357 Magnum - 8 Times! Smith and Wesson Performance Center 627-5 first shots

Decided to break-in my new revolver with 8 rounds of 357 Magnum 158gr Semi-Wad Cutters clocking in at 1167ft/s at 184 Power Factor! Also reminded why I don’t shoot 357 Magnum often :)
I was fortunate to find at Brownells a Smith and Wesson Performance Center 627-5. This is a 5” (127mm) N-Frame Revolver chambered in 357 Magnum and a capacity of 8 rounds. I was pleasantly surprised when I examined it, it is a 2023 production. I may cover it in another video, but Smith and Wesson is now laser engraving markings such as the “Made in the USA/Marcas Registradas”instead of the traditional roll stamping. I’ve noticed that Ruger is doing this as well, at least for my Ruger GP-100.
Everything looks OK with the revolver, and the lockup and fitting felt fine. I checked the cylinder gap with a feeler gauge and it measured .006 thousandths (.152mm).
Average of 5 trigger pulls in stock configuration:
Double Action: 9# 9.6oz (4.35kg)
Single Action: 4# 3.8oz (1.92kg)
I installed the following:
-Apex Tactical Evolution IV Hammer
-TK Custom Extended Firing Pin
-Wolff 14# (6.35kg) Rebound Spring
Average of 5 trigger pulls in new configuration:
Double Action: 8# 5oz (3.77kg)
*Interesting observation and I am not sure if it’s a new production thing on the Apex Hammer or a tolerance/fitting issue that I care enough to work on, but the new Apex Hammer I installed doesn’t work in Single Action. Single Action does work on my S&W 929 with its own Apex Tactical Evolution IV Hammer, but I never use it.
Future upgrades:
-Send out cylinder for TK Custom Cylinder Chamfering service.
-Change out front sight to fiber, but the gold bead it comes is growing on me.
-Change out rear sight to LPA.
-Change out grips to some Hogues with no finger grooves. The revolver came with both Altamont NU series wood grips with slightly pronounced finger grooves and Hogue Rubber Grips with finger grooves. Normally I am not a fan of finger grooves, but the wood grips that came with it had a great fit and finish, and felt good in my hands that I didn’t notice the grooves.

[@khatribimalraj2633]

Good

[@CorwinBos]

Get some! 🙂

[@fr3dr02]

Making it plausible for the action movie star to keep firing their revolver past six shots 🤔

[@owensnell4606]

Why do you switch your grip every shot

[@ZZ90]

Also curious about this

[@bluephantomfury]

Definitely operator (me) error. I don't often shoot high powered 357 Magnum loads, and it takes me awhile to work up to a particular grip that I will stay consistent with.