Question about .45ACP revolvers

[ColumbusJBR]

A recent thread piqued my interest in acquiring a .45ACP revolver, as I have plenty of that ammo and it just sounds FUN…

Forgive the dumb question, what model should I be seeking? I see the 25 and 625 pop up. Can I shoot .45ACP out of ANY 25 or 625? Or does it need to have been specifically machined for moon clips and .45 ACP.

I guess what I’m getting at is I wouldn’t be interested in a .45cal smith revolver that wouldn’t take moon clips for .45ACP (i.e. I’d have to manually poke out the spent casings), so what Models should I be targeting / eliminating?

As always, thanks for the advice!

 

[Jim Watson]

Any Model 25 or 625 made and marked for .45 Auto will take clipped ammo.

However, there are a lot of 25-5 and 625-? made and marked for .45 Colt that will not accept .45 ACP.

Have to know what you are looking at, but there are no gotchas like an unclippable .45 ACP.

 

[Pizza Bob]

You had it right - the 25 and 625 - but be aware that both these models were available in both .45 ACP and .45 Colt, so make sure that you are getting the ACP variety.

No need to machine any cylinder when the cartridge is rimless. You can take a revolver chambered in .45 Colt and machine the cylinder so that you can shoot ACP or Colt, but the reverse is not true.

Good luck in your quest.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

 

[erikpolcrack]

At one time I was told that S&W Model 25s - even number were 45 ACP and 25-odd number were 45 Colt. BTW, 45 ACP revolvers can be converted to also shoot 45 Colt with TK Custom moon clips. Simple reaming of chambers with 45 Colt reamer. They will still fire 45 ACP with half-moon or moon clips. I have a Model 1917 so modified and it works great.

 

[ColumbusJBR]

Thank you for the advice. Send up prayers for my wallet, as now the hunt begins

 

[teletech]

Don't forget the model 1917 is the original .45ACP revolver and well worth having as a shooter and historical artifact.

 

[erikpolcrack]

Don't forget the model 1917 is the original .45ACP revolver and well worth having as a shooter and historical artifact.

Couldn't agree more. I have three of them - two S&W and one Brand X (Colt).

 

[jcelect]

45 ACP revolvers

A S&W made for the 45ACP cartridge is very easy to recognize when laying on a table! Look at the front of the cylinder when it is closed. The barrel is farther back in the cylinder window than any other N frame gun!

As stated above these guns can be reamed to fire the 45LC round. However, when you are loading the 45LC rounds you must use light bullets or set the bullet deeper than normal because of the shorter cylinder!
jcelect

 

[zogger]

Suggest the 325 Thunder Ranch

I bought a 325 Thunder Ranch a few years ago. Nice gun. It uses moon clips. The front rail comes with it but you don't have to install it. I added a Hogue extended cylinder release. It works very well. Attached is a pix.

 

[donadler]

There are also Model 22 and Model 26 in .45 ACP, as an FYI

 

[Erich]

I'm told there's a good argument that the pinnacle was the Model of 1989 625-3 (they came in 3, 4 and 5" variants, IIRC from when I was slinging them across the counter to crafty old guys between college and law school), but who am I to say? You won't be disappointed should you find one (and they're not all that uncommon) . . . happy hunting!

 

[mikerjf]

Isn’t that a K frame grip on that last one?

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

A recent thread piqued my interest in acquiring a .45ACP revolver, as I have plenty of that ammo and it just sounds FUN…

... so what Models should I be targeting / eliminating?

As always, thanks for the advice!

As a reloader I prefer to go with the 45 Auto Rim cartridge so I do not have to mess with moon clips. You need to get a tool to load and unload the moon clips.

Now I really like the Ruger Blackhawk 45 Convertible. It comes with a 45 ACP cylinder and you don't need clips and it loads like a Single Action revolver. Lots of fun shooting light loads making big holes in targets.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

 

[Tom K]

That stock picture looks like a .357/9mm convertible to me, lots of meat between chambers. Same principle but different caliber. On the Ruger page (Ruger(R) New Model Blackhawk(R) Convertible Single-Action Revolver Models) it looks like the only one that is actually pictured correctly as a .45 Colt./.45ACP is the 5.5" Bisley model.

I will mention one thing about the use or non-use of moon clips. The original S&W Model 1917 had its chambers cut so that the cartridge would headspace on the case mouth if used without clips. (Initial Colts did not, but that was corrected early in the production.) Likewise later Model of 1950 and 1955 and the Model 25-2 would headspace on the case mouth without a clip. However not all of the more recent S&W revolvers are so chambered. It seems that for a time Smith & Wesson just assumed that everyone was always going to use a clip and were somewhat cavalier about cutting the chambers, and headspace can be excessive. Without a clip, ignition might be iffy. There isn't really any way to tell exactly when this happened and with which guns, just something to be aware of.

 

[Rudi]

If you can find it, .45 Auto Rim works well. Buffalo Bore makes some stout loads.

 

[.38SuperMan]

My 625-2, I foolishly sold my first one and will keep this one until I’m unable to shoot it. I’ve had this ine for about 10 years or so and don’t recall having seen another since I picked this one up. I was looking for a 5” but I have seen very few of them. I guess most of us like them so much we just don’t get rid of them.

The above comment about even and odd dash numbers is correct. At least with the 625, even numbers, -2, -4 etc, are 45 acp and odd numbers, -1, -3 etc, are 45 LC.

 

[biku324]

You can get 625-8 revolvers pretty easily. They have the lock (if you care - I don't).

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

One other S&W option is the pre &post WWII Brazilian Contract of the M1917 revolver. All are marked 1937 under the crest. They run less than US Military 1917s.

When I got mine in the early 1980s, it was scratched all over! But about 25 years later most of the fine scratches blended in with the blue finish (The Parkerized [phosphate finish] guns will never do that). All 1917s including the BC guns left the factory with a blue finish. Many WWI guns were refinished before WWII as well as many BC gun after WWII with Parkerizing.

I like to carry my Brazilian Contract gun in the woods, just think of is as a 5" Mountain Gun with a lanyard loop. My 625 is a "Model of 1989", and while still 5", it is much heavier.

Ivan

 

[moralem]

The 625 is my favorite in .45acp. But you have to love the ol’ war horses.