625 45acp

[Meeteetse]

Just to add to the information, my Model of 1989 (625-3) has, laser etching, a 4" bbl, hammer mounted firing pin, black ramp front sight, and I have no idea if the hammer and trigger are MIM.

Can someone tell me how many 3" guns were built? I have always wanted one but they are hard to find. Wish they would make more.

 

[Dave T]

Also, as part of the history of the 'Model of 1988' it should be mentioned that this model had a floating hand which has long been dropped and many of the cylinder chambers were out of spec causing sticky extraction and difficult chambering of handloaded ammo.

Really appreciate hearing this as I just bought one! Oh well, screwed again by the fickle finger of fate.

Dave

 

[haggis]

Really appreciate hearing this as I just bought one! Oh well, screwed again by the fickle finger of fate.

Dave

Easily fixed with a standard hand or a chambering reamer, should a fix be necessary. Not really a problem.

Buck

 

[David Sinko]

How do the color case hardened hammers and triggers fit into the equation? I own three 625s and they are all -4 configuration. The first one I ever bought was heavily used and I suspect it was a Frankenstein gun, considering the glass beaded frame and polished cylinder. This gun has seen extensive modification and is currently being fitted with a 2" barrel. Number 2 is a Springfield Armory Commemorative Mountain Gun with the color case hammer and trigger. Number 3 has a 3" full lug barrel, color case hammer and trigger and a Model of 1989 laser etched barrel. I personally removed the hammer spurs from the last two but I am careful to keep the coloring on the sides of the hammers intact. All of my 625s are shooters and carry guns, but I have not seen many with color case hammers and triggers.

Dave Sinko

 

[Dave T]

Easily fixed with a standard hand or a chambering reamer, should a fix be necessary. Not really a problem.

Buck

If you think paying a lot more than a gun sold for originally for a gun that needs to be fixed is not a problem...more power to you. I think, if it has to be "fixed", I got screwed.

I'd been led to believe the earlier versions of this were better. I had both a 5" and a 4" with the laser etched legend on the barrel both got holstered and shot enough that it started wearing off. Figured with the roll stamp that would be fixed. Then too, most of S&Ws "improvements" from about the 1990s on seem to have been more along the lines of cost cutting rather than actual improvements. I had hoped the earliest version of the 625 would be the best in that regard. It remains to be seen how badly I got taken in by all these assumptions and incorrect information.

In the future I think I'll stick to 4 & 5 screw N-frames. I know they are well made.

Dave

 

[kean57]

Dave T,
First of all, don't jump to conclusions; I have owned several 625-2s and NEVER had a problem with any of them. The "floating hand" problem is a non-issue, unless you experience a problem with your gun that I NEVER experienced with any of my guns. I also never had any issue with "out of spec" cylinder chambers, either. I currently own a 5" 625-2 Model of 1988, 3" and 4" 625-3s (Model of 1989), 3 5" 625-4s (Model of 1989), and a 3" 625-6 (MIM hammer and trigger, but pre-lock). ALL of them are beautiful, accurate guns; none has failed to function perfectly with any load I have put in them. I personally won't own any models with the 'lock', but that is a personal preference. Don't let anyone convince you that there is a "problem" with 625-2s; if there is, there are many happy owners who have never seen it.

 

[BUFF]

Ditto what kean57 said. I bought my 625-2 in March, 1989, the first one I saw for sale. I have never had any problems with it. Friends who bought them had no problems, either.

Some of the first ones shipped out, several to gunwriters, had problems. AMERICAN HANDGUNNER's J. D. Jones got one, had problems, returned it, got it back still with problems and then bitched about it in print for years. He may still be bitching; I don't know because I quit reading his writing.

 

[pinkymingeo]

Hang around here long enough and you'll hear all manner of nonsense, spoken and repeated as gospel by guys who actually don't know very much. There is nothing wrong with THE 625-2. There may have been something wrong with A 625-2 which has been blown completely out of proportion. I don't think there has been a S&W revolver model without problems appearing in A FEW examples. Just happens. My -2 has operated flawlessly for years, and is the most accurate revolver I've ever shot.

 

[LHS]

I bought my 625-3 Model of 1989 5" barrel used a year ago, and LOVE it! Very accurate and I have had no problems with about 200 rounds through it. With the pachmayr grips recoil is almost non-existant. My kid loves to shoot it, more than my 629 44 mag!

I want to CCW carry it but have not found a left handed holster I like. I've bought a few for other guns on-line (paid a lot of $$), only to find out they didn't work for me very well.

 

[LHS]

Forgot to add the photos....

 

[Dave T]

To kean57, BUFF and pinkymingeo - thanks for the positive reports. I was getting the impression everyone but me knew the 625-2 was a problem model. Nice to know I have a good chance of getting one that doesn't have all these problems. It should be here today or tomorrow and I hope it's not one of the bad examples.

Dave

 

[PALADIN85020]

Here's my 625-2 5" Model of 1988, made in February of 1989. It's been customized with a red ramp front sight, an action job by Nelson Ford, and Ahrends stocks. It's the most accurate centerfire revolver I own, and will shoot clipped .45 ACP, loose .45 ACP, and Auto Rim, all without a hitch double or single action. It will even ignite GI ball ammo without the clips in double action mode. The action is incredibly smooth and it's one of the few revolvers I own that I can shoot really well in DA.