S&W .45ACP

[vozella 2]

I've been thinking about a .45ACP revolver for quite a while and wondered if we had any owners on the board with S&W 22 or 325's and could tell me the difference. Also wanted to know difference of Thunder Ranch models.

[Pizza Bob 1,488]

There are more than just those two .45 ACP/AR S&W's. The model 22 is a Heritage model and is a reprise of the Model 1950 Army. It's a 4" tapered barrel with an ejector rod shroud. Fixed sights (notched top-strap rear and half-moon front). The 325 has been made in various iterations, including the most recent, the 325 Night Guard. The "3" designates that this is a lightweight, scandium alloy frame. There was a 325 PD and a 325 TR IIRC.

 

There are also the model 25 and the model 625. The 25 is also known as the Model of 1955. This model harkens back to the day when Bullseye (2700) was shot with revolvers, not semi-autos as it is today. The rimfire stage was shot with the K22 Masterpiece, the centerfire stage with the K38 Masterpiece and the .45 stage with the model 25 - or model of 1955 (model numbers didn't come into being until 1957). The model 25 is one of the finest revolvers you can own.

 

The 625 is the stainless version - although it departed from the 25 significantly in its configuration. Initially, it had a 5" barrel with a full underlug and was called the Model of 1988. That only lasted a year and the barrel was then laser engraved (the 1988 model was roll-marked) with Model of 1989 and was offered with a 4" barrel. You may be able to get it with either today, not sure - but if you are going to use it for IDPA, it has to be 4".

 

These guns all got new life breathed into them with the invention of the moon-clip. Prior to that you either used .45 Auto Rim and loaded singly or with a speedloader, or you had to use half-moon clips filled with .45 ACP's - two to a cylinderful. The half-moon clips fit on the outside of the cartridges, whereas the full-moon clips fit on the inside. Half-moon clips slow the loading process since you have to insert two of them - faster than singly, but not much. The full moon clips made loading faster than with regular rimmed revolver cartridges and a speedloader - no knobs to turn or push, the whole unit goes into the cylinder. That was a boon to the action games and one only has to witness Jerry Miculek shoot a model 625 to realize how fast one can be with a revolver.

 

Depending on which engineering change number follows the model number (25-2, 25-3 etc) some model 25's and 625's were chambered for .45 Colt. The first being the 25-3, which was a comemmorative and then the 25-5. The 25-5 you want to stay away from, if you are harboring any thoughts on getting one in Colt, rather than ACP, unless you have the chance to actually measure the cylinder throats. S&W really screwed the pooch on this one, manufacturing the barrel and forcing cone to post-war specs and the cylinders to pre-war specs - resulting in shotgun pattern accuracy and keyholing.

 

Probably more than you ever wanted to know about S&W .45 ACP revolvers, but they are some of my favorites - I have a 25-2 and a 625-2. BTW, all the Smith .45's are built on the N-Frame - which was the largest until the X-rame came along recently.

 

HTH - any questions, you know where to find me.

 

Adios,

 

Pizza Bob

[vozella 2]

Thanks Bob, I appreciate the education. What is the model 22 and what makes a Thunder Ranch model?

[Pizza Bob 1,488]

Thanks Bob, I appreciate the education. What is the model 22 and what makes a Thunder Ranch model?

 

 

What it is is explained in the first paragraph of my liturgy - but what makes a Thunder Ranch version is simply the stamping of their logo on the grips and the gun. When they first re-introduced the 22, the only way you could get it was as the Thunder Ranch special edition. Later they introduced a whole line of "Heritage Models" in plain configuration. The 22 was popular enough that it made the cut. The 22 was the descendent of the Model of 1917 (although that had a longer barrel) which is also available as a Heritage Model.

 

Adios,

 

Pizza Bob

[vozella 2]

Thanks Bob. Your info was just what I was looking for. Now I can start searching!

Ironically, I grew up outside of Springfield Mass in the fifties and had no interest in firearms. I must have passed by S&W a thousand times and knew several people who had some type of involvement in Smith. But, was more interested in cars and girls at the time. Dammit, the cars and girls are long gone, but at least I would have kept the guns.

[Pizza Bob 1,488]

Thanks Bob. Your info was just what I was looking for. Now I can start searching!

Ironically, I grew up outside of Springfield Mass in the fifties and had no interest in firearms. I must have passed by S&W a thousand times and knew several people who had some type of involvement in Smith. But, was more interested in cars and girls at the time. Dammit, the cars and girls are long gone, but at least I would have kept the guns.

 

 

Glad to be of help. One clarification - the Thunder Ranch model 22 is just what I said - pretty much a standard model 22 with TR logos. However, there is also the model 325TR. Clint Smith supposedly had some input on this gun. It was built by the S&W Performance Center and the most interesting feature was a removable, under-barrel tac-rail.

 

Good luck in your search. Night Guards and 625's will probably be pretty plentiful. Original 25's not so much, although I believe this is also one of the models re-introduced under the Heritage program.

 

Adios,

 

Pizza Bob