I bought a then new 4" 625-8 9/02 to shoot the steel plate challenge matches. Then, I proceeded to try to shoot it to pieces... (8k-10k rounds - all but the first two thousand were my homebrews - and another five hundred or so AR's.) until 6/04, when I sent it to S&W to have the b/c gap opened up (It had always been too tight... but slop caused it to . I had shot the yoke sideplate screw loose on several occasions, twice having the cylinder & yoke fall out. It came back quickly from S&W perfect - they even paid the shipping both ways. The day I picked it up, another range lurker offered me too much ($675!) for it... greedy, I took it - promising to buy another new one - or, hopefully, the Mountain Gun variant - and soon. The fellow read my letter to S&W and their reply - knew the whole truth... thought six months later it was a bargain as well.
No 625 MG's in .45 ACP - and, the dealer's $579 4" new 625-8 was gone... the money paid for a trip to the coast. I missed the revolver... then, one Sat AM in early Feb (2/9), I saw the new 625JM on the S&W website. I opened the dealer's store that AM... had him check the availability. "I can get you one by Tuesday for $589... want it?" "Yes!" I replied - unaware that my wife was behind me... "What did you just do? Did you just order a $600 gun like you would a 'happy meal'?" Well, yes I did...
That ~$620 (with S/T) was the best $ I have spent on a revolver. Like the earlier one, it has a lock-zit. But... it also has a bit of chamfering on the ejector star to aid reloads, hard chromed trigger (serrated) and hammer, easily changed gold bead front sight, and - those great feeling $70+ Miculek stocks. Certainly a bargain for ~$30 more MSRP. In use, only the grooved trigger took some getting accustomed to. It broke-in quickly - and, with a Wolff reduced power spring - and Federal primers - it is slick and easy to shoot. I have shot ~ 2k thus far - 3/4 ACP's, 1/4 AR's. I gave away my ammo last summer - including all of my 60+ moonclips, demooner nutdriver, and AR rounds... ultimately giving the buyer of my old 625 a real deal. Yes, I replaced much of it... even a 500 round box of Starline AR brass. It was worth it!
The 625 weighs a bit more than my 625 & 629 MG's, so even the minor recoil is 'absorbed' with the nice wood stock. The AR rounds are nice, too... if you don't roll your own, check Georgia Arms for their ammo - 200gr JHP and 230gr LRN variants. I bought my moonclips and nutdriver demooner from Brownell's - again. To be blunt, this is a big bore revolver you will shoot a lot... and will love. If you don't roll your own, you can still buy .45 ACP ball ammo anywhere - even Wally World has it for $11/50. Super revolver... you'll love it. Expect a louder boom than 158 LRN's from a .38 - and a bit more push... nothing like a .357Magnum, of course. Shock your range-mates with their 1911 clones, too... S&W has made a revolver chambered for the .45 ACP's since 1917... and, for plinking fun, they just can't be beat. Roll your own ammo, especially those AR's, and you can probably do some hunting, too...
Stainz
PS That front sight can be changed by depressing the spring loaded plunger and tipping it up - replacing it being done in the reverse. The gold bead height is .243"... their HiViz front sights are ~$35 and .250" tall.
My wife told me to get the Ark ready 
