Model 25 Smith - In this week's Wheelgun Wednesday, we're bringing it back to the familiar revolver, but in reality, it's unlikely. At first glance you might think it looks like a vintage Smith & Wesson Model 29 or 27, which are very common and acceptable, but it's actually a Smith & Wesson Model 25-2 (1955 Target Model) .45 Auto (.45 ACP) . Most shooters know that the .45 Long Colt is a common cartridge for both single and double action bolt action rifles, but when some manufacturers get a little sloppy, they just use the .45 Auto 6 o Disparan.
The Model 25 and all its variations were produced from the original firearm from 1955 to 1991. The cartridges it was chambered in were .45 ACP, .45 Long Colt, or .45 Auto Rim. Depending on the "dash number" or engineering change, if you don't know what your Model 25 camera is, the exact model name can tell you. Typically, the odd-numbered models were chambered in .45 Long Colt, and the even-numbered models were chambered in .45 ACP:
Model 25 Smith
For those wondering why the engineering change number "1" was not mentioned, it was simply designated Model 25, not Model 25-1. Also, if you have an older vintage, it's just a Model 25. revolver produced in both .45 Long Colt and .45 ACP (separately, of course). It wasn't until the first engineering change of the Model 25-2 (like the example in all of our photos) that Smith & Wesson started playing.
Smith & Wesson Model 25 2 (1955 Target Model)
Although I do not have a letter from Smith & Wesson to date this 1955 target model, I can assume it was made in 1967 from some of the documentation on its original box. I would guess that the earliest would be 1961 when the reengineering of the Model 25-2 began.
Not only do I love most firearms, especially old double action revolvers, but I'm also interested in how people describe and express things. We "modern" gun people have our own language and vernacular that we use at the water cooler and on the gun range, but so did the old shooters. This is the exact text of the spec sheet that came with the target 1955 model in 1967:
Much of the marketing of all firearms these days has an abundance of marketing and verbose jargon that can sometimes make even us gunsmiths a little dark. So I'm also interested to see how companies like Smith & Wesson "talk" or describe their products.
Also. This excerpt is from their "Manual" booklet (they didn't have multi-page manuals at the time, just a one-page booklet):
Smith & Wesson Model 25 15 Double Action Revolver With Case
The Smith & Wesson 1955 .45 Target Revolver is a 6 shot pistol. It is manufactured with a solid frame and a folding-type cylinder, with 6 chambers around a central axis, which can fire 6 rounds before reloading. The gun can be fired single-shot or double-shot, and hitting the hammer either way causes the cylinder to rotate and align the next chamber with the barrel. The rate of fire is limited only by the operator's dexterity in reloading the cylinder and the ability to aim the weapon and pull the trigger.
As for the value of the Model 25-2 (1955 target model), like all older guns, it is based on condition. I was lucky enough to buy this revolver from an old gentleman and it didn't fire. I have the original blue cardboard metal curved box, its matching wooden presentation box, and the soft cardboard box it all comes in.
A wheel rifle of this age, condition and chamber would cost between $700 and $800 according to the Standard Blue Book of Gun Values. Any Model 25 made before 1982 with a 6 1/2 inch bolt-on barrel is an additional $150 (this example is). So on the extremely optimistic side, this could be close to a $1,000 revolver, while more pessimistic projections put it around $800. However, any weapon is only worth it
. I would absolutely keep this beauty, but if you have a Model 25 at home, this shows where yours could be.
Cased Smith & Wesson Model 25 5 Double Action Revolver....
For anyone who is completely in love with the .45 ACP round and wants to run it in a revolver, the Model 25 may be just the ticket for you. If you want to relive that nostalgia, Smith & Wesson now makes a reproduction Model 25 Classic. For all you wheelgun lovers out there, what is your favorite Smith & Wesson revolver? What is your favorite revolver cartridge to shoot? Obsolete, rare, hard to find or not? Let us know all your thoughts in the comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.
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