Model 25-7 .45 Colt: Can it be converted to .45 acp?

[sport-trap]

Hello,

Is it possible to shoot .45 acp out of this gun if I buy moon clips for the .45acp ammo? Or does a gunsmith need to recess the cylinder?

thanks,

 

[29aholic]

Sell the gun to me and buy a 45acp.


Seriously though, I am not sure if it can be converted in a way that would allow you to shoot both rounds out of the same cylinder, and typically 45acp cylinders are too short for 45 Colt frame windows

 

[tenntex32]

I have read where some .45Colt revolvers were converted to shoot .45acp. In doing so they found it could shoot both .45Colt and .45acp if the rear cylinder gap was adjusted in a way as to be a little tight for .45acp on moonclips and a little loose for .45Colt ammo.

Of course a firing pin long enough to reliably get the .45Colt ammo to go bang was necessary.

Right or wrong, safe or unsafe, it was done...….and possibly many times it simply worked for both ammo types by pure happenstance.

Dale

 

[sport-trap]

Thanks for the honest feedback, I think I'll keep it as is since there were so few made.

 

[serger]

You can send the cylinder to TK Custom or Pinnacle and they will
cut it so You can shoot both rounds. Runs just under $300.00

Having said that there were only a couple thousand 25-7's made.
They are known for being VERY good shooters. So being a small
number, I'd check with Smith and see if they will still install a 45
colt cylinder on your gun then send it off. Will cost a bunch but...
Then do conversion with no harm nor foul.

Here are mine.( I still need to send to Smith for Cylinders)

 

[muzzleblast]

Thanks for the honest feedback, I think I'll keep it as is since there were so few made.

That is exactly what I would do. I have two 25-2s and two 625s in .45 ACP as well as a 25 in .45 Colt. I would love to have an unmolested 25-7...

 

[Pizza Bob]

I would encourage you to have the conversion done. I assume that you intend this gun as a shooter, not a safe queen. If the latter, then yes, machining it for moon clips would impact the value to a collector. As a shooter, you have already degraded the value and the moon clip conversion may actually enhance the value to future buyers - not something that can often be said about modifications.

The beauty of this conversion is that it increases the versatility of the gun without any downside. You can still shoot .45 Colts loaded either singly, with a speed loader or with a moon clip. You can now also shoot .45 ACP with moon clips - a much less expensive alternative to .45 Colt ammo.

I'm not sure where serger came up with his dollar figure for the conversion, but I think he's a bit high - by a factor X2. When I had my 25-13 Mountain Gun converted by TK Custom it was $125 + shipping (and remember you are only shipping the cylinder, so cost was negligible). I know the price has gone up some - I believe it is more in the neighborhood of $150 + shipping, but that amount is pretty easily amortized, given the disparity in cost of the ammo between Colt and ACP.

Here's mine...

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Adios,

Pizza Bob<----just purchased his 7th .45 S&W revolver

 

[serger]

Pizza Bob is right. The price is about half of what I thought. I had included
the ship and receive cost of my 625-9. That is where the price got jacked
up. Sorry about that.

 

[colt_saa]

Someone recently had a converted Model 25, product code 100924 (Can't recall if it was the -7 or -9) for sale. I do not know if he had any takers

You could always acquire a second 45LC cylinder and have it converted. Then the revolver could be sold in it's original configuration or as a convertible.

That is what I have here

My 627 Pinto shipped as a unfluted stainless 357 Magnum revolver but my second cylinder (black one) is chambered for 9x23 Winchester

 

[BC38]

FWIW, I have this one that someone went the opposite way.

It's an old commercial 1917 that has had its cylinder reamed deep enough for 45 Colt. It has a slightly longer hammer nose installed to light off the 45 Colts, which are headspaced pretty loose. The long nose just barely pierces the primers on 45ACP rounds, but not enough to allow any appreciable blow by or anything. Just a smidge of soot in the primer dimple.

It actually works quite well with both kinds of ammo. Somebody knew what they were doing, or did some significant trial and error gunsmithing, or got pretty lucky.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

You can send the cylinder to TK Custom or Pinnacle and they will
cut it so You can shoot both rounds. Runs just under $300.00

Having said that there were only a couple thousand 25-7's made.
They are known for being VERY good shooters. So being a small
number, I'd check with Smith and see if they will still install a 45
colt cylinder on your gun then send it off. Will cost a bunch but...
Then do conversion with no harm nor foul.

Here are mine.( I still need to send to Smith for Cylinders)

2500 made 1989-1990

Mine here......Will stay unmolested. Too many 45acp revolvers out there. I have some of those too. Seems the the 45acp rattling down that long cylinder them hitting the forcing would not be conductive to good accuracy.

 

[3rdgeargrndrr]

45LC Max Pressure 14,000 psi
45ACP Max pressure 21,000psi
stay safe

 

[BLUEDOT37]

Having two revolvers are better than one

Seems the the 45acp rattling down that long cylinder them hitting the forcing would not be conductive to good accuracy.

When I had my 25-13 Mountain Gun converted by TK Custom...

Bob, how's the accuracy with your 25-13 shooting 45ACPs compared to a comparable 45 Colt round?
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45LC Max Pressure 14,000 psi
45ACP Max pressure 21,000psi

Don't forget, the 45ACP (+P) goes up to 23K psi SAAMI too.

If you're implying the conversion wouldn't be strong enough:

A S&W 45 Colt cylinder has the same width as a 45 ACP cylinder. The stop notch's thickness are essentially the same, which is the thinnest point. No reason a 45 Colt cylinder isn't as strong as a 45 ACP cylinder.

Also, many people (myself as well) shoot 45 Super in their 325/625's & they run 25K - 28K psi.

And many people (myself as well) handload their 45 Colt rounds to those same pressures & shoot them without issue in their S&W 45 Colt revolvers.

No reason why a modern S&W 45 Colt cylinder, in good repair, shouldn't be able to handle 45ACP pressures.

.
.

If you handload 45 Colt I don't see why the conversion to 45ACP would be more versatile. You can load the same 45ACP bullets in a 45 Colt case & other than the cost of a tad more powder they'd be the same cost.

The 45 Colt is a more versatile cartridge than the 45 ACP to me.

Doesn't seem like shooting the shorter rounds in the longer chambers does the chamber walls any good? That's one reason I don't shoot 45 Colt in my 460 Mag.

I love shooting my 325/625 45ACPs but I REALLY like shooting my 45 Colt M25-13 even more. Buy a 325/625 45ACP & have both.

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[one eye joe]

Sell the gun to me and buy a 45acp.


Seriously though, I am not sure if it can be converted in a way that would allow you to shoot both rounds out of the same cylinder, and typically 45acp cylinders are too short for 45 Colt frame windows

CHECK WITH S&W TO FIND OUT IF A CYLINDER FROM A M625 "MODEL OF 1989" CAN BE FITTED TO YOUR REVOLVER, SO THAT THEY COULD INTERCHANGE TO ALLOW YOU TO SHOOT EITHER CALIBER AT WILL......

 

[steelslaver]

The 45acp cylinders are shorter than the 45 colt cylinders. Shorter by about.035 on recoil shield end so the moon clips work. Shorter on the barrel end by about 0.10. Be a lot of messing around setting the barrel back etc, to fit an acp cylinder to a colt frame. I have relieved 2 45 colt cylinders so they fire 45acps. It works fine. I have never made any real effort tto check out velocity or fine accuracy lost. I have several straight up acp guns and some colt guns. If you wanted a straight acp cylinder you could get an 44 mag cylinder from a 629 and have it reamed to 45 acp and the back end trimmed for the clips, making a long 45 acp cylinder.

Better tto just get a whole bunch of 45. LOL

 

[Grayfox]

The 25-7 is without a doubt the finest .45 Colt revolver S&W ever made. Mine shoots like a laser. They were limited production and very desirable. To modify this gun would be a crime.
If you want a .45acp revolver then buy one. But leave the 25-7 alone!

 

[peyton]

I had my 275-7 modified by Ten Ring Precision in San Antonio to shoot both 45 colt and 45 ACP.
I have it listed in our for sale section.
16-4's and 25-7 for sale

If you wonder why I am selling it well, I also have a 625-7 45 colt mountain gun with a four inch barrel and had the same work done. It turns out I like the 625-7 better.

 

[sport-trap]

The 25-7 is without a doubt the finest .45 Colt revolver S&W ever made. Mine shoots like a laser. They were limited production and very desirable. To modify this gun would be a crime.
If you want a .45acp revolver then buy one. But leave the 25-7 alone!

Hahaha, lot's of great advice, and thanks again to this forum for so many good ideas.
I will just shoot it and enjoy it as is, I do get quite a bit of attention when I have it on the range and do appreciate the fact it is a factory original gun.

 

[Hasbeen1945]

The 45 Colt is an old cartridge. Ammo manufacturers have to load ammo for the weakest gun it might be fired in. Would not work out to well to load a modern loaded 45 Colt in an old black powder pistol.
Can’t have to many 45 cal. pistols. Buy a 45 acp but keep the 25-7.

 

[bananaman]

Hello,

Is it possible to shoot .45 acp out of this gun if I buy moon clips for the .45acp ammo? Or does a gunsmith need to recess the cylinder?

thanks,

Welcome to the FORUM! I have a 625-8 JM, in .45 ACP. As much as I like it, enjoy Colt MORE in my 25-15. I myself could not bring it on myself to alter a 25 (in Colt) Especially a -7! Someday, I might own 1! Bob