629 Scope & Base ideas?

[anmut]

Looking at possibly putting a scope on the 629-4. It's already factory drilled/tapped, just have to decide on a base, rings and glass.

Looking at Midway all of the more expensive weaver rails were sold out but the cheap ones were in stock. Is there really a huge difference between a $9 rail and a $60 rail?

Also at Midway I found a nice Simmons scope for about $80 that got high reviews. I don't want to spend a ton of money on glass and I've had good luck with Simmons before.

Any thoughts and comments are appreciated!

[AveragEd]

I will offer you some advice gleaned from personal experience - don't go with scope magnification over 2x unless the scope is a variable and starts out that low. My first scoped handguns were Thompson/Center Contenders and I put 4x Leupolds on them. I liked to use them for varmint hunting but it is impossible to hold a handgun steady enough to keep the reticle on the target. The higher the magnification, the more pronounced that problem becomes. And if you shoot from the prone position, the grass better not be very high or you can't see your target.

The range at which a handgun is shot is relatively short, so the largest benefit of a scope is providing a simpler aiming device. Rather than trying to keep two sights in alignment on an out-of-focus target, you simply look at the target and paste the reticle on it. Due to the unstable hold and short range, magnification is not important and can be a detriment, so 1.5x is a great handgun scope magnification.

I have one variable-power scope on a handgun, a Burris 3-12x handgun scope with an adjustable objective lens on an XP-100R in .223. That gun is too heavy to shoot offhand, so it only is shot at groundhogs off a bipod and a portable shooting bench but even then, at more than 5x, you just can't hold it steady enough.

Also, be sure to buy a handgun scope. Most rifle scopes are made to be parallax-free at 150 yards and it's likely that most of your handgun shooting will be at shorter distances than that. A parallax-adjustable objective is seldom found on inexpensive scopes but can really aid clearity and accuracy.

Ed

[505Gibbs]

Wiegand makes a good solid rail - I've got several of them - no complaints.
AS far as a scope - if you buy cheap - its a **** shoot as to the durability of the crosshair mounting system. If you plan on a fair amout of shooting with heavy recoiling loads I'd suggest a Burris at a minimum and go from there. A Weaver may work as well. Check out the makers warranty stipulations before you commit.
This is something you really only want to 'cry' over once!

[jt1]

The Weigand mounts and rings are first class.

John

[rkrcpa]

I've been using a Burris 2x on a heavily loaded 41 mag for going on 25 years now without any problems. I don't know how much abuse a cheap handgun scope can withstand but if you shoot a lot you will probably find out.

[tdan]

Another vote for Weigand scope mounts. I have used the inexpensive Weaver 401's for rimfire and one 14 that is dedicated to light target loads. That said, my other centerfire revolvers get a Weigand. You posters need to lean on Jack to bring back the Integra mount. The attached pic is of a 629-4 Classic with that mount. The scope is a B&L Elite 3000 2X...........one of the best pistol scopes ever made!

[Munsterf18]

I have a Leupold mount, rings and 2x scope. All stainless.

I second the 2 power max. It's hard enough to hold it steady now.

Munster

[toroflow1]

Here's my setup in Leupold:

[thearborbarber]

This is what I use on my 657 41 mag. Its the warne maxima mmsThe backup sight system works surprisingly well.

Warne M629M Matte Scope Base For Smith & Wesson K/L/N/X Frame

Warne Scope Mounts l Set Your Sights On Warne