Anyone have one of these? I won one on Gunbroker yesterday, don't get to pick it up till Saturday. I know I'm supposed to ask questions before I buy but it was kind of a spur of the moment decision...anything I need to know about these?


It will see cast bullets almost exclusively, I have a 230gr round nose mould already and bought a 200gr SWC mould today.

Go to YouTube and search for "how to inspect a S&W revolver".  There are several good videos that will step you through the inspection process to make sure the gun is in serviceable condition.

After you got that sorted out go over to Revolver Supply and get yourself a good supply of moon-clips and make a few moon-clip holders for your belt and go have some fun at your local IDPA or USPSA match.  The 625 is probably one of the funnest revolvers you can own and the fastest reloading revolver you will find.  I have a 625-6 with a 5-inch barrel and love it.

You will love it. I just got one to shoot in idpa and it is a blast to shoot. You may want to get a trigger job done on it and you will definitely want to get the chambers chamfered. I use ranch products moon clips. Call them up and you can get 100 of them for $35 shipped.

I let my dad shoot mine and now he has one as well

I love this thing already and I havent even shot it yet. My other 2 S&W's might not get any attention for awhile.

I'm thinking of getting one myself.  Let us know how it shoots!  

That's cool, but I just can't wrap my head around a rimless cartridge in a revolver.



My bad, I know....

+1 on revolver supply

Load those rounds down just a bit and it will be more fun to shoot. For example, 5.1 grains of W231 under a 230 plated bullet is very pleasant to shoot.
The grooved trigger might bother you but it can easily be sanded smooth.
Those grips do not work for me. The Hogue rubber grips are cheap and worked better for me.
Get some Starline Rimmed 45 ACP just for giggles. No moon clip required then.
If you are going to use it in competition, get the chambers chamfered more. The factory chamfer is too light.
Get a decent moon clip loader/unloader, it will make your life much happier.

I'm not really a fan of the grips either, I like the shape but not the slickness. I've got 300 rounds through it now, I've been loading the clips with needle nose pliers, which is easy enough, unloading them with this "spoon" tool sucks though. Any suggestions for a loader/demooner.

Old school:

Go to Dillon Precision.  They sell all of the tools.  Brownells and Midway probably have them too.

I didn't like the JM grip either.  To slick and hard.  Hurt the inside joint of my strong hand thumb.  The Hogue grips fit my hand well and sucks up some recoil so I have those on all my N-frames.

As for a cheap and very effective demooner.  Go buy/find an old hollow metal shaft golf club.  I found a local estate/used furniture place that has a barrel full of used golf clubs for $2 each.  Cut it off at a point where the 45 ACP cases easily go into the hollow shaft. Cut a step on the end so that a tab sticking up can get past and catches on the moonclip.  A Dremmel with a cut-off wheel works great for this work.  You then simply slip the demooner over the case from the mouth end until it hits the moonclip with the tap up past the moonclip and twist.  The empty case pops out of the moonclip and falls into the handle.  I can do three moonclips with mine before the handle is full.  Then I dump them into my brass bucket.  Makes quick work of it.  It also lets me sort fired and unfired cartridges when I have a bunch of partial mooonclips after a match.


Bottom of the picture is two golf club demooners, one for 45ACP and one for 10mm/40S&W,  The 10mm/40S&W work well with 38/357.  1/2 inch copper water pipe works well for making a 45 ACP demooner too (center of image).  I made a 10mm/40S&W one from and old 7/16 nut driver but it must be used from the head side of the case.  The short ones are nice for in your range bag but not as easy as the golf club handles.  The long ones are great for when you get home from a match with a ton of moonclips to unload.  Upper left is a Moonclip tool from Revolver Supply.  I still used it for my 625 and 610.  Upper right is a BMT mooner for my 627 and it RULES!


Close up of what then end should look like.

If you don't mind spending a little money and want a really slick mooner and demooner try BMT Mooners.  Their device for rimmed revolver cartridges is spectacular I use it with my 627, but the one for rimless cartridges is pretty neat too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdMABYheew0
This video is for the BMT mooner for the new 929 in 9mm but they make a version for the 625 and 45 ACP.  Same concept just sized for 45 ACP.

Hope that helps

The BMT mooners are awesome but they know it and charge appropriately.

The tools from Revolver Supply are more economical and do work (at least for me).
http://www.revolversupply.com/moon-clip-tools/

I wish I had had my BMT when I put nearly 600 rds on moon clips in preparation for Nationals.  If you're a casual shooter it's probably not worth the money but if your shooting it regularly, especially competitively, then the money spent on the BMT is well worth the time saved before and after matches.

The USPSA rule allowing 8 shot revolvers combined with IDPA merging ESR and SSR means quite a few 625s will hit the market.   They just don't fit into competition anymore.

That JM model is a thing of beauty. I like those grips.