It's difficult to conceal these guns effectively. Not only are they big, they're quite heavy and a burden in comparison with something that's truly concealable.
29s are heavy kickers with factory loads or factory-eqiuvalent handloads. Barrel length does make some difference. A 6" gun is slightly more comfortable to shoot than a 4". You lose about 50-60 fps muzzle velocity going from 6" to 4", a pretty insignificant loss.
Since 1973, I've had a couple of 4" guns, a 6", and a 6 1/2" in S&Ws and a 7 1/2" in a Ruger single action. I shot magnum loads until a couple of years ago. I'm quite happy now shooting only standard pressure .44 Special loads in the two 29s I've kept, a 4" and a 6".
|