I have been talking with different people about these two guns, including gunsmiths and the consensus seems to favor the 25-2 in .45 ACP as the more accurate firearm. Some of the cons against the .45 LC are the forcing cone is not always properly timed impacting the bullet's trajectory and the most prevalent con is the affordability of ammo in .45LC vs .45 ACP being cheaper to obtain. Any thoughts???

The reason for this thread is that I have a 25-2 .45 ACP, however, was considering getting another 25 in 45 LC, I am looking at one near me at my LGD is it worth it to do this?
Thanks for your input.
Sincerely
Lou

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Basque 1

What is a "timed" forcing cone? I don't own any revolvers chambered in .45 Colt, but my model1950 (pre-26) and model 1955 (pre-25) are extremely accurate. I don't know about the accuracy of the 45 Colt, but cost alone would keep me away from it, since I don't reload anymore. The 45 Colt is a very versatile cartridge, however. Gotta love those 45 revolvers.

I enjoy having both, you can shoot either one you wish and if the Colt ammo is more costly then shoot the ACP more often than the Colt. They are beautiful revolvers.
If you like the 45 Colt at the LGS go for it, just don't get rid of the 25-2 to do it. My 45 Colt is a 25-5 4" and my ACP is also a 25-2 with a 6" barrel. JMHO.

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Birds like shiny new toys too.

Apparently the line up of the forcing cone with the cylinder is not perfect and causes lead spitting and inaccuracies of flight.

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Basque 1

I vote for the ACP. I kept my .45 ACP and sold my .45 Colt two years ago, with no regrets.

My 45 revolvers are newer. I have a 625JM in ACP. I really enjoyed shooting it. So, at the gun show, I saw a 25-15 in Colt for sale. The price was right. I made it mine. I enjoy shooting it also. I handload. Accuracy is good. I traded into a Ruger Stainless Bisley this summer. It is Colt also. I guess I am just a fan of 45 revolvers! I would pick up an older 25 if I could. Bob

What you describe isn't specific to a caliber or firearm. It is the result of the firearm being out of time, regardless of model or caliber, so don't discount the purchase of a .45C on that basis.

If you buy the .45C you can always have the cylinder machined to accept moon clips and thus have a gun that can shoot .45C or ACP in moon clips, or .45C loaded singly (or with a speed loader). Just adds to your gun's versatility.

Good luck with whatever you choose to do.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

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NRA Benefactor Member

+1 for the 45colt modified to take 45acp moonclips...
dual caliber - perfect

45 acp cheaper, more available. If you want more power +p loads are available. Look up info on using 45 Super and 45 Roland loads in these revolvers. I do not condone these loads in these revolvers but achieved high enough velocities (1100fps) in my 625 using 200 grain bullets and Blu Dot powder using new 45 Auto Rim brass

The ammo definitely favors 45 acp. for availability and price.

accuracy every gun is different even of the same model


I am looking at one near me at my LGD is it worth it to do this?

Lou what is the barrel length, condition, and price?
also any extras ? to better answer that.

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Paul
S&WCA #2726

The 45 acp would be the preferred target shooting gun. Very accurate loads , usually 200 grain SWC and small charges of Bullseye. The smaller cased 45 acp makes it easier to do.

The 45 Colt has a huge case, light charges of powder in there aren't the best recipe for match grade accuracy ...
But the big case is just the ticket for heavy hunting loads , Room for lots of slow burning powder to get a heavy bullet moving.

They are both great, but each are suited for totally different tasks. Get one of each !

Older .45 Colt model 25s had the reputation of having oversized cylinder throats, resulting in poor accuracy. I have a 625 in .45 ACP and a 25 Mountain gun in .45 Colt. Both are accurate, but for me the .45 ACP is an inherently more accurate cartridge, which is a whole different argument.

I have a 25-2 in 45acp and a 25-5 in 45 Colt, but both are Jovinos with short barrels. From my research it would seem that the 25-5s with the barrel pin or below N900000 serial, have the larger forcing cones. I understand this is fine with lead handloads, etc. but tends to lose accuracy in factory loads with the .452 dia. bullets. There have been several threads on this forum regarding this subject, so you might do a little research regarding serial numbers.

I love both of my 25's. I can't tell any difference in accuracy but then again, I'm not that great a shot (old eyes). Certainly the acp ammo is more plentiful, cheaper and varied. But the Colt ctg is good, too.

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Randy
Provenance nerd

45acp = 230g @ 800fps.

45 Colt = 255g @ 900fps.

Doesn't look like much on paper, but it's different to be sure.

I have the Colt, not the acp. I choose this because I do not need moon clips to use it and I can have more power.

Mine is a 25-7 and is THE most accurate revolver I own, and that's saying something.

Get what you want and enjoy it either way.

Because of accuracy issues, I kept my 25-2 .45 ACP and got rid of my 25-3 and 25-5 .45 Colts.

I'd still like an accurate .45 Colt N frame. Does anyone have any feedback on the S&W Model 25 Classic in .45 Colt? I would hope it has the proper chamber mouth diameters.

S&W Classic Model 25

Look for a Model 25-7 or 25-9. Proper matching of bore and cylinder throat dimensions. Accurate with both cast and jacketed bullets.

Can't speak for the -9 model...but my five inch 25-7 has been VERY accurate. That's the route I suggest.

Some of my Model 25s and 625s chambered for 45 LC are among my most accurate Smith and Wessons.

Timing problems can happen to any revolver. It involves how the hand interacts with the cylinder. You can check it by slowing pulling back on the hammer. You will hear two clicks . As soon as you hear the second one, the cylinder should lock into place, just before the hammer becomes fully cocked. This has to be done very slowly so you don't fully cock the hammer before you hear the less audible second click.

A few shooting buddies spent some big money on some nice 25-2s and 25-3s only to find out that they would only shoot well with jacketed Bullets due to the oversized cylinder throats. I bought a 25-2 with way oversized throats and picked up a .44 Magnum cylinder and had the gun converted to .45 Colt with .451 cylinder throats. It is now amazingly accurate. Or you could just buy a 25-7.

A friend converted several .357s to .45 LC in the 1970s. 1950 barrels were available and Bob Snapp didn't charge a whole lot to rechamber.

I would buy one of these as a memento if it turned up for sale,. But in general, if I shoot a rimmed bigbore, it is a .44. Special, Magnum, or WCF.
Mostly I shoot the ACP and the occasional AR.

definitly dont get rid of your 25-2, they aint real easy to find. since ive had mine I go look to see what they are selling for and the ones listed are usually sold

I agree with many of the previous posts that, due to the much cheaper and accessible 45 ACP cartridges, that makes a lot more sense. For EDC the moon clips are easier to conceal (I carry them in the pockets of my coats) and faster to reload. I do not contend that one is more accurate than the other. S&Ws built for those particular rounds are of equal quality and accuracy may vary from firearm to firearm and shooter to shooter. Good luck.

I have 625 Mountain Guns in .45 Colt and .45 ACP, as well as a 6" 25-5 and a 1917. Comparing the Mountain Guns I find the .45 Colt to have a slight edge in accuracy. Actually I've gotten the best accuracy with .45 Scholfield in the .45 Colt revolvers. From a cost to shoot standpoint the ACP is the clear winner. If you plan to shoot a lot of .45 Colt you really need to reload. The ACP is also faster to reload with moon clips, but since I only shoot the .45's for recreation speed isn't a concern for me.

If I had to pick only one I'd keep the .45 Colt, but that is because I enjoy shooting that caliber.Fortunately I don't have to pick, so I'll keep both calibers. I hope to have the good fortune to eventually get a 5" 25-7 to add to my .45 Colt collection. A Jovino would be nice too come to think of it.

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Wheel guns are real guns.

It has a 6.5" barrel a case and in great shape is about $1200.00, it will be soon near me;-))
Lou

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Basque 1

They are all very nice!!

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Basque 1

Life is short, buy and shoot them all

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Tommy

I cast my own bullets and handload my own ammo, so 45 ACP and 45 Colt cost virtually the same for me.

I like the 45 Colt for its additional power over the 45 ACP.

It would be very hard to convince me that the 45 ACP is any more accurate than the 45 Colt, and as posted above, that could vary from one gun to the next.

I have a M625-9 "Mountain Gun" that I purchased new in 2006, and it is near the top of my "do not sell - EVER" list. I never thought, even once, "Gee; I sure wish I could shoot 45 ACP out of this revolver..." That I do in a pistol.

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FWIW, Brian Pearce did a detailed article on the .45 Auto Rim (so basically the same as .45 ACP) in Handloader #254 (Aug. - Sept. '08) that has useful info on the variations in cylinder mouths & barrels in the Model 25s and 625s and loading for them. You can get back-issues from Wolfe Publishing as downloads in .pdf format, although they don't say so on their website.

I have a 25-15. Have never taken any measurements. I handload, and do not have accuracy problems. I did remove the original stocks, and replace with S&W older "real wood". I just like 45 cal. revolvers. Traded into a Ruger stainless Bisley 5.5" also. (45 Colt) Bob

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2 of mine fired.both cap and.colt and another is colt only and yet another is an acp only.
Both calibers are great

Who told you this?
Steve

Hello My Brother (Hiram;-):
I have spoken to some local guys and friends who supposedy have experienced the lead spitting due to timing issue. Where do hail from?
S&F
Lou

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Basque 1

The early guns often had large throats on the cylinder chambers, but not more timing issues than any other models. You usually see people complaining about it on the colt guns, but my 1955 45cap had big throats as does my 1917 cylinder. As it causes more problems with lead bullets than jacketed I think it just gets noticed more on the colt guns. Later models of both calibers do not have this problem. I just replace mine with ones reamed from smaller chambers.