Smith 625 JM info

fiver

Well-Known Member
mine does too, it shares ammo with the 625.
I worked up a little pop gun load using 165gr rnfp's for the two of them.
I have a feeling that load is gonna come in handy when the G-son gets a bit older.
if he is anything like Ben's G-boy I should probably run-off a 5 gallon bucket of bullets now.
 

Charles Graff

Moderator Emeritus
45 Cowboy Special brass works to perfection in the 45 ACP cylinders of my U.S.Ptd.F.A. Colt clone and my Ruger 45 Flatop (Lipseys) I shoot good old reliable 452423, crimped in the crimp groove, over 4.5/Bullseye. Great accuracy and plenty of thump when it hits whatever. The 45 Colt cylinders get almost no use in these revolvers anymore.

I do realize that 45 ACP cases work in these cylinders. However with the 45 CBS brass, I like that the round headspaces on the rim, the bullet can be crimped in the groove and the first driving band slides nicely into the cylinder throat. The 45 Colt cylinder in the U.S.Ptd.F.A. has gosh awful .458 throats, but the ACP cylinder has .453 throats, just right for a .4525 bullet. USFA.jpg
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
holy cow 458 in a USFA?
I never measured either of mine, I just used 452's and never had an issue.
I did get some early ones though they are like 300 and 302 [302 and 304 301-303 sumthing right there] on the serial numbers.

now I gotta check the rim thickness and cylinder clearance on my 45 convertible I really prefer to use rimmed cases when I can in a revolver.
 

CZ93X62

Official forum enigma
It sounds like USFA caught S&W's 1970s & 80s 44 and 45 Revolver Virus--StaphoMaximus Diametrus.
 

Bass Ackward

Active Member
Charles does take some nice pics. Him & that other fella that would polish up his bullets and molds so much so that the FBI couldn't prove that mold had ever been used. Was it Dale53? Coarse, ya gotta have nice guns top get nice pics. :)
 
Last edited:

Dale53

Active Member
Oscar;
Thanks for the kind words. I have a 625-8 JM Special that I consider one of the finest revolvers I have ever owned (and I have owned a BUNCH since about 1949;)). After I had such good luck with mine, several of my fellow club members also bought one. Everyone I have shot has been equal to mine. I mostly use .45 Auto Rim (Starline) cases for general range use. However, having a generous supply of older military cases in .45 ACP has also seen a lot of those used without issue. The only thing I did to my JM Special is to change grips to my preferred Pachmayrs (I have rather large hands), and put a JM matched spring kit in the revolver. I set my double action to my preferred 9.0 lbs. pull and the single action to 3.0 lbs. MY revolves are set up to use any standard large pistol primer without issue. Further, I often hunted in cold weather and I had no desire for an accidental discharge using too light a trigger with cold numbed fingers.

MY most used load is 4.0 grs. of Bullseye (or equivalent) behind a Mihec home cast H&G #68 flat base bullet cast of WW's + 2% tin. My revolver will group in under 1" at 25 yards on demand.

I also, shortly after getting the 4" JM Special decided to find a 5". The very next time I attended the OGCA Gun Show, I found exactly ONE. It was an estate sale 625-6 Model of 1989. It shoots as well as my JM. I set it up exactly like my JM. That fine revolver currently resides with my youngest son who shoots it quite well, thank you!;)

I have also shot these both fine revolvers with the NOE version of the Lyman 452424 (250 gr. SWC). Using a Elmer Keith reccommended load of Unique, I get just over 900 fps and that should handle a hog or large Whitetail deer at reasonable ranges without issue.

I would NOT hesitate to buy a new 625-8 JM Special. Remember, you only hear about the less than perfect ones - you never hear about all of the thousands of really good revolvers turned out. Further, S&W has an excellent reputation for their warranty work.



Standing at 25 yards (with witnesses)...


FWIW
Dale53
 
Last edited:

oscarflytyer

Well-Known Member
Dale - THANX! If other things would stop getting in the way, I would already have the 625 MK! But VERY soon! And thanx for all the great info!
 

Pistolero

Well-Known Member
Awesome shooting Dale, truly spectacular, regardless of what gun.

Of course, for that to happen, it has to be a hell of a gun and load combo, too.

Well done, sir!

Bill
 

Dale53

Active Member
Bill;
Thank you. I have had occasion to measure the throats of my felliw club members revolvers as well as my two. All of them seem to be uniform .452”. Now, I haven’t benched my friends revolvers, but I have shot them and they seem to all be top drawer.

I have stated it before, but I’ll say it again, these two 625’s of mine are two of the most satisfying revolvers I have owned. I have been exceedingly fortunate over the years and have owned some VERY nice revolvers (and still do)...

FWIW
Dale53
 

Pistolero

Well-Known Member
OK, Dale....I just posted what I now see is an entirely unnecessary thread
asking about throat diameters on recent 625s.

I had not seen your last post, and did not notice the model of the revolver
that you shot the impressive group with.

I have my answer!

Bill
 

Arlon

Member
I think if you get a good JM it's real good. If you get a bad one it's real bad. Mine is a lemon, been back to S&W once and came back slightly better. Worked on it a good bit and got it still better but not like a "good" one straight out of the box.

I've heard of issues with the chrome flaking off of the cast hammer sear. Apparently the JM because of the serrated trigger has a forged trigger and cast hammer. Both chrome plated. Some of the chrome on the cast sear doesn't bond as well as it does to the forged trigger. I doubt I shoot enough for that to be an issue but something to consider. If I were doing it again, I'd look for an older -4 model or just get the std. model.

I think there are a lot more good ones than lemons. Just the luck of the draw for me.

I'm not sure what my original cylinder bores measured. When I sent it back to S&W, the cylinder was replaced and forcing cone was recut. The replacement was a very uniform .452 on 5 holes and one would not pass the .452 sizer die pin I used to measure with. I polished out the one tight bore and it got better. I think it still has some issues I haven't found yet.
 
Last edited:

Dale53

Active Member
For several years, I averaged 5000-7500 rounds through my JM Special (4"). One of the finest handguns I have owned and I have owned a bunch! It still looks like new and operates that well. The only thing I did to mine was to install a JM Special matched set of springs and set the double action to 9.0 lbs. and single action to 3.0 lbs (my preference).

It's a shame you got one less that what it should be.

FWIW
Dale53
 
Last edited:

Arlon

Member
Dale, this is a target with commercial 200gr LSWC and a light charge of Clays (just cycles a vintage 1911). They work fine in my pair of 1917's. This is what I got with the 625 after it came back from S&W with a new cylinder and forcing cone recut. This was shot off a concrete bench with bags of birdshot for rest. I had a Burris 4x mounted on it. Shot at 25yds. Slight scope adjustment between the top and bottom patterns. I've seen a lot of these that seem pretty accurate like yours (good shooter helps), makes me want to toss this one in a lake. Better than it was but I wouldn't call it "fixed".

Still plan to tinker some more. I did polish out a tight cylinder bore I think was the culprit of the far left upper hole and the far right bottom hole. There were always two fliers with the original cylinder and one with the new cylinder. That's a 50% improvement! (-:}

I'd love to see if your rifling is as rounded as mine is (see other post I made). I assume you're shooting cast or are you shooting jacketed?
 

Attachments

  • IMG_5054.jpg
    IMG_5054.jpg
    78 KB · Views: 9

Dale53

Active Member
Arlon;
I have NEVER shot a jacketed bullet through my 625's. All have been home cast. I have always shot a LOT. Frankly, there would not have been enough money in my coffers to have shot a fraction of the shooting I have done if I had been limited to factory or even jacketed bullets. Growing up, maturing, getting married and starting a family - disposable income was always "light" in our household. However, essentially scrounging near-free lead, casting my own bullets and reloading has allowed me, over the years, to shoot like a RICH man;).

Further, something that I have not often seen in print. When I was a regular at Camp Perry, I made friends with a number of the fine people in the military. Their JOB was to test and develop the most accurate handguns possible. Using a 1911 as an example, they determined that a fine match barrel was good for only 5000 rounds with hardball before it needed rebarreling. I have a 1911 that I myself, have put 100,000 rounds through it. It still shoots with match accuracy with my chosen loads. As a matter of interest, most of those rounds were shot with full charge loads in IPSC matches when they were an exercise in Martial Arts and required a SERIOUS power factor. AND, the guns and loads were checked after the matches to see that you conformed. That 1911 still has it's original barrel.

So, my revolvers use cast bullets both On the Range and in the Field, religiously!:D

Good luck to you in your pursuit of accuracy with your 625! I mean that in the most positive way!

Dale53
 

Pistolero

Well-Known Member
I have some 1911s up in that range. Almost all lead bullet full power, including .38 Super. Still as accurate as ever.
 

Arlon

Member
Anyone know if the JM is the only S&W revolver using 6 groove rifling? I know they advertised it as being lead friendly rifling, I wonder if that's what they used 6 grooves for. Anyone else with any other 625 with 6 groove rifling, please chime in.