M25-7
- Thread starter tommy F
- Start date
IMO, you ain’t gonna be gaining a thing by trading to a 45 ACP revolver.
I don’t care for moon clips. Ya sure they offer a faster reload, but you still have to spend the time to load the clips and then unload them when you are done shooting. Net gain in time is nothing and would be willing to bet that total time spent loading and unloading the clips and feeding them into the cylinder is greater than simply dropping 6 rounds into the charge holes and then ejecting them into your hand.
Ballistically, the 45 ACP offers nothing that the 45 Colt cannot do and there are things a 45 Colt will do that the ACP wont.
Keep the gun. You already own the better of the two options
I don’t care for moon clips. Ya sure they offer a faster reload, but you still have to spend the time to load the clips and then unload them when you are done shooting. Net gain in time is nothing and would be willing to bet that total time spent loading and unloading the clips and feeding them into the cylinder is greater than simply dropping 6 rounds into the charge holes and then ejecting them into your hand.
Ballistically, the 45 ACP offers nothing that the 45 Colt cannot do and there are things a 45 Colt will do that the ACP wont.
Keep the gun. You already own the better of the two options
The 5" unfluted model 25, product code 100924, is a favorite among Forum members.
Many regard it as one of he most accurate 45 LC revolvers Smith and Wesson has produced
I am sure that you will find many prospective owners if you end up placing it in the For Sale section
Personally I do not see an advantage to trading from a 45 LC revolver to a 45 ACP revolver
The 45 LC cartridge has a much wider range of projectile weights and designs available for it. Especially if you are a hand loader
An option you could look at (though the purists will yell at me for suggesting the modification of a S&W) is to have the cylinder of your existing revolver machined for moon clipped 45 ACP. Several gun smiths can do the job in such a manner as to allow the firearm to safely chamber and shoot both the 45 LC and 45 ACP cartridges.
Many regard it as one of he most accurate 45 LC revolvers Smith and Wesson has produced
I am sure that you will find many prospective owners if you end up placing it in the For Sale section
Personally I do not see an advantage to trading from a 45 LC revolver to a 45 ACP revolver
The 45 LC cartridge has a much wider range of projectile weights and designs available for it. Especially if you are a hand loader
An option you could look at (though the purists will yell at me for suggesting the modification of a S&W) is to have the cylinder of your existing revolver machined for moon clipped 45 ACP. Several gun smiths can do the job in such a manner as to allow the firearm to safely chamber and shoot both the 45 LC and 45 ACP cartridges.
SLT223
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You're trading the wrong way in my opinion, but that's just my interest. I'm looking to convert 45ACP to 45 Colt
Forgot to mention, that 25-7 and same version in 25-9 is one of the best guns S&W made in the past 40 years. You will miss it when it's gone.
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I lusted after a model 25-7 for years but never found one that I could afford at the time. Fast forward to just a couple of months back and I lucked into this Beautiful
Model 25-9 . I wouldn’t trade it for 3 .45acp revolvers !
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Model 25-9 . I wouldn’t trade it for 3 .45acp revolvers !
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Hasbeen1945
Absent Comrade
I think you will regret trading for a 45 acp. The unfluted 5 in 25-7 or 9 are hard to come by. You can pick up a 625 anytime you want.
Grayfox
US Veteran
DON'T YOU DARE SELL THAT GUN! 
The 25-7 is without a doubt the finest .45 Colt revolver S&W ever made. And one of their finest revolvers period. Limited production and hard to come by. If you sell it, you will regret it AND never be able to replace it.
If you want a .45acp revolver, buy one. But keep the 25-7.
There ain't no way I'll ever part with my 25-7.
The 25-7 is without a doubt the finest .45 Colt revolver S&W ever made. And one of their finest revolvers period. Limited production and hard to come by. If you sell it, you will regret it AND never be able to replace it.
If you want a .45acp revolver, buy one. But keep the 25-7.
There ain't no way I'll ever part with my 25-7.
DON'T YOU DARE SELL THAT GUN!
The 25-7 is without a doubt the finest .45 Colt revolver S&W ever made. And one of their finest revolvers period. Limited production and hard to come by. If you sell it, you will regret it AND never be able to replace it.
If you want a .45acp revolver, buy one. But keep the 25-7.
There ain't no way I'll ever part with my 25-7.
LoL, I don’t know about “ Never” being able to replace it but it sure would be much harder than finding a .45acp. Revolver
Mehutch
Member
Don't do it, don't! A trade of this kind will only scare you later, "What have I done?" Just keep it and save up for your 45 ACP revolver. Some guns should never get out of your hands. I know. In a moment of unclear fog of aging I traded... my... 4" blue S&W 29. Aaaarrk! I still hurt to this day. Here's mine that will never be sold again. (After death my wife might sell it but I will haunt her to the end of time.)
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I would love to find a set of grips like that for my 25-9Don't do it, don't! A trade of this kind will only scare you later, "What have I done?" Just keep it and save up for your 45 ACP revolver. Some guns should never get out of your hands. I know. In a moment of unclear fog of aging I traded... my... 4" blue S&W 29. Aaaarrk! I still hurt to this day. Here's mine that will never be sold again. (After death my wife might sell it but I will haunt her to the end of time.)
Beautiful !
Watchdog
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Thinking about trading my 45colt, some small specs and light holster wear. Maybe trade to SW 45acp revolvers. Suggestion/thoughts??
Three words: Don't do it!
Also, there's no way I'd modify the cylinder on a 25-7 to accept moon clips and .45acp cartridges. Just simply no way.
S&W only made about 2000 of these revolvers. I've owned two of them in the past, and would give anything if I had them back now. Or even just one of them.
Without a doubt, the most accurate .45 Colt revolver I've ever fired. Different loads, different bullet weights, didn't matter...they were like lasers.
Did I say don't do it?
I own 5 revolvers in 45acp (pre-25, pre-26, 625-2, 1917, and forgive me, a Colt 1917). I've never owned any revolver in 45 Colt, but I have absolutely nothing negative to say about it. All of the comments for keeping the 45 Colt are certainly valid, but from my perspective, I really enjoy the ones I own. I am a huge fan of moon clips for revolvers,. It's too bad more revolvers aren't designed to use them. I use a BMT tool for loading and unloading them, and it's a pleasure to use. I don't reload and 45acp is more readily available and much cheaper. Just my opinion. Shoot what you like and like what you shoot.
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Dale53
Member
I agree with the other posters that, if at all possible, try to retain that fine .45 Colt revolver.
However, that said, I differ with the other posters regarding the "usefulnesss" of a late S&W Model 625-6 or 625-8 JM Special in .45 ACP. I have shot tens of thousands of these loads in my two 625's. The Model of 1989 625-6 is a 5" and the 625-8 is a 4". They will either regularly group under 1" at 25 yards off a rest. Both have proper dimension cylinder throats (4525" right out of the box.
The .45 ACP is a superior target revolver load. Using light loads in that short case are a "made in heaven" level. Powder position problems when using small charges of fast burning powders (4.0 grs of Bullseye or equivalent) work without issue. My bullet for target loads is the H&G #68 (I cast the Mihec correct copy). This bullet can also be safely driven to 1000 fps for use in the field. My heavy bullet load is a NOE correct version of the Lyman 250 gr. Keith which can be safely driven to 850-900 fps with midrange powders (Unique or Hodgdon's Universal as an example). This velocity equals the old black powder .45 Colt load which would shoot through a horse at 100 yards, to put that in proper perspective.
If you have the proper tools, using steel full moon clips (I use Ranch Products Steel Clips) are quite easy to use. You can load up a bunch of these clips and take them to the range. Then, when you get home, remove them (with the tools) at leisure. I have not found that a big problem, at all.
However, for general range use, the polymer RIMZ clips are easy to load without tools and the RIMZ #25 clips retain the .45 ACP cases good enough for range use. They are made of a carbon fiber material that is stiffer than the "regular" RIMZ clips and retain the loaded rounds, better. I prefer the steel full moon clips for "business use" but freely use the RIMZ clips for general range use.
Another option, of course, is to use Starline .45 Auto Rim cases for general use. They work extremely well and last nearly forever.
The .45 Colt, being an old black powder cartridge, suffers from excess capacity when trying to download for pleasant target loads. When the powder is forward, the velocity is considerably less than back against the primer. This generally leads to less than satisfactory accuracy for target loads.
The S&W in .45 Colt is not the most robust platform for heavy loads but it will do quite nicely with the heavier bullets, as others have mentioned above.
John Linebaugh's information on the .45 Colt is quite helpful to people but the "Ruger Only" loads are JUST for the large frame Rugers.
FWIW
Dale53
However, that said, I differ with the other posters regarding the "usefulnesss" of a late S&W Model 625-6 or 625-8 JM Special in .45 ACP. I have shot tens of thousands of these loads in my two 625's. The Model of 1989 625-6 is a 5" and the 625-8 is a 4". They will either regularly group under 1" at 25 yards off a rest. Both have proper dimension cylinder throats (4525" right out of the box.
The .45 ACP is a superior target revolver load. Using light loads in that short case are a "made in heaven" level. Powder position problems when using small charges of fast burning powders (4.0 grs of Bullseye or equivalent) work without issue. My bullet for target loads is the H&G #68 (I cast the Mihec correct copy). This bullet can also be safely driven to 1000 fps for use in the field. My heavy bullet load is a NOE correct version of the Lyman 250 gr. Keith which can be safely driven to 850-900 fps with midrange powders (Unique or Hodgdon's Universal as an example). This velocity equals the old black powder .45 Colt load which would shoot through a horse at 100 yards, to put that in proper perspective.
If you have the proper tools, using steel full moon clips (I use Ranch Products Steel Clips) are quite easy to use. You can load up a bunch of these clips and take them to the range. Then, when you get home, remove them (with the tools) at leisure. I have not found that a big problem, at all.
However, for general range use, the polymer RIMZ clips are easy to load without tools and the RIMZ #25 clips retain the .45 ACP cases good enough for range use. They are made of a carbon fiber material that is stiffer than the "regular" RIMZ clips and retain the loaded rounds, better. I prefer the steel full moon clips for "business use" but freely use the RIMZ clips for general range use.
Another option, of course, is to use Starline .45 Auto Rim cases for general use. They work extremely well and last nearly forever.
The .45 Colt, being an old black powder cartridge, suffers from excess capacity when trying to download for pleasant target loads. When the powder is forward, the velocity is considerably less than back against the primer. This generally leads to less than satisfactory accuracy for target loads.
The S&W in .45 Colt is not the most robust platform for heavy loads but it will do quite nicely with the heavier bullets, as others have mentioned above.
John Linebaugh's information on the .45 Colt is quite helpful to people but the "Ruger Only" loads are JUST for the large frame Rugers.
FWIW
Dale53
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