S&W 625 rechambered for 460 Rowland

A

ammo dave

New member
I got my 5" 625 back from the smithy this week rechambered for the 460 Rowland. I had a 25 and 625 just gathering dust after years of shooting 45AR target loads. The 460 is a little more interesting. I loaded up a fresh batch of starter ammo with 185gr JHPs and AA#5 powder with loads ranging from 12gr up to the max load of 14.5gr. Accuracy was excellent with all loads but it was obvious that 14.5gr was probably a little on the hot side (although the primers looked good, extraction was difficult). I settled on 14.0gr as my max load for my gun. I didn't have a chrono so I'm not sure of the velocity (Clark advertises 1503fps for the 185gr JHP pushed by 14.5gr of AA#5 although no barrel length is mentioned). As expected, recoil was about the same as a similar 44mag load.
 
Moon clip reloads, for one.

Since the shell is still shorter than a .44Maggie, ejection should be easier (assuming no sticking) and reloads faster by a bit.
 
Plus, while your alternate ammo for a .44 Magnum is costly and uncommon .44 Special, your backup ammo for a .460 Rowland is ubiquitous and inexpensive .45 ACP. :)


Hey, ammo dave, have you shot it for groups with ACP since the conversion? Did the added freebore affect anything?
 
Tamara: Haven't shot any ACP or AR since the conversion but accuracy is at least as good with 460 as it ever was with the ACP. I'll have to take some std ACP loads with me to the range next time and see if the conversion affected their accuracy.
 
Yeah, Dave can fire .45 Super thru his converted 625...in fact, you can fire .45 Super thru an UNconverted 625...same OAL as a .45 ACP, and if'n a 625 will stand up to .460 Rowland it'll certainly handle .45 Super okay....mikey357
 
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