I'm (almost certainly) getting a 29-2 Nickel 8 3/8 wood grips shortly, sn N7386##. I've only owned a Glock 26 before (and not for very long, so this should be... different. If you can think of anything that might be helpful to know, I'm all ears. I'm pretty handy, have installed a new trigger in my Glock (Ghost Evo Elite), and have already looked at youtubes on cleaning the Smith. I rented a 44 to shoot (though it was a Remington with rubber grips & 6") and was actually quite amazed at how tame it was, after all the talk of kick. I don't know anything about the ammo I was shooting though (bought it at the range). Do's and don'ts welcome. I clean with Ballistol.
Thank you!

Beautiful guns. Congratulations and good luck with it. Look forward to pictures. The -2s are held dear
in that they were the last with the pinned barrels and recessed cylinders, desired by collectors. The long-barreled models aren't everyone's favorites, but in the 27s and 29s I like them a lot. The one you rented was more likely a Ruger. Ammo and kick: if it was a range re-load it might have been down-loaded somewhat from full power factory loads, but I think the recoil of the .44 Magnum is part truth and part legend. I sometimes shoot my 29-2 6" barrel one-handed when I'm showing off.

Like cptdco said, the 29-2 is a great gun. All the model 29's and the stainless cousins, the 629 series, feel real good in hand to me. I've never shot the 8 3/8" 29 yet, but I recently bought the 8 3/8 model 27, which is the 357 Mag version of the N frame and it handled a lot better than I thought it would.

As for recoil, with full bore hot 44 Mag loads it is substantial but manageable. I would suggest that you start off with some mid range loads such as the ones that Freedom Munitions sells with 240 grain plated bullets as the recoil isn't as severe as some of the hotter stuff. And if you don't reload, you might think about starting if you plan to do some serious range time with a 44 Mag. You can easily cut your ammo cost in half by reloading, plus you can load down or up as you want too. A 44 Mag loaded with ammo loaded to 44 Special specs is a pure pleasure to shoot and won't beat you up at all.

Congratulations on your new toy and welcome the forum.

I second the 44 special loads.

Pleasant to shoot and easier on your gun, too.

Enjoy!

Remington .44? Must have been an antique.. You won't regret buying a S&W 29,one of the finest handguns ever built.Make room in the safe for more...owning one leads to owning more than one.. We expect pictures asap..especially a nickel long barrel 29!

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My Daddy was a pistol..

Accessories:
I suggest getting several speedloaders for your revolver. They make range reloading much quicker and keep loose rounds from rolling around.
I have a 4" nickel 29 and a 6.5" 629 and really enjoy shooting them. With the wood Target stocks on them they can bite a little, but with a set of Goodyears (rubber) on the grip they feel pretty good. A set of rubber grips by Pachmeyer, Hogue, or Bianchi are pretty cheap and easy to install for range sessions. Just don't leave them on full time or the rubber can cause corrosion and rub the finish from being flexible. They really do help with felt recoil though.
I like a good leather holster for my revolvers, but not sure what is available for 8 3/8" barrel. Having a holster to stick your shooter in while checking targets or while on a walkabout is very handy though, and you will want somewhere to put that big gun when not in use.
Range bag for ears and eyes, ammo, targets, stapler, used brass, etc. Nice if the bag has a couple compartments for keeping stuff sorted. I also use a shotgun shell pouch on my hip when at the range as a dump bag. The kind trap shooters use. It is basically a big pocket with open top and a divider between two sections. I put my speedloaders, eyepro, earplugs, empties, waterbottle, whatever in it when walking around on the range.
I will also suggest looking into reloading. A basic set by Lee or RCBS is really all you need to get started. Basic sets allow you to roll your own, although it is a little slow. As you progress, you can upgrade accessories like powder measures and digital scales, etc. to speed the process. Even if you don't reload, save your brass. It has value and you will meet someone at the range who reloads who will make use of it.

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1SG, USA (Ret)

Welcome to the FORUM! You are getting a fine weapon in a 29. I recently traded off my last poly gun. Now, they are all metal. Still no .44 Though! Good luck. Bob

Haha, yes Ruger not Remington. Oops. I wonder about shooting with gloves instead of changing the grips? Also, I'd love to get info/thinking on damage/wear from dry firing. I got this laser dry fire tool called itarget, and have started playing with me Glock. Seems really helpful. Figure it could save me a fortune with the 44, with the cost of ammo...
So I guess one can shoot 44 special in there: no problem with cylinder wear? I would just think that the 0.1"or whatever would mean the bullet might wear the edge where the Magnum sits... But maybe I've got this all wrong in my mind. I'm sure it'll get a lot clearer when I've got the gun... Maybe the cylinder is just a straight-thru bore? For some reason I thought it would have a little ridge at the end of the casing

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Also: the itarget does have a plastic surface it hits, so I suppose it's more like snap caps than dry firing

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Sir,

Welcome to the forum. .44 Specials will not wear the edge of the throat. They will leave firing residue in the space between the case mouth and the edge of the throat, just as .38 Specials will do in a .357. This needs to be cleaned out regularly so as not to constrict case mouths on magnum rounds and possibly cause overpressure and sticky extraction.

As for dryfiring, you can do it with the older Smiths with their hammer-mounted firing pins, but I wouldn't do lots of it. I would think that those firing pins could break after striking the bushing repeatedly with no primer to cushion the blow. Disclaimer: I've not had it happen, but I don't dry fire much.

Enjoy your gun, sir.
Andy

Proper fitting stocks (that fit YOU) seem to lessen the recoil effect. It made a big difference on my 25. Bob

Welcome to the forum.

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Roger

Welcome. Learn to reload. And shoot 44 special.

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No gold. Only lead. Bobby

Welcome aboard from Pennsylvania.
I am confident that you will enjoy your 29-2. I enjoy mine quite a bit.

I picked up the 29, cleaned it up, launched the bolt plunger into the stratosphere, created a fake plunger until I can find it (beginning to look unlikely) or get a new one, and have been trying to get comfortable with the grip. Can't figure out what I want to do with my thumbs!
I cleaned with ballistol, didn't do any additional lubing, but I'm realizing that unlike my Glock, this might not want to run so dry.
I found a few glitches with the plating: about a 1/16 ding on the side of the end of the barrel, a much larger patch right where the barrel meets the frame (on the frame, just beneath the barrel, in the little corner that would be the perfect place to hold a drip off corrosive gun cleaner. It's about 1/8 x 3/16), and a very small ding on the very end of the barrel, not close enough to influence the bore I don't believe. Both of the latter two are impossible to get a pic with my phone: too many shiny objects at different focal lengths. There's a fourth glitch, a pit I believe, that I can only see with a loupe. I'm going to try to make sure these don't grow, but I got it as a shooter not collector, so I'm not too worried.
The box is in good shape, but the innards are a mess. The plastic insert has all the Velvet torn off, and is cracked in a few places. The foam looks okay, but the back is degraded into what appears to be pure carbon. These are installed backwards in the case, so you have to open it upside down if you want the gun to land in the plastic form-fit side (and not spill the tools). Oh, it has a complete set of original tools I think (soft cleaner, brush, rod, screwdriver). No papers.
IMG_20170416_101137.jpgIMG_20170416_101202.jpgIMG_20170416_101231.jpgIMG_20170416_101247.jpgIMG_20170416_101546.jpg

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I'm just now realizing there are a few small glitches in the finish on the cylinder, didn't see them with all the convolutions. Oh well.
I should say, I'm just sort of getting everything in one place, I'm not too concerned since I'm not putting it in a museum. I paid $800 for it, which is I think on the low side but not a steal. So far, I like it!

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For your shooting enjoyment learn to reload. You don't have to have a tremendous set up, but a press, dies, scale, most importantly a reloading manual (or several). Learning to load the "old fashioned" way, one bullet at a time, gives you a lot of knowledge and control over your shooting.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Welcome to the "world of revolvers". This may be your first, but I'll bet a cookie to a donut it won't be your last!!!!! HAVE FUN- BE SAFE