625 .45ACP

S&W-Keeper

Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2006
Messages
1,668
Reaction score
293
Location
SE-SC
Hay Guys, tell me about your 625, 5" .45ACP. I am thinking about buying one, are they rare. What would be a good price for a pre-lock.
 
Register to hide this ad
Pre-lock 625's are not terribly rare but they are highly prized buy people that own them...
 
If you see one for less than $600 grab it.
FAPictures331.jpg
 
Late in 2009 I found a 625-2 at a local gun shop. Bought it for $600... got some WWB 230 gr. FMJ and headed for the range. 100 rds. later I was hooked! It is a tremendous revolver... highly accurate with plain ball ammo. I shoot it with and without full-moon clips. Works very very well. Extremely glad to own it. Did put a pair of Pachmayr Presentation grips on it. I just like the way they handle. Revolver shoots superlatively.
 
If you can find them for under $600, please tell me where and I'll buy everyone one of them. 4" JM version are easily available, $750+. 5" guns, my preference, have dried up since S&W dropped them.
 
With 200 gr LSWC handloads this 625 is a proverbial tackdriver. I wouldn't sell it for any price...

inv625.jpg
 
Has anyone handled the new 625 Performance Center revolver with the red, white, and blue laminated grips? How is the double action trigger pull? Thanks.
 
My two 625's are my favorite revolvers, above ALL. I have a 5" 625-6 Model of 1989 and a 625-8 Jerry Miculek Special. I have installed JM Spring kits in both and adjusted the trigger pulls to 3.0 lbs single action and 9.0 lbs double action. Mine will work fine with all major brands of primers.

They are the most "user friendly" big bore revolvers I've ever owned.

QDalesRevolversandPistols-1720.jpg


SW625-8JMSpecial-3351.jpg


They will both shoot well under 1" at 25 yards with my cast bullets. My most shot loads are target loads using a Mihec moulded clone of the H&G #68. I'll run 5000-7500 rounds of these a year. During warmer weather (8-9 months of the year) I hit the range 2-3 times a week with these beauties.

Dale53
 
I believe the OP asked for prices on a pre-lock and the replies have ignored the question.

I just paid $775 shipped for an extremely clean 625-3 with rubber hogues and a dozen moons wiuth an aftermarket S&W case. Got it from a forum member.

I believe I could have found it cheaper but the seller was great and I'm glad I bought from him.

I think the price reflects fair market value for the gun and I could care less about a box and worthless tools. If I buy an un-fired collector and plan to keep it that way, then I want the whole package. If I'm gonna shoot it, the box is worthless to ME.

Don't expect to find a clean pre-lock 625 for under $700 unless you fall into a deal. Buds will sell me the JM for $680 shipped with my LE discount but I just can't do the locks and the silly lightning bolt. But that's me.

Any 4" 625 is worth the price IMHO. As others stated, it is now my favorite gun of any type.

Good luck!
 
I didn't answer the value question because I bought mine NIB back in '89. The original purchase price would be irrelevant when compared to current prices. Based on actual sales from auction sites, $700+ is a realistic price for 5" pre-lock models, anything less than that would be a good deal IMHO...
 
I bought this 5" 625-4 for $450 two years ago.

M625-4_5inch.jpg


I think that if you can find a good one for $700 these days, you should grab it.

Buck
 
I acquired a 625-10 the snub nosed PC round butt 45APC revolver which I am told that only 1000 +/- were ever made. I picked it up with the original box, 2 grips (one checkered wood and the other rubber with the PC logo) moon clips, a really neat PC carry case and even an extra barrel.

Never fired it but it looks awesome ! Still trying to figure out if I want to keep it, fire it or get rid of it. I read where there is a 625-11, 45 LC whinh is ever rarer. The 625 is a great gun !
 
I had to settle for a JM. I replaced the gold bead front sight with a Hi-viz red fiber optic sight. Of all my revolvers it is my favorite to shoot. Very accurate and one can pick up the target with the front sight in a heartbeat, especially outdoors on a sunny day.
 
I believe the OP asked for prices on a pre-lock and the replies have ignored the question.

Not trying to stir things up but this is not quite true. He asked what would be a good deal on one. I told him if he can find one for under $600 grab it. Brucev said he gave $600 for his. Glockwerkes said he would buy them all at $600 and JM versions in 4" are $750+. So I think we gave him something to go on.
As for specifics, I gave $600 OTD for a 3" M625-3/no box and I traded a Colt 380 and $100 for the 5" M625-5 LNIB. The guy had it marked $690 and said he would come down to $650. I only had $350 in the Colt which after shooting it some I did not care for it.
Just a little more info, for what it's worth.
 
Light Pipe Sights

The sights (Fiber Optic Lumi Sights) are made by Cylinder and Slide and cost about $100 from them. As I recall, I got this set from Brownell's for a little less.

The sights are well made steel (except for the lightpipes). You can have any combination of red and green on both front or rear. They work great for me - age has robbed me of the ability to see black sights against many backgrounds, but I can see these just fine. I have since changed the front to an SDM light pipe just because of its serrated back edge, but that's just a personal preference. There's really nothing wrong with the C&S front, but I have SDM's on all my other 625's so I changed it for consistency of view. Both fronts have a square post profile and the rear has a square notch for extra precision when you need it. I've been using this rig in USPSA for the last two years, and the sights have had no problems.

Buck
 
I really enjoy my 625-4. I paid 750 for it a couple of years ago. It gets shot more than any other of my centerfire revolvers.
6e32fa9e.jpg
 
I took out my 5" Performance Center 625 yesterday for the first time this year and I forgot how smooth the action was. This would be one of the last revolvers that I would ever sell. Mine does not have the colored handles or lock. Really does not matter to me about the lock, I just stumbled into this one from a member on the forum and did not look back. It was a safe queen, now it is a working girl !
 

Attachments

  • DSC00189.jpg
    DSC00189.jpg
    108.6 KB · Views: 93
Just another bit about the 625. I have owned more S&W revolvers than I can honestly remember. Some have been exceptional. The 625-2 that I bought is one of them. It is easily the most accurate large-bore revolver I've ever owned. With ball ammo one can easily hit a 4 inch steel plate stood on edge. Recently I took a 50 rd. box, my revolver and went shooting. Firing at 30 long steps, I'd fire a round and hit the plate. I'd walk down and set the plate up and then repeat the process. Out of 50 shots, I got 47 hits. The three misses were due to my simply getting tired. The sights are excellent. Using a pair of 1x reading glasses, I can use the nice big black front sight blade to good effect on paper targets as well as harrow blades and other what not that I find around the scrap pile. Because my hands are not large, I put the size small Pachmayr presentation grips on the revolver. I like the way they look and the way they fit my hand. I've had that particular pair for 28 years. They've been on a scad of N-frame revolvers. Yesterday I picked up three boxes of Tula 230 gr. FJM .45 ACP ammo. Sometime this week I will have the pleasure of taking my 625 and trying that ammo out at 100 yds. on harrow blades. I have a number of very nice S&W revolvers. I think they are all wonderful. However the 625 is in my opinion superlative. I'd buy another if I could find one. JMHO.
 
S&W .45 ACP Revolvers

I don't have the 5-inch, but a 4-inch 625-3 (Model of 1989). If I were told that I could only have one handgun, this would be the one I would keep. I have owned it since the early nineties and I have shot a bazillion rounds through it. Target quality right out of the box. Never even touched the sights.
If I could find a California pre-lock 5-incher, I'd buy it in a heartbeat for $600.00!
 
I'm probably going to be posting my 625-3 Model of 1989 with 3" barrel in the classifieds pretty soon- maybe next week. I believe I do still have the box somewhere as well. Once I gather it all up I'll shoot you a PM when I have some decent pictures.
 
My little brother has probably the ultimate factory 5" Model 625. He has an early Jerry Miculek 625-7 Performance Center #86 in the series. Looks pretty much like BSkerj's above. He bought it new several years ago.
It is a very good shooter. The 625 and his 617 are his most used revolvers.
 
Last edited:
Gorgeous figure in the grips...did you make them yourself? Beautiful gat sir:)Regards, Mike.:)

I did not make them, I believ they hogue big butt grips though the shape is slightly different that any other big butt grips I have ever used.
 
In the last month I have bought two 5" 625-8s. I paid $675 for one and $650 for the other. I don't care about the lock because both of them got Carmonized, and the locks are deactivated for the bobbed hammer action job.
 
Back
Top