Posted: 5/11/2026 6:44:13 PM EDT
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Managed a decent deal on a 4” 625-3 today. Attached File The grips are a bit hard so I think I’ll need to replace those and I’ll replace the front sight with a Dawson fiber front. Does anyone have a strong opinion for or against auto rim brass? I don’t want to use it exclusively, but I’m thinking of loading some heavy loads with the AR or super brass and I’m trying to decide which to invest in. Does anyone have any favorite 45 revolver loads? Also, the spring strain screw seems to be wrong. I can’t tighten it any further than this. Are there different sized screws? Attached File |
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I believe that in the past when I bought some replacement screws they were similar (need to be shortened to "fit". Common practice is to turn out the screw to get a better trigger pull but if the screw is loose it can readjust itself while shooting and give you light hits/missfires. Grind or file the screw then snug it up . Best to have some spares on hand if you make it too short. I never messed with the rimmed brass , just used 45acp with full moon clips. Dillon has some decent tools to load up and unload the clips. Some brands of 45acp brass are tight in the clips and cause extra work to get then mooned and demooned. I bought some new Star-Line brass and keep it aside for my moon clips. Those look like the Packmeyer grips , myself I am not a fan , I find the Houge grips work well for me but I am thinking size of hand and strength is going to change things up for different folks. Standard 45acp brass is designed for low pressure loads , might cause grief if you push loads much beyond standard 45acp loads. A gun cut for moon clips is going to be on the weak side as far as supporting the case (I am thinking) 45Auto rim and 45 super brass I have no experience with. |
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Yeah I was aware that some people unscrew them a to get a better trigger pull, but that is currently screwed in as tight as it will go. I don’t mind the pachmayr’s since they cover the backstrap and prefer the looks to the hogue, but they’re either too narrow on the backstrap or the rubber is just hard. |
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Someone may have filed down the strain screw - bubba action job. Do you get good primer strikes in da? The screws are probably around 5-6 dollars. Cannot tell for sure from the picture, but it may be a tad shorter than normal. I have used the auto rim, as you can take out one piece of brass at a time to reload in the field or swap out one round type load for another - say a round of snake/rat shot - if you reload, you can make them. You can use hks speedloaders instead of moon clips, if that is a concern. But you can reload with moon clips very quickly, and have heavy 45 super swc/hardcast or snake shot on hand, as well. Depends on how many/how you want to carry spare rounds. Lots of options. |
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Nice gun Square butt and round butt use different screws Try the hogue micculek grips or ahrends No, I use .45 colt brass a lot too. Ive got several thousand rounds loaded up from use in my Blackhawk and m92. |
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Originally Posted By 03RN: Nice gun Square butt and round butt use different screws Try the hogue micculek grips or ahrends No, I use .45 colt brass a lot too. Ive got several thousand rounds loaded up from use in my Blackhawk and m92. Did you ever find a holster that worked well with a backpack with hip straps? |
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I like the LPA black rear sight with a narrow green fiber in front. Mine has a spring loaded sight and I got a narrow green f/o from a group buy on the Enos forums 20 years ago. The original was a gold bead. The factory rear sight notch was not deep enough for me. Attached File |
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Originally Posted By ARK_Ginger: Did you ever find a holster that worked well with a backpack with hip straps? Originally Posted By ARK_Ginger: Originally Posted By 03RN: Nice gun Square butt and round butt use different screws Try the hogue micculek grips or ahrends No, I use .45 colt brass a lot too. Ive got several thousand rounds loaded up from use in my Blackhawk and m92. Did you ever find a holster that worked well with a backpack with hip straps? Yeah, I need to order one for the mountain gun though. Simply rugged cattleman works great Attached File Attached File |
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Might need to post this in the reloading forum, but does anyone have a preference for a big flat meplat bullet to load in a AR case? I'm looking at the Rim Rock 255 SWC and these two from matt's bullets. Attached File |
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My first 625 came in 1988. 5in version was so fun to shoot. With wimp loads it was like cheating when shooting it. I acquired a few other 625's the PC V Comp sucked the trigger. It was well not what I thought I was paying for. Sent it back to S&W. It came back much better. Loading moon clips is easy peasy! So is unloading. The key is having enough. I usually have 2 50cal ammo cans loaded at a time. I use 45 Auto Rim ammo for new shooters it slows them down..... Enjoy the 625. Tis the funnest gun I have. |
jme and I am a NRA Endowment Member
Don't be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.
R W Emerson
Don't be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.
R W Emerson
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Originally Posted By patw: I agree. I have a JM 625 and the wood grips are fantastic. Originally Posted By patw: I agree. I have a JM 625 and the wood grips are fantastic. Originally Posted By patw: I agree. I have a JM 625 and the wood grips are fantastic. I scored a used one on eBay. I really wanted a checkered one, but this helps me beat the usual month wait time. |
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Attached File I can honestly say it’s the best feeling grip of the three, might push me to replace the hamre grips. I need to get the 28 running first though. Having some timing issues at the moment. |
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Cattleman holster is going to work great. Cool stamping as well, I need to order a couple more. Attached File Attached File |
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I have a 625-8 PC. When I first got it I got lots of light primer hits. Sent it back to S&W and still got light hits. I would clean it in an Ultra sonic tank and send it in. It would come back clean like they shot 6 rounds thru it. I shot 8 different factory 45 230gr thru it and got light hits. Finally, after a bunch of back and forth trips they told me there was nothing wrong with it. I bought a set screw and adjusted it until no light hits. Also my forcing cone would lead up bad. A friend of mine who is a Gunsmith chamfered the forcing cone with a kit he owns. No problems now. The only good thin sending it back was S&W would give me Moon clips. Mine only works with S&W moon clips. Others rub on the flash shield. Anything over .040 rubs. I tried Wilsons and few others. Ranch clips do work also. I have so much 45 acp brass I never considered Auto rim brass. I made a de mooner out of 1/2 inch copper pipe and use a v block to load the clips. Mine came with Red White and Blue wooden grips. I liked them for feel but thought they looked stupid. I went with Pachmayrs. I love this gun and shoot the Shit out of it! |
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It’s interesting you mentioned light strikes. Most of the 45 I’ve loaded the past year or so has been with some S&B LPP I bought back when I originally got into loading. I knew they were probably a harder primer because my buddies Nighthawk had lots of light strikes with S&B ammo from around that same time period. I never had issues in any of my 45s till this 625-3. It will not reliably set off those S&Bs regardless of which type moon clip. Even after I installed an extended power custom hammer nose, no change. Sets off CCIs and all the other factory ammo I’ve tried including Magtech which can sometimes have harder primers. All that to say I haven’t shot this thing much yet since almost all the ammo I have on hand has hard primers. I finally loaded up some 45 AR loads today and those were a lot more enjoyable than the concussion fest 357. I need deeper pockets for 45 bullets |
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Originally Posted By ARK_Ginger: I scored a used one on eBay. I really wanted a checkered one, but this helps me beat the usual month wait time. Originally Posted By ARK_Ginger: Originally Posted By patw: I agree. I have a JM 625 and the wood grips are fantastic. Originally Posted By patw: I agree. I have a JM 625 and the wood grips are fantastic. I scored a used one on eBay. I really wanted a checkered one, but this helps me beat the usual month wait time. checkered miculek grip I have these, great grips. Also the TK custom moon clips are the best. |
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Love my 625. Not sure which variant, but has a Hillary hole.Attached File .45acp family picture |
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Originally Posted By ARK_Ginger: Cattleman holster is going to work great. Cool stamping as well, I need to order a couple more. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/469500/IMG_4438_jpeg-3787148.JPG https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/469500/IMG_4439_jpeg-3787149.JPG Aww shit I need some more if thats how hes stamping them Attached File Attached File |
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I installed a Cyl & Slide extended firing pin in my 625-8. It has the frame mounted firing pin. It broke off after about 100 rounds. I put the factory one back and went with the set screw. First I had bought a Square butt strain screw. I played with it trying to get a good trigger pull weight. You can buy the strain screws. Wolff springs has them and they are on Ebay too. Anyway I filed a little too much off and got some light hits ,so I went to the set screw and Blue loctite. You said your friends Nighthawk had problems too. Guns like the Nighthawk have lighter hammer springs for trigger pull weight. Hard primers are in a lot of foreign ammo like S&B ,Magtech ,Armscor , Wolf etc. Federal primers are said to be the softest. I have used Wolf primers for adjusting my set screw strain screw. I really don't have the lightest trigger pull but they do go off. |
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Those strain-screws have a long head. I have chucked them into a drill-press and filed down the shoulder so they seat deeper. I like my revolvers to reliably set off CCI small rifle primers ( I only have .38 and .357 revolvers). My competition revolver has an extended firing pin installed. I've put a few thousand rounds thru since I installed it last year. I used to reload for my dad's 625. He liked 230gn bullets going about 750 fps. |
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Probably the best ride I can expect without going to a full on drop leg Attached File |
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The 625 and 25 Revolvers are the funnest revolvers out there. I love the 4in model. I do not like wood grips. I like hogues. |
jme and I am a NRA Endowment Member
Don't be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.
R W Emerson
Don't be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.
R W Emerson