Home Forums Reloading Handgun Reloading S&W 25-5 45 Colt

What is the acceptable pressure my reloads need to be at or under? 32,000 CUP? Easy to find reloading data for the strong framed Ruger and Freedom Arms and on the opposite end the SAA colts…but where do the rest of the middle ground revolvers sit comfortably? I’d like to have loads with more thump the the SAA loads.

The 2 cast bullets I’m looking to load for are the 250g LSWCHP from GT bullets and The 325g LSWCHPGC from GT bullets as well. I have H110, W296, Enforcer, and a few others (I’ll have to check when I get back to the reloading room).

I don't baby mine. It shoots heavy loads just fine. A regular load is a 250 gr LSWC over 10 grains Unique

Brian Pierce did an excellent job on classifying the different 45's in a recent article in Handloader.

John Linnbaughs favorite as I remember, was that pistol with 250 gr. loads about 950fps. He said he had a grizzly load with much heavier bullet, but for normal hunting the 250 was more than enough.

I recall Linebaugh writing that his everyday load was a 255 over 13 grains of HS6, which is pretty much in the same pressure territory as 45ACP +P (which, IIRC correctly is the pressure level Pearce recommends for the 25).

I like 12.5 HS6 and the 45-270SAA bullet but the M25 may not have enough front sight height to regulate with that bullet - I know mine didn't.

I leave the 32k loads to the large framed Rugers.

Are the Model 25 frames the same as Model 29 but, heat treated different?

No, I've read that by the 70's S&W standardized the heat treatment across all the models. The cylinder would likely hold up fine with pressures above 45 +P but the cumulative wear and tolerance stacking will take a toll on the piece overall. Also, there aren't a whole lot of knowledgeable gunsmiths or spare parts left out there these days to bring a gun that's been run hard back to fighting trim.

Somewhere around 20 years back Dave Scovill (yeah, I know that's a dirty word with some) answered a reader's question on the 25 and said that it shouldn't be loaded heavier than the start loads in the Ruger Only section of Speer #13. YMMV.

No. Frames are the same.

The 45 chamber makes the area at the edge of the cylinder and especially the bolt notches are the weak points in the 25-5s and every N-frame Smith 45s.

The good news is that many starting loads for a Ruger only data is the place to stop for an N frame 45, or at 45 ACP +P pressures.

According to the Taylor/Linebaugh/Hodgdon pressure tests years ago 10.5 Unique and Lyman 454424 runs 24,800 cup - not appreciably above the +P level.

I have a 625 Smith in 45 acp and a ruger Bisley in 45 colt. A 250 gr bullet at 1000 fps in the colt and 230 gr bullet at 950 in the acp will take care of any chore I need done.

See Pearce's article in Handloader #337.


Okie John

Immediately to my right as I type this, is my S&W 25-7 Model of 1989 in .45 Colt. I just finished cleaning and lubricating it and filled the cylinder with my own cast Keith LSWC's that finish up around 260 gr after powder coating and sizing. I load the .45 Colt with this bullet over 9.6 gr of Unique with a CCI LPP and it's ability to handle most anything is impressive.

Frog---OUT

Good luck with that 325 grain in your model 25. I would be very surprised if you could get it sighted in without an overhaul of your front sight. The 45-270 SAA, which mine weigh around 280 grns, shoots high in my 25. I think 250-265 grns would be good. I would keep psi no more than plus p 45 acp level. A 250 grn at 950-975 fps will do a lot of work. If you "need" more, buy a different gun.

Regards,
Manny

I was hoping Reloader 28 would add to the discussion. I shot some of his hand loads he made for BIL. He uses 4227.
We shot these in a 25-7. Very impressive. Hasbeen

Hank Williams Jr is a big time Colt collector. I read some time ago, he likes 4227 in his .45’s, including first Gen guns.

I like it in my Marlin .45 Colt Cowboy, 24” bbl and 300 gr bullets. Good velocities and big wallop. Tough on ‘dillers.

Seems 4227 has a more forgiving pressure spike, compared to some of the other popular powders.

DF

Thanks for pointing me in a direction. I have a FA model 83 454 Casull for everything over the safe loading of the 45 colt in my S&W. I was not intending to hot rod the S&W, but rather to at least figure out what was the ceiling and back up from there. I like to know where the danger zone is to assure that’s not where I end up loading to. This helps a lot. Much appreciated.

I like mine. This one currently wearing Elk grips.

DF

John Taffin writes this in his book of the 45, speaking of 250-260 gr. bullets, "#4227 bulks up nicely in .45 Colt brass, with 19.0-20.0 grains giving approximately 900-1000 fps. Anytime I have a .45 Colt that doesn't shoot the way I think it should, I don't give up on it until I try this load, and it has never failed me."

This is my loads for the S&W 45

45 Colt, S&W, 25-15, 230 grain Nosler, 19.8 grains IMR4227.
45 Colt, S&W, 25-15, 253 grain cast, 9.8 grains Unique - These cast WW bullets are a Keith style with a wide flat nose. (My favorite)

I also use this same unique load with shot. To load the shot, I first insert a gas check over the powder, then 7 1/2 lead shot, then an upside-down gas check crimped over the shot. I tried this only on aluminum cans and it is impressive. I hunt in areas sometimes where rattle snakes are prevalent and I'm comfortable that this load would work well on snakes.


(I use these loads in a: 45 Colt, Uberti, 1873 clone)

I recently bought a Rossi '92 45 Colt. I'll see how these loads shoot in that.

You can send it my way when you get tired of it.