In 1990, I walked into a gunshop in Farmington New Mexico and spotted this pistol. It is a chopped Smith and Wesson 1955 Target Model (25-2). I was told, the guy who sold it to him, had it done for mountain lion hunting on horseback, but didn't like it. As soon as I cocked the hammer, I could see why. It had the worse action I have ever felt on any DA sixgun, in my life. I could see the original target hammer and trigger had been changed out, but that was all I could see.

The price rght at $210 out the door, so I took it. At home it was taken apart and
the worse mish-mash of pre and post war parts you can imagine. I kept the hammer in it and started going through my parts box changing every spring and internal part. At the end of the day, I had a smooth and slick DA and SA acton and trigger pull. I narrowed and polished an old target trigger to produce what you see in the pic.

It shot really well at the range, but I had to order a lower rear sight blade to get it down shoot where I wanted. My old favorte load of 452423 sized .454 over 7.5/Unique gave an honest 950 fps over the screens. The grips started life as a set of Herritts Shooting Stars that were reshaped to my liking.

This handgun is as close to sixgun perfection as any I have owned. It is my all time favorite handgun of the hundreds that have passed through my hands over the past 55 or so years.

I like that quite a bit. I did the same thing to the target trigger on my M57. I like it better that way.

nm

lot better than I ever expected. I like it better than the .44 Mag.

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Sincerely,

Hobie

They day I put this pistol and load over the chrony, I also took my 6.5" 1955 Target model and it gave 1,100 fps with the same load. That is all the womp and stomp needed for anything alive in Texas, plus it is easy on the wrist and hands to shoot.

I sold the 6.5" to Norman Gin a few years back.

I also like the 44 Magnum, but don't load it hot. 10/Unique over the bullet of choice is as mean as I go. I have a 1963 Ruger SBH that has been upgraded and a 1991 5" 629 that is a dead tie with my 5" 625 for the most accurate big bore sixgun I have every fired.

levels. No need! Long ago I started with 10 gr. Unique. The only MAGNUM ammo I have is intended for the TC Contender carbine and/or the Marlin 1894.

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Sincerely,

Hobie

My daily load for the 44 is 8.0 gr Unique under a 240 gr SWC. That pill runs over the chrony at 950 fps out of my Mountain Revolver and has killed a couple Michigan deer. My 'heavy' load in the Mountain Revolver is 10 gr of Unique under the Thompson SWC, which weighs 260 gr with the gas check. Used that to take the biggest buck I have ever killed, it went down where it stood with one shot at 65 yards.

With my 629 Classic, I still load the Thompson SWC over 20.0 gr of 2400 though. The accuracy of it out of that revolver is just unbelievable.

I do the same thing with the .41 Magnum. 210 grains at 975 fps is plenty and it shoots very well in my Freedom Arms Model 97. In my Ruger Redhawk, it's like shooting a .38 Special in an N-frame. I like being able to shoot those guns without beating my hands and wrists to death.

Yes, I do the same for my OM Blackhawk .41 Mag. I just don't need the rompem-stompem loads.

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Sincerely,

Hobie