Can a 625-8 45acp be changed to a 45 Colt?

[TMAKER]

Can a 625-8 45acp be changed to a 45 Colt? If so who can do it?

[rawhidekid]

Why not contact S & W Custom shop.  See if they can fit second cylinder to your gun.  I would expect they can enless the cylinder opening is too short.   You could probly get a cylinder/yoke assembly which should
just take one screw to change from one to the other.

[Mikey]

Smith and Wesson will not change the caliber of one of their production pieces.  They will not install a new cylinder in another caliber or a different barrel in another cailber, at least they did not do that in the past. 

They may change the caliber of the entire piece with a new cylinder and barrel, as the barrel identifies the caliber, but they won't install just a different cailber cyclinder or a different caliber barrel. 

I learned this from them when I asked to have my 29-2 rebarrelled with a light tapered barrel from a Model 24 44 Special.  They said - Nope, that would change the caliber (marked on the barrel) even if you continued to shoot magnums and the M24 barrels were not made to the same specs as the M29 barrels.  HTH.

[S.B.]

The barrel shank that sticks through the frame at the front is longer than the .45 Colt. So, unless you plan on changing the barrel also, it won't work. Your only hope for such a conversion would be to buy one in .45 Colt and then have a custom pistolsmith fit a smaller caliber cylinder(say .41 or .44 magnum) then ream to .45 ACP?
Steve

[Tom C.]

For myself, I see no reason to change my delightful 625-8JM from .45 ACP/AR to .45 Colt. The N frame Smith cylinder isn't large enough to take advantage of the potential of the .45 Colt. I prefer my Redhawk and Blackhawks. They provide enough margin to be safe with interesting loads. I have too much fun with my 625 to want to change it.

[45-70.gov]

WHY  NOT  JUST BUY ANOTHER GUN?

[Dale53]

tmaker;
I guess you do know that the 625 in caliber .45 ACP can be loaded up to original .45 Colt specs safely? The Lyman 454424 250-260 gr Keith bullet is a good candidate along with an appropriate charge of Unique will do the job. In a five inch revolver it is not great trick to get 900-1000 fps out of that combination.

Brian Pearce has an excellent article in the #254 Handloader on the .45 Auto Rim and covers the 625's quite well.

Dale53

[mcwoodduck]

The answer is Yes.
but the 45 ACP cylender is shorter than the 45 Colt cylinder and the barrel is threaded longer into the frame.
You will need to have either a new barrel threaded in and a new cylinder fitted.
For that matter you can have the N- Frame made into any of the N frame calibers.  38 Super, 357, 10mm, 41 mag, 44 mag.
Why not just load 45 ACP or 45 Rimmed with heavier lead slugs to douplicate the 45 Colt load?

[P.A. Myers]

The 4 inch is a Model28 converted to 45 with both cylinders. The six and a half is a model25-2 with the Colt cylinder. The conversion basically is to shorten the colt cylinder to fit, then a groove is cut at the rear to use the sme cylinder stop as the acp cylinder. 

[S.B.]

I have 2 Model 25s [well, one started as a 28] that were tooled to have both a 45acp and Lcolt cylinder. The LC cylinder has to be shortened and cylinder stop modified. 300gr bullets do hang out, but 250s don't. Jack Huntington [Placer County] did the work. They both function perfectly, as do all of Jack's products.

???Please post some pics of the work done on this gun? Your description of the work has me confused, I've never heard of the method you describe.
Steve

[45-70.gov]

I have 2 Model 25s [well, one started as a 28] that were tooled to have both a 45acp and Lcolt cylinder. The LC cylinder has to be shortened and cylinder stop modified. 300gr bullets do hang out, but 250s don't. Jack Huntington [Placer County] did the work. They both function perfectly, as do all of Jack's products.

???Please post some pics of the work done on this gun? Your description of the work has me confused, I've never heard of the method you describe.
Steve

an  ''N''  frame  is  an   ''N'' frame


change the cylinder  and the barrel  to any thing that will  fit.....and  adjust  the gap


still  simpler  to buy a new gun

unless  you want something exotic....like a 10 shot  32  magnum

[Ak.Hiker]

Use the Auto Rim brass. With the Keith 255 grain cast bullet you can run some pretty good loads.

[S.B.]

I have 2 Model 25s [well, one started as a 28] that were tooled to have both a 45acp and Lcolt cylinder. The LC cylinder has to be shortened and cylinder stop modified. 300gr bullets do hang out, but 250s don't. Jack Huntington [Placer County] did the work. They both function perfectly, as do all of Jack's products.

???Please post some pics of the work done on this gun? Your description of the work has me confused, I've never heard of the method you describe.
Steve

an  ''N''  frame  is  an   ''N'' frame


change the cylinder  and the barrel  to any thing that will  fit.....and  adjust  the gap


still  simpler  to buy a new gun

unless  you want something exotic....like a 10 shot  32  magnum

I meant this post for Hellbound?
Steve

[P.A. Myers]

Sorry, I haven't noticed your reply. One of my dual cylinder units started out as an extremely worn Model 28. The other an unfired model 25. You start with the gun fitted for the acp cylinder. The colt cylinder is shortened and timed. Then a groove at the rear of the colt cylinder allows it to use the same frame cylinder stop. Both cylinders have a ejector assembly so you just remove the crane screw and switch it. Yes, the 45colt cylinder ends up a little short and 300gr JHP do hang out. 250gr or shorter don't. Each gun has two cylinders. Sorry for the lo-resolution photos. If you would like a better look I can have Mrs.Hellbound take pix with her supercamera.


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