'Morning all,
I've had a NIB 629 Classic 6 1/2" s/s without IL for about 15 yrs. I'm thinking about replacing the barrel for a shorter one and use the gun for a carry piece. Has anyone changed out their barrels? Expensive? Or, maybe just leave it alone and not degrade whatever value it has in the original form value and use a different gun for carry?

Any thoughts, ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks.

Hi, and welcome! It is relatively easy to replace the barrel, but by "carry piece" do you mean as a daily CCW? If so, even with a shorter barrel due to its size and weight you would have to be very dedicated to carry it regularly, and I would go for something that you would not leave at home or in the car. Many suggest a 2-3" .38 or .357 for this use. Interested to see what others think.

__________________
Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Welcome Hank Hill. I thought about shorting my 586 to a 3'',I didnt do it.I just dont think its worth it. It will be cheaper to buy a used shorty.If you are using it as a carry gun,and need to used it and do shoot a bad guy,the gun will be locked away for who knows how long by the police and you might never get it back.But I have always wanted to have my own custom gun,made the way I want it.So good luck and let me know what you do with that 629.

Well Hank, I can say that I have some experience in this area, as well as a very strong opinion regarding the related cartridges and their relationship to barrel length. I carry a 5" 629-2 that I had a 5" dual mag-na-ported classic barrel installed on. It originally sported a 6" half lugger. I like the older forged lockwork and square butt, and since I started out carrying L frames, I like the muzzle heavy feel of full underlug barrels. I wanted a defensive handgun that combined those qualities and could push 1000 fpe. (it can with the right handload) yet be contollable.

As far as carry ammo goes, most people want to carry factory ammo. If you're one of them, the Federal .44 magnum 180 gr. JHP is the only cartridge in that caliber that I would carry (it packs over 900 fpe. from my 5"er). The 210 gr. Silvertip is an overpenetrator after going through heavy cloth (see my test results by doing a search in the ammo forum for the thread Perma-Gel Test Results) , so I would reserve it's use for southern climates. It is however a very accurate load. Concerning the midrange ammo offered by Corbon and Speer go, as well as the .44 spl., The Remington 125 gr. 357 SJHP (R357M1), combined with a 6" 686, should pack more power(700+) in an easier to carry gun (I tested that load/gun in the Perma-Gel thread too, it's ferocious). The .357 is a better choice for most .44 carriers IMO. A 4" .357 is a breeze to carry and can approach 600 fpe. with R357M1. IMO, handguns that are pushing the velocity and energy of the 125 gr. .357 JHP from a 4" and longer barrel are beginning to exibit rifle-like behavior. The first woodchuck that I shot through the body with my .44 magnum 165 gr. JHP handload had a 5" tear as an exit wound.

To sum it all up, first I would tell you to walk a mile and see a mile. If you haven't carried a 4" .357 first, that's where I would begin. As for myself, if I'm going to carry anything bigger than a 6" 686 it needs to be a full power .44 magnum, or I'm wasting my time. That requires a 4" or longer barrel to be controllable I would think (anyone who can handle a .44 mag. N frame snub one handed effectively has my respect, if they even exist). I feel that I got it right with the 5" classic barrel. It's short enough to hide, long enough to outrun the .357's power and heavy enough to be controllable. A gun that big will require a good gun belt, holster, the right clothing and some serious getting used to. With a gun that big, if anything in the carry set up is out of sync, it will not work.

We're discussing the subject of .44 carry guns right now in the CCW forum, so you might want to read that thread and the various opinions, including those who disagree with mine.

Hank Hill, where have I heard that name before
Welcome aboard.

I went through the same situation. I was considering putting a different barrel on my 629 or having it shortened.
The price was a little high. My 629 is mint, so I decided to buy a 3 inch 629.
I carry it every chance that I get. I shoot 44 special rounds in it, and sometimes I load a light magnum load.
It can be carried, but it is not easy. I carried mine for 4 or 5 days before I got used to it. It is bulky, but with a good holster, it is not that bad.
I started out with a snub, worked my way up to a 686 3 inch, and now this.
The 3 inch is a good barrel length for carry, longer is good if you can get used to it.
Hope this helps.

I like your thinking on that one. For those that carry IWB a 4" barrel should be just as easy to hide as a 3" and a 6" not much more difficult.