S&W Model 25-5 45 Colt CTG.

[Militarytorch]

45 colt

Nice looking 25. From your serial #, this gun was manufactured '80-'82. If you take the grips off, you may find a date stamped inside one of the panels. The grips look to have excellent figure in the wood and appear to be in very nice condition. Go to Ebay or Gunbroker: Do a search for N frame grips. You will be pleasantly surprised to see what those square butt N-frame smooth combat grips are going for. That was probably around a $350 gun retail when new. That gun was a nice find...........but I suspect that you know that.........you are simply messing with the rest of us...........right???!!!!

I seriously didn't know what I was getting.
Revolvers are so out of my world. I am mostly into bayonets

 

[Gun 4 Fun]

I have to disagree with tdan on the issue of the square butt cambats from S&W beng less common than the round butt version. The square butt version was around for several years before the round butt version came out, and remained in production until S&W made the switch to all round butt frames.

You simply don't see them for sale as often because too many of us like them and won't sell them. On top of that, a lot of us hate round butt guns, and switched the factory round butt combats out for RB-SB conversion grips like those made by Hogue. Therefore there are more RB combats around for sale.

feral-
You can just see the backstrap on this 29-4 wearing this set of combats. These are dated March 1989 on the inside of the right panel. I know that these grips were available for at least 3 years before then though. These type grips were never numbered to any gun though.

 

[Gun 4 Fun]

I seriously didn't know what I was getting.
Revolvers are so out of my world. I am mostly into bayonets

Well, just remember- never bring a knife to a gunfight.

 

[Militarytorch]

Well, just remember- never bring a knife to a gunfight.

Great point right on the money

 

[feralmerril]

Thanks guys.

 

[Militarytorch]

S&W Colt 45

Just took grips off.
Here are some pictures.
Why would the grips be numbered like that? by that I mean why number them at all?

Thank you so very much!

 

[Gun 4 Fun]

The numbers were/are assembly numbers to help keep both halves together while going though shaping and finishing.

 

[Militarytorch]

See post # 14 here by yours truly-
http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-re...5-colt-ultimate-25-625-discussion-thread.html

Very educational.
Thank you very much!

 

[Gun 4 Fun]

Always glad to help.

 

[tdan]

<I seriously didn't know what I was getting.
Revolvers are so out of my world. I am mostly into bayonets >

Just a little friendly teasing, as most of us are not lucky enough to find nice, classic N-frames at such a great price.

Gun4Fun...........I am certainly no expert on these combat grips. In fact SCSW-3 doesn't really have much info on these combats. I did have a family member that was in the gun biz back in the 80's and 90's. I recall that virtually all N-frames came with the checkered targets back then. I'm thinking that the only square-frame combats that I ever saw on a NIB gun were a couple of 29's. I believe the box end label was so marked. Once Smith began transitioning to the round butt N-frame in the late 80's, these combat grips were more commonly seen. I've seen these on the 610's, the 627, as well as several on various 29/629's. The square butt combats do seem to command more money than the round butts on the auction sites. Perhaps the next edition of SCSW will have some more detailed info on this style of factory grip.

 

[Gun 4 Fun]

tdan-

The only square butt N frame that I can recall being shipped with the combats was the short lived M-29-4's that had the milled (or as the factory calls it- broaching) scallops in the sight rib for scope rings.

However, the SB combats were an add on item sold in most gunshops in factory blister packs for several years in the late '80's. That's exactly how I bought mine in the picture above. They were quite expensive to buy even back then, but they still sold pretty well in my area. You had to keep an eye on when they restocked the display racks if you wanted a set.

You may be right about SB combats bringing more on auction sites. I don't know, 'cause I don't watch them (like I need any more insentive to buy gun related stuff), but here in the forum classifieds, the RB version always commands higher prices.

The reason is simple- here on this site, we are all S&W fans, and everyone wants to put their gun back to original condition, and since RB combats came stock on several different guns, they are in higher demand to do just that.

 

[paulcam223]

25-5

MT : 4mos. ago I traded my 25-5, the same as post# 22, pinned though. In exchange I recieved a Springfield X-D subcompact 9mm, 1 10 round,3 16rd hi-caps, equipped with a LaserMax guide rod laser sight. Also had factory case with a cc BlackHawk leather holster. Only reason I traded is cause times are a little hard & I wanted my S&W 645 back from my daughter. I know worth way less, but sentimental.

You did great!

PC.

 

[RGMoore]

25-5 Chambers

If your bullets drop right in to the chambers they are oversize. This usually causes mediocre accuracy. I had one of these back in the 80's that I had to cast bullets for and swage them to .455 in order to get good accuracy(or not swage them at all). As far as I know no one makes oversize bullets. Don't know if some of the lead bullet casters might make up a special run for you?
Nice gun, wish I hadn't traded mine.

 

[Tha-Beav77]

Questions about my 25-5

I got this gun from a family member and can't seem to get an accurate value on this particular model. It is not listed in any price guides, or atleast the ones i check, found a similar listing in a s&w guide that states "add 100% value if it is a model 25-5" and the value was $900, and i didn't think $1,800 sounded right, nor $300 that some goof told me in a gun shop. I do know that it has a 4 1/2 barrell, don't believe these are original grips, and has a little holster wear on the blueing. Dang nice gun though, want to get it restored and pass it on to my son later on. Any info and help is greatly appreciated.

once i figure how to upload a pic, i will add it to this feed.

 

[DR505]

once i figure how to upload a pic, i will add it to this feed.

Upload several photos. Oh, and next time, just start a new thread instead of resurrecting a 2+ year old thread that many will just skip over.

 

[Cooter Brown]

Upload several photos. Oh, and next time, just start a new thread instead of resurrecting a 2+ year old thread that many will just skip over.

Bingo. Start a new thread with pics. You'll get more responses. A popular and sought after revolver.

"Restoring" it, unless it is in terrible condition, will decrease value, unless you mean cleaning it up a bit and finding original grips.