Considering the S & W .44 mag (686?)

This is for GunGuy34....
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(the specs are dust and glare, and barely a drag line!) I'll take better pics soon.
 
The 29/629 underwent improvements to their lockworks mid 80's if memory serves. 29-5 and 629-3 I think. A lot of silhouette shooters shot their guns loose with a steady diet of heavy hand loads while competing, hence the improvements. I have three 29's and a 629, haven't had any issues in that regard with any of them. Back in the day though I did my silhouette shooting with a Dan Wesson and a Contender. - dan
 
handofzeus said:
Thanks alot. Back to the OPs post though. I would be chasing a Ruger Redhawk down if I hadn't found the 29. Legendary durability and a rock solid action with that neat removable trigger group and no sideplates or plate screws to loosen.
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When I was shopping for a 44, I was looking at the 29 at first. I heard the hot loads story from everyone I spoke to. That quickly turned me off. Very nice guns but I knew I wouldn't be happy with it. When a Redhawk came around I snapped it up on sight. I couldn't be happier. It is rock solid. I was casting bullets for it earlier this evening in fact.

I found this on another forum:

"Just for informational purposes, Brian Pearce wrote an article in Handloader Magazine on +P loads for the .44 Mag that were intended ONLY for the Redhawk and the Super RH. They were not for ANY other Ruger firearm and were too long to fit the Freedom Arms revolvers. They were loaded about 30% hotter (10,000 psi) than the SAAMI max. Bullet weights ran from 270 grains up to about 340 grains and used both cast and jacketed bullets.

You can find the article in the No 265 issue, April 2010. If you do go looking for it, remember that the loads are only for Redhawks and the Super Redhawks. Even if any of the loads are short enough to fit in a Blackhawk, the Blackhawk cylinder is not as strong as the one on the Redhawk."

Also:

"When the Redhawk was first introduced every gun rag did a comparison of dimensions between the RH and the Blackhawk and the Smith 29. Compared to the BH, the RH cylinder is bigger in diameter with chamber walls that are much more uniform than the BH's. Don't hold me to the exact numbers as it has been a while, but the BH cylinders have a web thickness between chambers about 0.100" while the outer wall is only about 0.088". The RH, on the other hand, has a wall thinckness about 0.115" all the way around. And the bolt cuts are offset so they don't reduce the strength as much as if they were directly on the diameter. The SRH uses the same cylinder as the RH for all practical purposes.

According to the article I referenced, the Ruger engineers wouldn't go on record stating just how strong the RHs are. Quite understandable. When John Linebaugh was working on his super magnums, he tested the BHs to destruction and found that they would let go at around 80,000 psi. That meant that there was a 100% safety factor for the .44s when uesd in Blackhawks. The RHs are stronger still. According to Pearce, if a 100% safety factor is the criterion, then the RHs can be loaded to 45K to 48K psi. That was where he put the loads he listed.

There is another way to put this, though. The pressures that Pearce used were in the "proof pressure" region for the .44 Mag - 25% to 33% overloads."

It would be interesting to find one of these comparison articles.
 
jsmurd said:
I know you boys all consider yourselves rough, tough, and hard to bluff, but, I suspect that if you shoot a full diet of factory loads through any Smith 44, you'll probably loosen up far before the gun does. :) jeez
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yes wise one....

i hear lots of people talk about a 29/629 being shot loose with "hot" loads yet it is difficult to find out what those hot loads are. my understanding of a hot load has always been buffalo bore, garrett and corbon and am aware these are generally off limits to the smith. but if a "hot" load is considered a factory load like the american eagle and people are shooting the 29/629 loose with a steady or moderate diet of these loads.....

the reality for non reloaders is that american eagle is one of the few readily available and more affordable 44 rounds. not 1 gun store in my area stocks 44 sp. and i've seen maybe 1 store online that carries 44 special.

the point is, if i buy a 44 mag, i want the gun to be able to shoot standard factory 44 mag even if i am too much of a pussy to handle it.
 
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jsmurd said:
I know you boys all consider yourselves rough, tough, and hard to bluff, but, I suspect that if you shoot a full diet of factory loads through any Smith 44, you'll probably loosen up far before the gun does. :) jeez
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Nope, I put about 1000 rnds through my S&W 500 every year. Had the gun 4 years, do the math:D Anyway the 44 is a pimp's gun. For a real hand rocket, my 500 Freedom Arms Wyoming Express is the hardest lil' fer I have ever fired. A dozen full house loads and I'm at my pain threshold. Now if they only made a .600 magnum.


 
johnl said:
Nope, I put about 1000 rnds through my S&W 500 every year. Had the gun 4 years, do the math:D Anyway the 44 is a pimp's gun. For a real hand rocket, my 500 Freedom Arms Wyoming Express is the hardest lil' fer I have ever fired. A dozen full house loads and I'm at my pain threshold. Now if they only made a .600 magnum.


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I tried that thing. It's too much for me.

I think the .44 mag is about the most I can handle properly. And I like it. I would be surprised to see a pimp with an 8" barrel on his piece.
 
Hey Waterloo, in the end buy what you like. The S&W 29 platform is a fine platform. If you are a volume shooter however keep the loads around 75% of max. If you are a box of 50 a year shooter, let er rip.
 
johnl said:
Hey Waterloo, in the end buy what you like. The S&W 29 platform is a fine platform. If you are a volume shooter however keep the loads around 75% of max. If you are a box of 50 a year shooter, let er rip.
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I shoot quite a bit.

Likely what will happen, because I'm stalled on it now, is I'll walk in, it will be there and I'll buy it.
 
This is quite a dilemma IMO. I too have high regard for DA .44 magnum revolvers.
-S&W 629-3 DX Classic, 5inch full lug
-Colt Ananconda, 6inch
-Dan Wesson Model 44, 8inch full lug

Just for warranty service alone in this country, the S&W is probably the best of these three.
If I had to do it all over again, I suspect some kind of a Ruger would have been choice number two.

(But the DW surely can take alot of abuse with full powered handloads and deliver accuracy at the same time)
 
Brutus said:
This is quite a dilemma IMO. I too have high regard for DA .44 magnum revolvers.
-S&W 629-3 DX Classic, 5inch full lug
-Colt Ananconda, 6inch
-Dan Wesson Model 44, 8inch full lug

Just for warranty service alone in this country, the S&W is probably the best of these three.
If I had to do it all over again, I suspect some kind of a Ruger would have been choice number two.

(But the DW surely can take alot of abuse with full powered handloads and deliver accuracy at the same time)
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Well, what I like is that it will swing the targets. Down one side and up the other.

How do you like the 8" barrel?
 
I too have a Dan Wesson 8" full lug 44 mag. Combines the refinements of the S&W with the toughness of the Ruger. Love mine.
The 8" barrel makes it a little nose heavy, but not too bad.

(E) :cool:
 
Waterloomike said:
Well, what I like is that it will swing the targets. Down one side and up the other.

How do you like the 8" barrel?
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Yeah, going to an eight inch pipe for a magnum handgun, it is probably a good idea if you plan on shooting it a fair amount to alot of trigger time. Unfortuneately the metal targets have been gone from our range for a few years now. Due to a decision by a person in a key club position. But they should be reinstalled in the future complete with wooden cribbing around the backstop area.

Keeps the velocity up there and the nose heavy weight helps control recoil a bit IMO.

For whatever reason I tend to shoot the longer DW, just a bit better than the Anaconda.
 
Brutus said:
Yeah, going to an eight inch pipe for a magnum handgun, it is probably a good idea if you plan on shooting it a fair amount to alot of trigger time. Unfortuneately the metal targets have been gone from our range for a few years now. Due to a decision by a person in a key club position. But they should be reinstalled in the future complete with wooden cribbing around the backstop area.

Keeps the velocity up there and the nose heavy weight helps control recoil a bit IMO.

For whatever reason I tend to shoot the longer DW, just a bit better than the Anaconda.
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When I like something, I shoot it a lot.
 
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