I just had a note from a friend who wishes to find a M22-4 barrel to put on his M25-12. Can any of you confirm that is a "doable" exchange, and if so, where he might find one.
Here are his comments.
Bob
"I am trying to find a different bbl. for one of my new model Smith pistols to swap out.
……You may remember seeing my 2001 Performance Center pistol Model 25-12 in .45 ACP. It is a copy of the Second Mdl HE N frame with upgrades, but with that curious small round butt. I got a set of "conversion" Hogue wood grips to convert the hand hold to full -size. I like those grips and, externally, they provide the same grip my Mdl. 25-5 has with the Hogue wood grips I installed on that pistol. The 25-12 has no safety lock on it.
…….Anyway, Thunder Ranch got some specials made - not custom shop I guess - denoted Model 22-4 in .45 ACP. As you know, this model has the old style grip, half moon front sight, pinned and replaceable, and a shrouded ejector rod that is 4" long. The Model 22-4 do not have the trigger stop my pistol is fitted with, the action is not hand fitted I presume, and the 22-4 has that lock above the cylinder release latch one seeks to avoid on the basis of aesthetics if nothing else.
…….So, to the quest. I am trying to locate a new 4" bbl such as that fitted to the Thunder Ranch Model 22-4 .45 ACP. I figure with out much bother my competent gunsmith could swap out the two bbls and I would have the best of both worlds as a result: a Custom Shop tuned and fitted Model 24-12 with a 4" third model HE bbl and no safety lock. That would be a wonderful pistol.
…….In particular, since I am hot to begin loading and shooting .45 Auto Rim in the Model 25-12, with the big Keith bullets and more power than can be usefully fired in the Model 1911 automatic, it would be fun to have a pistol more like my old 4" .44 Special third model HE that shoots so well for me. I do not plan to shoot maximum Auto Rim loads, just some with a little more bang than you get with the Army's re-do of the old .45 Schofield black powder cartridge used in their Single Action Colt…..which is the 230 grain hardball .45 ACP.
…….By the way, reading up on handloading for pistol in general, I find to my delight that the .40 S&W almost exactly duplicates the old .38-40. How about that?"
Here are his comments.
Bob
"I am trying to find a different bbl. for one of my new model Smith pistols to swap out.
……You may remember seeing my 2001 Performance Center pistol Model 25-12 in .45 ACP. It is a copy of the Second Mdl HE N frame with upgrades, but with that curious small round butt. I got a set of "conversion" Hogue wood grips to convert the hand hold to full -size. I like those grips and, externally, they provide the same grip my Mdl. 25-5 has with the Hogue wood grips I installed on that pistol. The 25-12 has no safety lock on it.
…….Anyway, Thunder Ranch got some specials made - not custom shop I guess - denoted Model 22-4 in .45 ACP. As you know, this model has the old style grip, half moon front sight, pinned and replaceable, and a shrouded ejector rod that is 4" long. The Model 22-4 do not have the trigger stop my pistol is fitted with, the action is not hand fitted I presume, and the 22-4 has that lock above the cylinder release latch one seeks to avoid on the basis of aesthetics if nothing else.
…….So, to the quest. I am trying to locate a new 4" bbl such as that fitted to the Thunder Ranch Model 22-4 .45 ACP. I figure with out much bother my competent gunsmith could swap out the two bbls and I would have the best of both worlds as a result: a Custom Shop tuned and fitted Model 24-12 with a 4" third model HE bbl and no safety lock. That would be a wonderful pistol.
…….In particular, since I am hot to begin loading and shooting .45 Auto Rim in the Model 25-12, with the big Keith bullets and more power than can be usefully fired in the Model 1911 automatic, it would be fun to have a pistol more like my old 4" .44 Special third model HE that shoots so well for me. I do not plan to shoot maximum Auto Rim loads, just some with a little more bang than you get with the Army's re-do of the old .45 Schofield black powder cartridge used in their Single Action Colt…..which is the 230 grain hardball .45 ACP.
…….By the way, reading up on handloading for pistol in general, I find to my delight that the .40 S&W almost exactly duplicates the old .38-40. How about that?"
