Hello. I, too, am a fan of the Model 625. I only own one, but it's the same one I bought NIB years ago.
I have the 5" version and prefer it. A friend had both the four and five inch guns; we couldn't shoot one better than the other. My gun is stock as I simply have not found grips that suit me better than those that came on the revolver.
I shot one of these that had had a scope mounted on it and fired from a rest. That and subsequent experiences showed me a couple of things right off the bat:
1. The Model 625 is capable of
extreme accuracy with loads it "likes" and will group very well with about anything out to about 25 yards. At 50 yards and farther, the "liked loads" will do better. It seems that each gun is a law unto itself about which load it actually likes best.
2. The human error I introduced even from a rest and using a scope is without question the major cause of groups spreading out. I think we might all be surprised at how much error we bring into the accuracy equation; I
know that I sure do.
The double-action pull on my Model 625 is heavier than on other N-frames I own. I've read or heard that this is because:
1. The gun will fire .45 ACP with moon clips in different variations and there can be some spring in these clips which holds the cartridges slightly away from the rear of the cylinder such that the firing pin must not only detonate the primer, but push the cartridge forward before doing so.
2. Some military .45 ACP primers are harder than others.
I lean more toward the first reason. I have never tested .45 ACP military primers for hardness, but if commercial primers can vary, I reckon it's not far-fetched to assume that the same could be true of military .45 primers. (I know it's true with some military .223 when trying to fire it in some bolt guns.[/i]
Ejection is usually very sure and very positive due to the short case length of the ACP or AR cartridges and I find the felt recoil out of the big N-frame with its heavy barrel and full length underlug to be noticeably less than when fired from a 5" 1911 type pistol.
Lots of folks use the ACP rounds as their primary loads for the Model 625. Since I don't use mine for defense, I went primarily with the AR cases and generally use a 250-260-gr. hard cast SWC. I've read that the rifling is shallow and that cast bullets are not supposed to group well from this revolver, but such has
not been the case in mine or a few others I've seen shot over the years.
If a person uses AR cases, it might be possible to lighten the double-action pull as the case would seat against a thick rim as do other revolver cartridges. I've not experimented any along these lines as I'm happy with the gun as is.
For those wanting to use AR cases, HKS does make speedloaders for them. In this picture, one is loaded with Corbon's DPX load while th other a 250-gr. handload.
Out of my 5" Model 625, I got the following average velocities based on 10 shots fired 10' from the chronograph screen:
Kead 255-gr. CSWC
6.0 gr. Unique
R-P cases
WLP primer
Average Velocity: 860 ft/sec
Extreme Spread: 32
Std. Deviation: 12
Speer 230-gr. Gold Dot
7.0 gr. Unique
R-P cases
WLP primer
Average Velocity: 937 ft/sec
Extreme Spread: 35
Std. Deviation: 12
Corbon 160-gr. DPX:
Average Velocity: 1108 ft./sec
Extreme Spread: 37
Std. Deviation: 12
Remington 230-gr. GS:
Average Velocity: 840 ft/sec
Extreme Spread: 6
Std. Deviation: 3
Winchester USA 230-gr. FMJ:
Average Velocity: 804 ft/sec
Extreme Spread: 14
Std. Deviation: 5
From what I've seen and experienced, at least with the 5" gun, if one is good enough, he should be able to literally chew out the X-ring; sadly I cannot do that well, but it is reassuring to know that the intrincsic accuracy of the revolver
can.
I truly think that if a person shoots this revolver, he or she will become a convert. I also think that if one opts to do so, get an de-mooning tool for the inevitiable use of .45 ACP ammo.
Here is a half-moon clip of .45 ACP ammunition. These are available as are full-moon clips and at one time I saw some that held 2 cartridges. I don't know if they're still available. Using moon clips allows for the use of a wide variety of high-performance .45 ACP rounds in the revolver, a very good thing in my view.
Another thing that I appreciate the N-frame Model 625 for is that it can be shot and shot and shot with full-power .45 ACP factory or handloaded ammunition without concerns of shooting the gun "loose" as can happen with certain magnum calibers.
Best.
