Smith and wesson model 25-3 anniversary. edition

[Barry the Bear]

Hey guys, tomorrow in buying a model 25 smith chambered in .45 colt. Im paying 725 with none of the extras. Ive heard about them being oversized to .455 to .458 will this affect accuracy alot as the difference is so minor isnt it?

 

[rcmodel]

Yes it will affect accuracy.
How much depends on what you shoot in it.

.45 Colt bullets are either .452" or .454".
And .452" bullets in a .458" throat is Not 'minor'!

.45 Colt factory loaded 250-255 lead RNFP loads generally use very soft hollow-base bullets.
So the bullet base expands when fired to fit the over-size throats, then swages back down in the forcing cone.

Jacketed .452" bullets may shoot O.K. too, if they have a long bearing surface to keep them in a straight line until they get out of the cylinder.

Reloads using solid base cast bullets may present a severe bore leading problem due to gas cutting melting the sides of the bullet base while getting through the oversize throats.

rc

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Ideally, the chamber throats should be around .4525 -- a revolver should get smaller as it goes forward. The bullet should be slightly larger than the throat, the throat slightly larger than the bore.

Step 1 is slug your chambers and bore -- drive a soft lead ball thrugh the barrel and each chamber and measure them. If the chamber throats are smaller than the bore, go here: http://www.cylindersmith.com/

Step 2 is to size your bullets slightly larger than the chamber throat diameter.

If you can't get accuracy because of oversize throats, try pure lead bullets, so they upset to fill the throat and bore.

 

[USSR]

Hey guys, tomorrow in buying a model 25 smith chambered in .45 colt. Im paying 725 with none of the extras. Ive heard about them being oversized to .455 to .458 will this affect accuracy alot as the difference is so minor isnt it?

Totally depends upon throat size and bullet size. Having large throats in and of itself does not necessarily mean inaccuracy. My 25-5 has .4545" throats, and I size my bullets to .455" and all is well. The thing I don't like about the 25-3 model is the cylinder is shorter than the 25-5 model, and bullets cannot be seated out as far.

Don

 

[WardenWolf]

We're talking around 5 one-thousandths of an inch. This does not always affect accuracy; it depends on how deep the rifling cuts. Plenty of people have been pleasantly surprised in that regard.

 

[Gordon]

My 25-3 is .454 in the throat and shoots well . The cylinder is shorter but even the Leverelution rounds seem to fit.