model 25-2 John Jovino

[RyGuy]

Hello all,
I recently obtained a model 25-2 with a 2.5 inch barrel. Shoots .45 ACP with moon clips or .45 rimmed. From the letter I received from Roy Jinks, this firearm was shipped with a lot of 650 (6 inch model 25-2) units to John Jovino who converted them to 2.5 inch barrels in 1983. Firearm condition is 90-95% with original box. I have a few questions. Is this gun a rare collectable gun? I was thinking about putting it in my carry rotation, but if its a rare collectable firearm it will remain a safe queen. Also, I know this firearm is a N frame but it looks like jovino also rounded the butt and the grips that are currently installed look to be modified round butt K frame grips. I like to find the original (or close to it) grips but would N frame grips fit anymore or should I purchase K frame grips? finally, what kind of concealed holster would work for this gun? not to many N frame snub nose holsters! any other insight would be great! what a beautiful firearm!!

 

[Kingspoke]

Very interesting and cool 45 acp, from a renown custom gun smith. Should be some interesting commentary, coming forward on the "Jovinos". Congrats!

 

[SAFireman]

That is a great carry gun. Yes, they are collectible, but they were custom made for serious self defense.

The stocks that are on yours right now are what it came with from Jovino. You may find some factory stocks that get close to fitting, but not 100%.

Here is one of mine

Carry and enjoy that gun, that is what is was made for

 

[quinn]

Great gun!! Collectible? Yes, indeed. Great carry gun? Maybe none better if you can hide an N frame.. Jovino did modify the grips to the K frame, round butt configuration. However, he did not normally relocate the alignment pin. If you look closely on the inside of your rubber grip, you might see a second hole that was cut to correct for the alignment pin change. I have found some aftermarket 'combat' brips that work well, too. Also, if you hadn't notices, with the cylinder/crane open, if you will look at the internal edge of the ejector shroud, you will see a protruding lock pin just like the famous triple lock. This pin presses into a detent on the barrel side of the crane. This lock replaces the missing lock at the muzzle edge of the ejector rod that was removed to provide the shortest barrel possible.Here are my two, one if 45acp and one in 45 Colt, along with of closeup of the new locking pin. Both of these are documented Jovino's/

 

[AJ]

Hello all,
I recently obtained a model 25-2 with a 2.5 inch barrel. Shoots .45 ACP with moon clips or .45 rimmed. From the letter I received from Roy Jinks, this firearm was shipped with a lot of 650 (6 inch model 25-2) units to John Jovino who converted them to 2.5 inch barrels in 1983. Firearm condition is 90-95% with original box. I have a few questions. Is this gun a rare collectable gun? I was thinking about putting it in my carry rotation, but if its a rare collectable firearm it will remain a safe queen. Also, I know this firearm is a N frame but it looks like jovino also rounded the butt and the grips that are currently installed look to be modified round butt K frame grips. I like to find the original (or close to it) grips but would N frame grips fit anymore or should I purchase K frame grips? finally, what kind of concealed holster would work for this gun? not to many N frame snub nose holsters! any other insight would be great! what a beautiful firearm!!

Should find one of those and make it a belated anniversary present to myself. The shipped date was our fourth anniversary of our marriage.

 

[loc n load]

Jovino

Nice acquisition. Great revolver from a great shop from “back in the day”. Even better that you have documentation that proves it went to Jovino.
I have seen several of these big bore snubbies show up on this forum and without some kind of hard documentation there is always a question as to it’s origin.
I remember when the Jovino’s came out, there was an article in “Combat Hanguns” discussing it. It piqued my interest at the time, but S&W introduced their 3” RB model 24 around the same time.
I went with the factory gun, still have it and every model that Smith made afterwards in the snub N frame format.
I always thought Jovino and others who were producing these big bore snub’s proved to the brass hats at Smith that there was a market for the modified N frames, and that IMO is what prompted Smith to crank them out. Unintended consequences.
I am a fan of the big bore RB snubs. It was made to be carried and shot, that Is precisely what I would do with it.

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

O'Rourke will make you a fine pancake holster for that, and I'm sure that Lobo's successor will, also. A Galco or DeSantis for a 3" would probably be good also.

 

[colt_saa]

Welcome to the Forum

Holsters for snubby N-frames are made by just about every manufacturer. Just because it is not listed on a website does not mean that they do not make it. If you see a style you like, talk to the manufacturer

You got yourself a sweet little revolver. Jovino certainly turned out lots of these conversions, He probably made more than any other gunsmith. However there were dozens, perhaps hundreds of Gun Smiths doing those conversions back in the day

Mine is a Behlert,not a Jovino.

The Pachmayer Compac is the correct grip for the firearm. The reason that the grip frames were converted to K-round butt is hat at the time there was no such thing as a N-round butt. K-frame grips should fit your revolver properly

 

[jrm53]

I got a S&W model 25-2 from J Jovino in New York on 4-24-84 with a 6" barrel at a very good dealer price but I dont think they were selling modified 25-2's at this time. I had to go back to my dealer book to find this and it was a lot farther back than I remembered. Jeff

 

[ken158]

Why would you safe queen such a collectible and sought after carry gun? Use it for its intended purpose or sell it to someone that will!

 

[jwk]

Id love to have a shooter grade S&W Jovino and I would darn sure carry it. I've had a couple of Astra Terminators in 44 Mag and I've carried them w 44 Specials. Only sold them bc bore cylinder gap was so tight that you could only fire 12 rounds of cast bullets before cylinder started dragging. If I ever find a 45 ACP or 45 Colt Jovino that I can buy reasonably I will be a happy guy.

 

[dmthomp32]

Never heard of these before but I do like them! Very cool and appear to be a great carry/car gun. I'll have to keep my eyes open for one, it would compliment my .45acp mountain gun nicely!!

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

 

[RobertJ.]

Welcome to the forum! Look up Simply Rugged for another holster option.

 

[Jebus35745]

Nice looking snub, the Jovino’s have a following. I bought a 25-2 with a lot of blue wear and as soon as I got it, I took it to Andy Horvath. Cut the bbl to 3” and added a Weigand interchangeable front sight base. Still unfinished, didn’t know if I wanted hard chrome or blue. Just found a place that will reblue it and that’s the finish I prefer. I wanted to round butt the gun myself before it gets refinished. Enjoy your gun, Larry

 

[WC145]

Very interesting and cool 45 acp, from a renown custom gun smith. Should be some interesting commentary, coming forward on the "Jovinos". Congrats!

I'm a fan of chopped N frames and have owned several. A Jovino snubby conversion with any kind of provenance is a great find because, except for some of the Effector models, the guns were unmarked and, as has been pointed out, lots of 'smiths were doing similar conversions, most of which were also unmarked.

An important fact about the Jovino guns is that John Jovino was not a gunsmith and had absolutely nothing to do with the famous Jovino snubby conversions. In fact, he was most probably dead when these conversions were being done. He started the John Jovino Company and opened the gun shop in 1911 but sold out to the Imperato family in the 1920s. The Imperatos retained the name and still own the company. The conversions were built by their employees. Interestingly, there is very little information out there about the people that actually did the work on these guns. I've yet to see anyone claim to have worked for the Jovino Co. during the period that the conversions were being done, nor am I aware of the Jovino Co. ever giving out info on their employees or the number of guns converted. And not all of the guns were built on spec, you could send your gun in to them and have the conversion done on it.

I've owned a Behlert 25-2 conversion and a Mag-na-port M29 Combat Mini, along with other chopped and converted N frames but haven't had the privilege of owning a Jovino gun. Not yet, anyway.

 

[GregGA]

JAVINO 25-2

Back in the mid 80's I bought a 2 1/2" 25-2. Didn't think much about it, just liked the looks of it. I shot it some, and put it away until now and got curious about it. I always thought it was a factory gun, but that was back before the internet.

After spending a couple of days on this site, I'm 99% sure it's a Javino. Serial number is N 900624, and it has an unpinned barrel. It has Patchmayr
"Gripper" grips for Smith K frame. Everything about it meets the guidelines
Of a Javino. I'm going to spend the $75 for a letter, because in one post I read someone had a a Javino with a 900xxx serial number. I just want to know. Hope it works !

Amazing what we can learn on Great sites like this!

Greg

 

[AJ]

Back in the mid 80's I bought a 2 1/2" 25-2. Didn't think much about it, just liked the looks of it. I shot it some, and put it away until now and got curious about it. I always thought it was a factory gun, but that was back before the internet.

After spending a couple of days on this site, I'm 99% sure it's a Javino. Serial number is N 900624, and it has an unpinned barrel. It has Patchmayr
"Gripper" grips for Smith K frame. Everything about it meets the guidelines
Of a Javino. I'm going to spend the $75 for a letter, because in one post I read someone had a a Javino with a 900xxx serial number. I just want to know. Hope it works !

Amazing what we can learn on Great sites like this!

Greg

Welcome to the Forum. Hope the 25-2 letters for you, Best of luck.

 

[GregGA]

Thank you, and thanks for your service.

 

[tenntex32]

It's funny, you guys are all gaga over J.Jovino converted 25-2 revolvers and I've seen many folks act like a J.Jovino mark on an Enfield rifle is the kiss of death!

Dale

 

[GregGA]

It's funny, you guys are all gaga over J.Jovino converted 25-2 revolvers and I've seen many folks act like a J.Jovino mark on an Enfield rifle is the kiss of death.

Yep, opinions are like, you know what. Good contribution to the thread.