Smith & Wesson Model 625
The Smith & Wesson Model 625, was a six-round, double-action revolver chambered for the.45 ACP using moon clips. The Model 625 was an improved stainless steel version Smith & Wesson Model 22 and a direct descendant of the Smith & Wesson M1917 revolver first issued during World War I.
Also recorded as S&W M625
Smith & Wesson Model 625

Kaiserb at en.wikipedia · L. B. Ehrler. · CC BY-SA 2.5
- Name
- S&W Model 625
- Field
- revolver
- Region
- United States
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wikidata · Q7545032 · wikipedia · Smith & Wesson Model 625
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Is Ranged — yes • Name — S&W Model 625 • Type — Revolver • Origin — United States • Design Date — 1988 • Caliber —.45 (.451) • Part Length — and • Feed — Six-round cylinder • Action — Double action • Variants — 625 Mountain Gun (45 Colt), Round Butt and Square Butt
Design
Design
Based on Smith & Wesson's stainless steel N frame (large) revolver, the Model 625 was introduced as the.45 cal Model of 1988. It was equipped with a five-inch barrel with a full-length underlug. The regular production model of the Model 625 was introduced in 1989. It was also made with three-inch and four-inch barrels. Standard offerings later only included the four-inch and five-inch barrels. The S&W Model 625 Mountain Gun was a lightweight version of the 625, with a shortened underlug and tapered barrel, and "Mountain Gun" etched on one side of the barrel. The standard Model 625 Mountain Gun fired.45 Colt through a 4 in barrel. In 2001, a limited edition was also built by the Smith & Wesson Performance Center that used.45 ACP ammunition. Both of these revolvers had adjustable rear sights and Hogue rubber grips. The Model 625-10 was the newest version of this revolver from the Smith & Wesson Performance Center, introduced in 2004. It was a snubnosed revolver version of the 625. The S&W Model 625-10 was a stainless steel update of the M1917 revolver, a popular starting gun for conversion to a "Fitz Special". Another recent Performance Center version, the S&W Model 625 JM, was introduced in 2005. The "JM" stands for Jerry Miculek, a renowned revolver speed shooter, and was his personal design. The Model 625 JM used a 4 in barrel with rear adjustable sights and a front gold bead black patridge sight. The Model 625 JM was finished in matte bead-blasted stainless steel. The grips were Miculek's design. Another.45 ACP revolver from Smith & Wesson was the Model 325 Night Guard. It was similar to the 625–10 in that the frame was an aluminum-scandium blend. It had a similar grooved rear sight as the 625–10, but the front sight of the 325 Night Guard was a tritium night sight. The model 325 had a matte black finish. The Model 325 Night Guard has been discontinued. An additional Smith & Wesson.45 ACP revolver was the Model 325 Thunder Ranch, which had a 4-inch barrel and an accessory rail for mounting lights and lasers. The Model 625 in.45 ACP was the revolver used by Jerry Miculek when he set the world record for the fastest six shots, a reload, and another six shots in 2.99 seconds.
Use of moon clips
Use of moon clips
• Illustration — Full and half moon clips loaded with.45 ACP and one Truncated Cone.45 Auto Rim cartridges. The Model 625 was designed to fire.45 ACP pistol cartridges with use with moon clips. It also head-spaced the.45 ACP cartridge in the chambers without use of moon clips, but since the extractor could not engage the rimless cartridge, the empty shells had to be ejected with a cleaning rod or pencil. It could also use.45 Auto Rim as they were designed for revolvers chambered in.45 ACP using moon clips.
Variants of the 625
Variants of the 625
• S&W Model 625 (.45 Colt Target Stainless) • S&W Model 625 Mountain Gun (Model of 1989.45 Light Weight 39.5 oz (1.1 kg)) • S&W Model 625-2.45 ACP • S&W Model 625-3.45 ACP • S&W Model 625-4.45 ACP • S&W Model 625-5.45 Colt • S&W Model 625-6 and -9 Mountain Gun (-6:.45 ACP, -9:.45 Colt) • S&W Model 625-7.45 Colt • S&W Model 625-8.45 ACP • S&W Model 625-9.45 Colt • S&W Model 625-10.45 ACP Scandium Frame Performance Center • S&W Model 625-11.45 Colt Scandium Frame Performance Center • S&W Model 625 JM (Jerry Miculek design) • S&W Model 625-6 V-Comp.45 ACP (Performance Center)
Gallery
Gallery
• Illustration — Early, 1988 marked model • Illustration — Right side view • Illustration — Left side view of a S&W Mountain Gun M625-6.45 LC revolver, 4" barrel, with 250 gr..45 Colt cartridges and a speedloader filled with home defense 250 gr. Underwood XTP • Illustration — Smith & Wesson Model 625 JM • Illustration — Smith & Wesson Performance Center Model 625–8, with.45 ACP ammunition loaded into moon clips • Illustration — Smith & Wesson 325PD AirLight
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- United States
Primary material
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authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q7545032: Smith & Wesson Model 625
General reference · Wikidata
reference work
- “Smith & Wesson Model 625”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Smith & Wesson Model 625, revision 1373368460 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Ayoob, Massad. The Moonclipper: Competing with the Smith & Wesson Model 625 Performance Center .45 ACP Revolver. Guns Magazine.
- 2.Supica, Jim. Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson. F+W Media. 293. 2007. 978-0-89689-293-4.
- 3.Hartink, A. E. The Complete Encyclopedia of Pistols and Revolvers. Chartwell. 283–284. 2002. 978-0-7858-1519-8.
- 4.Smith & Wesson. ARCHIVE: Model 325 Night Guard.
- 5.Sadowski, Robert A. Shooter's Bible Guide to Firearms Assembly, Disassembly, and Cleaning. Skyhorse. 125. 2012. 978-1-61608-875-0.
- 6.Supica, Jim. Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson. F+W Media. 168, 190. 2007. 978-0-89689-293-4.
- 7.Smith & Wesson. Safety & Instruction Manual: Modern Style - J, K, L, and N Frame. 9. 2014.
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1- revolverTerminology
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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