1) 44 Magnum

I've been debating trying a revolver with short barrel in 44 Magnum. I do not plan to shoot full power 44 Magnum loads. Instead, I plan to shoot 44 Special and low power 44 Magnum (around 1,000 FPS). Do you think such loads will be controllable and tolerable in either a 629 Night Guard (2.5" barrel) or the Talo offering with 3" barrel.

What do you think?

2) 45 ACP / 45 Autorim

Another option would be to go with the 625 or 625 Night Guard. My plan there would be to use hotter 45 Autorim rounds. Is it possible to get to 1,000-1,100 FPS with the 45 Autorim? Would hot 45 Autorim be controllable?

the specials should be no problem. i fire full loads out of my 329 with a 4 in. barbell with no problem. and my 329 and night guard weigh about the same. just depends on how recoil sensitive you are. my 340pd is much worse to shoot.

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balin
NRA Life Member

Snub nosed 44s...

I like e'm too.

As a matter of fact, so much so I whittle up my own.




Also got a .45 ACP/AR in the works.


Su Amigo,
Dave

__________________
"IN GOD WE TRUST"

I wanted a 3 inch 629 and finally got everything together and ordered one right from Smith a couple years ago. They said they weren't making them in 3 inch anymore but I was able to get this one as one of the “emergency survival kits”. I don’t care about any of the rest of the stuff but I didn’t want to compromise and get a 4.



The day I picked it up it was to late to take it out so my friend and I just kind of fondled it and wiped it down. We both thought the trigger was horrible, heavy as a truck.

I figured I might as well replace the rebound spring right off the bat so we opened it up and then the stones found there way out and the next thing you know we smoothed everything down like you would have to do to a Ruger, put in a 11 lbs rebound spring and a factory 625 main, champhered the charge holes, hosed it down with brake cleaner, oiled it up and done in less than a hour.



I think it is the lightest, smoothest Smith I have ever pulled! We were just hoping it would have enough spring to fire. The next day was the local Thursday night IDPA match so a couple hours ahead of time I shot a couple dozen bowling pin loads. (240 SWC cast over 5 gr. Titegroup)




It’s a honey. I then shot a few heavy loads and it is not a beast with bear loads either. A couple hours later I shot the Thursday night IDPA match with no failures, so I love this thing. I think this is my favorite handgun ever!
February 08 I used it to shoot the S&W Indoor Nationals IDPA match with 44SPL loads in SSR. I hadn’t been practicing so I knew I couldn’t win but I shot a great gun and I was the only guy with a 44. I did get bragging rights!

The finish was a dull gray that was easily fixed with polish and a buffing wheel.

I carry it with Speer gold DotSB 200 gr. 44 Mag at just under 1000fps. (983} The 44 specials come out at 759 fps

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Shoot fast & live long
Warren

keith44Spl,

What model of revolver is that? What did you have done to it?

Sir,

That revolver started as a post-war 38-44 Heavy Duty...I had a
3" 44spl barrel and a rechambered model 28 cylinder on hand.

So, I fitted it all up, milled the rib and ramp with the front sight to suit.
Set the front locking lug back a little for looks and a soft glassbead finish all over.

Had it black oxided, re-assembled and finished sighting it in at 25 yards.

Also added a 1/10" Ivory bead to the face of the front sight just to aid my old eyes.

Works purty good for me.

Su Amigo,
Dave

__________________
"IN GOD WE TRUST"

I thought I remembered that piece.

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July 4, 1776 not Jan 30, 1909

I'm carrying an S&W 327 M&P R8 right now and the 5" barrel makes it too long for my IWB holster. It works, but it gets annoying. Even the 4" 625 I had was a bit long for IWB; I figure the 3" is a good compromise.

I'd probably just get a 625 with 3" barrel, but they're tough to find. On the other hand, I really like the notion of having a wide variety of loads in the 44 Magnum.

This is what I'd like to get:

http://www.grantcunningham.com/blog_...d5e14-424.html

With a very short barrel, heavily loaded .45 ACP/Auto Rim will do anything a .44 will do. My 625-4 with 3" barrel gets 919 FPS with the 250 gr. XTP. A cast 255 gr. SWC does even better with 931 FPS. I have not yet shot my 625 with 2" barrel over the chrono, but I'm expecting at least the same velocity as what a 5" 1911 will do with factory loaded 230 gr. ball. Any good .44 Special can duplicate these numbers, but recoil with all these loads is very brisk. And don't forget that any 625 .45 ACP can also handle .45 Super. The versatility, ammo options and moonclip reloads are what convinced me to choose the 625.

Dave Sinko

I've used both a 4" and 6.5" Model 29's for quite a few years, and both are excellent for hunting. Recently picked up a 3" Model 629 Deluxe that is a pleasure to shoot and nice to carry.

My ammunition choice for the 3" is a 240-grain JHP .44 Special load at about 900 FPS out of the 3" barrel. Very controllable, and the muzzle blast and flash are not a problem. I doubt that I will ever shoot magnums in this piece.

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I occasionally carry a 3" 629, usually stoked with Speer 200gr. Short Barrel Gold Dots. It looks just like Roundgunner's. That load is quite controllable, running at hot .44 Special velocities. I've shot full-house magnums in it, but they are not very pleasant or controllable. As for hot .45 AR loads, there will be little difference in recoil between them and low-end .44 mags. like the Short Barrel load. In fact, one can load .45 AR to be quite a bit jumpier than is the Speer Short Barrel .44 mag. load.

For concealed carry in a 44 I am going to commit heresy here.
The smallest Smith 44 ever made is the 2or396.
They are now selling for way north of a kilobuck.
The lightest 44 now available is the Charter Bulldog. 21 ounces.
You have to use your gun and surrender it do you want to potentially
lose an expensive collectors item or a readily replaceable firearm?

I have decided. You don't like the fixed sights get the laser grips.
Yeah they double the price of the gun but it's still less than
a S&W no longer made.

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Nemo

The 329 Night Guard is still in production. I will probably get one since it includes a night sight. Just add THE PLUG and it is ready for carry.

That is one FINE looking rig

It's not a Smith & Wesson, but I couldn't resist the balance, finish and feel of this Ruger Sheriff model in .44 Special. I added a Mernickle high-ride holster and am waiting to hit the range!

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Term limits!

I have been told my Bulldog is in but I have to sign paperwork
and wait 48. Currently my carry N frame consists of a 3" 624
newly shod in Spegel's ebony. The holster is the original 624.
It's a perfect high ride. I like the cylinder above the belt. That's
a Galco SB-5.



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Nemo

I love my 396 Mountain Lite.....

It actually wears Eagle Secrect Service grips and Cylinder and Slide fixed rear sight.

Might as well throw this one in again...

629-5

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C & L

This ones out at the 'smith being de-greened and refinished. It's a Mag-na-port custom M29-10. The quad porting makes it manageable even with the 3" barrel and hot loads. Great carry gun if you gotta go big.

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Don't kiss smiling dogs!

Noooooo. I thought being green was in these days!
Battery powered, smoke free, lead free rail guns
are selling like, uh well, ok so they aren't :P~
Everyone else's green guns just went somewhere else in value.



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Nemo

29-4, 3"

I have a 325 Night Guard, and I find it very controlable with full power 230gr loads.

However for a field gun I would prefer a Night Guard in 44 Mag.
The main reason is the use of Speer shotshells. The 45 ACP shotshells lock up my 45 ACP Night Guard.

So for a field gun I find the Speer shotshells so useful that I would want a gun that can shoot them. Also since my standard field handgun is a 4" Mountain Gun in 44 Mag, and I many times have my Winchester Trapper in 44 Mag along as well, I would want all fo them to be able to use the same ammo, even if the Primary ammo in the 44 Mag Night Guard would be light loaded 44 Mags.

I just got this back from Clark's last week. It is a joy with .44 spl but a bit of a handful with full power .44 mags.

You guys are killin' me. I was just going to drop in & suggest using CCIs 200 gr 44 Spl Blazer load, and now my pulse is pounding, and my palms are sweaty. It must be time to hit the gun shops again....

I'll add these, 629 fixed sights

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It is worth taking the time to wander them. I picked up the 29 cheap with 6" barrel, then found the 3" barrel and ejector rod later, and then finally took them all to Clark's and had them put it together. I am very pleased with how it turned out.

Mighty fine looking leather there, sir! Not real surprised about that though....

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Even older, even crankier....

I have no trouble using magnum loads in this one. 3 shots in 2 seconds on an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper at self-defense distances isn't hard to do. If I was going to shoot reduced loads and still wanted big bullets, I'd probably go with a semi-auto .45.

How about a 696; 3" barrel and .44 Special.

Dave,
Very nice! By moving the front locking lug back, do you mean you separated the shroud from the barrel, moved it back and reattached it?

If that's correct would you mind telling us more about how that was done?

I want to rethread an N frame 44 barrel and mount it in an L frame. I'll need to section the shroud to reduce the distance between the barrel axis ctr line and the ejector rod axis ctr line.

Thanks,

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Jim
S&WCA #819

You will not be dissappointed at the range!

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Jim,

Oh, I just ground the front of the lug back to give
the barrel the appearance of added lenght...

The fitting of an N frame barrel to the L frame
sounds like a neat project, I've got an idee or two on that.

I'll have to look and see if I can find my notes on the dimensional difference of the two axis lines.

Just off'n the cuff here, I was thinking of modifying the locking bolt hole and opening up the shroud for
clearance of the ejector rod and use an off-set locking bolt.

I'll study on this for a bit...

Su Amigo,
Dave

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"