# 325 Thunder Ranch



## buck-boost

Here she is!



























I too, have had light primer strikes but a trip back to smith on them fixed me all up. The turn around time was just under three weeks.

500 rounds (or so) through the wheelie now and just a few observations...

Things that I really like about the pistol:
45 ACP
Gold bead front sight
Adjustable rear sight
Option of adding the included rail for lights/lasers
Ball detent lock-up
Mall ninja fast reloads (with moon clips)
100% reliability with ANY bullet
Lightweight (31oz empty)

Things that I don't/didn't care for:
I don't like the ILS (but not enough to keep me from buying the gun, so I'm not gonna whine about it)
Brandy new guns should not have to be returned to the manufacturer for light strikes
Full moon clips are a pain in the neck (half moons aren't bad, one thirds aren't bad either)

Questions and comments are welcomed!!


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## TomC

Everything is a matter of personal preference. I love my .45 ACP/AR wheelguns, but I prefer steel, preferably stainless. Of course, they weigh more than the aluminum framed guns. My 25-2, even with a 5” barrel weighs 45.5 oz. while my 625PC weighs 42.4 oz. Since I am only using them for range work and don’t have to carry them all day, I find the weight comforting.

I agree about the clips. I either shoot .45 ACP without clips, or shoot .45 Auto Rim. The newer guns allegedly have slightly longer chambers than in days of old, so they can get FTF. I cure that with a longer firing pin. With frame mounted firing pins they are really easy to change.

I may be wrong, but I don’t believe in the durability of alloy framed guns. My alloy guns are .357s. They are intended as “carry much, shoot little” guns. While I like the safety factor of having a gun rated for .357, I shoot much milder loads in them. Recoil with full power loads is worse than my .500 S&W Mags. I have steel frame guns for high round counts.


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## buck-boost

The frame on my 325 is scandium alloy. It is supposed to be stronger than aluminum to my knowledge.

Stainless cylinder.

My preferred choice in frame material is carbon steel. 

Most manufacturers seem to like stainless though.

The gun has 600 rounds through it now and is a great shooter so far.

When I find some starline cases in auto rim I'll order a couple hundred. :smt117


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## TomC

Scandium alloy is just an alloy of aluminum with a little scandium added. The little bit of scandium has a pretty significant effect on the strength and mechanical properties of the aluminum.

My scandium guns have titanium cylinders. Don’t know if it makes much difference.

My older 25-2 has .456” throats. Amazingly, it is very accurate in spite of that. My 625JM and 625PC have .452” throats and they both shoot very well indeed.


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## C1

TomC said:


> My scandium guns have titanium cylinders.


Do your titanium cylinders heat up more quickly and get hotter than steel?


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## TomC

I haven't shot the scandium/titanium guns fast enough to heat them up. Significant loads provide a significant beating. Even with Pachmayr grips, the 3" 360 Kit Gun weighs 15.8 oz. while the 3" 60 Pro weighs 24.8 oz. and the 3" SP101 weighs 27.6 oz. The Pachmayr grips make the Kit Gun manageable, but they still don't make it fun. The heavier 60 Pro and SP101 are more fun to shoot.

The 325 looks really nice. I have considered getting one, but I tend to prefer stainless so I haven't done it yet. My 625PC weighs 42.4 oz. and that is light enough for what I do.


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## buck-boost

I did consider the 625 PC gun (not the JM). But I like the idea of the detachable rail. This is also my first LW handgun, all the rest are steel.

I would have been just as happy if I could have found a 625 prelock locally, but no dice.

Thermal conductivity:
Thermal Conductivity of Metals

Under the same conditions, I would think that titanium would dissipate the heat just a smidgen better than stainless. :smt102

From my most current research, the amount a scandium in a "scandium framed" gun is less than one percent. Can anyone confirm this?


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