hugh Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 Is there a problem with the 88's vs. the 89's? Pepper's link to s&w forums shows a 5"1988 for 550.00 Buy or pass? Hugh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck-IL Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 Check this thread, esp. post #3. http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?...06&hl=625-3 /Bryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spook Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 I had a 1988 model. It has the floating hand. I also had the 1989 model. It felt better, but the results were the same. FWIW. The trigger on the 1988 was a little more difficult to learn because of the floating hand. YMMV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hopalong Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 I've got a 89 with a floating hand (I guess a left over from the 88s') and left all the stuff in it and just shot it as it is..........until this last summer getting some time in before nationals when it just quit working. Maybe it has something to do with all the slop now in that gun and I can guess pretty surely close to 200k rounds through it. I think I'll retire it. I personally can't tell much difference between the floating hand guns and the non-floating hands (If everything is polished up the way I do them) Hop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carmoney Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 The floating hand problem varies from gun to gun. Some feel fine, some are almost impossible to tune into a decent action. But the fix is easy--pull the stud out of the trigger and replace it with a regular hand. The bigger problem is the tight chambers on the 625-2s. Again, this can be fixed by reaming the chambers to the correct SAAMI spec. Otherwise, the moonclips will tend to be intermittently sticky going in. This is similar to the problem some have experienced with recent-production 625-8s. Hugh, if you do wind up with that gun, I'll ream the chambers for you for free if you send me the cylinder. This is the same offer I have made to all forum members--I've lost track of how many of these I've done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Sinko Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 Could somebody please post a pic of a floating hand? I have three models 625-4 (they are all .45 ACP and NOT .45 Colt as the link above suggests) and while I suspect my first one (bought used) was a Frankenstein gun, the last two were NIB. I have been through the innards of all these and installed a grooved trigger in my SAC Mountain Gun, keeping the original hand. All the hands appear to be the same style, and I do not believe it is the floating variety. Dave Sinko Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hugh Posted March 22, 2008 Author Share Posted March 22, 2008 Thanks for the replies guys...Carmoney that's a very generous offer and much appreciated! Yet again,the B.E. forums are nonpareil in the intrawebs Hugh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carmoney Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 Could somebody please post a pic of a floating hand? I have three models 625-4 (they are all .45 ACP and NOT .45 Colt as the link above suggests) and while I suspect my first one (bought used) was a Frankenstein gun, the last two were NIB. I have been through the innards of all these and installed a grooved trigger in my SAC Mountain Gun, keeping the original hand. All the hands appear to be the same style, and I do not believe it is the floating variety.Dave Sinko Dave, I don't have any floating hands to photograph (they have all gone in the trash!), but the floating hand has a hole in it, and fits over a stud that is sticking out from the side of the trigger. You'd know one if you saw it. They only used them for about a year, back in '88, then quickly went back to the regular hand design. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carmoney Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 Yet again,the B.E. forums are nonpareil in the intrawebs Mmmmmm.....nonpareils...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justicentyme Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 Years ago I bought a new 5" 625 -4 (non floating hand). I smoothed it up and it runs flawlessly with properly seated Federal 150s at a 6 1/2# or slightly less DA pull. THis gun has .452" cylinder throats. Last fall I bought a 4" 625 -3 (floating hand) that came through an estate that had been shot VERY little. Had it not been dirty it could have very easily passed for a NIB gun. I spent more time on this gun than any other revolver in the last 20+ years. It had the dreaded 'stiff spot' at the very end of the DA pull and it took several tries stoning the hand before I got rid of that and got an overall smooth action. However it will still not run with a DA pull of less than 8# or so. If all goes as planned I will be shooting it at the TriState IDPA regional in Memphis next Saturday. Then it is going to get the replacement hand that Mike spoke of as well as some other work. The biggest bug on this particular gun is that all of the cylinder throats are .453". As I shoot all cast bullets (I just got several thousand 230 RN @ .452") this causes blow by and severe leading in the cylinder throats. I have some .454" 230 RN ordered which will cure the problem but that means I have to stock bullets for both the -4 and the -3. I am very seriously considering replacing the cylinder in the -3 with a Ti model or at least one with .452" throats. In my limited experience (only two guns) the cylinder throat diameter is more of an overall issue than the floating hand. James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hugh Posted March 23, 2008 Author Share Posted March 23, 2008 Yet again,the B.E. forums are nonpareil in the intrawebs Mmmmmm.....nonpareils...... Hah!I knew you were too good to be true...you're,you're a Grammar nazi! Hugh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revchuck Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 The biggest bug on this particular gun is that all of the cylinder throats are .453". As I shoot all cast bullets (I just got several thousand 230 RN @ .452") this causes blow by and severe leading in the cylinder throats. I have some .454" 230 RN ordered which will cure the problem but that means I have to stock bullets for both the -4 and the -3. James - Depending on the chambers, you might be able to get away with shooting .454s in both of them. I've got two .44 Specials, a 1950 Military and a M21-4. The older gun requires .432s; the 21-4 is happy with .430s but works fine with .432s too, so I just buy .432s and load them for both guns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carmoney Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 Yet again,the B.E. forums are nonpareil in the intrawebs Mmmmmm.....nonpareils...... Hah!I knew you were too good to be true...you're,you're a Grammar nazi! Hugh What??? I was hoping the Easter Bunny would bring me nonpareils today.....looks like I wound up with Cadbury eggs instead. Which is OK, they're delicious, too. Sig heil, Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigsaxdog Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 cliff's always talking about a floating hand, but the way he talked, it always had some kinda asian overtones, you know, "floating hand, crouching chick", or something. but i'm new to revolvers, so......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revchuck Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 Yet again,the B.E. forums are nonpareil in the intrawebs Mmmmmm.....nonpareils...... Hah!I knew you were too good to be true...you're,you're a Grammar nazi! Hugh What??? I was hoping the Easter Bunny would bring me nonpareils today.....looks like I wound up with Cadbury eggs instead. Which is OK, they're delicious, too. Sig heil, Mike Gosh, Mike, I didn't know you liked SIGs. Me, I'm waiting for the sales on chocolate tomorrow. I haven't had nonpareils for ages, so I'm officially on the lookout for some now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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