Can I get some help identifying a 25-5 please

[kooz]

I know there are a lot of knowledable S&W guys here , was hoping you could give me your thoughts on this revolver please . A friend of mine has this 25-5 that I would like to buy from him, we are unable to come up with a price as neither one of us knows exactly what it is . just cant get my mind wrapped around a 25-5 that was built in 1999 ? A parts gun maybe ? Thank you for your help

 

[muddocktor]

That's an interesting one for sure. From the letter, it sounds like it was first built for a salesman in 1999 and then for some reason shipped back to S&W and then sent out for sale in 2004, if I am understanding the letter.

And yes, maybe it is a parts gun, as least as far as the frame goes. The cylinder seems to have the long cylinder stop notches of a later gun such as a -9. And it's hard to tell with the little pics, but are the hammer and trigger forged or MIM items? And that 5" barrel, I am not up on the model 25, but isn't that an unusual length for a 25?

Hopefully someone will come along that is more current on the model 25 than me.

EDIT: I rotated the letter for you and am posting it to make it easier to read for you.

 

[kooz]

Thanks for your input and for fixing the letter .

 

[muddocktor]

Your welcome. And if it were me, I would definitely be interested in that gun.

 

[Model19man]

Most of the 25-5 series have 6" barrels. Earlier ones might have a 6.5" barrel. You see some with 4" barrel and the 8 3/8" barrel, but not often. 5" is unheard of but maybe the barrel started life intended for a later dash number. It's an interesting one for sure.

 

[ColbyBruce]

Look the place up and call them and inquire about that gun.

 

[CH4]

Hmm
The serial number puts it around 1983/84. Parts gun makes the most sense. Never seen a 25-5 that wasn’t pinned or didn’t have an N or S serial number. Because of the appearance of the endurance package and 5” barrel, may be a cross between a -5 and -9. I have 4 and 6 inchers, both late N serial numbers.

 

[Retired W4]

That serial number would normally be seen on a much earlier gun, as if the frame sat around for a long time before it was assembled. Then there is the butt swivel that doesn't show in the letter.

 

[Nightowl]

To me, that looks like a model 27 barrel profile, not the heavier model 25 profile. As unusual as that one is, I would think $1200-1500 would be reasonable.

 

[Jim Watson]

I was thinking that it was a tapered barrel, kind of a M26 repro.

 

[Model19man]

Hmm
Never seen a 25-5 that wasn’t pinned or didn’t have an N or S serial number.

After late 1980 S&W did away with the pinned feature on everything including the Model 25-5. According to the SW Standard Catalog 4th Edition the 25-5 was made through 1982. I have owned them both with and without pinned barrels.

 

[weatherby]

I'm not going to be of any help but I would like to see how the right hand side of the barrel is marked.

5" with a Baughman sight is unusual.
Hope it works out for you.

 

[tennexplorer]

You have the opposite of a parts gun. You have what is essentially a factory custom. At this point we don't know what the exact original configuration was, but the major clue is in the letter where it was called a Special Production Revolver.

It is a combination of a 25-5 frame (later 25-5s were made without barrel pins and have the three letter /four number serial "numbers"), a 25-9 cylinder, and a leftover barrel from the Georgia Highway Patrol commemorative revolvers of 1987 (Model 26-1s).

There were 800 of the Georgia Commemorative revolvers made. They were all decorated. There were 40 more revolvers that are plain that were over runs. There were also a very, very few leftover barrels. This revolver was completed with one of them.

If I were to guess I would believe it was made in that configuration in 1999 either as a favor to that salesman or as a possible prototype for another run of revolvers in the configuration of the Georgia guns. The return to the factory in 2004 was to clear it off the salesman's account. It being shipped to a company in Georgia is also an interesting clue. The lanyard loop is also a clue.

You have a unicorn.

 

[Muley Gil]

Looks like an early M26-1.

 

[moosedog]

Agree with Muley that what you have is a 25-5 that has the 26-1 barrel on it as they were 5 inch in 45 Colt and some also came with the factory lanyard.
The letter says it was a special order for a salesman and also stated it was a 1955 Target, which it obviously is not.
The 1955 target has a heavy barrel and is marked 1955 on the right side. The 26-1 has the 1950 style ribbed taper barrel in 5 inch as is yours. Special order guns as late as the 90s was rather uncommon unless you ordered a minimum amount of then or unless you had an in as the salesman would have had. Nice find. Grab it or give me his phone number.
Please post a picture of the right side of the barrel.

 

[kooz]

Thanks for all the feedback , really appreciate your input . I posted a pick of the right side of the bbl .

 

[22hipower]

You have the opposite of a parts gun. You have what is essentially a factory custom. At this point we don't know what the exact original configuration was, but the major clue is in the letter where it was called a Special Production Revolver.

It is a combination of a 25-5 frame (later 25-5s were made without barrel pins and have the three letter /four number serial "numbers"), a 25-9 cylinder, and a leftover barrel from the Georgia Highway Patrol commemorative revolvers of 1987 (Model 26-1s).

There were 800 of the Georgia Commemorative revolvers made. They were all decorated. There were 40 more revolvers that are plain that were over runs. There were also a very, very few leftover barrels. This revolver was completed with one of them.

If I were to guess I would believe it was made in that configuration in 1999 either as a favor to that salesman or as a possible prototype for another run of revolvers in the configuration of the Georgia guns. The return to the factory in 2004 was to clear it off the salesman's account. It being shipped to a company in Georgia is also an interesting clue. The lanyard loop is also a clue.

You have a unicorn.

Around that timeframe, 1999ish, the Performance Center was apparently using up barrels and probably other parts from earlier runs. I suspect this 25-5 was produced in the same way the five inch 29-2s discussed in the link below were. Not sure there's any way to document it, at least the 25-5 lettered. Interesting though and I wonder how many other unicorns are floating around out there.

Smith & Wesson Model 29-2 5" Barrel/Performance Center Buy 1999

Jeff
SWCA #1457

 

[Fullmetaljacket]

All the documentation and mystery solving aside, that's a damn nice revolver. .45 Colt, tapered barrel, 5", what's not to like? Too bad Smith didn't make a real production run in this configuration but I guess that would be a different thread.

 

[AC Man]

All I can add which is not much is my 25-5 8 3/8 barrel is a unfired like new serial # N715686 what ever that is worth .It is a pinned barrel, Of course only magnums had recessed chambers. I paid $1250 last year from an online site. Hope that helps!

 

[CH4]

All I can add which is not much is my 25-5 8 3/8 barrel is a unfired like new serial # N715686 what ever that is worth .It is a pinned barrel, Of course only magnums had recessed chambers. I paid $1250 last year from an online site. Hope that helps!

FWIW, the Vegas Bass Pro has a nice 25-5 8 3/8” with targets for $1300ish.