Performance Center 625-8

[625smith]

Here is my new to me PC 625. Took the 625 to Bullseye practice this week and shot it one handed @ 50ft. Not to bad for an old guy. My reloads 6.1gr of WSF with a 200gr LSWC. This 625 makes my 7th I might have a problem.
Hope that you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!

 

[bamabiker]

With great shooting like that it don't matter what the grips look like. Congrats on another good one.

 

[Rafsob]

Remember the old song, dance with the you brung!!!
Sorry, couldn't help. Merry Christmas


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=37.346564,-77.514410

 

[625smith]

Sir.
Target looks like you were doing your part. Good shooting
Gun looks like it would work well. Well built gun.
Those grips must be very functional, they are not real pretty.
Does their appearance grow on you?
Bill@Yuma

The grips do feel good in my hand. Not sure about the appearance yet may switch them out for some grippers.

 

[nawilson]

The grips do feel good in my hand. Not sure about the appearance yet may switch them out for some grippers.

Do they have the same profile as JM grips? If so, maybe you could just put some on. The Blue Press has them for $68. They do have a more traditional look.

 

[Steve_NEPhila]

Those are JM grips and I think they are cool. As for that revolver and the man shooting it... right on!!! I doubt you have a problem, it is only really a problem when it affects you daily life

 

[JJEH]

Great revolver and a great result.

Just the grips are not made for my taste

 

[brianbelanger]

Consider :
Model 500 Impact Absorbing Hogue Square Butt Conversion Grips
$36.76

I put these on my S&W 610 (shooting 40cal major pf on moonclips) and can now go through an entire USPSA / IPSC competition without bruising my hand. I did buy Gerry Michulak grips but they were brutal on my medium sized hands. I highly recommend these grips for the 625.

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/...58003_757843_757837_ProductDisplayErrorView_N

 

[scooter123]

I'm another fan of the 500 Magnum grip, it's what I have mounted on my 610, 620, and 625 JM. While they may not be as pretty as wood they fit my hand perfectly and in rapid fire drills they keep the grip glued to my hand.

BTW, the wood grip featured on the 625JM has the same profile as those red, white, and blue grips but are I believe simple Walnut. While they aren't too bad to shoot with I found them to be a bit small and not nearly as grippy as rubber so mine are stored in my safe.

 

[MifflinKid]

FWIW, I've found my 625-8 does best with lighter (less than 225-230 grain) bullets. Of those I've tried .452 inch 200gr RNFP flat-based bullets with an BHN of 18 seem to give the best accuracy. The barrel rifling doesn't look to deep so my guess is the hard alloy helps get the bullets spinning better than the softer bullets I usually use.

The .451 inch 200 grain plated bullets I've used with it didn't seem to be very accurate but I only tried five or six loads with them.

Also, mine has a frame choke problem so until I have a day to fire lap the barrel I'm withholding my final judgment on its absolute accuracy.

But it does seem to have a lot of potential. And it handles quit well.

 

[Paul105]

Are you experiencing any misfires when not using moon clips?

Paul

 

[625smith]

Are you experiencing any misfires when not using moon clips?

Paul

I have not experienced any misfires when not using moon clips.

 

[Paul105]

I recently took possession of the same gun in the OP. First thing, I added the 500 S&W Hogue's. The bone at the base of my thumb takes a pounding with all uncovered basckstraps. I have the Hogue 500s on all my round butt S&Ws.

I'm getting quite a few misfires (at least one every other cylinder) when not using mood clips. I will admit, this is with reloads, and a lot of old and mixed brass. I fully tightened the strain screw which helped but did not eliminate the problem. I can get the light hit cartridge to fire by moving it to a different cyl chamber and firing the gun single action. I'm thinking that I have one or two chambers that are a bit "deep". Max spec cyl chambers with min spec cases is probably the cause these misfires. I do have a Cyl and Slide Shop long firing pin, but haven't tried it yet. It caused a whole new set of problems on a different gun.

I'm also unimpressed with both single and double action pulls on this "Performance Center" gun. The single action in particular is both heavy and has two stages.

I'll get both issues worked out eventually, but would have thought that a Performance Center gun would have had better QA/QC.

I do have another Performance Center gun, a 629 light hunter and I couldn't be happier with that gun.

FWIW,

Paul

 

[MifflinKid]

Use the moon clips

I've read that the current crop of S&W .45 ACP revolvers are designed for use with moon clips so using loose rounds is a **** shoot. Or, if you reload, try using .45 AutoRim cases.

Try the longer C&S pin. That should help. I use an Apex Tactical XP firing pin. That made a big difference in reliability.

 

[wogentry]

I also have the 625-8 PC and the 22-4 (1917 reissue) and have found them both to be very accurate. In fact the 22-4 seems to lock up tighter and produces tighter groups, even though POI is just a hair to the left of POA with factory 230 hardball. It did even better with 200grain lead semi-wadcutters. I have yet to try the 625 with lead. I have had no problems firing rounds with out moonclips using the stock firing pin.

 

[tommy F]

I was experiencing light strikes with reloads (all with lead), tried reducing taper crimp 1/2 turn and problem disappeared. I expect theys, were moving slightly forward. Bullets were still tight. This is true with HEs, 17s, 25s, 625s, RBHs and a Taurus snubby.

 

[Paul105]

Just a quick update. I had previously backed the taper crimp die off to give minimum crimp -- so the ammo I'm currently using has a min taper crimp.

I replaced the factory firing pin with a Cylinder & Slide Shop long firing pin. It protrudes into the cyl window quite a bit more than the factory pin.

I took the gun to the range today. The first 30 rounds (both loose rounds and moon clips) fired with but one minor hitch (hesitant hammer rebound on one round). It was down hill after that. The firing pin would occasionally stick in the fired primer and even pierced a primer also occasional misfires DA. I backed the strain screw off 1/2 turn and immediately got misfires double action even with moon clips.

I'll return the gun to S&W after the first of the year.

FWIW,

Paul

 

[Paul105]

Final Update. I Replaced the Cyl & Slide long firing pin with the factory pin. Also replaced the original Perf Centr mainspring with a full power standard S&W mainspring and tightened the strain screw all the way.

Problem solved!

The double action pull with the standard factory mainspring is heavy. I'll try the standard (type 1) Wolf mainspring that I have on hand to see if I can get reliable ignition and a better double action pull.

I think the problem was a marginal mainspring and a strainscrew that was working loose with just a few rounds fired combined with Win Large Pistol primes.