Model 25-5

[Jtown]

Always wanted a 45 long colt and came across this one at a really small gun shop in the Pocono Mountains. It is a Model 25-5 made about 1979, I think. I had it to the range and it is very accurate. Are these the correct grips for this gun? Sorry for the poor photos.

Walt

 

[olskool]

at one time I had all three barrel lengths. I bought the 8 3/8 in. first then the 4in. then after they quit making them I found a 6in. like new. a few years latter I sold them all then regretted it! I now have another 4in. and if I find more I will buy them. keep yours they are great guns in a great caliber,,,,,,,,,,oh yes that is the correct grips,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[steelslaver]

Great guns. My favorite caliber/ I have never seen one with anything other than target.

 

[Art Doc]

Always thought the 45 Colt should have been only offered in 4" barrel length. OK, maybe 6" too. But 8" doesn't make a lot of sense to me. The 45 Colt isn't a high intensity Magnum that needs all the barrel length it can get.

Yes, stocks look correct.

Here's mine...

 

[olskool]

yea back in the 80s when I bought the 8 3/8 in. I was into long barrels, when I got older I like a short barrels on revolvers and rifles. I really do not like long barrels anymore,,,,,,,,,

 

[olskool]

here is the only one I have now,,,,,

 

[Jtown]

I had seen an earlier thread about the bores or chambers (unsure which) being oversized in some 25-5 which affected accuracy. From my range results this gun has no problem.

Walt

 

[steelslaver]

Some of the early 25-5 and the S&W 45 colts that preceded them had large cylinder throats. anywhere from .454 to .458. Reports seem to indicate that the guns after the pin was deleted had good throats and those with the pin maybe not. At one time the 45 colt actually took a .454 bullet. If the gun has .454 throats it was usually OK with jacket bullets and not so good with lead unless you reloaded with larger diameter lead slugs.

It is hard to get a true reading with calibers. First get a jacketed .452 bullet and see if it falls though or needs a bit of a push. If it falls through, take something of soft lead like a 50 cal round muzzle loader ball, with the cylinder setting on a piece of hardwood with a hole in it for the ratchet, hold the ball on a chamber throat and give the ball a couple good taps and then measure the piece of lead extruded into the throat with calibers.
I bought a 25-5 with a 8 3/8 barrel, it had big throats and I knew it when I got it. Reamed a recessed 44 mag cylinder and fitted it, chopped barrel to 5" for a pinned and recessed 45 colt.

What I find interesting is that very few of the older 44 mags had .429 throats and few complain about accuracy from them. Not as loose as some 45 colts but often .430 or so.

 

[Pizza Bob]

I believe that the grips are correct stylewise (football cutouts for extractor star relief) but I think they probably pre-date the gun. IIRC the 25-5's came with Goncalo Alves target grips (mine did) and it appears that what you have there are Rosewood - more desirable in my estimation. Could be wrong - I'm sure the experts will chime in.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

 

[Dpris]

Got my 4-incher used in 1982.
It was my duty gun till the Glocks were forced on us & revolvers no longer allowed in 1988.

Mine will drop a .452 cleanly through all of its chamber mouths, but not a .454.
When I reload for the caliber, I just use .454 in lead.

Besides the uniform work, it's also travelled along in the wilds.
Still have it.
Still trust it as much as I can possibly trust any mechanical device.
Denis

 

[cmansguns]

My 25-2 Letters to 1971 ship date, and has the Goncalo Alves Target stocks. Note the silver medallions, whereas the OPs appear to me to be gold. Note also the checkering pattern and size compared to the rest of the grip. The OP's may indeed be of some different wood or age, but still it is a 3T, and a great piece to have in the stable.

Congrats on a good find

 

[PALADIN85020]

I think an N-frame Smith in .45 Colt caliber is an ideal combination of manageable recoil and effectiveness on the target.

Here are 3 of my 25-5s, 4", 6", and 8 3/8". All have pinned barrels, and were shipped (top to bottom) in 1980, 1981 and 1980.

John

 

[robertrwalsh]

I just got one in 4". I like it a lot and it shoots better than I can hold.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

A Model 25 in .45 Colt was a grail gun for me for a very long time. I might be selling some of my guns later this year but never this one.

Today:

Original stocks:

Those are the stocks on the gun when I acquired it. If they are not original to the gun then someone else switched them.

 

[Grayfox]

I fell in love with the .45 Colt cartridge many years ago. Unfortunately, I never got along well with the Colt or Ruger style single actions. They just don't fit my hands well and now a touch of arthritis has only made that worse.
Luckily, the S&W Model 25-5 is just my cup of tea. I love these guns and have several.

The one on the bottom right is a 25-2 .45acp, but all the rest are .45 Colt. The 5" 25-7 is my favorite and probably the most accurate .45 Colt revolver S&W ever built.

Some years ago, I acquired a bare nekkid Model 28-2 frame and built it into a snubby .45 Colt belly gun. This thing is an absolute ball to shoot.