Understanding the Smith & Wesson Pro Series

[Zeede]

Specifically, the 627 Pro. It is listed as having the following features, perhaps you guys could explain to me in plain English what these upgrades are, as my knowledge of gunsmithing is mostly non-existant.

Chamfered charge holes
Custom barrel with recessed precision crown
Bossed mainspring
Tuned action

Also, the price difference between the regular 627 and the 627 Pro is only about $50. Do you think these upgrades are worth it in general, and are they worth the extra asking price?

Cameron

 

[Chuck Perry]

I think that the Pro 627 is also cut for moon clips, while the plain vanilla 627 is not. Cutting a cylinder for moons alone will run you around $100, making the Pro a pretty good value.

 

[General Geoff]

A bargain for $50, any one of those upgrades would cost more than that if done individually by a seasoned gunsmith.

 

[kle]

Camfered charge holes - the edge of the holes in the cylinder have been beveled somewhat to allow rounds to start loading from a wider angle than non-camfered holes.

Precision Recessed Crown - the crown (the muzzle, with the hole where bullets come out) has been cut flat to allow propellant gases to escape evenly around a bullet as it leaves the barrel, and it's been recessed (cut a bit lower than the edges) so that the precision cut won't get damaged as easily by normal handling of the gun (i.e. holstering, setting it down on a table...dropping it, etc.).

Bossed Mainspring - I don't know what this is, but it sounds like they've done something spiffy to the mainspring (the spring that drives the hammer forward upon firing).

Tuned Action - a trigger job, basically--they've had a gunsmith give it a once-over (instead of the cheaper option of slapping together parts and calling it a gun) before it's shipped out.

At least, that's my take on it without actually looking at the specs or its features.

 

[Josh Aston]

I know that with flat mainsprings you can file away a bit from the sides to make the trigger pull lighter. I'm not sure if S&Ws still use flat mainsprings or not, and I'm not sure if that's what they mean by bossed mainspring, but it could be.

 

[Josh Aston]

The recessed crown is the one on the right. Getting a small ding on the muzzle end of the rifling can wreak havoc on your accuracy.

Can't find any pictures of chamfered charge holes, but it's like kle described it. The tuned action like kle said is just having a gunsmith go over the gun and smooth things out. For a revolver the most noticeable aspect of a tuned action is going to be the trigger pull.

 

[Zeede]

Ah, so then it's definitely a value! It's such a shame about most revolver target sights. I feel that they really ruin the look. Like, I greatly prefer the Model 619 over the 620, the only difference is the sights.

Revolvers, to me, are "classic". That's also why I don't really go for the full barrel lug on the 686's, the image that's been burned into my head is very close to the old Model 65. It didn't have a giant front ramp sight an airplane could take off from, or an adjustable rear sight that would look more at home on a competition .22 pistol.

Cameron

 

[Gator]

I think it also has a forged hammer and trigger, making it an even better deal.

Bossed = ribbed. Supposedly it helps make the action smoother.

 

[Stainz]

I have had mine for a couple of months. I also have a Jerry Miculek 627 V-Comp from the PC Shop from ~'01. It has a very light/smooth trigger - the 627 Pro had a 'nice' trigger as delivered. It's 'tuning' appears to be a shortened strain screw! It had a standard looking flat hammer spring. I polished the rebound slide, put in a bit weaker trigger return spring, replaced the strain screw with a new one, and installed a full power Wolff ribbed hammer spring. It's nice - and dependable - now. When my interim Winnie primers are gone - and I am back to Feds-only, I'll go to a reduced effort Wolff hammer leaf - although it aint bad now!

I oscillate between the Miculek monogrip, a la my 625JM, and the rounded non-f.g. Ahrends - the rubber Hogues joined their new siblings in a drawer. I do like a fiber optic sight - thus the HiViz - which, like with the 625JM, is easily changed in seconds due to the spring loaded front sight. It takes the same 'height' HiViz as the 625JM - so one set of spares would fit both.

Another common point between the 627 Pro and the 625JM. Both come moonclip ready, a fact of life for .45 ACP 25/625s. Both also have 'eased charge holes' - actually, eased ejector stars. This is good - rounded bullets hit that and slide right into the chambers. Also, the 'easing' is on the ejector star - a less expensive and easier to change component than a cylinder. Besides, the outside 'rim' of cylinder is all that's left after the 'moonclip conversion', it would seem to weaken the rim support if you truely eased the cylinder there. I wouldn't use the rimless .45 ACPs in a 625 without moonclips - but the eight long and wobbly 'legs' of moonclipped .357Ms for a 627 don't load anywhere as easily, much less as quickly, as the .45 ACPs in a 625... I generally don't use them with my 627s.

While the 625JM may have hard chromed forged hammer & trigger, the 627 Pro seems to have MIM parts - evidenced by the open and recessed back trigger - no problem at all here. The recessed muzzle crown is a nice touch. All in all, I rate my 627 Pro, at $720 + s/t several months back, as a best buy. As great as my JM PC627 V-Comp is, I'll likely have the 627 Pro long after the bigger one is gone. The 627 Pro is a great 'pointer' - and fine shooting revolver.



Stainz