A 25-5 Shows Up at the Show Yesterday

[Retired W4]

An old friend was helping someone he knows clear out an estate and this was among the guns. I had to replace the hammer (all that drama in The Smithing section). As usual my photography skills don't do it justice. I wanted a full target hammer but this will have to do.

 

[bananaman]

Nice gun with nice wood! Congratulations! Bob

 

[duke2002]

Very nice. Love my 25.

 

[Drm50]

I only have one 25-5 left. When I got down to keeping one of each model I kept the 83/8". This is later model than OPs.
Non pinned barrel and front sight. I would gravitate toward the 6" pinned but the 83/8" is one of those cherries that seem to outshot the others.
I pay little attention to the issue of diameter of cylinder bores. I shoot all DIY cast, soft as possible. So long as cylinder bores isn't smaller than barrel there is no issue. Of coarse I'm not hot rodding the loads either. For Target and the 250gr traditional RNFP is perfectly capable of taking deer.

 

[Model29-26.5]

Great! I'll bet you got a sweet deal on it, too.
Very nice

 

[cp1969]

I had a Model 25 .45 Colt once upon a time but let it get away from me. Reason being, I also had a .45 Colt Blackhawk (1975? issue; it had countersunk chambers) and loaded hotter loads for it than I wanted to get in the M25.

Big Mistake.

 

[KertP]

Purchased mine (a 4") in 1977 via a friend of mine who had his FFL. Was the second S&W that I had purchased (first was a Model 60). Served duty as our home defense until replaced in that capacity by a M&P 40. IMNSHO, the 25-5 was and is still the best revolver that S&W has ever made. My kids will get to fight over mine someday...

 

[jack the toad]

Congrats on the -5.
I like mine. I'm down to 3 and not planning to go any less.
N prefix -5
Alpha numeric -5
Alpha numeric -9
All 3 have proper cylinder charge hole size.
One of the -5's modded for moon clips.

 

[robertrwalsh]

Congrats. Nice looking gat with nice furniture.

 

[Abbotson]

Congrats on the -5.
I like mine. I'm down to 3 and not planning to go any less.
N prefix -5
Alpha numeric -5
Alpha numeric -9
All 3 have proper cylinder charge hole size.
One of the -5's modded for moon clips.

View attachment 789621

Congrats on the -5.
I like mine. I'm down to 3 and not planning to go any less.
N prefix -5
Alpha numeric -5
Alpha numeric -9
All 3 have proper cylinder charge hole size.
One of the -5's modded for moon clips.

View attachment 789621

From everything I can find the -9 was only made for a few months July-ish to December(?) in 1990. Another rare one from
S&W. I kinda miss mine.

 

[Model29-26.5]

Completed my 25 set ..
But I'm feeling a second 4" blue..

 

[Legendarylawman]

Congrats on the -5.
I like mine. I'm down to 3 and not planning to go any less.
N prefix -5
Alpha numeric -5
Alpha numeric -9
All 3 have proper cylinder charge hole size.
One of the -5's modded for moon clips.

View attachment 789621

Learning. School me on above in red??

Thanks, Carl

 

[Goony]

Here's mine, nothing remarkable, "N" prefix dating to 1981 or so (the barrel is still pinned).

 

[USSR]

Learning. School me on above in red??

The early 25's had a reputation for large throats (.455/.456") in their cylinders.

 

[Riposte1]

The early 25's had a reputation for large throats (.455/.456") in their cylinders.

I actually have a pinned barrel 25-5 - I knew the story on the cylinder throats, and actually got some bullets off the shelf to test them - two of the throats would pass .458" rifle bullets - I bought the gun anyway (it was only $300).

About a month later the same dealer called me and said he had another 4" 25-5 - I went down (it was about an hour and a half away from my house but at that time it was a great shop!) and it was a non pinned barrel and the cylinder troats didn't run over .453"

Still late I ran into a 25-7 target model of 1987 5" and bought that too - got it for $350 which is what I pad for the non-pinned barrel.

Still later the same shop called me again (I was a pretty regular customer ) and said I have a Lew Horton 3" .45 Colt - when I went down, it wasn't that at all, but a custom made 3" 25-5 and, though not complaining I told him it wasn't a Lew Horton and he said he had suspected that would I make an offer - I forgot what I offered but he took it. See attached - it is far from perfect but the stocks are real - real what I am not sure but they have grain.

BTW - he did have a real Lew Horton 3" .44 Spl and I bought that too

I thought I had a picture of the LH but I can't find it.

Riposte

 

[hunter0528]

I've got a nice 25-2 "N" serial number, with a 6" barrel AND 2 cylinders. 45ACP and 45 Long Colt. Got it from a gunsmith about 10 years ago.

 

[SS336]

My M25-5 is from 1979, it has large throats and if you reload it's not a problem. Cast bullets will work better than jacketed bullets, at least in my revolver.
Mine spends a lot of time at the range, it's a fun gun to shoot. You have a beauty there W4.

 

[jack the toad]

Learning. School me on above in red??

Thanks, Carl

LOL My wordy description of proper throat size is an example of my old man thinking.
Sorry, sometimes the correct word escapes me, it can happen when you get old.
Thanks USSR.

 

[jack the toad]

From everything I can find the -9 was only made for a few months July-ish to December(?) in 1990. Another rare one from
S&W. I kinda miss mine.

That's interesting, thanks. I'd never checked production times or numbers; I just liked the gun. Of the 3 pictured, it'd be the last to go.
I had a -7 and liked everything, including the 5" barrel, but not a fan of the non-fluted cylinder. So, I sold it, along with early P&R -5. It had the oversize throats but was 6".
If were the 4", I'd kept it also.
As a side note, I don't recall seeing a P&R -5 without oversize throats.

 

[jack the toad]

I've got a nice 25-2 "N" serial number, with a 6" barrel AND 2 cylinders. 45ACP and 45 Long Colt. Got it from a gunsmith about 10 years ago.

Pics or it didn't happen.