My 1st Revolver

[joestefano]

I just purchased my 1st revolver. A S&W 45cal 4" 625-8 JM. I want to use it to shoot Pin's and Plates. Looking for a light load using 200gr SWC over Tightgroup (due to an over abundance of it) Is there anything special about the OAL with a revolver?

[Suicycle]

Word on the street is they are pretty liberaly on what they will eat. Since you don't have to deal with feed ramps and nasty things like that rounds longer are usually good to go along with bullet profiles, just watch for reloads on the clock.

Edited August 15, 2011 by Suicycle

[PJones1911]

I would load to the recommended OAL so the pressures are correct for the load. If any of you are S&W 625 revolver shooters and use them in competition, there is a large advantage to the small primer 45 brass. I have collected a lot of small primer brass over the past two years and just kept it with the intention of using it at some point. I shoot both at 686 and a 625 in competition. After doing a complete trigger job on both guns, with Jerry Mikulek's help, I was able to have a smooth 6 pound trigger pull on both revolvers. The 686 ignited the primers consistently and reliably every time but the 625 required an 8 pound pull to be consistent and reliable. It dawned on me that the small primer might just be the difference so I loaded up a bunch of 45 with the small primer and set the trigger pull to 6 pounds. It works great so I am now looking to collect more small primer 45 brass for revolver shooting.

Paul

[Jaxshooter]

If you properly seat Federal large pistol primers they will ignite. My 625s have 5 lb double action pulls and they set off the large primers 100 % of the time. I know a couple of people that have 4 1/2 lb pulls that do not have a problem either. You just have to seat the primers deep.

[joestefano]

Anyone using an extended firing pin? I cant get my pull below 7.5 lbs and ignite 100% with Federal primers. How did you guys get your pulls down to 5 lbs?

Edited November 6, 2012 by joestefano

[BlueOvalBandit]

No extended firing pin my factory is 0.495, but there are "short" factory pins measuring in at something like 0.486 like my 5" 625-8 had originally. Midway or brownells has factory firing pins for something like $4, I got mine from midway and it was the longer 0.495. My rebound spring is 11 lb and my hammer has been bobbed and hollowed. Works out to something along the lines of 5.5-6 lbs DA for security. I got it down to 4.75 and got maybe 40-50% light strikes.