They' re good solid guns. I don't own one, but only because I somehow managed to find and buy 2 of the 396 cousins. They do most things pretty well. What they don't do, you probably shouldn't try. There is no way to turn it into a magnum. Don't bother trying. If you want hand pain, buy a 329. What the 296 does excel at is being a comfortable to carry 44 Special. They're light enough to be carried all day without causing you pain. You can even shoot them at the range for a while. Then you soon discover you can't shoot 100 times and not begin to feel the light weight transmitting the impact. Not a problem. Unless its the only gun you own and you want to shoot it more frequently.

Buy it.

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Dick Burg