Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns S&W 25-2

Tell me the good and bad. I'm thinking I need a large bore Smith. The largest I have now is a 686. Hasbeen

Excellent shooters..big bullet, low recoil....can be hopped up if needed.

Only major drawback of the 25-2 was the shallow rifling made for jacketed bullets. I shot quite a bit of cast through the two I have owned and they shot well. The best load was the 225 Speer HP with I believe 6.5 grains of Unique...excellent accuracy at 25 yards.

Barrels were 6.5" from the late 50s to around 1978 when they were reduced to 6".

If you don't mind stainless there are lots of good 625s...JMs, Mountain Guns, 1989s...

Bob

Check your PMs.

Watch the cylinder throats if you want to shoot cast. Some of them are fine but they have a tendency to be all over the map with some running unusually large. If they are way oversize there isn't much that can be done short of a new cylinder or just shooting jacketed bullets.

There was a Model 25-7 in .45 Colt. They fixed the cylinder throat issue. Fairly rare pistol, though, and may cost over a grand...

I think most of the bore differences are in the 45colt arena. Not so much the .45acp.
My experience with the 25-2 is the n frame sops up a lot of the recoil translated real easy shooting, and dead butt accurate.
The moon clips are the original speed reloader.
After the 25-2 comes the 25-5. You are on a difficult slope.
I have fired a lot of 200grain "68H&G lead pills and they worked quite well.

625-3 does not suck.

I appreciate all the wisdom. I always thought I would like an ACP pistol. I just have never had a desire for a 44 mag. I think I could warm up to a 41. I know you all know about the gun bug , there is no end. I hand load so loads can be tailored to my liking.
Some friends, who know more then me do not recommend any of the pistols with the lock and MIM parts. They tell me the triggers can't be tuned as well. Hasbeen

P&R 25-2's can also have larger than std ACP throats, as do most any and all 1917's of Colt or Smith makes; newer 625's like .452/.451 stuff.
The 25-2 I have is Uber fun out to 100 yards with well aligned bullets. Jacketed won't run that far with any consistency (.454/.453 throats).

It's really like a giant 14.....with a lot more slap.

Shallow rifling begs for heat-treated hard, but even plain WW metal will run fine.

45 ACP, 45 ACP in full moons or 45 AR's all run the gamut in the older guns......if it doesn't shoot, it isn't being fed right!

Like this??

ET, how hard are those to come by. Hasbeen

Absolutely nothing wrong with the 25-5....or 25-2.



Colt BigSnakes also get a bad rap in 45 Colt; but they are one of the absolute best. Just fill the throats....

Friend has a 25 MG....throats are a snug .4525....yes, easy to get to shoot well with common dies and casting gear!!!

I call it blind luck to blunder into my 25-7 or Model of 1989. My buddy from the old PD had it and he changed guns more often than most change underwear and sold it to me for 200 bucks.I love it. Excellent shooter.

yes, like that, damn it

I've got a 25-5 from about 35 or so years ago and I still love it.

Traded my BIL a SS 115 prop for it, best trade I ever made.

Great pistol. It has the ramped front w/red insert and 6" barrel. It's sweet.

My 25-2 has .454" throats and shoots the Lyman #452664 250 gr SWC sized to .454" in AR brass very, very well. Only bullet and brass I use in the piece.

Nice one here



https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...e:_FS/FT_in_Maine_Smith_24-3#Post9690559



Mike

Large bore slow bullets just in 44

I have one made in 1970 that I got off a gun forum for $360 + $30 FFL in 2002.

The firing pin strikes are not reliable with moon clips I have, so I have always used auto rim brass.

The most power I have got out of it is with:
a) 230 gr FMJ Montana Gold 1.4" 24 gr H110
b) 300 gr cast 1.55" 17 gr LIL'GUN, roll crimp

Clark Guns [no relation] has been converting 25-2s to 460 Rowland for 15 years, which is higher pressure than my loads, but I think my loads, with longer OAL, kick just as hard.