View Single Post
 
Old 10-09-2018, 07:20 PM
HamHands's Avatar
HamHands HamHands is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Highlands, North Carolina
Posts: 1,522
Likes: 2,096
Liked 2,202 Times in 883 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by roo_ster View Post
Howdy:

Question:
What ammunition power/weight/quantity limits would you follow when shooting a 629 no-dash .44 Magnum?

Bought my 629 no-dash 4" bbl used with the cash I inherited from my late grandma as a memorial to her and my grandpa. Not my first N-frame (that would be a sweet, sweet 1917), but my first N-frame magnum. I shoot N-frames well. Came with the wood box, factory grips.

It is currently at S&W getting the lockwork looked at, as it skipped a chamber with some sporty factory fodder. Also getting a trigger job and a factory high polish.

I plan on keeping it until I pass or pass it on to family and I recall reading that the no-dash 629s are not as robust as some of the newer 629s (or Ruger RH/SRH).

FTR, my the most common load I shot through it was a handload with a 240gr LSWC on top of a near-"max" of Trail Boss for a MV in the neighborhood of 1000fps.
I have an M29-3 that "doesn't" have the performance package. I was told by some reputable .44Smith guys that is did have the Performance Package... So I put about 300 Full-House-Mags including 300 and 305grain, real steel plate/silhouette poppers with never a hiccup/cylinder skip. Then I saw a post stating the easiest way to tell if your Smith has that package is the elongated cylinder cuts. Mine did not have those cuts and was verified it didn't have the Performance Package. So, I've relegated the M29-3 to standard 240 grain loads at around 1150fps thru this beloved 3" barreled Lew Horton Special. It's just as tight as the day I brought her home. I have an M629-5 and an M629-8 that I run the 300+ stuff thru... of which both absolutely have the Performance Package. YMMV...

Last edited by HamHands; 10-09-2018 at 07:22 PM.
Reply With Quote