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NIGHTLORD40K
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Ya, clearly says .45 Colt Ctg. on the barrel. Has the long cylinder too.
Cutting vintage S&W for moon clips- heretical or practical?
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Jim Watson
Member
If it is marked 25-2 I would letter it before I cut it.
But that would be betting the cost of the letter against the chance of a rarity.
Maybe just a mismarked -5 which would be of little collector interest.
But that would be betting the cost of the letter against the chance of a rarity.
Maybe just a mismarked -5 which would be of little collector interest.
ontarget
Member
As much as it pains me to say it......
Go for it! It's still capable of shooting 45 Colt so what's the harm?
Of course I would do my homework as to the rarity of that chambering as mentioned in a previous post before I cut it.
Hell you may be able to flip it and buy 2 of what you actually want.
Go for it! It's still capable of shooting 45 Colt so what's the harm?
Of course I would do my homework as to the rarity of that chambering as mentioned in a previous post before I cut it.
Hell you may be able to flip it and buy 2 of what you actually want.
DeepSouth
Random Guy
FWIW: The 45acp also has the long cylinder. When I decided I wanted a 25-2 45acp gun I was broke and I watched hundreds of them sell on gun broker before I finally bought one a couple years later and I never saw a 45lc.
But like I said I’m far, far from an expert. But if you do get it you should definitely do a little research and find out for sure what you’ve got.
mcb
Member
But even just changing loads with the same cartridge can cause a fairly significant sight change requirement. When I retired my 610 from my USPSA revolver shooting 180 gr bullets going 950 fps to 200 gr bullets going 1250 fps as a hunting revolver that change required a significant sight change. That's why the sights are adjustable. If you know your going to go back and forth between loads write down the change.
Jim Watson
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Not mine.
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NIGHTLORD40K
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So, you got me lookin closer......
It definitely isnt a -2, and it isnt pinned. Ill have to see the gun in person, but it looks like actually a -4 ? Still no MIM or lock, though.
DeepSouth
Random Guy
Maybe I should double check mine, I moved a while back and a lot of my pistols are in my dads safe and I haven’t seen them in a while so I’m going off memory, which is occasionally faulty.
Jim Watson
Member
25-4 is a commemorative with .45 LC in short ACP cylinder. As is -3, I forget which is fancy and which is plain.
All of the 25-2 models I have seen in .45 ACP had the short cylinder. If this is a .45 Colt version of a -2 it will bring a significant premium.
Pat Riot
Contributing Member
You could tailor your loads to match your sights between the .45 ACP and the .45 Colt. If you gun will primarily be used for a .45 ACP load or brand of ammo then tailor a .45 Colt load to the point of aim with your revolver.
DocRock
member
Will 45 Auto Rim not seat correctly? That would seem the way to go but maybe I am misunderstanding something?
Obturation
Member
No way, I was in that one too but bailed someplace on the 2nd page. Don't remember seeing anything about the 45 short colt, if it does exist... I'm in!
mcb
Member
The rim on 45 AR is the same thickness as the rim of a 45 ACP plus the thickness of a 45 ACP Moonclip .049 + .035 nominally. The rim of a 45 Colt is only .060.
S&W always seem to bring up surprises when it comes to Model numbers. From what I understand with the Model 25 series, the even dash numbers are chambered in 45 ACP while the odd dash numbers are chambered in 45 Colt.
Guess I need to go check the "Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson" and see what it says.
Edit with additional information...
The Model 25-4 is indeed a commemorative model chambered in 45 Colt with the short cylinder. The Model 25-3 also has a short cylinder and was chambered in 45 Colt but Lew Horton had about 100 built in 45 ACP.
The odd/even dash number convention seems to have started with the Model 25-5 and beyond.
Ya learn something everyday.
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GeoDudeFlorida
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Cutting the shape of the moon clip into the cylinder face but leaving a lip to support the .45Colt rim doesn't leave room for the .45AR rim. However, cutting the cylinder face for the moonclip to seat flush leaves a sufficient gap for the .45AR rim but doesn't leave a lip for the .45Colt rim to headspace on. You can have .45ACP in clips and .45Colt (no .45AR) or .45ACP in clips and .45AR (no .45Colt). See post #7 for details.
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ApacheCoTodd
member
I like the alternative cylinder option already stated.
As to the .45 AR - I'd hang onto that against the possibility of stumbling across a shaved Enfield.
Todd.
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NIGHTLORD40K
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So, turns out it was actually a late-production Dash 5, the seller had mislabelled it.
Got there today and (of course), it was sold- this despite the fact that I had offered to put a down-payment on it yesterday and the seller declined. I think he realized after talking to me that he had it under valued.
Oh, well thats the breaks.
Got there today and (of course), it was sold- this despite the fact that I had offered to put a down-payment on it yesterday and the seller declined. I think he realized after talking to me that he had it under valued.
Oh, well thats the breaks.
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NIGHTLORD40K
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Well, the M25 was a bust- but now Im seriously thinking of having my 686 cut for 9mm moon clips.......
ApacheCoTodd
member
I've been coping with an itch to get it done to my 66 since passing on a TRR8 that was just a bit out of reach.Well, the M25 was a bust- but now Im seriously thinking of having my 686 cut for 9mm moon clips.......
I dig the notion of a relatively modern carry/combat-revolver and full-moon clips and a chamfer. I'm a klutz with speed loaders.
That TRR8, you could all but *throw* the clip at the cylinder - SWEET!
Todd.
GeoDudeFlorida
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If I may make a suggestion, do that to a compact revolver which already suffers from a short ejector. For example the Ruger SP-101, Charter Undercover, Taurus 85...Well, the M25 was a bust- but now Im seriously thinking of having my 686 cut for 9mm moon clips.......
I had a TRR8 and could reload it as fast as any magazine fed pistol I ever owned. It does take a lot of practice. My 625 reloads even easier but I haven't tried ramping up the speed with it.
Jim Watson
Member
Long skinny .38s in thin clips are not the asset that short stubby .45s in heavy gauge clips are. The technique is different. BTDT.
mcb
Member
That is why you use short cartridges in your 38 for fast reloads. I am running some fairly hot 38 Short Colt in my 627. I use exactly the same technique to reload my 627 as I do my 625 or 610. No difference, except I pull the trigger two more time before I do it. My 38 Short Colt load is slightly shorter than my 45 ACP. Unlike my women I like my revolver cartridges short and fat.
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