S&w 629
- Thread starter Beachanator
- Start date
5" is my favourite barrel length; I just wish S&W would make half lug barrels in that length.
New S&Ws are perhaps not as nice cosmetically as some of the older ones and the internal lock is unsightly, but they are good shooters. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
New S&Ws are perhaps not as nice cosmetically as some of the older ones and the internal lock is unsightly, but they are good shooters. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
I love my other three... er... make that four S&W revolvers (just got a nice used 17-3 that I almost forgot to count 
) but the 4.2 inch barrel Ruger Redhawk is looking REALLY sweet for a .44Mag. The short barrel should really throw out a huge fireball when the load recipe is picked right. And since shooting .44Mag up here is all for grins and giggles we may as well optimize the show! And being a little more ruggedly built than the S&W it should stand up better over the long haul.
) but the 4.2 inch barrel Ruger Redhawk is looking REALLY sweet for a .44Mag. The short barrel should really throw out a huge fireball when the load recipe is picked right. And since shooting .44Mag up here is all for grins and giggles we may as well optimize the show! And being a little more ruggedly built than the S&W it should stand up better over the long haul.
Oops, I forgot to include that I've read some posts about the S&W .44Mags developing some looseness in the cylinder lockup after X amount of full house loads. I don't know how many this is but you may want to read around about this. It's part of what has me thinking about going with Ruger for my own eventual .44. That and the fact that the stouter and thus stronger Ruger frame will withstand any strength of load that the cylinder can tolerate.
Having said this I've got an N frame .357 Model 28. So I know how the 29 wiht the same frame would fit in my hands and look. And that is a hard thought to put aside. The N frames are great looking and balanced guns with wonderful triggers.
If/when you get a 629 or 29 treat it to a Wolff spring kit and use the lightest of the return block springs. It'll make a good trigger into a great trigger.
Having said this I've got an N frame .357 Model 28. So I know how the 29 wiht the same frame would fit in my hands and look. And that is a hard thought to put aside. The N frames are great looking and balanced guns with wonderful triggers.
If/when you get a 629 or 29 treat it to a Wolff spring kit and use the lightest of the return block springs. It'll make a good trigger into a great trigger.
S&Ws will handle up to 240-250 grain bullets at factory ammo velocities just fine. Newer guns made since the early 90s have improved long term durability with heavy loads. If you want to shoot a lot of 300 grain bullets, a Ruger would be a better choice.
Thanks...
I think I’m going to have a closer look at the Ruger. It might come down to the better fit in my hand I know the S&W feels good. I’ve never held the Redhawk but it does look sweet as well. I like the idea of a stronger frame. If 629 is the way I will defiantly look into the Wolff spring kit.
I think I’m going to have a closer look at the Ruger. It might come down to the better fit in my hand I know the S&W feels good. I’ve never held the Redhawk but it does look sweet as well. I like the idea of a stronger frame. If 629 is the way I will defiantly look into the Wolff spring kit.
The Redhawks actually look clunky as hell to me compared to the svelte lines of the S&W offerings. But let's face it, there's nothing at all subtle about setting off big power .44Mag rounds that are loaded up near the max pressure rating. So if a bit of clunkiness is what it takes to withstand the punishment being delivered then I say "what the hell, clunky is good too".
I'm also considering the Ruger Blackhawk single action in .44mag. After all, .44mag isn't something you rattle off in a fast DA string of shots in normal circumstances. So the slightly more appealing looks of the Blackhawk draw my eye. And then there's the SA grip. Not a great shape for holding the gun in place for a quick followup shot but from all the accounts I've read it allows the gun to pivot in the grip and redirect some of the recoil into lifting the gun. I'm hoping I'll get to try out a Blackhawk somewhere along the way to learn about this for myself. In the meantime I'm going to play with some .357Mag rounds out of my cowboy action Pietta SA revolvers to get an idea of this rumour.
No doubt about it though. The bigger the caliber the more options there are for bullet weights and powder loadings. I'd love to go with a .460 but the reality is that it's a lot of money and there's precious few ways to use it other than making big noise while putting holes in paper. At least with some downloaded ".44Special" like loadings I can use a double action Redhawk or 629 at my local range for our club level Speed Steel matches and then at the end of the day go and make some really big bangs and give myself a taste for blue rare steak and beer for when I get back home....
I'm also considering the Ruger Blackhawk single action in .44mag. After all, .44mag isn't something you rattle off in a fast DA string of shots in normal circumstances. So the slightly more appealing looks of the Blackhawk draw my eye. And then there's the SA grip. Not a great shape for holding the gun in place for a quick followup shot but from all the accounts I've read it allows the gun to pivot in the grip and redirect some of the recoil into lifting the gun. I'm hoping I'll get to try out a Blackhawk somewhere along the way to learn about this for myself. In the meantime I'm going to play with some .357Mag rounds out of my cowboy action Pietta SA revolvers to get an idea of this rumour.
No doubt about it though. The bigger the caliber the more options there are for bullet weights and powder loadings. I'd love to go with a .460 but the reality is that it's a lot of money and there's precious few ways to use it other than making big noise while putting holes in paper. At least with some downloaded ".44Special" like loadings I can use a double action Redhawk or 629 at my local range for our club level Speed Steel matches and then at the end of the day go and make some really big bangs and give myself a taste for blue rare steak and beer for when I get back home....
