It is a known fact that Smiths don't last when using full power loads.
Never gonna happen, the american ego is too strong.
Never gonna happen, the american ego is too strong.
How long does a S&W 629 last? Let's find out! 13K+ now
- Thread starter dirtybarry
- Start date
I wouldn't say all of them won't hold up. The K/L frames seem ok with 357 mag, but not sure about how the Model 69 will hold up being 44 mag. The X-Frames are fine. I would never own an N-Frame, with the exception of the 8 shot 357's.
To the org. Poster.
How do you know your loads are within specs? If you change one thing it changes everything. In your first post the cases are Starline and now you state that you are using Federal cases.
How do you know that there wasn't a small obstruction in the barrel?
You are very quick to blame Smith & Wesson when in turn it could have been you that screwed up. I am not saying that it wasn't S&W that screwed up but if they can make mistakes then so can you.
Remember if you always do what you always did you will always get what you always had. Next time you may not be so lucky or hopefully you won't hurt someone shooting beside you.
Graydog
How do you know your loads are within specs? If you change one thing it changes everything. In your first post the cases are Starline and now you state that you are using Federal cases.
How do you know that there wasn't a small obstruction in the barrel?
You are very quick to blame Smith & Wesson when in turn it could have been you that screwed up. I am not saying that it wasn't S&W that screwed up but if they can make mistakes then so can you.
Remember if you always do what you always did you will always get what you always had. Next time you may not be so lucky or hopefully you won't hurt someone shooting beside you.
Graydog
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If you want to run your gun to the ground...yeah...sure...go ahead, it's yours.
But if your goal is for S&W to admit they are wrong......sorry to say Sir.....but keep on dreaming.
Best of luck to you and I hope you don't get hurt.
But if your goal is for S&W to admit they are wrong......sorry to say Sir.....but keep on dreaming.
Best of luck to you and I hope you don't get hurt.
AND... you can't paint an entire company and/or brand of gun, based on ONE failed gun. Even if everything was within spec with the reloads, firing it, etc... there could have been a hairline fracture in the metal somewhere. They make tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of these guns. Saying the S&W or all model 29's or whatever, are garbage, because his ONE gun fell apart, is really encompassing too much based on too little. IMO.
Known "FACT" ??
I've got a 686 .357 that I constantly shoot 15gr of 2400 out of, and judging from my empty CCI 550 primer boxes here, I've done so about 1100 times, and that's on top of the probably 500 factory rounds. Sure it's not 5000 or 10,000 rounds, but after 1100 hand-pounding fireballs, it's still in perfect condition.
Although, now I'm toning it down to 13-14gr of 2400 just so my cases last longer.
Among people who shoot more than you do I should say, 1600 is nothing. My RSO who happens to be a good buddy of mine knows a few members at our range with Smiths collecting dust in pieces because they couldn't stand a steady diet of magnums, they all switched to Rugers and they couldn't be happier.
Warranty issues aside, and I'm sorry to hear of your experience, I would have thought that the factory would want to see the failure. Scanning electron microscopy and other tests would probably tell them whether it was a material flaw, a manufacturing defect, fatigue from repeated stress or an overload due to overpressure. That information would give you, and them, direction towards building and using a safer firearm.
It is their duty to do that.
If they refuse on the basis of a nicely worded, but firm, letter to the factory I would consider getting an independent lab to do the tests and a metallurgist to interpret them for me. Don't know how much it would cost but out here in AB the labs aren't as busy as they once were and you may find a fellow gunnie who can cut you a deal.
At least you would know if it was something that you did and how / why the failure occurred. Safety first.
It is their duty to do that.
If they refuse on the basis of a nicely worded, but firm, letter to the factory I would consider getting an independent lab to do the tests and a metallurgist to interpret them for me. Don't know how much it would cost but out here in AB the labs aren't as busy as they once were and you may find a fellow gunnie who can cut you a deal.
At least you would know if it was something that you did and how / why the failure occurred. Safety first.
You're very confident in your reloading ability, that's nice. Smith 29's do have issues with firing a lot of full power rounds, but it generally isn't that they detonate, rather either the frame stretches, or the internal mechanism wears prematurely. Generally the forcing cone doesn't blow out, without there being an obstruction in the barrel in the throat area.
There seems to be a lot of gunnutters who have lost faith with S&W model 29's ability to throw Elmer Keith's loads, but its all anecdotal. Where has objectivity gone? (Down range with the rest of our funds? 
).
No question the OP's gun (1 of how many 10's of thousands made) suffered a "KABOOM" but we don't know why. On a quest for vindication the OP has initiated some pseudo-scientific testing (my hat sir, has been removed for your efforts), but speaking as an owner of one of these fine firearms, let's leave the speculation for the media rags. Your "my buddy told me..." stories are impacting the value of my property! Stop it!
If you're going to be making statements of "Known", or "factory recognized" problems with the N frame barreled in .44 Rem Mag revolvers, please back them up with evidence. Not circumstantial speculation and or hearsay rumor and conjecture.
).No question the OP's gun (1 of how many 10's of thousands made) suffered a "KABOOM" but we don't know why. On a quest for vindication the OP has initiated some pseudo-scientific testing (my hat sir, has been removed for your efforts), but speaking as an owner of one of these fine firearms, let's leave the speculation for the media rags. Your "my buddy told me..." stories are impacting the value of my property! Stop it!
If you're going to be making statements of "Known", or "factory recognized" problems with the N frame barreled in .44 Rem Mag revolvers, please back them up with evidence. Not circumstantial speculation and or hearsay rumor and conjecture.
Defintely concur with this. Guns worn out from heavy loads do not blow up; they get loose and/or go out of time. Sometimes, the trigger or hammer studs in the frame will break. These are the things that the Endurance Package was introduced to address in the late '80s.
As far as reloads and warranties go, I don't think that any company's warranty includes use with reloaded ammo. Of course they will dismiss any claim out of hand if you explicitly say your gun failed while using reloaded ammo. Furthermore, I do not understand why someone would decline the dealer's offer to buy the gun back if the manufacturer won't warranty it; that is truly going above and beyond.
The proper way to approach this would be to say nothing of reloads to S&W: "ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies," if you are truly certain that a bad reload was not the problem. If bad reloads were the cause, the right thing to do would be to "take your lumps" and try to be more careful in the future.
I recently had a 29-3 break the trigger stud. I sent it to Murray Charlton for repair. It took about a year to come back because S&W was so slow in sending a new stud, but it came back repaired and refinished to hide the stud repair. Much to my surprise, there was no charge, as S&W decided to warranty a 30+ year old gun. S&W could certainly do a better job in keeping their warranty centre in parts, but they will make things right eventually if you do not incriminate yourself unnecessarily.
It is well known, if you want to shoot hot, buy Ruger
The milder ones use the Federal cases, the hotter ones use the Starline cases. The expectation being that the Starline cases were stronger/better than the Federal. But so far, they are both holding up very well. I've got 150 Federal cases that have now been fired 8 times that are getting washed before being inspected this very minute.
I've used multiple loads. 4 different powders, 4 different bullets, 2 different primers. Multiple different powder weights. All recorded and documented.
Some in the other threads.
I'm saying that this particular gun is either flawed or simply not up to the task. I cannot speak for any other guns.
I would have thought that they would have been more interested too. And was rather taken aback by their utter rejection.
As far as more testing, that is exactly what I have in mind. This is far from over.
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The last 3 round it ever fired made 3 holes in the target that were pretty close together.
