Any suggestions for a .45 revolver?

A

AVP

New member
What are some thoughts on the S&W 625? If anyone here owns or has fired one I'd like to hear what you have to say about this gun. Since I want a .45 someday, I thought the 625 might be a nice choice. Any others I should take a look at? If it helps, I would be looking for one in stainless steel and probably wouldn't want anything shorter than a 4" barrel since it's going to be used as a range/home defense gun.


Angelo
 
M625

I had a S&W Model 625 for awhile. I really loved the way it shot and it fit right in with the gang of M1911A1's in the safe, but I quickly learned to hate the half moon clips. They are prone to warpage and getting the fired cases out is a real PITA. I just learned that Taurus is now offering a ported .45ACP revolver with a different type of half moon clip. I'm going to check them out soon.
 
The 625 is the ideal HD gun.


It is accurate and reliable and reloads quickly. I use full moon clips which in my opinion are far superior to half moon clips.

The new guns come with half moons, throw them away or use them at the range. Full moon clips are available from several sources. I would also recommend the demooner tool sold by Calif comp works (got mine from Brownells, Dillon also sells them ). Full moon clips are easy to load and unload with the tool.

The weight and balance of the gun make for accuracy. The gun is easy to shoot and has a simple "manual of arms".

Only problem I had was when the strain screw came loose, (Gunsmith induced) causing light strikes on the primers. That was easily fixed.

I replaced the stock sights with millett sights which I find easier for me to use.

I am not handgun expert but I would recommend the gun to anyone in need of a good HD weapon.
 
I have a 625 and I just took it to the range for the first time this past week. I like mine very much. Almost no recoil and very accurate. It made me look good let me tell you. I use full moon clips and they are great also. I have not used half moon clips so I have no insight there.

I would also not hesitate to recommend the Model 25 if you found one at a good price.

Here is a link to a 128K picture of my 625.
S&W 625 Model of 1989

I try not to inline pictures because I shoot them in high resolution, and if you have a modem it will take a couple minutes to download.

Good luck.
 
625

The 625 is the one gun I truely regret selling and I will own one again.

Full moon clips are nice. Quality half moon clips are good for a long time. If you use a tool to remove the casings, they last even longer.

It's an awesome revolver and a real joy to shoot.

Jeff
 
Had my 625-3 out to the range this afternoon. As always great accuracy. I've always used the full moon clips in it as well as my 1917, 25-2, and both of my 610s. They are easy to load and with a de-mooning tool they are no problem to unload.
 
Suggestions?

Sure...buy the 625 in .45 Colt instead of .45 ACP!

Not as inexpensive to shoot unless you reload, but it is so much more versatile because of the range of loads you can use.

Not that I would decline to add a 625/.45 ACP to my collection...they are great shooters.
 
Zander,

I've been thinking on a N-frame for a bit. Can you really gain much from the 45 Colt as opposed to the ACP while staying within the lower S/W N Frame 45 Colt reccomended loads???
 
The 625 in .45 ACP gives you the option of using .45 ACP ammo with moonclips, or .45 Auto rim, if you want a rimmed round without using clips.
 
The older I get the more likely I am to take the advice of those who have 'been there and done that'.

One such example is from John Linebaugh...who will likely take more knowledge to his grave than most of us will have the ability, time or expertise to question.

Check this essay for one answer to your question:

http://www.sixgunner.com/linebaugh/gunnotes.htm
Click to expand...
This is not meant in any way to demean the .45 ACP versions of the N-frame...they are great revolvers, too. One authority of the big-frame Smiths and fan of the .45 ACP version is none other than Tamara; one of the finest judges of machinery that I know.

I am fortunate to own two pre-agreement examples of the N-frame in .45 Colt...a Mountain Gun [625-6] and my favorite revolver [a 25-5]...which are joys to shoot. The latter, in 4" configuration, took me two years to find. It was worth every minute of the chase. :cool:
 
Well it sounds like everyone who has owned or fired one likes them. That's a good sign! I have a question about moon clips. What are they? I'm relatively new to guns so I'm guessing that they hold the round in place while in the cylinder. I thought it was possible to just put the 45's in just like a 357 or 38. I guess that's not the case, at least with the 45 ACP.

Arnie,
You mentioned the 45 auto rim cartridge. I did a search on google and didn't find anything but reloader webpages. Is this an uncommon round to find new from a factory?

Angelo
 
AVP,

Moon clips, half moon clips, etc., are flat pieces of spring steel that snap around the extractor groove on rimless .45 ACP ammo.

Half-moon clips were invented by Joseph Wesson when the US was getting ready to enter WW I. The gov't wanted revolvers that could chamber the .45 ACP round, and was looking for a way to get around the fact that the rimless round wouldn't extract. The half-moon clips solved that problem.

There's some indication that Wesson experimented with full-moon clips, but the half-moons were chosen because they would "nestle" better in the loading pouch, and clipped ammo could be packed at the ammo factory with much less wasted space in a box.

IIRC, ammo from the factory came packed in pasteboard cartons, with 24 rounds on clips.

Now, you CAN shoot .45 ACP in S&W revolvers (and most Colt Model 1917 revolvers, Colt also made revolvers for the Gov't during WW I), but you can't extract the cases without using a pencil or something similar to punch them out.

The last major loader of .45 Auto Rim ammo, Remington, declared the ammo obsolete a few years ago. Brass is, however, still available, you just have to load your own.

You can still find the occasional box of .45 AR at gunshows.
 
Zander.........grea link/article.....thank you.

.45, my druthers would be a Smith Model 25 (1950 Target Model.)

For range or gun games prefer moon clips.

For carryin prefer autorim cases and speed loaders.

Sam
 
The S&W Model 625 is a GREAT revolver, whether in .45 ACP OR .45 LONG Colt...I've got three of the five-inch, full-lugged guns--one "Model of 1988", two of the "Model of 1989"--as well as a four-inch barreled "Springfield Armory" Commemorative .45 ACP in the "Mountain Gun" configuration, AND a year-old "Mountain Gun" in .45 Colt...all are EXCELLENT revolvers...but the five-inch, full-lug guns would be the last ones to be sold or traded....mikey357
 
The SW 625 is my favorite revolver.

I have one with a four inch barrel version and love shooting at 25 and 50 yards.

Handles all bullet types including SWCs, RN, JHPs, and FPs.

And the SS is an awesome feature when dealing with lead and cleaning.

BTW - I love the moon clips. I've been carrying 30-40 of them around for two years and not warped one yet. But I reload and my cases have been shot out of that 625 several times so the clips load easy.

Moon clips beat speed loaders any day. Thinking about moon clipping my Redhawk.

45 Auto rim is a nice option for us reloaders but I don't know any that use them. Moon clips are just faster.

But the 625 is the best 45 ACP revolver out there!

And they do pop up used occassionally.
 
I've owned one for about 2 months or so and I love it! Mine is a 5" full underlug. Full moon clips are great. I broke a half moon clip trying to get a case out, don't care for them.

K80GEOFF or anyone else,

How do you use the demooner by Cal Comp Works to load full moon clips? I've only used mine to unload them.
 
The Demooner is not used to load the clips.

To load, place the round on a flat surface and press the moon clip down on it. Once the clip has been used a couple of times they load easier.

I am also sure somebody else on TFL land has a better way to load them:D




Edit: OK I see where my original post would have given the impression that the demooner tool is used for loading:o Bad grammar and sentence structure!
 
Another Thought

One has the choice of .45 ACP or .45 Colt. It all depends what you want to do with the gun. Both came in Mtn. Gun configurations and the former in the underlugged version (don't know about the Colt?).

If you are planning on using the gun for hunting one might consider either a Redhawk, Anaconda or Dan Wesson to fire heavier .45 Colt hunting rounds. Garrett and Corbon and some others make some heavy +P rounds and the Garrett should only be used in the Redhawk (their comments).
 
I've had my 625-6 for some time now. I actually haven't shot it as much as I want to. But I do say, it is a pussy cat to shoot, recoil is really pleasant and the thing is accurate.
The only real drawback is that it is an N frame and it is big. Mine is used for home defense, target shooting and for boondocking. I couldn't find a proper holster for it and settled for a 6"bbl vertical shoulder holster from Uncle Mikes. I had to cut it down and sew it back up for a proper fit.
Anyway I didn't like the vertical holster system and "redesigned" it to be a crossdraw type holster and it wears great. I don't like hip holsters, they constantly pull my pants down especially if I have to run with it.
I know where to get .45ar cases and plan to reload some hot ones for boondocking.
I've had both full-moon and half-moon clips. I broke 2 de-mooner tools that Dillons sells and bent the hell out of the other full-moons that I tried so I gave up on them. I can load and unload the half-moon clips by hand without too much difficulty and it still loads faster than with a speed-loader or by dumping shells in the cylinders one-by-one. It is the only revolver I own at this time and it serves the different purposes for which I bought it.
After this latest rash of kid-nappings, my wife wants a gun, so I'm thinking about a 3" S&W 64 for safety and simplicity, then it'll be 2 revolvers and 1 semi-, my SA 1911A1. Revolvers dead? Not by a long shot! The S&W 625 gets my full endorsement.
 
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