It Was A Very Good Year...

[brucev]

Yep!!! The year of our Lord 1988 was a very good year indeed. I had a 2 yr. old little girl and a brand new little girl to go with her... a pair! And... S&W made a gem of a revolver called the Model of 1988. Ah!!! Inspiration. Back then I could only drool. I was serving a small church. My wife had no job. And I was working a part-time side job to make ends meet. So.... 20 years came and went... and in 2009 I happened to find a nice little hole in the wall gunshop in a small little spot of a town. In the case they had a 625-7 (???? I think that was the number) and... a 625-2... Model of 1988. It had a buttery smooth double action and a single-action that was like the gift of God. Because I had just found this site, I put up a question and was told to immediately buy the 625-2 ASAP. I did as instructed and have been exceptionally happy with the results. Today while getting ready to go shooting I found a Pachmeyr box with a pair of the square butt type rubber grips size small inside along with the screw. I have used these grips on at least three other S&W N-frame pistols... either .357 or .44, so I decided to see if they would work on this revolver. With the Hogues and the stirrup removed, I slipped the two piece grips on, screwed them down tight and decided to see how it worked when shooting. With my other gear in hand I headed out to put another installment payment on happiness as I ran a big box of Winchester White Box .45ACP FJM through that beautiful revolver. My target was two steel plates cast off by the railroad that are used to provide a base for the rail when it is spiked onto the cross tie. That plate is about maybe 8 inches across. I sooted the sights and then at 30 long paces (I am 6' 3" tall), I started shooting dueling style centering the front sight on the plates. I think I may have missed 6 - 8 times... but that is all. Virtually all my rounds went into the center of the plate. I know the WWB is not considered outstanding ammunition. It is just plain ball ammo. But, in this revolver plain 230 gr. FMJ WWB ammo shoots like it has delusions of being match grade. It whacks those heavy steel plate and knocks them down like the hand of a giant swatted them. Shooting at a stump on the other side of a farm pond, it was easy to get hits that echoed back with that soul satisfying "whop!" sound that signaled the bullet had found its mark. I have a nice box of WWB 230 gr. JHP ammo in my range bag. I have a deer hunt coming up with a church member. I have a nice El Paso Saddlery Tom Threepersons holster for my 6" M-28. The 625-2 fits that holster like it was made for it. I think... when it's time to go out the door for that deer hunt... my faithful Rem. 700 is going to have a friend riding on my hip. I figure if my .30-06 needs a finisher, the .45 ACP will be up to the task. And who knows... if a deer comes in close... that S&W may just find its way out of the holster and into my hands pointed in the direction where it can do the most good. After all, if a .357 S&W Magnum pushing a 158 gr. JHP can get the job done at say 20-25 yds., then a big fat 230 gr. JHP .45 bullet at about 800 FPS should do nicely. And if I can find some heavier loaded ammo, things will only get better!

This coming Monday is my normal off day. I hope I will be able to load up some .38 Specials. If so, then I'll be taking a trio of S&W's to the range... M-18... M-28... and M-625-2. One of Mr. COLT's little creations, a Detective Special, may accompany us. It will be a nice day.

 

[one eye joe]

Nice story. Patience is a virtue. Have a great range day........

 

[5906fan]

May the Lord in His Infinite Wisdom grant like eloquence to you next address to your parishoners!
good write-up and I have that same 625.

 

[bamabiker]

Knowing the accuracy of these guns I'd say your 6 to 8 missed shots might have went through some of the spike holes in the plates. I've shot some of those plates while they hung from a post. Makes a nice ding when you hit'em.

 

[brucev]

I enjoy walking along a abandoned railroad track. After it rains spikes, etc. can be found exposed. I hope to find four more of these plates so that I can shoot a entire cylinder load of ammo at the time. Currently I fire two shots, walk the 30 yds. down range and set up the plates, return the 30 yds. to the firing line and repeat the process. This afternoon my pedometer shows I walked 3013 steps while out shooting.

I can't honestly say any of the shots went through the spike holes. However, my common target of everyday opportunity is usually worn out harrow blades. I shoot on the farm of a church member who lets me use bits of metal from his scrap pile for targets. I pick them out of the scrap pile, shoot them till they finally break in half, then throw the pieces back in the scrap pile.

Once I was shooting at a nice clean harrow blade that I had spray painted white so that I could see where the bullets were hitting. I was shooting from a distance of about 16 long steps, since that is where a wreaked truck sits that serves as a place for me to put my gear up off the dirt. Firing single and double action and aiming at the axle hole, there were times when I'd hear maybe four hits and see the little marks on the plate but there would be a couple of shots that made no noise. Turned out the bullets were going through the axle hole. I put a piece of rail road track behind the blade to keep it from falling over when it was hit. A man was watching me shoot and made a remark about me missing. When we walked down range, you could see where three rounds had hit the railroad rail through the axle hole. The other three rounds made little half-moon marks on the square edges of the axle hole. I will admit that it gave me no end of pleasure to see the look on his face when my church member said, "The preacher can shoot!" I do not mean this as boasting. But I have enjoyed shooting revolvers for about 30 years. I've concentrated on mainly the N-Frame revolvers. I like the way they handle and shoot.