New 625 owner question

[juggler]

Greetings to all. I have been fascinated by all the information on this site; much of it has been very useful. Case in point, I am going to re-read Jim March's revolver checkout before going to pick up my 625 this afternoon.
Moon clips and their necessity, 10mm or .45, grips, barrel length.... so much to think about! Thanks to y'all I was able to finally decide that I'd rather start with the 625 (already re-load .45 and have plenty of brass) and maybe get the 610 later. Though I also reload .40, I do not have any 10mm cases.
Like the .357, I will be using the .45 for pin shoots...now I will have an auto and revolver for two of the three classes we shoot. I think a .22 revolver will be one of the last purchases I make for handguns, 1rst I want one of those J-frames I keep hearing about. The posts about the available holsters was interesting reading.
My question is this.... I fire lead through my 686 and was wondering what your thoughts are on doing the same with the 625. Though I clean my firearms regularly and inspect them before storage, I've found that my Springfield eats jacketed better than lead. This means I have quite a bit of .45 rounds that I would rather shoot than pull the heads to get the brass back. Your thoughts and comments would be appreciated.

 

[Majic]

Most .45 caliber barrels aren't real choicey when it comes to jacketed or lead bullets. Just make sure the lead bullets are of a hard alloy and correctly sized and usually there will be no problem.
Since you have the jacketed bullets already loaded there is no need to pull them and reseat the lead. Use what you have.

 

[RWK]

Juggler,

Welcome; it is always great to have a new member, especially one who is far from a novice. Next, lead projectiles will not be a problem in your 625, although they will obviously necessitate the same type of maintenance you perform for your 686. Finally, I suspect you will love your 625:
a) first, it’s an N Frame, and that intrinsically good;
b) plus, it’s a great revolver round (I shoot the .45 Colt -- not the .45 ACP -- from my 625-9, but the bullet is the same).

Regards.

 

[JoeHatley]

Welcome to the forum, and congrats on the wise selection!!

Your 625 will shoot lead just fine, infact... much better than most.



You can never have too many N Frames...

Joe

 

[Benjamin]

I'm familliar with a 1989 commemorative 625. Lead works well in most loadings.

Make those pins tremble!

 

[Stainz]

From my 625-8 (new 4") experience... Leave the springs as is... the stout OEM hammer spring insures that the loose moonclipped ACP rounds will get whacked hard enough to go bang while the OEM trigger return will permit rapid follow-up shots by returning the trigger quickly. Break-in your new 625 by lots of dry-firing - after cleaning any new crud out of the innards and lubricating the works with a decent oil. After 1,000+ dry-fires, re-clean/lube and you will be amazed. Of course, this requires the sideplate's removal - proper screwdrivers, patience in reassembly, etc. Be sure the hammer leaf strain screw is tight.

If you do reload - and use Federal primers, then you can replace that leaf spring with the Wolff reduced power spring (Brownell's). Lead cleans easily at those non-relativistic speeds - be sure to get both bronze cylinder brushes and bore brushes. Check your seating depths if you use SWC's, as they may not permit full depth seating, causing your moonclip to not lay flat - and your cylinder to not close! Order some .45 Auto Rim loaded ammo from Georgia Arms for a 'change' - and the HKS #25 speedloaders, with their wider tines for the Auto Rims, will also load .45 Colts for a 25/625MG and RH/SRH - as well as .44 Russians/Specials/Magnums for a 24/629, too!

Get plenty of moonclips - I used Brownell's 5-packs. Also, get that nutdriver-styled demooner - forget the plastic scissors style Brownell's carries - neither mine or a friend's lasted a week before developing stress fractures rendering them useless. Have fun! I miss mine...

Stainz

 

[charleym3]

Shoot the lead. I've had 4 625s (wish I'd never turned loose of the first one) and a 325. Shoot anything you want as long as you stay under the preasure curve.
Since you load, try so me really soft loads. It's a riot. Depending on your powerd, start at the minimum load and go down 10% from there.
V V340 is a great powder to work with. You can go down 20% and still have very clean burning loads. Use a chrono and when the standard deviation starts to climb, up're getting toward the bottom end and the load is getting inconsistant. Watch your power factor if you shoot IDPA. You can get under that 125 floor.

Enjoy! It's a great gun.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

Your 625 will shoot lead or jacketed very well. For range use you can't beat the RIMZ polymer moon clips, which are very easy to load and unload.

 

[Bullet Bob]

So, you're gonna get a .22 revolver last, huh? A clear case of saving the best for last.

My recommendation would be for a K-frame S&W. Although the J-frames are cute, I don't find their action anywhere near as satisfactory in feel as the larger frames. Heavier guns, within reason, are generally easier to shoot well also.

 

[gggman]

Here's a picture of my 625.

The grips are laminated rosewood.