Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 45 LC "heavy" loads in a S&W Model 25?

Can a Smith and Wesson Model 25 handle "heavy" loads?

Up to about 25,000 and the S&W will live and long happy life

By "heavy" you mean a 250gr bullet at just over 1,000fps, yes.

As noted, keep them under 25,000psi and you AND the pistol will be happy.

Ed

Linebaugh says so and tested it thoroughly, but personally I'd limit it to bullets under 280 grains and load to 45 ACP pressure (21,000 CUP/PSI), ESPECIALLY an older one.

Speer lists loads listed up to 25,000 CUP; I'd definitely keep them under that.

The cylinder walls at the bolt notches are thin, even in an early 29. Later models like the Mountain Gun appear better designed; a lot better bolt, bolt notch and hand system, if you are firing a lot of rounds.

The difference between 1,300 fps and 950 from a 45 Colt with solids on deer sized stuff is less than marginal...

A 250 hardcast moving around 1,000 fps will let the air out of most anything you come up against.........

My 25-7 loves that load!

when I first got my 25-5, many years ago, I just fed it what I wanted. Heavy loads were no problem.
Today, I take it easier on the old gal, but there does not seem to be any harm after touching off thousands of 250 grain,, 1000+ fps loads.

My perspective is this:

I don't "abuse" my guns. That being said, I don't worry about wearing them out. I have couple N frames that have many thousands of rounds through them. if I shoot them loose, I have the end shake, or whatever else taken care of.

Life is WAY too short, and can end in a BLINK, or a flash. So enjoy the heck out of the revolver. If you shoot it to the point of complete disrepair, with moderate to upper loads, hang it on the wall, go get another and keep on enjoying such things while you can.

We should all be so lucky to wear out a half dozen guns before we are done. I knew men who will never have that chance.

Dying with a safe full of barely used guns. Not much of a point to me.

Cheers

I tend to agree with Mackay. The S&W 45 Colt shuld be able to get 1200FPS with a 250 grain hard cast without undue stress IMHO with the correct powder

13 grs of HS-6 and the RCBS 270 SAA (goes 283 grs as purchased) goes a bit over 1000 fps in my 4" 25-5. A a fairly mild load that will do all I will ever need from the combo. That bullet has become my go to in my 45 Colt's.

+1. This load should handle almost any hunting chore. If you need more, there's always the .475's and .500's.

Here is an article by John Linebaugh specifically about your Model 25 and what it can take.

http://www.handloads.com/articles/default.asp?id=12

++ 1

Paul

Yep. I've had two revolvers "shoot loose" on me over time, one being a S&W. I sent it back to S&W and they repaired and re-timed the revolver for a nominal charge, and fairly quickly, too.

FWIW, I have found that my truly heavy loads (eg, 300 gr LBT @ 1325 fps, a "Linebaugh" load)that are manageable in one of my Bisley's are intolerable in my 625 Mountain Gun. The heaviest loads I run in any of my N-frames are considerably below that threshold... in 45 Colt, ~270 gr cast bullets running at ~1100 fps.

I go below that these days Doc. The load I shoot in my Smith is usually a 250 grain LSWC running right at 900 fps. It will go end to end through a fairly good sized pig, and in Florida, there is nothing that won't fall, and quickly, to one of those fat slugs.
Long ago, I realized that for me, if I need more than that, I'll reach for a rifle.

I am going the exact opposite - going slower for plinking fun and maybe small game.

The trick to this is not having to adjust the sights. The way that is achieved is by using Cowboy 45 Special brass. I am shooting 200gr SWC over 5.2gr of Unique and it has the same POI at 10y as 255gr SWC over 9gr of Unique.

This lets me shoot my lovely N frame lots more using less powder and lead alloy. These days, it matters because I dunno when I can get next batch of reloading components...

I think the model 25 is the same N frame as the Model 29 44 mag.

should be good.

Right, Sam, when I said those were the heaviest loads I'd run in my 625, I didn't mean to imply that's my standard load, but it's the load I've carried in bear country for the past few years. It's a lot lighter than the heavy loads I used to run in my Bisleys/Blackhawks, and I hardly ever run those any more.

For the most part I run a 265-270 gr bullet at about 1000 fps. I've got several bullets in this class that shoot well and I can't seem to decide which one is "the one" so I can sell the rest the moulds! I'm still playing with load development with my latest mould, a converted LBT-WFN hollowpoint mould... so far I need about 1000 fps to get them to expand reliably with the alloys I have on hand.

These are only slightly warmer than the standard factory loads, but I find them more accurate out to 60-80 yards, which is about my maximum hunting range with my 45's.

"The load I shoot in my Smith is usually a 250 grain LSWC running right at 900 fps. It will go end to end through a fairly good sized pig, and in Florida, there is nothing that won't fall, and quickly, to one of those fat slugs.
Long ago, I realized that for me, if I need more than that, I'll reach for a rifle."

+1. It can be fun to hot rod the .45 colt, but 900fps has been a sweet spot for accuracy and effectiveness in my experience.

Ella

Not really heavy, but I shot 20 grs 296 with the 300 gr Sierra fnsp bullet for years out of my Smith till a Bud bought it from me.

Gunner

Another note, some may not know, but that 300 gr Sierra was one TSOB of a bullet, and very accurate to.

well, since i have some .45colt brass tumbling right now, i looked up an article from handloader magazine, no 246, april/may 2007 by brian pearce. On the s&w model 25, his writing said as quotes, "loads in the 20,000 psi range will prove useful for U.S. Firearms revolvers that are 100% american made(after the year 2000), Colt New Service, Ruger New Vaquero and Smith & Wesson post WWII N Frames, including Models 25 and 625 mountain guns. Loads in the 32000 cup range should be limited to Ruger Blackhawk, Vaquero, colt anaconda or other modern revolvers designed to stand up to this pressure level. The article was about loading for the S.A.A. 270 grain bullet, as cast to about 283grains. There were a variety of loads presented in three different pressure ranges. In the one for the 25-5 one i have been using throws that bullet at 1012 to 1093 with the powder recommended. As i have that saa but also in a pentad hollowpoint fired into about a four inch book in completely penetrated and expanded to about .95of an inch. Works for me.