S&W 625 for self defense?

[TuckerNielson]

To the OP:

You would be hard pressed to find a "better" weapon for self defense than the SW 625. There are many many others that are equally well suited however, some of which would be much more convenient to carry concealed. But "better" is a tough bar to get above. My 625JM is very accurate, easy to shoot, and goes bang every time I pull the trigger (like I said, there are MANY other guns that do this as well). The N frame isn't the easiest to hide but can be done with a little work. My 625 will never be re-sold. It looks brand new after several thousand rounds. You could do much worse than buying a SW 625.

 

[USBP1969]

Ammo Carrier For 625

This might have been covered but just in case...

Below is a URL for Safariland "Split Six" speedloader carriers.

http://www.copquest.com/23-4329.htm

There is single for use on belts up to a 1 3/4" belt and a double for 2 1/4" duty belts. The "K" frame size Slit Six works great for carrying full moon clips and is fast!

KW

 

[orionengnr]

the sustained fire power could rival a semi auto.

If you are Jerry Miculek, maybe...

 

[USBP1969]

Full Moon Clip Carrier

Even Better:

It puts three rounds either side of the belt like the Safariland Split Six, but is better suited for concealed carry IMO.

http://www.lapolicegear.com/bianchi-x16rs-agent-x-slim-speedloader-pouch.html

 

[RugRev]

For the person who asked about .45 ACP Mountain Guns here is a link to the Springfield Commemorative show on John Taffin's website:

http://www.sixguns.com/galleries/da_images/da14.jpg

I don't think too many were made and don't recall if there was a second batch minus the insignia made later.

 

[S&Wfan]

The 625 (and my customized 25-2) are blazingly fast revolvers in pin matches, steel matches and other fast "gun games."

My best memory was at a special steel match where the fastest time dropping EIGHTEEN plates and poppers won the entire pot!

Rules . . .
1. Guns start empty, and in a gun case.
2. ONE mandatory reload, ANY CF iron sight automatic or revolver could be used.
3. Plates and Iron Poppers spread out in a 45 degree area at distances varying from 10-35 yards.

Most shooters used their custom 1911 single stacks with 10-round extended mags, with a few STI and Para .45ACP high caps thrown in and two shooters with Glock Model 17s and 33 round extended mags.

I beat 'em all . . . with my 25-2 and three moon clips loaded with FMJ. Yep, 18 targets fell to the 18 rounds and I reloaded MORE than they had to!!! Second place's time was over 2 seconds longer.

I can reload my 25-2 and 625 revolvers as fast as I can my 1911s . . . and I can shoot 'em better too!!! Yep, I spanked all those bottom feeder competitors with a REVOLVER! Boy were they cryin' that day!!!

BTW, not all calibers are as successful with moon clip speed as the .45ACP. I owned one of those rare Performance Center 646 racegun revolvers in .40S&W. The smaller diameter rounds flopped around more and were slower to get loaded. I immediately returned to my 625 and custom 25-2 "snubbie."

The 625 rules today in the gun games . . . and if they are faster and harder hitting . . . they would be just as superior as a self defense firearm . . . incredibly accurate too!!!

 

[Deaf Smith]

The nice thing about a 625, like my 3 inch RB Smith, is you can use .45 Supers all day long. Plus Clark Custom Guns rechamber the 625s to .460 Rowland. Clarks told me that the 625 will easily take .45 supers and I tried them. Sure enough the empties just dropped right out after firing 6 with a moon clip. 230 JHP chronoed out at 1000 fps from that 3 inch tube. Not bad for a defense gun!

And if you handload, there is no reason .45 Super brass can't be sort of supercharged a bit past that (like say .460 ballistics, just don't mix them up with any .45 auto for any other gun!)

Deaf

 

[Kajan]

Did Smith ever chamber the 625 with a 5" or 6" barrel in 45 Colt? (excluding the Mountain Gun configuration). I would really like to get my hands on one!

 

[Kendal Black]

who here thinks the s&w 625 would be good for self defens and carry? [...]

For defense? Heck yeah. It's a great revolver, accurate and reliable, and throws a big bullet.

For carry? It's a bit big. It that isn't a problem in your circumstances, go for it.

 

[PabloJ]

It's large and heavy therefore slow into action. If I wanted a large revolver I would pick Model 629 and use .44Mag for hunting and .44 special load for defense. In this "package" .45Auto caliber makes little sense. If you're built like Lou Ferrigno I suppose it would do nicely.

 

[PcolaDawg]

I've carried mine quite a few times. Usually in the winter, though, with a conceal/carry jacket that has a holster sewn into the jacket itself. And I carry it a lot around the house and property when I don't need to conceal it.

 

[WYO]

I went with the scandium framed version, the 325 Night Guard. It weighs 27.5 ounces unloaded, and conceals well using a clipless/strapless Remora holster while I await a VMII. I have Buffalo Bore 255 grain hard cast Auto Rims for woods use.

 

[230therapy]

It's large and heavy therefore slow into action.

Completely disagree. I found it to be as fast as any other handgun.

 

[451 Detonics]

I carry a 325 PD about 75% of the time (rest is split between a P7M8 and a Glock 19) but I have been known to carry my 5 inch 625 in a Kramer crossdraw for long car trips...both would definitely take care of any problem.

 

[Rexster]

I carried a 25-2 snubbie in the mid-1980s. It was from a limited run sold through John Jovino, a dealer/distributor in NY. The series was called the Effector, and was offered in a couple of other chamberings as well. Carrying and concealing was easy enough, but I finally had to admit T myself that my hands are K/L-frame-size, and the physical reach from the backstrap to the trigger face was only workable with extremely thin grip panels. With thin grips, recoil control became an issue.

Eventually, all of my N-frames went away, except my 4" Model 58. I concealed the 58 regularly until about 1991, during the time it was my default duty sixgun. N-frames are indeed concealable. The IWB and OWB holsters I used are no longer in production, so no need to waste space on those.

 

[Deaf Smith]

An N frame .45, with same barrel length as other N frames, will weigh LESS than the compairable .44 or .41 magnum.

Why? Bigger holes in the barrel and cylinder.

While I'm a Glock man, a 3 inch 625 with .45 Supers makes an awsome defense weapon.

230 gr JHPs at 1000 fps is heap big medicine.

Deaf

 

[StrawHat]

PabloJ It's large and heavy therefore slow into action.

I have been carrying a 4" N frame since I built it in the 70s. It might be bigger than a K frame but it is comforting.

As far as slow etc, it all depends on your mindset and how you train. For me, it is the ideal package.

 

[PabloJ]

Two such weapons passed through my holsters 3.5" N-framed .357 and 2&3/4" Service or Security Six Ruger. In terms of handling and deployment speed both were vastly inferior to my current J-framed model 37-2 with light .38 loads.

 

[USSR]

With the big N frames, ya just gotta have the right grips to bring them down to manageable size.

Don