S&W 625-3
- Thread starter madmike
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pros...45 ACP...stainless...S&W...rugged N frame.
cons...not enough were made, and S&W doesn't have the smarts to make 'em that way again
cons...not enough were made, and S&W doesn't have the smarts to make 'em that way again
bigggbbruce
Member
No cons to owning one in my opinion. I have never met a S&W in 45 acp or colt I didn't love.
ColbyBruce
Member
The best $250.00 I ever spent.
Dennis The B
US Veteran
A couple of years back, I traded a 625JM and cash, just to get a used 5" 625-3. I'd do it again in a heart beat. Outstanding revolver.
625-3
No cons...except I don't have a 5-inch version to go along with my 4- inch. I always thought that the assembly people at the factory took special care in fitting these revolvers.
Mine is the most accurate .45 I own and it would be the last firearm I would part with.
If you have a chance to buy one, do it.
No cons...except I don't have a 5-inch version to go along with my 4- inch. I always thought that the assembly people at the factory took special care in fitting these revolvers.
Mine is the most accurate .45 I own and it would be the last firearm I would part with.
If you have a chance to buy one, do it.
one eye joe
US Veteran
YOU DON'T NEED MOON CLIPS TO FIRE THE REVOLVER. INDIVIDUAL CARTRIDGES DO NOT FALL THROUGH THE CHAMBERS. INVERTING THE WEAPON ALLOWS THE EMPTIES TO FALL OUT. THOSE THAT DON'T WILL DROP OUT WITH A NUDGE OF THE FINGERNAIL. MOON CLIPS WILL BE NEEDED FOR SPEEDY RE-LOADS. I SUGGEST THE POLYCARBONATE RIMZ. THEY REQUIRE NO TOOLS, ARE DURABLE, AND HOLD THE ROUNDS SECURELY…...
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one eye joe
US Veteran
I HAVE A 4" 625-3 MODEL OF 1989. I PURCHASED IT AT AUCTION ON GUN BROKER, PAYING MORE THAN I WANTED TO. SINCE THEN (ABOUT 4 YRS AGO) I HAVE YET TO COME ACROSS ANOTHER 4" VERSION FOR SALE. 5" AND 3" VERSIONS APPEAR TO BE MORE PLENTIFUL. IN ANY EVENT, I HAVE NEVER REGRETTED PAYING WHAT IT TOOK, TO WIN THIS AUCTION. THE REVOLVER HAS THE BEST OUT OF THE BOX TRIGGER, OF ALL MY S&W REVOLVERS. IT IS SUPERBLY ACCURATE. IMHO, THE QUALITIES OF THE OUTSTANDING .45 ACP CARTRIDGE CANNOT BE FULLY REALIZED UNTIL THEY ARE SHOT FROM A S&W 625-3 REVOLVER…..
ColbyBruce
Member
Want to make a couple hundred bucks???
I am truly flattered, but no.
You'd best use moon clips. Lots of 45 acp S&W revolvers are bored too deep to head space and fire on just the mouth of the cartridge........I have 2 ea 625-3's........a 3" & a 4"...Bought "em" new way back. For 100% ignition us moon clips OR autorim cartridges
Get a bunch of moon clips and a simple tool to remove the fired rounds. I go to the range with a lot of loaded clips. Unload them and reload them at home. A simple piece of tubing with a step in the end will work. I made these.
one eye joe
US Veteran
PERHAPS I AM FORTUNATE, BUT I HAVE YET TO HAVE A SINGLE FTF AFTER SEVERAL THOUSAND ROUNDS THROUGH MY 625-3. I WAS SCHEPTICAL AT FIRST, AND I PURCHASED A BUNCH OF STEEL MOON CLIPS, AND A TOOL. THEN I RAN ACROSS THE RIMZ, AND TRIED THEM OUT. THEY WORKED GREAT, I SOLD THE METAL MOON CLIPS AND THE TOOL. LATER ON, AFTER READING SEVERAL SOURCES ON THE INTERNET, I REALIZED THAT THE MOON CLIPS WERE NOT NEEDED, SO I STOPPED USING THEM AT THE RANGE……
I LIKE THE LEISURELY TIME SPENT IN RELOADING, WHEN SHOOTING BULLSEYE. I USE THE TIME FOR THE MENTAL PART OF THE GAME--ANALYZING MY SHOT PATTERN, WITH AN EYE TOWARD CORRECTIONS, ETC. I FIND THAT WHEN I GO TO THE RANGE WITH A BUNCH OF LOADED MOON CLIPS, I TEND TO BURN THROUGH AMMO, W/O PAYING MUCH ATTENTION……
OF COURSE FOR THE ACTION GAMES (WHERE THE 5" 625-3 RULES ITS CLASS), HUNTING, OR SELF DEFENSE, THE USE OF MOON CLIPS IS NECESSARY. ALSO, OLDER MODELS OF S&W REVOLVERS CHAMBERED IN .45 ACP ARE DESIGNED TO WORK WITH HALF CLIPS OR FULL MOON CLIPS…...
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I have a 4" Model 1989 version and it is the most accurate revolver I own. I use the metal moon clips, load about 30 clips at home and take to the range. No down side, just a blast to shoot, can make a bowling pin dance all the way down the range. I also paid $200 for mine in 02, its one of the guns you will have to pry out of my cold dead hands.
The 625-3 is a terrific revolver in any barrel length. I found a three-inch specimen at my LGS about three years ago and jumped on it. Haven't regretted it for a moment. I completely agree that an N-frame in .45 Colt or .45 ACP is pure shooting satisfaction.
gnappi
Member
No cons? Boy using moon clips is a PITA wriggling the cases to get them in. Add a bit of fouling and the PITA goes up! If you get one have the cylinders chamferred and they become very usable.
Without moon clips however, as the cylinders become more fouled, the PITA factor rapidly increases when trying to eject spent cases. Be sure to keep a pencil or dowel rod tucked behind your ear.
Frizzman
US Veteran
I load Auto Rim cartridges for range use. If I believe I need quicker reloads, I use the RIMZ clips. I dislike having to mess with loading and unloading metal clips that are easily bent and rendered useless. I don't use my 625-3 in any games. Rapid reloading isn't very important to me. If I want rapid reloads with a .45 ACP, I used my Colt 1911 Government Model...I like the 625-3 because it saves my old back from the stress of collecting the brass at the range and reduces the loss of valuable cases.
The only con for me is that I can't afford another! This is possibly the most fun gun to shoot I've ever owned. As much as I enjoy my 4" 66 this 625-3 wins the "grin" factor. It helps the .45acp is my favorite caliber. I did drop a few pennies on moon clips and a loader but definitely a winner.
I have the 625-2 1988 model. It is just great for the range & so accurate. I use the moonclip tool that loads & demoons & I put the loaded moonclips in a Tupperware container for the range. As for speed or even just reloading time I can go through rounds faster in even casual shooting faster than a guy with a 1911 unless he has say 15 mags already loaded. At 7 rounds a mag that's 105 rounds with cost of mags at say $450. 17 moonclips 102 rounds moonclip cost $17.
There is more to the story as they say. The 625-3 was a new model and gun built with newly installed CNC tooling mixed together with the old guard manual machines under new management and British ownership led by Steve Melvin. The first issues of this gun were full of so many problems there were rumors that some of the employees were behind it. I got one of these and so did a couple of gun writers and a bunch of pin shooters who were chomping at the bit to get them. My gun was sort of typical with crooked barrel, off-center cut forcing cone, .002" or less cylinder gap which started to drag on cylinder face from residue, hammer side plate binding, terrible DA stacking and knuckling trigger, rear sight fell off, but very very accurate which was a tease and a half. My gun went back to the factory three times costing me close to six months whereby they fitted a new barrel, corrected cylinder gap and rear sight and then re-stamped the gun's serial number ? The DA trigger problem was mostly due to the rubber Pachmayr grips screw interfering with the mainspring travel. A condition that continued until they discontinued these grips. I always had a hard time with the fact that both the factory and Pachmayr never realized this was occurring.
So after such a rough start with such a wonderfully designed revolver it took a while but the factory must have really reached out to insure all 625's got the royal treatment cause I've had three and shot dozens back when pins and plates were a big part of my life and the later issued guns are really nice. It was a smart marketing move with a very popular competition revolver at the time. During the late 80's S&W was getting into competition big time sponsoring a team or two, putting some big name shooters on the pay roll and offering special race gun services etc. I never Ransom rested one that wouldn't shoot 200 grain lead H&G's into a tight group. So overall I'd agree with the consensus that these are great guns unless of course you got one of the first of them.
Regards
So after such a rough start with such a wonderfully designed revolver it took a while but the factory must have really reached out to insure all 625's got the royal treatment cause I've had three and shot dozens back when pins and plates were a big part of my life and the later issued guns are really nice. It was a smart marketing move with a very popular competition revolver at the time. During the late 80's S&W was getting into competition big time sponsoring a team or two, putting some big name shooters on the pay roll and offering special race gun services etc. I never Ransom rested one that wouldn't shoot 200 grain lead H&G's into a tight group. So overall I'd agree with the consensus that these are great guns unless of course you got one of the first of them.
Regards
Liked my first one so much that I soon scored another.
I use these for club matches. Sometimes they specify irons only.
In my old shaky hands, these are more accurate than a 1911.
Iron sighted one, offhand at 25 yards:
And they get used, hard:
This pair has helped to many match wins.
Bullseye, ICORE, Steel Challenge.
I use these for club matches. Sometimes they specify irons only.
In my old shaky hands, these are more accurate than a 1911.
Iron sighted one, offhand at 25 yards:
And they get used, hard:
This pair has helped to many match wins.
Bullseye, ICORE, Steel Challenge.
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