Hi:
Received a Model 625-6 today.
Negative "Lock", smooth trigger, frame mounted firing pin.
Is this a Model with MIM parts?
Thanks,
Jimmy

I have the same one! It's a fabulous revolver too. One that I shoot often and is exceedingly accurate. I haven't modified it whatsoever, except for the addition of a very well designed grip by Karl Nill (since I have larger hands than the factory Hogue's are designed for) It is deadly accurate with 200gr LSWC's at about 800fps. (and I'm sure accurate with most everything else)

It is one of my favorite revolvers.

Yes, it has a MIM'd trigger and hammer, but has posed no issues for me. The frame mounted firing pin is your tip-off there. All frame mounted FP's have MIM'd hammers I believe. I was originally searching for a previous generation non-MIM'd hammer, but this was a great deal and I have no regrets post-purchase.

IC

625-6 1997 change in frame design to eliminate cylinder stop stud eliminate serrate tangs change to mim hammer with floating firing pin change to mim trigger change internal lock work

The 625-6 is an oddball in that it can have either MIM or forged parts. If the trigger is hollowed out in the rear, the hammer is flat faced and the frame looks like the top photo, it has MIM parts.

625-6, 45 ACP, MIM parts


625-6, 45 Long Colt, forged parts

from what the smith and wesson standard catalog says is the 45acp was changed to mim parts in 1997 with the 625-6 and the 45colt was not changed to mim parts till 1998 with the 625-7 45colt

I think you are correct.
Here's another 625-6 in .45 Colt with forged parts.

Frame-mounted firing-pins have been present in S&W's rim-fire revolvers since forever (see the S&W 17, 48, etc.), and also (I believe) concealed/shrouded hammer J-frames. Those were forged, however, and used a different retaining system.

One other dead-giveaway for MIM parts is the frame-lug (on the left-side of the frame at the back of the cylinder window, which keeps the cylinder from falling out when it's been opened), which is integral on all later-generation, MIM-using revolvers (earlier generations with forged parts had this frame-lug as a separate part and pressed in).

I have a S&W 625-6 .45ACP, too--MIM hammer, but I swapped the trigger for a forged version (I like the feel of those better).

Here is my favorite revolver, a 625-6 (5" barrel) Model of 1989:





These guns SHOOT:


Dale53

I bought this gun new a while ago, off one of the auction sites. It was a lemon. Nearly everything was screwed up on it. However, it was new in box. It had minor scratches thru the glass bead finish. It had a dent on the muzzle crown. The barrel cylinder gap was .011 inch, the timing was off. The rear sight elevation screw was set to high, blocking your sight picture and lastly there was around .003 endshake. I worked on it on and off for several weeks at my leisure until I had it where I liked it. I sent it off to S&W so they could refinish it and re-laser the name on the gun. Well, like normal that came back with a mismatch which gave the lettering a blur effect.
I decided what the heck and sent it off to their engraving department with a note on what I wanted done, and it was to be done with no darn laser machine!
Now, I don't shoot it....go figure.

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My 3" is a -6. S&W didn't make a lot of them. Has this odd barrel marking.

i wondering why the 3 inch -6 don't have model of 1989 like the 5 inch and the first 3 inch run had model of 1989 and the -6 did not

That is one nice BBQ Gun!

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