I recently purchased online a Smith & Wesson Model 625-4 (Model 1989) in .45 ACP. I have been shooting S&W and Colt double-action revolvers since 1969 and currently own 23 of them, one of which is a 4-inch Model 25-5 .45 Colt. I have never encountered a double action like this one.

SERIAL NUMBER CAY 532X

I am unsure of the exact terms, but it appears to be a two-stage double action. When I pull the trigger, which is very light, the cylinder revolves to the next position, and the hammer goes to basically half cock position, and then the trigger meets a wall. It is not a true half cock in that it isn't held in a position such as on a Colt SAA.

When the trigger is released, the hammer drops back down, but when this happens, the firing pin does not protrude through the back plate. The timing and cylinder alignment are perfect. When you pull the trigger but don't go by the wall to fire the weapon, the cylinder rotates. I don't have a trigger gauge, but I would estimate the double action pull after the wall is met is around 6 lbs, very light and smooth. You can cock the hammer and fire it single action, but the SA pull is far too light.

When you go past the wall, the trigger is crisp, breaks cleanly, very fast with no creep or backlash, and fires. It is very accurate with my Auto Rim reloads,

What is great is that firing the revolver double is very much like firing one single action. There is no wavering on the target, accomplished without learning to stack the trigger pull in double action. I'm guessing it has some custom trigger conversion, perhaps for competition,as the 5" barrel ported. I have never encountered or even heard about such a setup. I did Google searches and came up blank.

Any thoughts or information would be appreciated. Also, it has a cylinder release that is different from other S&Ws. I paid $950 for it. The seller got it in a trade and didn't know its history.

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That is a point in the double action that is simply a hesitation. It is useful in double-action shooting in that the trigger can be "staged" at that point, then the remainder is more similar to single-action. Target shooters use it all the time. This is a feature for all S&W double-action revolvers of all frame sizes and calibers. This gun may have a more distinct stage than others, but if you haven't experienced this with other S&Ws you simply haven't been paying attention! Or is this just the first S&W you have handled?

There is nothing "custom" about the trigger as you describe it, it is functioning just the way it is supposed too. that is how S&W revolvers work.

That is an after-market "thumb-piece" not sure whose as there are several. If you don't like it simply replace it with a factory thumb-piece.

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Gunsmithing since 1961

I had this happen once on a 625 when I was fitting a used hammer and trigger, I filed the tip of the Sear a bit too much and if I pulled the trigger double action and stopped halfway through the pull and let just a bit of pressure off the trigger, the hammer would fall. I ended up taking the sear off the original hammer and putting it on the set I was installing and it worked like it should.

Your description does not include a measurement of the SA pull, but it sounds like someone has modified the internals. If you are familiar with disassembly, I would check the mainspring strain screw, mainspring, and rebound spring etc. to verify they are factory original. If the SA pull is below 2.5 pounds, the revolver may also have push off.

The "hesitation" or wall at the terminus of the DA pull is likely due to something the factory calls "long ratchets". The extractor ratchets interface with the hand as it pushes the cylinder into battery. If the ratchets are to long, the hand's upward movement is restricted as it attempts to pass by each ratchet shoulder. This happens at the end of the double action cycle.

The "long ratchet" problem is a very common S&W issue nowadays, as the ratchets are often not properly fit by hand during factory assembly.



Carter

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Ret. LE, FA Instr, S&W Armorer

The trigger stop indicates that the action has been modified.

That looks like an Ed Brown thumbpiece. In my mind the best of the aftermarket thumbpieces!! They are no longer made, so you have a bonus. If you want an original I'll trade you for it! :-)

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Richard Gillespie
FBINA 102