My first 45acp wheel gun

[StakeOut]

You can never own enough .45cal wheel guns

You can use moon clips,half moon clips,load without clips and pull empties out with your fingers or reload Starline 45 Auto Rim brass cases.

Next you'll need to get a Model 25 in 45 Colt

I only have 4 45cal revolvers but still looking for more.

 

[cbm1948]

I have a 625 w/ 5" bl, as someone mentioned get a lot of moon clips and tools to load and unload them, then go enjoy. You sir are bitten by the 625 bug, what a great virus to have.
clint

 

[grumpy7159]

I have the 625 JM also. You will love it. Get plenty of moon clips. I have Wilson combat, Brownells, and Smith&Wesson moon clips. My mooner and moon clip stripper that I finally settled on were from Brownells and Midway. The mooner looks like a thin pliers with a feral to adapt to 45ACP. The moon clip stripper looks like a nut driver. Both work very well. I am not sure they sell the product anymore, but look for something that works for you as your will be shooting you 625 a lot.

 

[M E Morrison]

Congrats! I use rimz soft clips. Easy load and unload. I shoot a 170g Magnus swc over 4.2 because my 1911 likes it. Offhand Flyer below is me. Fun with a red dot on an $8 scope mount.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

+1 on the Rimz moonclips. They are soft & don't require any tools - really saves your fingers!

 

[1911 45]

I've owned a lot of revolvers over the years. Never had a 45 auto revolver until now.

S&W 625 JM, brand new. This one has a very tight lock up and zero endshake.

Any experience and thoughts about this one is much appreciated. It will be a home defense and occasional carry piece.

Thanks

Congrats on your 625 JM you are going to love it. I bought one a little over a yr ago and like you it was my first 45 revolver.

 

[RSBH44]

Dave--I have never wanted to be accused of blasphemy on this forum but I believe my 22-4 is as nice and ANY S&W revolver of any vintage that I have ever seen. The fit, finish and mechanics are simply outstanding. I ignore the lock.

Thank you for your post.

John

That happens to be the next revolver on my .45 list !

 

[BLUEDOT37]

45ACP revolvers

Congrats on your new find!

I bought my first 45ACP revolver back in the late 70's, a brand new M25 6" bbl. Keep it for several years & for some reason never got into it, mainly because of the moonclips, & traded it.

A few years past I found a 325NG & learned about the Rimz moonclips & Starline's availability of 45 Auto Rim cases. I was hooked.

I've added two more, a 625PC & recently a 325TR. They all get a steady diet of S-L 45ARs, with an occasional outing of some 45ACP.

A handful of the full metal moonclips, loaded up, are nice to have ready if an emergency arises though.

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[WizardWine]

As my username would suggest - I have a "thing" for them. Almost an entire shelf in the safe dedicated to them. My very first gun as an adult was a 625-3 3". It was all down hill from there. Models: 1917's, 1950's, 1955's, 25's, 625's - normal production, limited editions, Trophy guns.

Current production 45Wheelguns are some of the best the factory has ever made.

Hello - My name is Dave, I have a 45Wheelgun addiction.

Who did the engraving on this nice shooter? I have a S&W 39 engraved by Bill Mains, this guy was an artist in his own right. Yours looks real professional. Keep yer powder dry. Wiz

 

[eTripper]

My 5" bbl. Model of 1989 is my favorite revolver, that I never tire of shooting. No collection of 'wheelguns' would be complete without at least one chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. A lot of choices for load are available for the gun, as previously mentioned the .45 Auto Rim, or the even more strident .45 Super round.

 

[45Wheelgun]

Who did the engraving on this nice shooter? I have a S&W 39 engraved by Bill Mains, this guy was an artist in his own right. Yours looks real professional. Keep yer powder dry. Wiz

That work was done by Jeff Flannery in the mid 90's. He also did the grips, which are some of the finest I have ever seen. I can highly recommend him.

Jeff Flannery Gun Engraving

 

[45Wheelgun]

Dave--I have never wanted to be accused of blasphemy on this forum but I believe my 22-4 is as nice as ANY S&W revolver of any vintage that I have ever seen. The fit, finish and mechanics are simply outstanding. I ignore the lock.

Thank you for your post.

John

I've owned several 22-4's over the years and they have always been great shooters. I think you misunderstood me when I said "some of the best" I wasn't intending to suggest that older variations were not up to par, but to impart that current production guns hold their own against guns which are historically known to be highly accurate.

 

[sodacan]

Up until last year, I owned four revolvers in 45 ACP. The " newest" one was sixty years old. I'm not a huge fan of newer S&W revolvers, but because of my affinity for the caliber in a revolver, and a very well priced 625-2 becoming available, I took a flyer and bought it. I knew it would be an easy flip if it wasn't for me. I still prefer the old ladies, but it is a really nice gun based in its own merits. Anyone who is into the 45acp revolver should give serious consideration to the BMT mooner. It really makes the shooting experience more pleasant. Not the cheapest alternative by far, but once you use one, you'll quickly forget about the price.

 

[SPEEDGUNNER]

Without hijacking this fine thread, would someone please take a minute to explain the need for and the use of "moonclips" with .45ACP and the alternatives thereto?

I have only purchased revolvers in .45LC because of the need for "moonclips" to shoot ACP, but would be interested in learning more about .45ACP in revolvers.

Thanks.

 

[jcelect]

Moon clips??????????????????


Here are a few! 9mm(940),9mm(986), 9mm(929), 38 Super (686), 40 S&W(646), 40 S&W(610), 10mm (610), 45ACP(too many to mention)

Hey Speedgunner
The above mentioned calibers are ALL rimless cartridges! A S&W revolver needs a cartridge rim to extract the cartridge from the chamber(with one exception). The moon clip provides the "rim" for the extractor to work properly. Also it is a handy speedloader!
jcelect

 

[Muley Gil]

Without hijacking this fine thread, would someone please take a minute to explain the need for and the use of "moonclips" with .45ACP and the alternatives thereto?

I have only purchased revolvers in .45LC because of the need for "moonclips" to shoot ACP, but would be interested in learning more about .45ACP in revolvers.

Thanks.

Since the .45 ACP cartridge is rimless, the various moonclips give the extractor star something to push against. The first clips were of the half moon shape and were used in large frame S&W and Colt revolvers during WW I as a substitute standard, since Colt and others couldn't build 1911s fast enough. The half moon clips were designed to be discarded after one use.

Later on, full moon clips and 1/3 clips (these hold two (2) rounds) were developed.

 

[sodacan]

There is NO faster way to load a revolver than by the use of moon clips. Guns that don't use them have a design flaw. LOL.

 

[icelander]

An under-appreciated 45 AFP revolver

Nobody mentioned the Governor! Mine has a smooth if heavy double action trigger, a crisp single-action pull, and surprising accuracy out to 25 yards (haven't tried further). A hoot to shoot, and if you get bored with 45 ACP...

 

[Gunnut.38]

You will love it . I own its great grandpa a M1917 .Mine is going to be turning 100 in a couple of years. One of my favorite revolvers I own.

 

[45Wheelgun]

Without hijacking this fine thread, would someone please take a minute to explain the need for and the use of "moonclips" with .45ACP and the alternatives thereto?

The need was historic as pointed out above - here is the best example of "use" - The fastest 12 shots including a reload ever recorded, by the namesake of the OP's revolver Jerry Miculek: (and my favorite shooting video on youtube)

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzHG-ibZaKM[/ame]

 

[Neumann]

A few months ago I got the urge to buy a .45 ACP revolver. I like shooting .45 ACP and reload for it, but in practice I lose 30% or more of my practice brass indoors and 100% outdoors.

At the time, there were three models in stock, a 625 JM, 625 PC and Thunder Ranch 325. I read a lot of reviews, but couldn't actually put my hands on one. I have a TRR8 and really like the aluminum frame, steel cylinder and 2-piece barrel, but the 325 TR has mixed reviews, many negative. The JM is a standard frame and trigger, but with a 4" barrel and full length lug.

Ultimately I went for the PC version, 4" with a tapered lug. Between the PC trigger (9.5# DA) and lighter barrel, I feel comfortable with this choice. The first time out I was shooting 2"-3" groups, SA, at 30 feet. That's about as good as I ever get. The PC also has broached rifling, ideal for lead bullets. I have about 1000 230 gr, RN bullets from Oregon Trails, ready for for my next reloading session.

I already had a Deluxe Moon Clip Tool tool, so I bought about 60 moon clips so I can load up enough rounds for a trip to the range without wasting time at the bench.