By R.K. Campbell
Contributing Editor
The .45 ACP is a formidable and effective cartridge, as has been demonstrated for more than a century.
The .45 operates at low pressure resulting in low weapons wear. Wound ballistics, however, are impressive. You don’t need a hollow point bullet for effective results. A .451-inch bullet begins at impressive diameter and cuts a full-caliber hole. Accuracy may be outstanding.
Chambered in a wide variety of firearms including pistols, carbines, and submachineguns, the .45 ACP is also an outstanding revolver cartridge. The first .45 ACP revolvers were an expedient. The US Army was desperately short of 1911 pistols at the beginning of World War One. Since Colt and Smith & Wesson were in production of .455 caliber double action revolvers for the British it was decided to chamber these quality revolvers for the .45 ACP cartridge and get them into the supply line.
Since the .45 ACP doesn’t have a case rim as the .38 Special and .45 Colt do, another means of chambering and ejection were needed. The .45 ACP cylinder was designed to allow the cartridge to headspace on the case mouth in self-loading pistol fashion. Thin sheet metal clips were invented to allow ejection by the ejector star. The result of this expedient was the fastest revolver ever designed to load and unload. The combat efficiency of the type wasn’t quite appreciated by all until much later when the revolver was used in fast paced competition.
Smith & Wesson’s Model 1917 was issued to the US Border Patrol, the Post Office, and bank guards after World War One. Smith & Wesson eventually offered high quality target sighted revolvers in this caliber. Arguably the best of the breed is the Performance Center Model 625 .45 ACP revolver. The 625 is a four inch barrel “N” (large frame) revolver. The 625 features the special performance center fluted barrel. The sights are a post front with a brass bead insert. The rear sight is the justly renowned Smith & Wesson fully adjustable rear sight. The 625 is a swing out cylinder double action revolver. The stainless frame features a round butt. This design allows the use of a more compact round butt grip or a larger square butt conversion type grip. The action is smooth and the revolver well made of good material.
After many years of carrying a single action revolver when hiking or as a backup when hunting I put aside the .45 Colt for this ‘new style’ double action revolver. The difference in efficiency considerable. The 625 is fast on target and faster to reload than not only the single action revolver but any other non-moon clip type revolver.
The revolver is large but relatively light, allowing it to be carried comfortably under a light jacket or concealed carry vest. The Falco all leather OWB holster I chose for this revolver rides high with good comfort. (falcoholsters.com) The Smith & Wesson 625 isn’t as fast on the draw as a K frame revolver but once up and ready to fire the revolver is fast on target and controllable in rapid fire. The 625 was designed for pin competition in which the revolver is used to fire quickly and knock a row of bowling pins off a table. The winner is the shooter who clears the table the fastest. The smooth rolling action of the revolver limits the effects of recoil and flinch. Pay attention to the front sight and bring the trigger back smoothly for each and you will get a hit. The revolver weighs a solid 42 ounces so recoil isn’t a factor.
The Performance Center revolver features a well-designed hammer spur for those that prefer to rear the hammer back for deliberate single action fire. The cylinder is chamfered for easy loading. 230 grain ball loads are very fast to slip into the chambers. Semi wadcutter and hollow point bullets need a bit more wiggling. By grasping the nose of the bullet and leading the bullet into the cylinder rather than holding the moon clip at the rear real speed is realized. Those who have learned to use a speed loader in conventional revolvers will be able to load quickly with moon clips. The cylinder is shorter than some revolvers. Most .45 ACP revolvers fire just fine without the moon clips but require the spent cases be picked out one at a time. My revolver misfires without the moon clips, with occasional ignition but for the most part light primer strikes. While this is a mild inconvenience the Performance Center 625 is more accurate than most .45 ACP revolvers. The shorter cylinder and elongated forcing cone makes for greater accuracy potential.
Most .45 ACP revolvers beginning with the 1917 used shallow rifling as they were designed for 230 grain jacketed bullets. Accuracy with hard cast lead bullets isn’t always ideal. The Performance Center revolver features deep broached rifling and while accurate with jacketed bullets is exceptionally accurate with hard cast handloads. A hard cast 255 grain bullet (Mattsbullets.com) at 800 fps seems the sweet spot for accuracy. I don’t like the grips. They are not only wild- even gaudy- sharp edges on the top are uncomfortable. A set of Hogue MonoGrips solved this shortcoming.
A good portion of the ammunition used in this revolver has been the Black Hills Ammunition 200 grain LSWC. I have also fired the Black Hills Ammunition 185 grain JHP, the Black Hills Ammunition 230 grain JHP, and the Black Hills Ammunition 135 grain Honey Badger. Accuracy is excellent. The revolver is good for a five shot two inch group of two inches at 25 yards. Sometimes the groups are a little smaller, sometimes larger, depending on the shooter. For trail use when large animals may decide to make a quick lunch of you the Buffalo Bore 255 grain .45 ACP Outdoorsman is an ideal choice. Recoil is greater than with most .45 ACP loads but my no means uncomfortable. At just over 1,000 fps with the Buffalo Bore load I don’t feel as if I have given up much leaving the .45 Colt behind. In fact- the .45 ACP 255 grain load is slightly hotter than the standard pressure 255 grain .45 Colt load from Buffalo Bore!
A final modification. I do not like the Smith and Wesson safety lock. This device locks the action by turning a key. Most simply ignore it. I have personally experienced a problem with a lock going into the safe position during a firing string. This seems limited to lightweight Magnums but I do not wish to take a chance on a firearm that I bet my life on. Originalprecision.com offers the Lock Delete. This replaces the lock and gives me more confidence in the revolver. You are not removing a safety device but a gun lock, at least in my opinion, but to each his own. The Smith and Wesson Performance Center 625 is a formidable revolver that will see a lot of use in the future.
Originalprecision.com
Falcoholsters.com
Wilsoncombat.com
