Model 325 Thunder Ranch 45 ACP Revolver - Opinions

[Chappy]

I've been considering buying a 45 ACP revolver for a while now.  I have a M&P R8 which looks similar to the 325TR, and I love the R8.
I think I would like the 325TR, but have not found any in the local shops to check out.  The gun magazines gave it high marks - but they like any and everything that goes bang and does not blow up in their face.  Forums are all pretty quiet concerning this revolver.  Have any of you bought or held one - what are your impressions / opinions?  Thanks for your thoughts and insight!

Regards, Chappy

[Tom C.]

I love .45 ACP revos, but I am not terribly keen on aluminum frames stuff. I have a 360 .357 Kit Gun and a 317 .22, but I really prefer stainless. I like my 627PC, 625-8JM, 610 and others. If you prefer the aluminum frame gun, that is fine. The important part is that S&W is now making the cylinder throats at .452" even though they now cut the chambers a little deep. If you want to shoot .45 ACP without clips, you may want to invest in a Cylinder and Slide Shop extended firing pin.  It will take care of the long chamber problem.

[Chappy]

Thanks for the reply.
Do the extended firing pins cause any problems if you want to also use moon clipped 45 ACP or 45 Auto Rim ammo?

Chappy

[Tom C.]

No, but you can always put it in a poor man's lathe, an electric hand drill, and shorten it a bit. I put the extended firing pins in all my S&W centerfire revos.

[Chappy]

I went ahead and got the 325 Thunder Ranch Revolver.  Actually, it was a combined Christmas present from my wife and kids.
I love the revolver, but like most things in the world, it wasn't perfect.  While researching this gun, I contacted S&W and the tech told me it ONLY fired Clipped 45ACP ammo.  When I asked him about 45 Auto Rim ammo, he was not very enthusiastic.  When I first heard that it did not fire 45ACP without moonclips and 45 AR might be iffy, I pretty much decided not to get it - after all, what good is a defensive revolver if you can't just stuff some ammo in it and fire if need be.  Plus, when at the range, it's nice not to have to deal with the moon clips.
When Tom C. mentioned Cylinder & Slide's extended firing pin, my interest in the revolver was rekindled, THANKS Tom.
I went ahead and ordered the gun from my favorite dealer and also placed and order with Midway for some Wilson Full Moon Clips and some Rem 45AR brass and a C & S extended firing pin.  I had tons of 45ACP ammo loaded up for my Kimber TLE.  When the revolver came, it did so with NO moon clips.  This is like shipping a pistol with NO magazine!  I'm still wondering why S&W would fail to send even ONE moonclip with a $1000 revolver that now REQUIRES them!  At home, I cleaned and lubed the gun and headed for the back yard and tried some Unclipped 45ACP - No Go, No Way, the primers were barely marked.  My Midway order came a couple of days later.  The Wilson full moon clips work great, as does their inexpensive demooner.  Out of the box the gun shot the clipped 45ACP rounds accurately and with no problems.  I loaded up some 45 Auto Rim LRN rounds and these worked great for about the first 250 rounds, but after the gun got dirty, it started misfiring in the double action mode - perhaps this is why the S&W tech was not enthusiastic about the 45ARs.
I cleaned and lubed the gun, took the sideplate off and installed the C&S extended firing pin.  It now shoots 45 ACP clipped AND Unclipped, as well as 45 AR with NO problems.  I have shot about 500 rounds of jacked and lead ammo since the last cleaning and the gun continues to hit the primers hard and has no problems whatsoever.
I'm a big fan of S&W and they warned me about this gun's out of the box ammo restrictions, but it still makes me wonder why in the world they ship what seems to me to be a limited/marginal defensive gun, when with a little longer firing pin they could be shipping a more useful, confidence inspiring weapon.
Anyway, the revolver now runs great and meets my expections (thanks again to Tom C. and Cylinder and Slide).  Accuracy of the gun exceeds my expectation.  I have installed the rail and purchased a Surefire X300 LED weapon light - Great product.  I am now looking to replace its black rear sight blade with a white outline blade - still striving for perfection, but getting closer.

Regards, Chappy

[Tom C.]

I'm glad everything is working well. I really like my .45 ACP revos. Most of the time, I am shooting without clips or .45 AR. The extended firing pin has taken care of the misfires.

[Ak.Hiker]

Sounds like the 325 is working out for you. My 1955 S&W that I have had since the late 1960's came from the factory ready and able to go bang with or without moon clips. It also shoots the AutoRim like a champ. I think S&W should take a look at the past and produce the new guns with the ability to fire with or without the clips.

[Tom C.]

I read somewhere that S&W made the decision to extend the chambers of the .45 ACP revos. Don't really know why, perhaps to make loading with clips faster and easier. My 25-2 works fine with or with out clips. The 625 didn't work reliably without clips until I replaced the firing pin with the longer pin.