4" versus 5" model 625

Hi

About 10 years ago I sold my 5" model 625 when I had some $$$ issues.  I'm not seeing any used 5" 625 floating around in my area of the last few years since i started shooting again.  Now that I've recovered from those $$$$ issues thank God, all I see in stores is smith's current offering of a 4" model.

Does anyone have any experience with these 4"  625s shooting bullseye?  Is the accuracy similar to the 5" or does that inch cost too much in velocity and stabilzing the bullet at 50 yards?

thanks,

Paul

Midway USA has 5" barrels for just over $100.  Buy some beater 629 at a swap meet.  Get a cylinder and barrel.  Sell the .44 cylinder an barrel on gunbroker.  You have a quality 5" 629 in 45ACP all for less than the cost of a 4" 625

I would look for a 25-2 maybe I bought a new in box 625 JM model on net (buyer be wear) the rifling was real rough sent it back to S&W before I ever fired a shot, got it back when I shoot my reloads 200gr lead it leaded bad I think all they did was polish out the rough places or something so I slugged the barrel and found out it was .003 out of round over the lands.

I shot a 5" Model 625-6 for a number of years, and then (somehow) I decided I liked the lighter balance of my 4" Model 625-6 Mountain Gun (which has a tapered barrel - even lighter than the 'standard' 4" full-underlug/heavy-barrel version). It shot fine with my usual loads (185gr cast LSWC or 200gr cast LSWC over 4.5gr W231) -- as well as my 5" does/did -- and I made Master shooting it.

Motorcycle_dan wrote:Midway USA has 5" barrels for just over $100.  Buy some beater 629 at a swap meet.  Get a cylinder and barrel.  Sell the .44 cylinder an barrel on gunbroker.  You have a quality 5" 629 in 45ACP all for less than the cost of a 4" 625

Aaaah, maybe, mostly not.. I have done quite a few of the same, for the gamer crowd,  three this month, to be exact, and it often involves  lathe, &. surface grinder work, frame wrenches of the correct size, and finesse fitting..

Thanks folks.

I'm not brave enough to build one.  But thanks for the sugestion.  Thanks Jerry for your comments.

Probably will buy 4" if i can't find used 5" locally by spring.

Master with 4" Mountain Gun, my hats off to you sir!

knightimac wrote:Master with 4" Mountain Gun, my hats off to you sir!

Thanks. I'll admit - it was wearing a 1" UltraDot, so the Mountain Gun barrel was more for balance/weight than anything else. I've since taken off the red dot and gone back to using my 5" 625 whenever I need to sling .45 out of a revolver in a Bullseye match (specifically, the annual Mid-Atlantic Revolver Regional Championship; I shoot semi-auto pistols nowadays).

Fair enough Jerry, I don't do the work myself.  Had a local smith to the conversion from .44 to .45ACP.  There was special forcing cone angle, the chambers were all gauged.  Shim the cylinder for gap and end shake.

Motorcycle_dan wrote:Fair enough Jerry, I don't do the work myself.  Had a local smith to the conversion from .44 to .45ACP.  There was special forcing cone angle, the chambers were all gauged.  Shim the cylinder for gap and end shake.

Now - a - days,  many of us use Taylor Throats, brass bushings in lieu of the steel factory gas rings..For DR guns a specially machined steel gas ring..Superior to forcing cones and factory gas rings... Shims are often required.