A tale of two 625-4 Model of 1989 45ACP's

[Lou_NC]

Folks,
There are a lot of smart, experienced folks here, so I figured I'd throw this out for some help.

I own two 625-4 Model of 1989 5" revolvers in .45ACP. They differ significantly (IMHO) in features, and I'm curious as to whether this is common among S&W revolvers that share the same "dash" numbers?

The most significant difference (to me) is the gas ring.

Here's the one on the 625-4 that I bought new in 1993:

Here's the gas ring on the one I bought used in 2010 (not sure when it was made):

The other differences:
BPU90xx has a flash-chromed hammer and trigger, and a "traditional" cylinder release thumb latch:

CBN48xx has a color case hardened hammer and trigger, and an angled cylinder release latch:

Is it common for S&W revolvers of the same "dash" series to vary so much in features?

Thanks,
Lou

 

[ColdBlueSteel]

Different rear sight leaf too?

 

[alexinatlanta]

625-4 Gas Rings

Sir,
I have a 625-4 Smithfield Armory commemorative (500 made in 1994), and it has the same gas ring as depicted in your photo of CBN48xx. It also has the case-hardened hammer and trigger as your CBN48xx.
Since the gas ring on BPU90xx is what it is, and we have now established that the gas ring style on CBN48xx existed for my 1994 model, it is probably safe to say that your CBN48xx was manufactured sometime in, or after, 1994.
I hope this sheds some light on your situation.
Not sure if the photo will come across in my reply but if it does, note that the grips are custom Ahrends in red maple.
Kind regards,
alexinatlanta

 

[andyo5]

Until I bought a 340 last month, I did not know that ANY S&W revolvers had a gas ring. When I went to clean the 340 I found the gas ring laying on the table and had to figure out what it was and where it was supposed to go. I wonder if my other S&W revolvers have lost their gas rings. I don't recall ever seeing one before the 340.

 

[Kernel Crittenden]

I've seen a number of "BPU" s/n's with ship dates in......

October - November of 1993​

So that fits your December 1993 purchase date perfectly. Based on observed ship dates, the "CBN" s/n prefix dates to.....

November of 1996​

The earliest -6 gun I've seen had a "CAN" s/n and a January 1996 ship date. So you -4 gun was made 10 months AFTER the -6's began to ship. Since it's got the old style frame, it's not a mismarked -6. That's for sure. (The -6 guns had the case color trigger and hammer, and the new style frame with frame mounted firing pin).

Maybe the CBN gun was a kind of "parts gun" that made up with the last of the -4 frames and some miscellaneous old parts and some new parts here and there. S&W hates to let anything go to waste, and they've put out many non-typical transition guns in the past.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I have 625-4 BSE43XX with a case colored Hammer and trigger. The Gas ring appears to be different tan either of the OP's. i don't care one way or the other about the minor assembly parts, I care that the gune is the finest shooting revolver I have ever owned! That makes it the best of over 50 S&W and around 250 others over the last 41 or 42 years. Ivan

 

[Kernel Crittenden]

What's strange about the M625-6 is starting in 1996 the guns made in .45 ACP had the new style frame, with frame mounted firing pin. While the -6 guns in .45 Colt continued to be built on the old style frame, with the traditional hammer mounted firing pin.

The M625 in .45 Colt didn't get the new style frame until 1998. They then marked it the -7. So, for two years the -6 was both a new style frame AND a old style frame. This is the only S&W model I'm aware of that followed this practice with it's engineering revisions.

 

[Sevens]

I am sorry that I cannot help address anything specific on your two gorgeous 625 revolvers. I had one... but only for a short time and that was a few years back. Let me also add that you take some very NICE pictures!

I do have to respond to this specific part of your post:

Is it common for S&W revolvers of the same "dash" series to vary so much in features?

This also gets me a little worked up because of one of my revolvers extremely near and dear to my heart.

My first handgun was a Christmas gift, I was 16 years old and it was a NIB Smith & Wesson Model 17-6. And if anyone here is quite familiar with the dash-6, you may know that this one is the engineering change when they elected to change the classic Model 17 to a full lug barrel.

However...
Apparently, such a RADICAL change was not worthy of an engineering or "dash number" change. I don't know how many of the dash-6 revolvers were of the classic tube barrel like all the K-22 Masterpiece revolvers of the preceding... I don't know, maybe 50-60 years, but the 17-6 can be found with either the standard target barrel -OR- the radically different full-lug barrel.

And yet... no engineering or dash-number change.

This is something that I struggle to accept. Though I know that I must, as it is exactly what it is. It doesn't make sense to me... and so it ends up as (yet another) Smith & Wesson mystery. I mean seriously, just look at some of the engineering changes over the different models and years of fine revolvers... some are tiny little changes. Changing the barrel, altering the weight and balance and (more than anything) the appearance of one of the most classic revolvers in modern S&W history?!

Okay. I'll go rest now and take deep breaths.

 

[ontargetagain]

I recently purchased a lovely 625-4 5" and previously had a 625-8 4" model.
My 625-4 is of the case colored hammer and trigger variety, I will later have to check on the gas ring.
I have a rubber grip but would love to dress it with a wooden one soon, just makes it classy IMO
It is a fantastic shooter, or maybe it makes me a better shooter LOL
Karl

 

[bananaman]

I prefer older Smiths when I have a choice. (Am old myself) But I ended up with a 625-8 JM. Really enjoy shooting it. Goes to the range more than any other I own. Bob

 

[Milton]

I have a 625-4,CBC93xx that looks just like your CBN dash 4 revolver,same gas ring arrangement and color cased hammer and trigger.Nice revolvers you have!

 

[Muley Gil]

"Until I bought a 340 last month, I did not know that ANY S&W revolvers had a gas ring."

Ah, then you never heard about the M66 woes, did you? When the M66 came out, it was fine using mostly .38 specials and the ocassional .357 Magnum rounds. But when you shot a lot of .357s, it would bind up to the point the revolver failed to function. This was reported by Masood Ayood, who is a member of this forum. IIRC, S&W was not happy about this, first trying to deny it, but wound up changing the location of the gas ring several times.