625 Or 25-2

[Tom Mainus]

After all the discussion on here lately about Randys ultimate revovler, which one would you buy if you had a choice. I have the funds and plan on buying a couple more revolvers in the next couple of weeks. Are the older 25-2 the way to go, or are you better off with a new 625. I like the idea of the 6" barrel on the 25-2, but other than that what would be the advantage/disadvantage with the older gun. All of my revolvers are from the PC, they are nice but I still stuck a lot of money in them getting them ready for IPSC. Are the new ones easier to work on? Can't get parts for the older ones? Looking for some insight from the more knowledgable revolver people here.

Tom

Edited November 28, 2005 by Tom Mainus

[Patrick Sweeney]

I shoot my 25-2 for the sight radius. As the parts are interchangeable all the way back to the modern short-throw action, parts are not a problem.

[Carmoney]

Tom, thanks for firing up some conversation...things have been a little slow around here recently! My thoughts:

5" 625

Advantages: Easier maintenance stainless, slightly faster handling around doorways and ports, trigger doesn't need to be altered (if you like smooth/narrow like me), reasonably accurate with cast lead or jacketed/plated bullets, frame-mounted firing pin is an option if you want to Randy-ize the action.

Disadvantages: Newer specimens have lock "zit" on the side (no big deal if you ask me), and they're sorta boring--same old thing almost all the other Revo guys are shooting.

6.5" 25-2

Advantages: Longer sight radius, cool retro style (perfect for a Harley man like you), trigger's already serrated (not my style, but some folks prefer that), target stocks can be taken off and sold to some little old lady collector on the S&W forum for about $50, which will pay for the Jerry grips or rubber Hogues.

Disadvantages: Most are only accurate with jacketed bullets, wide target triggers and hammers need modification or replacement, longer barrel might be a little unwieldy sometimes around doorways and ports.

Conclusion: Price is about the same. General feel and handling is about the same. Working on them and parts availability is about the same (at least in the U.S., at least for now). They both need action jobs and chamfering, and both take aftermarket F/O front sights and Millett rear sights. It's pretty much a wash, I'd say. Hell, they're basically the same gun. Sam and I spent the last half of the shooting season with a 25-2 and a 625 (respectively) both in CR Speed rigs set up for the different barrel lengths, and I'm quite convinced that we could've traded guns and holsters right in the middle of any of those matches and it wouldn't have effected either one of us in any meaningful way.

Mike

P.S. When looking at older 625s, make sure you avoid the "Model of 1988" 625-2 unless you can shoot the gun first and confirm that the chambers have been reamed and the floating hand replaced......

[spook]

Carmoney summed it up! I personally like the serrated trigger, So I put one on my 625.

I also left the sights stock, but thinned the front to somewhere between .090" and .100"

I have one of the 1988's too and you definately need to replace the floating hand.

I wanted a 25-2 for the (looks and) radius, like Patrick, but unfortunately, blued guns are not too happy with my hands, so I bought another 625. I doubt there's a difference in how well you could do with either one.

[Carlos]

"target stocks can be taken off and sold to some little old lady collector on the S&W forum for about $50, which will pay for the Jerry grips or rubber Hogues. "

Well put! My guns are made for shooting, not for show (including the 625 Model of 1989 and the 686 6" for ICORE).

[10mmdave]

Slight drift here but did we ever determine if a 625 with a 25-2 barrel spun on it would be

legal ??

I mean the only difference is the models material ! have the whole franken-beast hard

chromed or NP-3'd and it would be hard to figure out ??

[AzShooter]

It is legal to put a 6.25 inch barrel on a 625 in USPSC and in ICORE. As long as the barrel was manufactured by the pistol manufacturer and is not ported you may use it.

[Patrick Sweeney]

Yes. John Amidon and I talked about this a bit. Basically, the material it is made from doesn't matter. (US, of course.) If Smith ever made it, you can build it and use it. If I ever find an 8" 25-2 barrel, watch out.

Internationally, it may be a bit different. You might run afoul of the "prototype" definition.

[Carmoney]

Sweeney, I had an 8-3/8" 25-5 barrel on my 25-2 for awhile (with set-back shoulder and shortened ejector rod, of course). I stole the idea from Herb B. I always figured it might be a little too muzzle-heavy for IPSC, but maybe not.....let me know if you want to borrow it and try it on one of your guns sometime.

[357454]

I started shooting USPSA with my 5" 625 and did ok. Last year I found a 6 1/2" model of 1955 barrel and installed it on the 625 frame, my accuracy and times have improved. I liked it so much that I am now finishing a second conversion. The longer sight radius seems to get me on target faster with better hits, weight and balance seem to be the same.

Edited November 29, 2005 by 357454

[spook]

Yes. John Amidon and I talked about this a bit. Basically, the material it is made from doesn't matter. (US, of course.) If Smith ever made it, you can build it and use it. If I ever find an 8" 25-2 barrel, watch out.

Internationally, it may be a bit different. You might run afoul of the "prototype" definition.

Patrick, at the WS, you were in the big revolver squad with Lopez right? Did you notice the Brazilian shooter with the weird model 25? It had a 6" full lug barrel and a very strange hammer with a very thick square spur. I figured he would have some big trouble at the equipment check, but he went right through. Even internationally, changing barrels is not really a big issue, as long as you have the factory profile, and even that is not very strict. You could switch to an 8 3/4" barrel if you can get S&W to tell you they ever made one (and I guess they will if they make one for you )

[R112mercer]

Patrick, Bjorn;

As to replacement barrels, Tom Mainus and I asked John Amidon about replacement barrels at the Nationals this year and he stated that aftermarket is OK as well, as long as the factory made a barrel in that length and it was no longer than 8.5". I then asked if an aftermarket slab or bull barrel would be OK and he said it was fine as long as it was a length the factory offered. He did mention that there was a new rulebook coming out soon and things could change, but it didn't sound like they were gunning for all of us revolver gear gamers out there with our fancy barrels beating up on all the Open guys... It seems to me that you can put whatever barrel length/profile on your gun as long as you can find somebody who will do it and you've got the cash.