I have contemplated buying a model 29 with an 8 3/8" barrel. I recall reading an article that I believe was in Guns and Ammo or Shooting Times a year or so ago wherein the author tested various generation of the 29. His test reports showed that a certain generation was more inherently accurate than later ones. As I recall it had to do with the angle of the forcing cone, cylinder gap and or chamber dimension, etc. that was subsequently changed by S&W. Can anyone shed any light on this subject. Thanks

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Doug

I have contemplated buying a model 29 with an 8 3/8" barrel. I recall reading an article that I believe was in Guns and Ammo or Shooting Times a year or so ago wherein the author tested various generation of the 29. His test reports showed that a certain generation was more inherently accurate than later ones. As I recall it had to do with the angle of the forcing cone, cylinder gap and or chamber dimension, etc. that was subsequently changed by S&W. Can anyone shed any light on this subject. Thanks

__________________
Doug

If I remember correctly (always a dangerous thing), some of the early M29-2 guns commonly had a "spitting" problem, and S&W intiated a field modification for the warranty centers to deepen and extend the forcing cones to correct it. This was in the early-to-mid 1970s, I recall. Aside from this forcing cone modification, cylinder bore and b-c gap specifications have remained the same. The extended forcing cone may or may not affect absolute accuracy, but it would take a Ransom machine rest and match quality ammunition to prove it.

Beginning with the endurance upgrades in 1988, Smith started taking steps to make 29's shoot better( more accurately). In 1990 with the final upgrades implemented, they started messing with various throat sizes looking to improve accuracy. Up until this point, throats had been averaging .432"- .433", as in my 29-4. I have a 1990 29-5 with .4295" groove and .4295" throats. It is the most accurate 29 I've owned. They two sizes match perfectly, and Smith should have left well enough alone.

Instead, they found that by going to .428" throats they were able to get even better accuracy as demonstrated by the Classic DX series. How this is accomplished is beyond me, since squeezing a .429" or .430" bullet down in a .428" throat goes against conventional logic, but it worked. The DX guns are the most accurate guns that Smith has turned out.

It should be mentoned though, that shooting .429"- .430" bullets through throats that measure .428 will skyrocket pressures. I experienced that with my 5" 29-6 classic with the full underlug barrel, but didn't know at the time what was causing it, so I foolishly sold it and have been looking for another in good condition ever since.