For more than three decades, one engraved Smith & Wesson Model 625 has done exactly what it was built to do—be carried, be trusted, and be shot.
Every firearm has a story. Sometimes it’s the story of its design or the people who built it. Sometimes it’s the places it’s been or the miles it’s traveled in a well-worn holster. And sometimes, if you’re fortunate, it’s the story of the person who carried it. This Smith & Wesson Model 625-3 has all three.
Long before it became my everyday carry revolver, this wheelgun belonged to Clark Vargas—a respected engineer, competitive shooter, nationally recognized range designer, and longtime leader in Florida’s sport shooting community. Today, it rides on my belt and every time I carry it, I’m reminded that some firearms accumulate their own history, one owner at a time.
I never had the opportunity to personally meet Mr. Vargas, but through this revolver, I’ve come to appreciate the man who once carried it. Over the years, I’ve learned that the best firearms become more than tools or collectibles. They collect stories and before long, they have a story of their own to tell. This Smith & Wesson is one of those revolvers.
More Than Steel and Wood
Among revolver enthusiasts, the Smith & Wesson Model 625 has earned a well-deserved reputation as one of the finest double-action revolvers ever built. Chambered in .45 ACP and fed by half and full moon clips, the N-frame 625 combines exceptional accuracy, reliability, and one of the smoothest double-action triggers Smith & Wesson has ever made. Whether carried for personal defense, used in competition, or simply enjoyed on the range, it’s a revolver that rewards good shooting.
This particular Model 625-3 is an exceptional example.
Made in 1990 as a 3-inch barreled defensive carry piece, it has spent the better part of its life doing exactly what it was designed to do. For decades, it served as Clark Vargas’ everyday carry revolver, riding in a holster instead of sitting in the back of a safe. Long before it became part of my collection, it had already accumulated years of honest use, quiet dependability, and the kind of character that only comes from a firearm that has been trusted, day after day.
Its tasteful factory engraving gives it an understated elegance without changing its purpose. Beneath the scrollwork is exactly what it has always been: a serious revolver built to be carried.
When the revolver arrived, it was exactly as Mr. Vargas had carried it after all those years. It was still in its black basketweave Triple K holster, accompanied by a couple of loaded moon clips.
It wasn’t arranged as a collector’s display or presented as an investment piece. It was simply an honest working revolver that had faithfully served its owner for decades. That appealed to me because it reminded me that this revolver has earned its character honestly.
The Man Who Carried It Before Me
Clark Vargas spent decades giving back to the shooting community. An Army veteran and professional engineer, he became nationally respected for designing shooting ranges and served in leadership roles with the Florida Sport Shooting Association. His work helped create better places for shooters to train, compete, and enjoy the shooting sports.
After a battle with cancer, Mr. Vargas passed away in 2023. It was following his passing that I bought this revolver directly from Mrs. Vargas, ensuring that a firearm he had trusted for decades would continue doing exactly what it had always done—be carried and shot.
Long before I owned this revolver, I’d already benefited from the community he helped build. That’s one of the reasons this revolver is so interesting to me. Not because it belonged to someone famous, but because it belonged to someone whose work quietly made a difference for thousands of shooters who may never have known his name.
Writing a Revolver’s Next Chapter in Life
Some would argue this revolver belongs in a safe. I couldn’t disagree more. The best way to appreciate a revolver like this is to keep carrying and shooting it. When it came to me, it still wore the Pachmayr grips Mr. Vargas had chosen for everyday carry.
Anyone familiar with serious revolver shooters understands that choice. Pachmayr grips aren’t flashy. They’re practical, offering a secure hold under recoil and have a reputation earned through decades of hard use.
The only change I’ve made is putting on a set of Craig Spegel N-frame round-butt grips.
Not because the originals needed replacing, but because I’ve long admired Spegel’s craftsmanship. They fit my hand beautifully, retain the revolver’s practical character, and, in my opinion, complement the Model 625 perfectly. Otherwise, the revolver remains exactly as Mr. Vargas carried it.
Today it rides on my belt, just as it rode on his for decades before me.
My load of choice for it is Buffalo Bore’s excellent .45 Auto Rim 200gr JHP, which lets me feed the beast without relying on moon clips.
While the Model 625 was designed around the .45 ACP, the .45 Auto Rim has given revolver shooters a practical moon clip-free option for more than a century, and Buffalo Bore’s loading makes an ideal companion for a working sidearm.
This revolver accompanies me every day when I’m out in the streets of South Florida. It rides comfortably on my hip, rings steel with satisfying regularity, and reminds me why the Model 625 has earned such a cult following. Some firearms are meant to be displayed. This one was built to be carried.
The more I carry it, the more I’m glad it is my everyday carry piece.
This isn’t simply an interesting revolver with an interesting history. It’s an outstanding revolver. I genuinely enjoy owning it. I enjoy carrying it. And I especially enjoy shooting it.
This fine revolver is still doing exactly what it was built to do.
This 625’s story didn’t end with Mr. Vargas, and it certainly doesn’t end with me. For more than three decades, it has done exactly what a good revolver is supposed to do—ride in a holster, be carried with confidence, and perform when called upon. Today, I’m just writing the next chapter. Every range session, every round of .45 ACP and .45 Auto Rim I fire, every day it rides on my belt, and every mile we travel together adds a little more history to a revolver that has already lived an interesting life.
That’s one of the things I enjoy most about owning it. It’s not a safe queen that only comes out to be admired while holding it with white gloves. It’s still earning honest holster wear, still ringing steel, still protecting me and mine, and still doing exactly what a Smith & Wesson Model 625 was built to do.
Every time I carry it, I’m reminded that great firearms aren’t remembered simply because they’re finely made. They’re remembered because of the stories they collect along the way.
This Model 625 has already earned its place in the stories of two owners. My hope is that, many years from now, it will still be doing exactly what it has done since 1990—riding in a good holster, putting rounds where they’re aimed, and collecting a few more stories worth telling long after I’m done orbiting the sun.
Luis Valdes is a former law enforcement officer and detective who currently serves as Gun Owners of America‘ Southeast Regional Director, Outreach Director for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and National Spokesman, along with being National Co-Chair of Fuerza 2A. Follow him on X and Instagram at @RealFLGunLobby.