.45 Super OK in Recent S&W 625s

[lesjones]

Someone asked me if .45 Super was OK in recent production Smith & Wesson 625 revolvers. I read this thread on THR but wasn't positive.

Has anyone tried it?

If so, I'll be very happy, since my 625 will double as a black bear gun.

 

[Deer Hunter]

People have done it without problems. Most who havn't done it warn against it, but those who do give the thumbs up.

I say go ahead. I'd put a few through my 625 without thinking twice. It's already had a fairly steady diet of +P (230 grainers at nearly 1000 fps) through it, and no adverse affects as of yet.

 

[10-Ring]

May not be that big an issue w/ factory loads or even hand loads to those factory specs...but if you start loading up some hotter rounds...be careful

 

[Crosshair]

*Note to self, start looking for a 625.*

 

[Croyance]

What are the pressures of the .45 Super compared to the .45 Colt? The diameters are the same and the cylinders are the same diameters too. So if a cylinder can contain the higher pressure one, I have a hard time believing that it won't contain the lower pressure one.

 

[roscoe]

I have never even heard of this round - explain please!!

 

[jjohnson]

Interesting idea

Okay, THAT's an idea worth research. Let me put that one on the pile.

My 625 was made in '89, so I KNOW the S&W boys would just barf if they got this question, but there's very little engineering difference between my 625 and my 629 (44mag). I'll have to go check to see if the cylinder stops are in the same place and all that. I know that some boys with .45LC in their N-frames push way harder than factory loads, though I don't know of anybody foolish enough to try to pretend they're shooting Rugers or Contenders when they do that (all of them still have all of their fingers). Caution is advised here.... big time.... Stay safe and don't do anything foolish....PLEASE.

I know my 625 will eat the hottest factory .45ACP without a belch, no surprise there. I'm not sure how far I'd want to tempt fate since we're talking way different pressures here, but the N-framed Smith was designed to deal with a whole lot more than the moderate pressures the ACP round generates. Whenever I load hot .45 ammo, I go ahead and stack it into the moon clips for the 625 so it doesn't get mixed up with what I'm feeding my M1911.

I'll go check my Smiths and my pressure tables and come back - meanwhile I'll watch this thread with interest....

 

[Master Blaster]

I know that some boys with .45LC in their N-frames push way harder than factory loads, though I don't know of anybody foolish enough to try to pretend they're shooting Rugers or Contenders when they do that (all of them still have all of their fingers). Caution is advised here.... big time.... Stay safe and don't do anything foolish....PLEASE.

Actually the problem isnt that the Smith cant contain the pressures as well as the Ruger, it can and maybe it can contain more pressure without blowing up since the cylinder is forged and about the same thickness as the ruger. The problem is that the lockwork on the smith will wear and the frame will stretch with many thousands of these rounds. Then the gun will go out of time.

 

[JoeHatley]

Has anyone tried it?

Sure. They work just fine, but frankly, many .45 Super loads aren't all that much hotter than a .45 +P, and you don't have to buy different brass.

Clark Custom Guns will rechamber a 625 to fire the 460 Roland, so it must be able to handlle quite a lot of extra pressure.

This old 625 has seen a lot hot rounds over the years, and it's still going strong.



Joe