My first stop during SHOT Show 2025 was the Lipsey’s booth. In the weeks leading up to SHOT I’d heard rumors of greatness coming, thanks to the folks over at American Fighting Revolver. With rumblings of more exclusives coming from Lipsey’s and Smith & Wesson, it was no surprise to see this booth busier than most.
One of the bigger releases of 2024 was the Ultimate Carry line of revolvers, put together by AFR and Lipsey’s. For the new year they’ve gotten together to add titanium cylinders to the guns rather than the standard steel cylinder. This drops the weight down to 13 ounces unloaded, for an ultra lightweight carry option. In addition to this, grips on the TI versions of the UC are supplied by Hamre Forge. The new grips are Hamre’s specific American Fighting Revolver grips, providing a fully enclosed backstrap to help disperse recoil.
Shooters still have the option of .38 Special, or .32H&R Magnum chamberings, and finishes in either stainless or matte black.
MSRP on the Titanium Ultimate Carry J-Frames currently sits at $825.
As a limited run for 2025, Lipsey’s is partnering with the Special Operations Association (SOA) for new variants of the Ultimate Carry line of revolvers. These feature exclusive VZ grips in black and green coloration, not available for separate purchase. The front sight features a polished gold bead, which I really enjoyed and instantly caught my eye.
One of the most unique features of the SOA Ultimate Carry can be found on the left side of the gun. In white markings is the logo of the Special Operations Association, reminiscent of the MACV-SOG patch from Vietnam. Portions of each sale goes towards the SOA.
MSRP on the Special Operations Association edition Ultimate Carry is $775.00.
One of my favorite releases of SHOT Show 2025 is the introduction of Mountain Gun revolvers from Lipsey’s and Smith & Wesson. These stainless steel revolvers feature tapered 4-inch barrels, unique Bear Hug wooden grips, and gold bead front sights. Most importantly, the Mountain Guns are free from the internal lock that has been the scourge for Smith & Wesson owners for years.
Leading the charge is the 686 Plus, L-Frame revolver. This provides shooters with seven rounds of .357 Magnum on tap in their medium frame gun. Interestingly, the locking mechanism has also been changed on the 686 Mountain Gun. Rather than locking up on the tip of the ejector rod, the detent has been relocated to the crane of the revolver. This is something we noticed on a few other new production S&W revolvers, but isn’t consistent across all SKUs.
MSRP on the 686 Plus Mountain Gun is $1,199.00.
As a partner to the 686 Plus, we also have a new 629 Mountain Gun. This N-Frame revolver holds six rounds of .44 Magnum or .44 Special. Much like the previous gun, grips are wooden Bear Hug stocks, with a gold bead front sight. The internal lock is also long gone here, which is especially appreciated on the higher recoiling magnum guns. Interestingly, the 629 Mountain Gun features the traditional ejector rod lockup, unlike the 686 Plus Mountain Gun.
MSRP on the 629 Mountain Gun is $1,199.00.
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