/Model 25-2's in .45 Colt, but not many. The cylinder assembly and the cylinder stop lug on the frame are the difference between the 2 chamberings. To know if yours was made that way, you would need to obtain a 'factory letter' from Roy Jinks the S&W historian. That would tell you if it is originally a .45 Colt or not.

It is more likely orignally a .45 ACP/Auto Rim gun to which a previous owner had a new cylinder fitted. For years before the introduction of the Model 25-5 in 1978 (the book says 1978 but these weren't commonly seen until a couple years later), shooters who wanted a S&W revolver in .45 Colt had to make their own. It was done by fitting a rechambered, smaller caliber cylinder to a gun already in .45 ACP (such as the 1955/Model 25-2, the 1950/Model 26, a 1917 or such) or fitting both a converted cylinder and replacement .45 caliber barrel to an otherwise-chambered N frame.

The most common cylinders used to rechamber were .38-44 H.D. or Outdoorsman cylinders (originally chambered for .38 Special) or Highway Patrolman/Model 28 cylinders. These were bored out to .45 Colt and, since they were basically the same shorter cylinder that the Model 25-2 used (compared to the longer cylinders used in the .44 and .41 Magnums), they could be fit with a lot less machine work to the gun. To keep the new .45 Colt cylinder from flopping around when the cylinder was swung open, either the cylinder stop lug on the frame was altered or replaced or a small recess was cut around the rear, outside edge of the .45 Colt cylinder to work with the original cylinder stop lug, like is used on a Colt Diamondback cylinder.

When the .45 Colt-chambered Model 25-3 125th Anniversary gun was introduced in 1977, the first cataloged .45 Colt revolver from S&W, it used the same shorter basic cylinder blank that the Model 25-2, the .38-44 and the Model 28 used. S&W made more of these cylinders than they did 25-3's and one could have an extra cylinder fit to their 25-2 at the factory for some time. They weren't advertised but the supply was used up quickly.

The sales success of the Model 25-3 and the ongoing conversion of smaller bore N frames to .45 Colt demonstrated to S&W that there was sufficient customer demand for a regular production revolver in this chambering. The factory realized that instead of the shorter cylinder, use of the longer .44 Mag-length cylinder would let the new revolver chamber a much greater variety of bullets, and thus we got the great Model 25-5.

As Skeeter Skelton wrote, before the Model 25-3 came out, the odds of finding an original S&W in .45 Colt was about as likely as finding George Washington's wooden false teeth in a Mexican flea market. Such guns are uncommon and worth a good premium over the same model in .45 ACP. I think your gun would well be worth the $50 cost for the letter to find out.

An interesting side note here is the mention of the 25-3. It was the 125th Anniversary Commemorative that was the first S&W to be marketed in many years in 45LC caliber. That was in 1977.

The mis-mark Mod. 25-2 was also a 1976-77 manufacture, making the LC cylinders readily available for after market conversions for those wanting to do so. That may have been a motivator of your dads by making possible an easier (and cheaper) conversion on the "1955"..

Just sayin'

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Terry

SaxonPig, I believe you contradicted yourself about the length of the cylinder. I've been looking for one of the 25-3 for years. Doc44 probably has the whole production run at his place. LOL

I'm just sitting here hoping to see more pictures of both lemeatm's and Murdock's guns.

Since Murdock's 25 was factory modified for both cylinders and can utilize both ammo types, it would be interesting to compare the dimensions of both guns....

Buff's right about the factory letter for lemeatm's modified 1955. At the least I would have a knowledgeable gunsmith evaluate it and try to assess where, when and how it came to exist...

If lemeatm's 1955 turns out to be a factory modification it could be a very valuable Mod 25 indeed.... At least it would be to me...

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Terry

Sorry I have let this thread die out, thanks all for the info so far. I am waiting on a computer guy to get into my dads quicken program where he had his inventory and the notes to all the firearms he owned. In an effort to try and find evidence of modifications to this 25-2 I have been sorting through 40 years of gun parts collected for SAA colts and target Smiths, big job. I did find this morning a cylindar and barrel for a .41 mag. I had to get to work but I will measure everything this evening and get the info out.

So, I found a couple of log books that dad kept back in the 70's and found an entry for this gun. It was purchased in 1978 from a guy (used). It had been bored out to .45LC by S&W. Now I have write and get the factory letter to see what history it has.