Sorry for the newbie basic S&W question but I'm basically S&W illiterate. I do own a 25 YO Model 36 that I carry every day, great gun. I'm in the market for a .44 Mag with a 3" or less barrel, only use for it will be riding in the car with me and plinking at the range. I am famililar with .44's I own a couple Rugers. Actually I was looking at the Ruger Redhawk Alaskan, but I think I want to get a Smith this time, something similar in size to the Alaskan. It doesn't need to be new, available older models are fine also. Any recommendations would be appreciated.

Thanks
Frank

Here's a pic of my 36.

Welcome to the forum! S&W makes a few now. There is the 329 Night Guard, and also a snubby with an unfluted cylinder that is a Performance Center gun. If you get lucky you might find a Lew Horton like the one I have. I know I am missing a few, I'm sure someone else will chime in.
(bottom left is the LH...but that is self explanatory)

Welcome to the forum, Smith I believe is making another run of its 2 1/2 " 629 its a fix sighted N-frame. I have a 2 1/2 and 3 inch version of the older run (629-5) The 3 inch version of mine is adj. sights while the 2 1/2 is fixed sights. You can still find these on Gunbroker sometimes for sale. Hope this helps.

There's a real sweet Performance Center 2 5/8" gun being produced now. Maybe that's more $ than you want to spend, but they are nice and have great DA and SA trigger pull and unfluted cylinders. Not sure why the latter, maybe just a fashion thing. There are other snub-nosed S&W 44s out there, they've made different runs of them over the past several years.

The 4" SB 629 is a lot different creature than the 3" RB 629. For such a similar basic configuration, it is amazing the differences of such as balance, recoil and basic handling factors.

I've started feeding my 3" with 44 special, and find it a most wonderful side arm.

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Dum vivimus Vivamas

A 3" RB 29/629 is a thing of beauty.

A 4" 29/629 is also a thing of beauty, but easier to come by.

Once you get used to it, it becomes as accurate as a longer barreled revolver.

I'd highly advise that you scratch the itch for one.

Here's one I had made, being unable to score on a LH back in the day. it was originally an 8 3/8" 629-2.



Here she is as she stands today.

I bought the model 629 Backpacker and really enjoy shooting it. I practice with 240 gr. sjhp .44 mag. but carry the 300 gr. when hiking. It also has the Hi-vis front sight and is ported. I like it so much I am getting ready to buy another.

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Everyone is entitled to their opinion, of course. I have several .44 magnums but the standard Model 629 in 4" is as short as I want to go with a .44 magnum. That is for two reasons:

1 - A .44 magnum IS a .44 magnum because of it's velocity. To attain that velocity it requires slow burning powders, and a lot of it. Barrels shorter than 4" do not really perform like a .44 magnum other than LOTS of jump, flash, and noise.

2 - Full .44 magnum loads offer SERIOUS recoil. I am not particularly recoil sensitive but a 4" is not particularly fun to shoot with full house loads and a 2.5-3" is flat out becoming abusive.

This is not a case where I am jealous of someone else's 3" gun - I have many choices. However, I DO shoot my guns a lot and I don't need something posing as something else. If I carry a .44 magnum, I want .44 Magnum performance without pain.

I believe that most would be better served by the much more available and usable 4". 6" is even better.

Plus there is the hit factor - it is easier to hit with a longer barrel. Everything has it limits.

Just a thought or two...

Dale53

My experience, FWIW:

I own a Ruger Alaskan. I preferred it to a 629 because I have small hands, and the old style GP100 grips are smaller than the N-frame. I enjoy shooting it will full up rounds - shooting one handed. The weight of the gun helps absorb some of the recoil, and the wood panel grips (unlike the stock Alaskan grips) shift a bit for me without ripping into my skin. I still find it uncomfortable to fire using both hands. The weight of a 629 & Alaskan are comparable.

A 3 inch doesn't hurt much in terms of velocity. Using real world guns, ballisticsbytheinch has the Federal 240 grain giving 1120 in a 3 inch, 1094 in a 4 inch, 1256 in a 5.625 inch barrel and 1407 in a 12 inch barrel. The Speer 200 grain short barrel ammo gave 991 / 1009 / 1061 and 1164. With quality bullets, I suspect you will get about the same penetration from a 3" barrel as a 4" barrel - or even 6" barrel.

If I'm REALLY hiking in Brown bear country, I'd prefer a rifle. I don't hunt with handguns, but if I did, I'd want a MUCH longer barrel or a scope. But for fun? Or as a backup gun in bear country?

All I can say is shooting a 44 Mag snubbie puts a smile on my face, even if it sometimes adds a bruise to my hand. If my hands were a little bit bigger, I'd LOVE a 629 Mountain Gun!

I saw it today on their website, it looks great, I really like it. It is currently on the top of my list.


I really appreciate all the comments, thanks for the suggestions, I will check all of them out. The main reason I was looking at the Alaskan, other than I own a passel of Rugers, was the weight, I think it would be reasonably comfortable to shoot. I used to own 2 Grizzly .45 Win Mags, wish I would have held onto one of them. That sucker was actually painful to shoot.

Thanks Again

in addition the the lew horton batch of 3" 44 mags S&W also sold some as well..the 3"combat magnum...lots of fun!

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SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

I picked up mine a few weeks ago. Even though the wood boot grips look great, I just couldn't get a firm grip so I put on the Pachmayr Compact grips.

Gotta say, pretty nice piece! Those Hogues really set it off.

Matter of fact, I think they'd work pretty well on my 625-6 MG. I've currently got a set of Hogue compact finger grooves (as in your 1st pic) on it.

Mind if I ask what flavor of wood they are, & also, did you find much difference in recoil handling?

Thanks in advance - Gary

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Regards - GCF

Mule 88

How does that fixed sight snubby shoot? Are the fixed sights anywhere close to point of aim, point of impact?

I would like to have a "compact" 44 Mag to act as a spare to my Mountain Gun when I travel.

I have a 325 Night Guard, and I like it for its size [and weight] but in a 44 Mag I want a steel framed gun, and as much as I prefer adjustable sights, in this application I want one with no sharp edges.

08Cayenne

If this is to be your first 44 Mag, and you do not need the short barrel for a specific size requirement, and from you post, carrying in the car and shooting at the range, then I think a standard 4" S&W 44 Mag might serve you best. Either Blue, Nickle, or Stainless, your choice. It will be more pleasant to shoot.

However if you are a "Snub Snosed Freek", then you must get what YOU like.

I can relate to being sort of a "SNF"... I have never been a 357 Mag kind of guy, but my favorite 357 Mag is a 2 1/2" Mod 19...

I have used it in PPC Snub Nosed Matches, it shoots as good to 25 yards as my custom 6" PPC revolver. I have carried it in harms way a few times as well. If I was a 357 kind of guy it would be my daily carry...
And I think one of the "Coolest" looking S&W's is the 3 1/2" Mod 27...


I really like my 325 Night Guard...

So I am "Borderline SNF"

Let us know what you get.

629-2 3 inch 44 mag...my favorite

Truth be told Gary, I bought them @ 20 years ago.

Maybe you could contact Hogue and use this image to see if they can duplicate a set for you.

Best wishes.

Ne450.......... My fix sighted 629 actually shoots amazingly well @ 15-20 yds, using a 200-210 gn jhp it does hit point of aim at that distance. Ive never shot it past 20 yds yet, I just figured a 2 1/2 inch fixed sighted gun isnt designed to shoot much past that anyway. Hope this helps.

My 3 inch 629 Backpacker is one of my favorite guns to carry and shoot. I find it quite accurate out to 25 yards and easier to shoot than most snubs as I have large hands.
Actually I had two of them and traded one to a member here for a LH model 24 in three inch. It's a new favorite and ideal for a big bore snub with a little less recoil than a .44 mag.

I have 2 .44's both with 7.5" barrels, I also have a couple .357 snubs as well as the 36 I posted a pic of. Probably my favorite type revolver.

Great pics of the S&W's, they all look great, this is going to be a hard decision.

Here is one of my .44's. I used it for deer many years ago.
It's 25 + Y.O., think I bought it around 1985.

This is worth talking about. The gun is more comfortable to shoot one-handed than when using both hands.

There is a reason for this.

You can't man-handle the gun with one hand or even attempt it, so the gun rises naturally in recoil. This spreads the recoil energy out over a considerably larger distance than if you try to hold it down with two hands.

Most people, when using two hands, grab the gun in a death-grip and either consciously or unconsciously try their hardest to keep the muzzle from rising in recoil. This is the worst thing you can do with a heavy recoiling handgun.

Try this: Use two hands, but only use the off-hand to support the gun hand. Grip the gun firmly but leave the forearm relaxed. The gun will recoil away from the support hand and rise to its natural height. Your two hands will not be touching at the end of the shot; they will be apart.

This spreads the recoil out and is much more pleasant to shoot. It does not make for quick repeat shots, but that is why experts have been saying ever since it came out that the .44 is not a good self-defense gun when using full power loads.

If this works for you, thank Elmer Keith. That's where I learned it.

Mule, thanks for the info.

O8, That is the way I think a scope should be mounted, on the barrel.
You ger to kee the iron sights on the gun and the scope does not stick past the back of the gun making it a shorter package.

Here's mine, same one that cal45 has. I picked it up a little over two months ago and have put 200 rounds of fairly stout handloads through it thusfar. I've decided, at least for now, to stay with the OEM boot grips. Yes, they are thin and don't give me much purchase for the pinky of my shooting hand, but I've found a grip, slightly modified from my 'normal' handgun grip-style, that works pretty well with this brute. I have also adopted the two-handed style described by cp1969 and find that I can put 40-50 rounds through it before I decide to call it a day. I like keeping it as compact as possible, and am also not fond of rubber grips (except on the 500!!!) generally.

On the right is a 629-6 2.5" barrel... fixed sights.
While it IS a larger gun, it seems small when compared to an alaskan.
Carries well, shoots like a dream, and exceedingly rare.

For me it is perhaps the perfect carry revolver.


Jim

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Big bullets leave big holes

Evil One - very cool. first time I've seen a 629 with a 2.5 bbl & fixed sights. Thanks for sharing.

As far as I know... there are maybe 1000 of them.
300 629-5 no locks are pretty much verified, out of an order for 1,000 that was canceled after the first 300.
A run of 629-6s with the locks were ordered, but the number that were actually produced is usually agreed to be around 200.
A thread about them...
"N" Frame snubbie info?


Jim

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Big bullets leave big holes

Dale53 & the OP,

If you haven't worked with a chronograph & a short .44, you might be surprised.

Out of my three inch 29, the standard Keith load of 22 grains of 2400 under his 255 grain bullet showed an honest 1350 fps.

Could explain why Dale didn't really enjoy a three incher?


Cat

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Think for yourself.

Nice .44s. I tend to keep my 240g.-250g. handloads below 1200 fps. in my Smiths. But I have to aagree with Catshooter, short barrel length with a .44 is not as much of an impediment as many believe. I always bring this up, but 10g Unique with RCBS 250K (Mag cases) puts out 600 lbsft traveling solidly in the mid 1000fps. range in my 3" 29. (That's a MILD load. I shoot 10g. Unique magnum loads in the *shooting alley" i have in my garage 150 or so a session.) Put some throttle to it and I bet there would be some surprising numbers out of these snubs.

Well, I'll go ahead and thank you now...since Mr Keith isn't available. I'll try it later this week.

Also, I just realized that not all 44 Mag ammo is the same. Most of what I've bought is supposed to have 1000-1100 ft/lbs of energy. I have one box that is supposed to have around 750, so I'll try it.

I have a 29-4 and a 29-10. Both are three inchers that I carry and shoot regularly. The 29-4 is engraved with gold bands on the cylinder and barrel - the perfect BBQ gun in the perfect caliber.

Sorry to necro this thread, but I just picked up one of these Lew Horton snubbies but it has some type of grip that was glued(!) on and I like the look of your grips. You say they are OE? If so, I guess I might want to spend some time looking online for a set, or if all else fails call S&W.

Anyone else have a favorite grip for a .44 snub? I'm not a huge fan of rubber for a carry gun; this one will have that honor from time to time.

Thanks!

Bud's gun shop has the 629 44M 2.5 Stainless Perf Center in stock.

S&W M629 44M 2.5 Stainless Perf Center $831.00 SHIPS FREE

Paul

Davidson's has a 3" Talo Exclusive in stock.



www.GalleryOfGuns.com - Gun Genie - Davidson's most popular and powerful search engine to find and buy guns at galleryofguns.com

Paul

I'd call S&W first rather than as a last resort. I've found their customer service to generally be excellent, and they often will sell things like grips that are not offered in their online "catalog" if you tell them what it is you want.....in this case the boot grips that come OE (yes, that is the case with mine) on the 629PC 2 5/8". And I find their prices to be fairly reasonable.

I've now had the gun a little over a year and am surprised at how much/often I use it. I even used it in a recent bowling-pin match and was able to clear the table with 5 shots! I was rather slow and deliberate about it and didn't win the match, but did place fairly well and sure had fun.

Thanks! Those are some sweet guns for sale, I'm glad I paid $645.00 for mine! Looks barely shot and locks up tight, plus no lock!

I'll take your advice and call S&W first for the stocks.

Here's a picture of it.

Wow, that flash really shows the drag line eh? To the naked eye it is very faint.

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Hi, I just ordered this gun today from dealer, add another 10 days to take the gun home. Can't wait to shoot it.

Kevin