[dewey]

200 gr. SWCs over 8.2 of Unique run 1120fps out of my 25-2 w/6 1/2" brrl. They prove to be very accurate and have a S.D. of ONLY
8 ! If your 625 is 1991/2 or later they will gobble these up.
.41MAG performance without the recoil...dewey

 

[J Sanders]

Why will the 1991 1/2 handle them and not the 1989 like mine?
Thanks for the info: JS

 

[dewey]

By '91/'92 all N frame production guns had elongated cylinder
bolt holes, better heat treatment for the yoke and a few other beefer mods to help the big Smiths hold up under sustained
heavy loads. Caution would be in order for guns before these
changes were made but no one really knows ! BTW, the elongation of the cylinder bolt notches is a quick way to determine if the revo
is of later production...best...dewey

 

[J Sanders]

Mine is a model 625-3 and it has the elongated bolt stop notches but says model of 1989, on the barrel. I don't know if it has the other beefing up mods you describe or not. JS

 

[dewey]

Hey JS-

Well,one thing that has added to the 'fun' of semi-collecting Smiths is almost NOTHING is in stone. Even the highly regarded
STANDARD CATALOG OF S&W BY Supica and Nahas has many errors in it which Jim Supica has acknowledged.

It's very possible that your 625 has some/all mods. What I've learned from some well connected people is that ALL N frames
produced after 91/92 have the updates. Yours from '89 could be
one Model they worked on first !....dewey

 

[Doctor Sam]

Must be a very basic question but I am willing to learn.

How do you determine whether the cylinder bolt holes are elongated?

 

[dewey]

The 'bolt stop slits' have the half moon that
guides the bolt into place. If the gun has the moon centered on the slit then it is the old style and does NOT have the enhancements. A very quick way to get a basic idea of the age of an N frame as well. Hope this helps....dewey

 

[Guest]

The .41 mag has recoil??
When did that happen?
:lol:

Seriously my chosen 625 is loaded with Texas ammo .45 Super 230gr XTP jhp at 1,200fps and does just fine.

Now my mdl. 57 is loaded with 250gr cast core flat point at 1,250fps and also does fine for me at 100 yards it still transfer 645ft pounds of energy into the target, to each there own right?

 

[Number 6]

I can reliably report that a 200 gr. hardcast RNFP over 4.6 gr of Red Dot WILL clear a pin OFF the table. Steel is not even an issue.

 

[dewey]

D.DiF.-
I used to try and run a 250 at around that speed in my .41 Mountain Gun and decided as there are not a bunch of elephants here in S.C. I backed it down a bit....dewey

 

[Guest]

In all seriousness the 250gr loads are quite stiff, they make the Silvertip feel mild in comparison.

 

[J Sanders]

I'm still wondering about my 625-3. It has the elongated cylinder bolt stop notches and the half moon cutouts are near the center but not exactly in the center, so I don't know if it has the beefier mods or not. I'll keep the loads below the +p range for now.
J Sanders

 

[dewey]

JSanders-
According to the S&W Standard Cat. the 625-3 was produced in 1989 and has the strength upgrades. I would caution at launching anything heavier than 270/275 as IMHO it would loosenup over time.Have FUN ! ...dewey

 

[NeilCasper]

Why not buy a 629? Then there's no question.

 

[J Sanders]

As a matter of fact I do have a 629 classic 5" that is a twin to my 625-3, couldn't have only one, it would be lonely now wouldn't it? Joey S