S&w 625

R

Rival

New member
I currently have a .45 ACP 1911, and I was thinking about getting a wheel gun in the same caliber. It would be nice if I only had to worry about getting ammo in one caliber.

What do you guys think about model 625? I am new to revolvers and never owned one. I have shot on numerous occasions from revolvers chambered for .357 Magnum. Is 625 a good revolver in a wheel gun world? I also noticed that there's a Performance Center 625 model that costs considerably more, is it worth getting?

Thanks folks!
 
Hi Rival,
I did the same thing, had a 1911 and wanted a revolver in the same caliber, it is kind of convenient. But you must know what you want the revolver for, because unless you reload you cannot really tap it's full potential.
.45acp's can be fired without the moonclips, but if you bite your fingernails forget about pulling them out by the rim, you'll need a wooden dowel to push the empties out.
The moonclips are a pain, if you load your entire box or boxes of shells in the moonclips it's ok, but if you only have a couple moonclips then you shoot, unload the moonclips, load them and start over, I spend more time loading and unloading than shooting. So I end up just dumping the single cartridges in the cylinders and pulling them out when finished, it's much quicker.
The remedy to that is to use auto-rim ammunition which can be bought at www.georgia-arms.com or loaded yourself.
I chose the 625 because of ammo compatibility and the ability to load some seriously powerful rounds using the auto-rim cases, besides the 625 seems to shoot lead bullets better than jacketed ones.
This gun is not a carry gun, it is big. It's best at Target shooting, home defense or for in the woods.
 
I've had a 625 for about 10 years. A great gun. Very accuate and eats any 45 ammo out there. The moon clips take some getting used to but work just fine.
 
I've had a 625 for about a year, as a companion to half a dozen different 1911s. I love it! It actually is a soft shooting, very accurate gun.

Once you get used to moon clips, you will love them too. It really helps to get a demooning tool, since taking the clips apart is the really awkward thing about the moonclip process. As far as usability is concerned, if you load up a box ahead of time, its amazing how quickly you will go through it. The moonclips provide one of the quickest reloads going - better than speedstrips, better than speed loaders.

You hear a wide range of opinions here about how heavily you can load for the 625. Some people will shoot .45 Super in it, which is a really stout round. I've been afraid to try that for fear of damaging a fine weapon. 45 Super brass is stronger than 45 ACP. I can't compare it to 45 Autorim for strength.
 
I liked the 625 so well that I got rid of my 1911s to get more 625s. I've built up a lot of moon clips over the years. I could load up once and go to a 3 day pistol course w/o having to strip a single clip. I've also got .45AR ammo loaded.
The real beauty of the 625 is that you can load it below the floor of what the 1911 will cycle. I've got it down the light 38 spec levels. Great fun to shoot.
 
Bought one as an impulse buy about 6 months ago. It's without a doubt my most accurate handgun. Recoil is all but eliminated due to the heavy weight and the trigger pull is excellent. Don't worry about the full moon clips, they're user friendly and aid in reloading. I say go for it, you won't be disappointed.
 
Try to find an older 625 with the floating firing pin in the hammer nose. The current units have the firing pin in the frame. The older units are more reliable and are favored by gunsmiths for improvements such as double action only trigger actions.
 
If you want a carry revolver, you might consider a Taurus .45 wheelgun. Since it's smaller framed- and a 5-shooter- it's considerably lighter.
 
I've got a .45 acp Mountain Gun, and love it. Fun to shoot, and very accurate.

The moon clips aren't that annoying with the right tool to get the empties out, and it does provide for a really quick reload.

The Mountain Gun is only marginally heavier than the Taurus, and offers six rounds.
 
I have a 625-3 with a 3" barrel that I picked up on auction last year. Had it out to the range last Sunday. Can you say one ragged hole in the 10 ring. Ditto on everything posted here. Great gun.
 
Picked up a used 625-3 last week as I too enjoy the .45s.
The trigger is outstanding and overall shooting it is very smooth. Much less recoil than one would expect. You will not be disappointed.

Don't bother with the Taurus .45. Do some searching on this board and you will find out why.
 
Mine is the Model of 1989 verson, really like it a bunch. Agree a de-mooner is very much needed. The moon clips are not expensive, no reason not to have plenty. The cost of one quality mag for a 45 will buy a bunch of moon clips.
 
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