625 mountain gun

[jspick]

If you have any slop in a cylinder you will have accuracy issues. If you are wanting a carry gun and at those ranges it won't make a difference.

But since you said you are going to use it for a range gun. Don't you want to see how good you can shoot? Having 45acp's that are looser in the chamber than the 45 colt you will have accuracy issues. I have read that reaming the throats of a 45 colt cylinder makes the difference between 2" or 6" groups. I have not had those problems with my 45 colt. But just imagine the throat issue in nothing compared to using 45 acps in a 45 colt chamber. If you get a 625 that is a 45 acp revolver there are things that you check to get acceptable accuracy out of it. 45 acp cylinders have a step in the chamber for the case to head space on. That is very important in getting any kind of accuracy.

The bullet has to have a straight shot at the forcing cone and barrel to be accurate. The barrel will not solve the problem of long throats or loose chambers.

Finally, Cowboy action loads in 45 colt are much lighter than 45 acp loads given the same weight bullet.

Your gun, do what you please, BUT you asked and we are giving our opinions. My opinion is you are doing irreversable conversion to your gun and will gain nothing by doing it with Cowboy action loads availible.

John

 

[Penmon]

John,
Did you go to the video link I booked marked in my post?
No cylinder reaming is to be done.
S&W says the bore of the cylinder for the 45APC and the 45LC are the same? I understand what you are saying and I understand how important cylinder to barrel alignment is but, but, but that still does not explain the members shooting results.Unless the conversion he had done messed with his alignment.
Please, look at the conversion process video, I know you are unfamiliar with this type of conversion by the questions you have asked through out this thread. I will still have a fully functioning 45LC, the conversion does not affect that.
Thank you
Penmon

 

[jspick]

Yea, I watched and read it all. I am just coming from this from the other end of the perspective. I understand your point of view. Respectfully I do not think you see mine.

Remember you asked for opinions and you got mine. Please feel free to disregard it totally or in part. No harm done here and do not feel you have to convince me in order to do your conversion.

Best of luck to you. I some others have had good results.

John

 

[Allen-frame]

Hello penmon.
Being one of the guys that have a few dedicated Smith revolvers in 45 Colt
i guess I will weigh in here.

If I had one revolver and could not afford another I don't think I would hesitate to convert my one Smith in 45 Colt to also fire 45 a.c.p.

For a $100. bucks and NO effect on the original chamberings accuracy
I would say "why the hell not?"

Then I would document the accuracy results and see if it was worth it
for posterity sake.
Heck , I would appreciate a fresh perspective on the subject.

Now a days I only seem to shoot my revolvers out to 15 yards
and this is hardly a test of any kind of 'hunting' accuracy.

I own many Smiths in 45 caliber both 45 Colt and 45 A.C.P.

I did however recently purchase a Governor and have a review of IT
and it shoots 45 A.C.P. out to 15 yards (thats only 45 feet )
really well.


http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-re...nor-associates-range-pictures-12-31-11-a.html



http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-re...-625-discussion-thread-edited-2-3-2012-a.html



http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-ha...et-45-colt-mountain-revolver-my-best-yet.html



http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-ha...ictures-back-10-21-11-nearing-completion.html


best of luck. I say do it and check back with us on the accuracy issue.


Allen frame

 

[Sprefix]

If it is a .45acp, it needs to be a 1917 or a 1911. 'Nuff said........Best of luck in your choice. JMO

 

[AKAOV1MAN]

For my 3" 625 I got an extra cylinder in 45 Colt from Cylinder & Slide, had them cut it to fit the ACP frame. Cannot load extra long 45 Colt rounds but it will take any factory 45 Colt round. I just switch cylinders when I want to go with the 45 Colt.
I went through all this because I could not find a 3" 625 in 45 Colt. Immediately after I received my gun back from C&S I came across 2 in 45 Colt, with consecutive serial numbers! Of course I bought them also. THEN I find a pair of mountain guns, one in each caliber NIB. You S&W addicts know what I did then..............Great guns, I'm kind of a N frame lover anyway. Somewhere there must be a 12 step program.

 

[David Sinko]

S&W tends to cut their .45 Colt chambers on the sloppy side. When a .45 ACP is put into the chamber, the cartridge is somewhat of a loose fit. Depending on how sloppy the fit is, the ACP cartridge could move around enough that ignition is severely compromised. This is what happened when I had the conversion done to a Model 25-7 .45 Colt. Half of the .45 ACP cartridges misfired when shooting DA and accuracy was terrible. Never again will I attempt a similar conversion. My philosophy with .45 revolvers is if you want a .45 ACP, buy a S&W. If you want a .45 Colt, buy a Ruger.

Dave Sinko

 

[Stainz]

I started my .45 Colt interests with a Ruger 5.5" .45 Blackhawk convertable. My next buy was an early 7.5" .454 SRH, followed by a 5.5" SS Bisley, a 4.6" BHG Vaquero, and a 5.5" SS Redhawk, all to launch .45 Colts with. I know what sloppy chambers and uneven/small chamber exit bores are like - I even have the reamer set to alleviate said problem. Nearly ten years ago, I added a new '01 vintage 625-7 MG in .45 Colt. Despite it's having only a 4" barrel, it beat all of the Rugers, tightness of group at 25yd shooting my similar reloads from sandbags. The Rugers have all been memories for some time. A minor point - that .454 SRH - scoped - actually grouped tighter with .454s at 50yd from smoked sand bags - it's slow rifling favored hyper fast .454s.

I traded the last Ruger .45 Colt - the Bisley - for a LN 625-6 MG. It groups nearly as well as my first MG - or a friend's newer model. I just haven't noticed 'sloppy' chambers in any .45 Colt S&W. I Know earlier Bangor Punta S&W .45 Colts were reknown for too-large chamber exit bores, but that's a different story - and documented. Modern MGs in .45 Colt have no faults I know of, other than the unstamped, ie, laser-etched, barrel writing fading with cleaning (Witness my earlier picture!).

The .45 Colt MG is a delight to shoot - a pleasure to own. You do have to be independently wealthy - or a reloader - to shoot them regularly. Buying Georgia Arms 'cowboy loads' for plinkers helps - and you amass empties. 225gr LSWCHP - or Speer 250gr Gold Dots - make it a great personal defense firearm. Be sure to get HKS #25-5 speedloaders.

Stainz

 

[m657]

Wonder how this experiment panned out?

And given the magnificent accuracy of the 627PC that loads both 38/357 in the same chamber with or without moon clips, I wonder whether the rimmed case thereof saves some of the problem noted above.

Hoping to hear more of the conversion success.

 

[Bearbait in NM]

Me too. But I would add that a few months ago when I was trying to decide 45 Colt with the acp conversion or a straight up 45acp gun, I exchanged a few emails with Tom at TK. He told me specifically that I should not expect stellar accuracy from acp's in his conversion. I subsequently purchased a 625-8 PC (45acp) and could not be happier.

I shoot tons of 45acp and 454 Casull. Got rid of all of my 45 Colt stuff years ago (brass and dies). If I still had the 45 Colt stuff, I might have accepted the 45acp as reduced accuracy acceptable. If I am going to invest in a new case supply, it made more sense to go to an acp gun, and buy Auto Rim if I needed rimmed brass. The conversion does offer a pretty cool opportunity to shoot acp's in some really neat S&W 45 Colts on the market.

Craig

 

[Stainz]

Look at the Governor's cylinder to see what a vestigial rim catching 'ring' looks like. Also - remember that a .45 Colt cylinder so-modified will mount moonclipped .45 ACPs - but not the thick-rimmed .45 Auto Rims. Only a cylinder with a flat cylinder input side designed for .45 ACP will load the .45 Auto Rim, whose thick rim is equal to the usual gap plus the moonclip thickness.

Stainz