Gary Stevens Posted April 11, 2005 Share Posted April 11, 2005 Lew Horton has made a bunch of limited run Smith and Wesson revolvers. I have several in 2 1/2 and 3 inch versions. I got to wondering if they every made a 25-2 45 ACP with a 2 1/2 or 3 inch barrel. I can't remember one, but at my age that doesn't mean much So how about it, did anyone make these? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRT Driver Posted April 12, 2005 Share Posted April 12, 2005 I've got a 2 1/2" M625. It's in stainless but it's marked 25!!!??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeFoley Posted April 12, 2005 Share Posted April 12, 2005 Gary, I don't know about about a 25 from Horton, or from RSR, but the Performance Center made a 625 3" full lug in 1998. Production was 150 units each in .45 ACP and .45 Colt. They had fluted cylinder and rosewood grips. Retail was $775. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airedale Posted April 12, 2005 Share Posted April 12, 2005 Gary, My Supica book on S&W shows that in 1977 the 25-3 with 3" barrel and round butt was made for Lew Horton. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
underlug Posted April 12, 2005 Share Posted April 12, 2005 The Jovino Company and Austin Belhert were the two name Smiths who did modifications on the 25 for carry in the 70's and 80's. There is a current thread on these pistols at Smith-Wesson forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carmoney Posted April 12, 2005 Share Posted April 12, 2005 The short 625s are 3" guns, not 2-1/2" (remember, you measure from the rear of the barrel, not the spot where it begins protruding from the frame). The Horton 25-3s were chambered for .45 Colt. The closest thing to a true snubby on a 25-2 was the 2-3/4" Effector model, produced on a limited basis by the John Jovino Co. in NYC. (They bought regular 25-2s from S&W, then cut them, rounded the grip-frame, did the actions, etc.) Very cool guns. I want one fairly badly, but not for the $799 that was the asking price on the last one I saw for sale.... Other gunsmiths (like Austin Behlert) did one-off N-frame snubbies on a custom basis. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Stevens Posted April 12, 2005 Author Share Posted April 12, 2005 I believe that custom gun is what I am remembering. I think I saw one once and thought it was a pretty neat gun. It was a 25 and nice blue on it. Thanks much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carmoney Posted April 12, 2005 Share Posted April 12, 2005 John Jovino also marketed an oddball semi-custom snubby big-bore which was built on the Astra .44 Magnum. Pretty cool looking gun, but it was a friggin' Astra, you know? I think it was called the "Eliminator" or something like that... I remember articles about these guns running in early editions of "Combat Handguns" and Phil Engeldrum's old "Pistolero" magazine. That old Lew Horton shorty N-frame stuff is pretty collectible these days, too--we all should've bought two of each back when it was readily available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Stevens Posted April 12, 2005 Author Share Posted April 12, 2005 "should've bought two of each back when it was readily available." A man after my own heart. Words to live by Now if I want one, I have to pay through the nose to get it, if you can find one for sale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Sweeney Posted April 12, 2005 Share Posted April 12, 2005 I built myself one of those back in the old days. I had the parts, which is the "gunsmiths disease" ('Say, I've got enough parts here to build....') so I did it. Definitely not fun to shoot, so it ended up spending tis time as a "shop gun" next to the phone, in case of "Incurable Stupidity" on the part of some miscreant. Building it wasn't too hard. One thing to watch out for, if you plan somehting like this, is the serial number location on the butt of the gun. It is against the law to deface or remove the serial number, and it would be a shame to get in trouble whilst making the blaster of your dreams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted April 12, 2005 Share Posted April 12, 2005 Yep....I have a blue Horton, 2.5" Mod 29, a stainless 3" Mod 629, a stainless 2.5" Mod 657 with Magnaport, and a 3.0 " mod 624.......all very cool and fun to shoot except the 657...hurts my ears with the porting.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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