model 25 caliber question

[John_M52]

Sorry if asked and answered but I'm confused. I took my hand me down model 25- ? TTT (looks almost as if it has a 2 stamped over a 1) to the range today. The barrel says 45 CAL MODEL 1955. My dad told me, from what I recall, that I could shoot either 45 LC or 45 ACP with half moon clips. 45 ACP will seat on the mouth based on the ridge inside the cylinder. I don't have any Long Colt rounds. I used half moon clips and it shot well. The question is can it actually hold LC rounds with the ridge in the cylinder or is this an acp cylinder only? Sorry for the absolutely horrible picture!

 

[Dave.357]

Your revolver was made to shoot .45 ACP
Only .
Most model 25’s with even dash numbers
we’re built for .45 ACP.
The ones with odd dash numbers are
for .45 Colt.

 

[John_M52]

Thanks Dave. Makes me wonder if the frame was stamped 1 and then overstamped 2 with a replaced cylinder. Gonna take a closer look tomorrow.

 

[S&WIowegan]

I'm quite sure your gun was never intended to shoot 45LC. But, It will shoot 45 Auto Rim ammo as well as 45 ACP.

Good gun enjoy it. Most of these guns shoot jacketed ammo better than lead.

 

[Dave.357]

Do not think your cylinder has been replaced.
ACP cylinder is 1.53” 45 Colt cylinder is
1.67” long I believe the 25-3’s were in .45 Colt
but had the short cylinder but the space
between rear of cylinder and recoil shield
Is different.

 

[StrawHat]

From the factory, S&W Model 25-2 is chambered for the 45 ACP and will also accept the 45 AR. Frames were often over stamped but it means little or nothing.

The cylinder accepts and fires the ACP cartridge without moonclips. Moonclips just make extraction easier. They may make reloading easier but the intent, in 1917, was to tract the rimless pistol cartridge from a revolver. Quite an ingenious solution actually!

The rifling is the same as specified by the Army in 1917, so it is set up for hardball or the equivalent handload. They can be made to shoot with lead bullets also but they need to be sized to the cylinder.

Some of these had oversized throats but most of them are decent shooters.

I have several and one is customized for carrying.

Kevin

 

[M29since14]

Maybe your just remembering “LC” instead of Auto Rim? Unless the gun is modified, it will not chamber a .45 Colt cartridge. Does that one have the old “W” mainspring?

 

[TheTinMan]

The OP’s revolver is chambered for 45 ACP of the cases headspace on the shoulders in the cylinder throats.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought that there were some 25-2 made by S&W for 45 Colt. A rare but real animal?

 

[StrawHat]

The OP’s revolver is chambered for 45 ACP of the cases headspace on the shoulders in the cylinder throats.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought that there were some 25-2 made by S&W for 45 Colt. A rare but real animal?

The S&W Model 25-3 was made for the 45 long Colt cartridge and used the same length cylinder as the ACP round.

With S&W, never say never, but I am not aware of any Model 25-2 revolvers chambered for 45 long Colt from the factory.

Kevin

 

[StrawHat]

…Does that one have the old “W” mainspring?…

If it is stamped with a Model number it was built after 1957. If it does have the W or the U shaped mainspring it is a replacement for the leaf spring.

Kevin

 

[stansdds]

Your Model 25-2 is chambered in 45 ACP, 45 Colt rounds should not fully seat in the chambers. You mentioned it looks like the "-2" was stamped over a "-1" marking. This is not uncommon in S&W revolvers. It is possible that your frame was originally stamped "25-1" and before it could be assembled, S&W switched production to the model 25-2. In those cases, they would overstamp the engineering change number with the new number. S&W did now waste parts and certainly did not waste frames.

 

[John_M52]

It's the 1.537" cylinder. I may be misremembering the LC vs auto rim. Definitely a -2 stamped over a -1. Frame under grip marked 5 5 30732 R X. From what I can see without taking the side plate off the mainspring is solid unless the W is deep inside. Thanks for all the info.

 

[Model19man]

The S&W Model 25-3 was made for the 45 long Colt cartridge and used the same length cylinder as the ACP round.

With S&W, never say never, but I am not aware of any Model 25-2 revolvers chambered for 45 long Colt from the factory.

Kevin

My copy of the Standard Catalog of S&W (4th edition) says a few were originally chambered for 45 Colt. I have a M25-2 with both cylinders so mine will fire either one - very accurately!

 

[Hair Trigger]

The S&W Model 25-3 was made for the 45 long Colt cartridge and used the same length cylinder as the ACP round.

With S&W, never say never, but I am not aware of any Model 25-2 revolvers chambered for 45 long Colt from the factory.

Kevin

SCSW mentions that very few M25's were made in .45C until 1977, when the 125th Anniversary -3 and -4 were marketed. I suppose .45C could have been special ordered, and I'd say they would be rare and desirable collectibles. The -5 was the first non-commemorative M25 chambered for .45C. The -3 and -4 are "short cylinder" .45C.

You mentioned it looks like the "-2" was stamped over a "-1" marking. This is not uncommon in S&W revolvers. It is possible that your frame was originally stamped "25-1" and before it could be assembled, S&W switched production to the model 25-2. In those cases, they would overstamp the engineering change number with the new number. S&W did now waste parts and certainly did not waste frames.

Too bad it didn't stay a dash-1. They're sort of like M28-1's, very rare, made less than a year. SCSW says "scarce production".

I've got a 4" nickel M25-5 from 1980, and I really enjoy shooting .45C. Mine has the larger throats, but still seems a very accurate revolver.

OP, show us more pictures, and one with the yoke open so we can see the overstamped model number. Nice revolver you have.

 

[John_M52]

Pics posted...

Wonder what the numbers / letters under the grips mean?

Close up pics look nickel but it's blued - just the reflection

 

[Hair Trigger]

Pics posted...

Wonder what the numbers / letters under the grips mean?

Close up pics look nickel but it's blued - just the reflection

Mid-1968 production with a SN of that range. I have two S numbered N frames that bracket your SN, one is a 1967 and the other is a 1968. I say mid 1968 because yours still has the diamond stocks, which were changed that year (the diamond was deleted). The numbers and letters on the grip frame are production and inspection markings, but I believe the "R" means the gun has been factory repaired or re-blued, not sure. Somebody with more expertise will comment on that.

It looks like the "5" as well as the dash-1 are overstamps, so the frame was probably earmarked for a different model before it was made into a M25.

Edit: I missed the 2 after the S in the SN; that makes yours a 1963 production.

 

[stansdds]

It looks like the "5" as well as the dash-1 are overstamps, so the frame was probably earmarked for a different model before it was made into a M25.

Edit: I missed the 2 after the S in the SN; that makes yours a 1963 production.

Sure looks like that frame had an identity crisis while at the mother ship.

 

[John_M52]

I thought the 5 looked odd but didn't think too much about it. But looking closer, maybe it transitioned between models and revisions a few times before it left the factory! I can't make out if the 5 was double struck, struck really hard, or over top of another number.

Thanks for the age information. It shoots pretty nice - maybe not as nice as my 17 or 19 but it was also late in the day so my hand was getting a little tired by then. I did feel a bit like Dirty Harry with that big hunk of steel - I haven't shot my M29s in years.

 

[M29since14]

…From what I can see without taking the side plate off the mainspring is solid unless the W is deep inside. Thanks for all the info.

Standard mainspring. No need to take away the sideplate. The W-style spring can be seen with the stocks removed.