I just traded with my friend for an unfired cased 6.5 " Mod 29-2. He has had it since '94 and never fired it, and was told from the prev owner (that we are still friends with) that it has never been fired. There are no marks on the recoil shield, nor carbon or any other indicators that would dispute this. There is indications of a ghost turn line, but I know my friend had dry fired it and/or cycled the cylinder. I also have a NOS pinned 8 3/8" bbl that matches polish and blue perfectly that I am thinking of having fitted, as I do love the 8 3/8" bbl length. SN is N498XXX that I believe indicate a late '77 born on date?? It will reside in my shooting collection of cased Mod 27-2 and cased Mod 629 no dash.

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	Cased 29.jpg (104.2 KB, 376 views)
	29 recoil shld.jpg (90.8 KB, 272 views)
	27 29 629.jpg (81.1 KB, 269 views)

Beautiful 29-2 including the presentation case. So it is unfired but handled. I would have to shoot it or sell it. To me paintings are to be stared at & guns are meant to be shot.

Collects, yeah I know what you mean as far as "unfired". The ejector rod has absolutely no blue loss or any wear marks, nor is the recoil shield marked from casings. The forcing cone is pristine, as are all other surfaces. There is a very faint turn line as my buddy played with it often, and he is not a collector. It is really a moot point, as I intend to fire it, this revolver is a near duplicate to a 6.5" Mod 29-2 I had back in 1981.

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	EJ rod.jpg (60.4 KB, 87 views)
	forcing cone.jpg (44.9 KB, 84 views)

That is a fine looking .44 Mag. But the real pleasure will be in shooting it and taking care of it. They have great balance and are fun to shoot with both light and magnum loads.

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Richard Gillespie
FBINA 102

Nice looking 29-2. When I was young I bought all long barrel
revolvers. S&Ws, Colts, Rugers. As time went by I found that
I could shoot the 6-6 1/2" barrels just as well as the 83/8ths.
The 6" are a lot nicer to carry too. I would think long and hard
before swapping out to 83/8". To me the 29-2 in 6 1/2" is the
perfect 44. I've still got the 83/8" only keep it from habit, also
got 4" NIB/ case.

Great looking Model 29 and case! I wouldn't change the barrel either. There are plenty of prissy 8-inch guns out there to buy at good prices because it is the length in least demand. But that's just my opinion, and worth nothing. Congrats on your new sixgun!

The easiest way to tell if it's only been factory test fired is to look at the face of the cylinder. If only 3 chambers appear to have powder residue it is likely only test fired. But, there really is no reason not to fire it. It won't de-value the gun as long as it is well maintained. Nice looking piece, enjoy!

How do you think that the cleaning brush got dirty?

Fired or unfired, it is a beautiful 29-2 you got yourself there.

In my opinion that revolver, in the trim you have (specifically the 6.5" barrel) is one of the main Iconic Smith and Wessons out there, mainly due to Mr. Eastwood.

The 10, 19, 27 and 29 are the most Iconic S&W revolvers out there, at least from the modern era.

Yours is a real beauty with all of the Accoutremonts.

Looking at Smith&Wesson 44 Magnums aren't near the Fun as SHOOTING them

Thanks one nice 29-2 I'm looking for one also with 8 3/8" barrel for my collection in presentation box w/ all the goodies.. I was surprised at the price jump compared to the model 17, and 27.. It's hard to find a nice 29-2 and not get sticker shock in my opinion.

Swapping out the barrel would mitigate the pristine condition of that revolver. If you're going shoot it, it won't matter much as long as you keep the original with the gun, but from a collector's standpoint it doesn't enhance the value. The 6 1/2" barrel is probably the most desirable one. The long tubes not so much. It's a beauty. Enjoy it.

Beautiful 29-2! Want to sell the 6 1/2 inch tube if you replace it?

Beautiful gun and a fantastic acquisition. Congratulations. I'd be inclined to keep it just as it is, but you paid the price, not me.

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I'm gonna grow fins.

Update- I fitted the longer barrel on my 29-2 and installed Altamont grips on all three. I like the look, and definitely like the feel and sight plane of the longer bbl. I did use my lathe, MGW action blocks and a Brownell's facing/forcing cone tool to do the job correctly. Set the gap to a tight ".006. I figure I can always reinstall the 6.5" tube should I choose. Only down side is the wood box is mint, but for a 6.5" I haven't had a chance to shoot it yet, but am looking fwd to it.

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N fr grips 2.jpg (67.4 KB, 30 views)