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S&W Revolvers: 1980 to the Present All NON-PINNED Barrels, the L-Frames, and the New Era Revolvers


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Old 01-04-2012, 12:37 PM
maustypsu maustypsu is offline
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Default Model 296 Info

Anyone have one, shoot one, thoughts on buying or owning one?

I'm interested in getting a snubby .44. I would prefer a .44 mag since I could shoot specials out of them. But I probably wouldn't shoot the mags so a .44 special is probably enough.

Assume lots of folks aren't fans of the airweights for various reasons and I don't mind hearing them.
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Old 01-04-2012, 12:56 PM
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There are lots of threads on the 296 in the forum archives. A search will turn up some good info.

In brief, I like my 296. But the gun is so light that even the "lowly" .44 Special really slams the hand with the recommended loads. I put a steel cylinder from a 696 in mine to give it some added weight, then downgraded the stuff I shot to Cowboy Action levels. That combo finally made it a pleasure to shoot.

If you are at all recoil sensitive, I'd think you might like to look at a steel .44 with a three inch barrel. The 696 is a good example, or the Lew Horton 24-3 from the 1980s. The former is a five-shot L-frame like the 296, the latter a six-shot N-frame.

Your decision on weight will probably depend on whether you are seeking the gun for carry and how many hours a day you will have it on your belt (or, in the case of a hammerless gun like the 296, in a large pocket). My personal preference is for heavier revolvers. I justified the 296 on the grounds of style: I have a soft spot for S&W's humpback/shrouded hammer revolvers, and I simply liked the gun's looks.
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Old 01-04-2012, 02:11 PM
maustypsu maustypsu is offline
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There are lots of threads on the 296 in the forum archives. A search will turn up some good info.
Thanks. I tried to search for it but it came back with no results. I assumed this is on of the forum searches where they "ignore meaningless" characters like numbers.

I buy 5-10 guns per year and I'm kind of entering a revolver and snubby phase so this won't be my only .44 snubbie in 3-15 months. Thought it would be good for carry for snakes/bears when scouting turkeys in the spring.

Yes, I am that sick in the head that I would buy a gun for that specific of a purpose. I'd also carry it on occassion once I felt comfortable enough to bet my life on it.

But interested in all opinions.
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Old 01-04-2012, 02:48 PM
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I'm a big believer in specific purposes, so I understand completely.

On the search thing, use the Google option that comes up when you hit the "search" link in the menu bar at the top of the forum page -- should be the first option in the drop-down menu. Rest assured that is not the universal Google. It's just for precise searching in this forum alone. I got about 2100 hits on "296."
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Old 01-04-2012, 03:22 PM
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I have a 296, great gun. Keep in mind you are limited to 200 grain ammo. I put on magna-style wood grips and a Tyler "T" grip. Recoil isnt too bad, i dont think. I believe XS sights makes a "big dot" front sight for it.
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Old 01-04-2012, 03:49 PM
maustypsu maustypsu is offline
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Rest assured that is not the universal Google.
Ah Ha. Yep, I thought it was going to do a Google search which I knew would give me auto parts, refridgerators, phone numbers...

Thanks. This was a HUGE frustration. How can you search a Smith and Wesson site without numbers being meaningful??? I would type in "Model 686" and it would drop the "686" and give me every post that used the word "Model". Less than helpful!!!
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Old 01-13-2012, 02:43 AM
Tony_the_tiger Tony_the_tiger is offline
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I love my S&W 296. I have it set up with a Crimson Trace LG-306 and I load it with Corbon 200 grain DPX - a sweet round featured in one of Stephen Camp's reviews (may he rest in peace).

.44 special DPX review

I have three holsters for it - a FIST #20 which never gets used, a Lobo Gunleather IWB which is used sparingly (I like it best for IWB on this model, however) and a Mika's pocket holster which gets used 99% of the time. I used to ccw it in cargo pants until my wife stole it for her purse gun - a subject I have mixed feelings about! These days, she carries it every day with 5 DPX in the chambers and two speedloaders. Yep, these days I find myself with my trusty S&W 442 in the pocket or IWB. These snubs sure do come in handy when concealment is a priority. I load the 442 with DPX as well.

Sure, it packs a wallop on your hands, but this is not a range gun. I've found it to be wonderfully accurate and a trusty companion for my families self defense needs. It has a wicked profile and the .44 special is a great round for two legged predators. The only other snub .44 special carry pieces I am aware of are the charter arms models, the rossi 720, and the taurus'. But what can I say - they just aren't S&W.

If you can find one - get it! Clean it like I do - some breakfree CLP and a nylon brush - that will ensure your titanium parts don't lose their finish or sustain any damage - a subject you can read more about re: titanium cylinders.

Its a funny gun - sort of like a j frame on steroids, and one of the only models I know of that is beautiful in part because of its ugliness








Last edited by Tony_the_tiger; 01-13-2012 at 02:51 AM.
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Old 01-13-2012, 04:30 AM
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The Ti cylinder 'tender' cleaning issue, it's looks and it's color turned me off. So I changed the cylinder when I 1st got it years ago (no longer available unfortunately). But love the gun now. I shoot anything in it even 240 gr handloads for practice and never had it pull bullets but only use Winch Silver Tip 200 gr defense ammo for serious social work.

My wallet and car keys weigh more than this gun. If I practice with hot loads I put my 500 Mag Hogue 'Tamer 'grips on it and it's very comfortable. It has the best 'staged' DA trigger I've ever had.



And yes, that's an earlier style thumb latch. I hate the new asymmetrical ones.
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Old 01-13-2012, 08:06 AM
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Mine shot a thousand or more 200gr Gold Dot Blazers stopping their use only when I had one split it's Al case in my 696. Between my reloads and GA Arms brass-cased loads with that same Speer #4427 200gr Gold Dot, it's seen more of them since. I do on occasion load a 240gr LSWC as the 'first' round - when I pocket carry in the woods. As long as it is shot first, it won't give you a problem from 'bullet jump' due to the AirLite Ti's sudden recoil impulse.

I bought my 296 - and a 696 - both new - nine years ago - on the same day. Both were canned by then - the 296 was closeout priced - $359, while the 696 was regular priced at $439. The local gun store took another $10 off since I bought both. The Ti atom emblazoned 296 would become my occasional CCW. It went through several grips - UM's Combats, round and square-conversion included, before settling on these as the most comfortable:



The Hogue/S&W .500 Magnum grips do help with recoil, but take it out of the 'pocket carry' role. Back on with the OEM boots - in a Mika pocket holster - and the combo fits ~75% of my pants' front pockets. Check the cast in place cylinder stop - it can be pared away with a 'Hollywood' slap of the ejector rod during spent case extraction. Check the Ti chambers for marred bores - take care in cleaning them.

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Old 01-14-2012, 11:00 AM
rhm0351 rhm0351 is offline
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I have had my 296 for a number of years and love shooting it. With 200gr CCI Gold Dots, it is a very mild plinker. It has one of the smoothest and lightest double actions of any revolver I have worked on. Since I bought mine used, the previous owner had over-tightened the grip screw to the point where it broke the adhesive between the nut and the opposite grip, so I had to cut a notch in it with a Dremel in order to hold it to unscrew it for the first time, which effectively ended the use of the original boot grips. This was all for the better, as the dished out backstrap really wasn't comfortable when exposed. I put on Pachmayr Compac grips and now it can be shot all afternoon with no discomfort, and they aren't too large for carry. I have a really nice pancake holster my buddy at O'Rourke Leather made for me to replace the kydex one I had made myself. Eventually, I'll set up my reloading bench and finally get around to loading up the 180gr XTPs I bought years ago for this as a carry pistol. You can't go wrong with a 296 and some replacement grips at a good price.
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Old 01-14-2012, 12:11 PM
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i have the 296s sister gun,the 242 7shot 38spl,i replaced the um grips with hogue bantams and carry it mostly in a ccw vest.recoil with +ps is not a issue at all unlike the lcr where i tolerate 30rds in a practice session.

smith should've made a few more of both
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Old 01-14-2012, 02:16 PM
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I like my 296ti. It can be a handful, but really, recoil is manageable. I carry mine reguarly in a Lobo IWB holster and I have a set of Ahrends on mine. One of our members calls it the "baby rhino". It is so ugly, it is cute.
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Old 01-14-2012, 09:24 PM
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I have not shot a 296 but I'll give you my perspective. I was looking to get either a 296 or a 396 Mountain Lite (whichever I could find first). Then I discovered that a local shop had a NIB 396 Night Guard. I was surprised by the recoil from the Night Guard after I fired it for the first time, so much so that I'm glad I didn't end up with a 296 or 396 ML. I have a 329 PD that I shoot both specials and magnums from and specials aren't bad at all. I wasn't expecting the recoil that the 396 NG had as it is only 2 ounces less than the 329 PD. I guess it is just a little more snappy than I expected, it must be the short barrel.

I will say that there will always be a place in my heart for a sub 20 ounce .44 special and one of the two will be on my wish list until I pick one up.

I'm not trying to sell you on what I bought, I just thought my experience would add something to your thoughts about whether or not to get one.
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Old 01-15-2012, 07:01 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rhm0351 View Post
I have had my 296 for a number of years and love shooting it. With 200gr CCI Gold Dots, it is a very mild plinker.
... and mules don't kick much at all! Methinks someone is pulling our leg. The Blazers - or the same bullet loaded in brass, whether by GA Arms or me, produces a notable bump - believe me! Rimfire loads or .32 S&WL - in a SS revolver - would be 'mild plinkers'. Of course, if the poster only shoots a .500 S&W Magnum, maybe the 296 so loaded would be mild. Perspective, I suppose. For the uninitiated, an Airweight 642 with +P .38's is milder than the AirLite Ti 296 with those 200gr Gold Dots.

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Old 01-15-2012, 10:28 AM
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I'm a little shy of ever trying a .500, but the Blazers in my 296 don't snap my wrist at all, just a mild lifting of the gun and my hand. It raises some, but doesn't snap like .38+P loads in my 19. It's not really like anything else I shoot. It is only about 70ftlbs more energy than a 158gr .38+P, but you are pushing 200 grains at lower pressure due to the piston effect. I think the reduction in concussion makes it seem less snappy and more like a push. Of course, I highly recommend the Compac grips, too.
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Old 01-15-2012, 10:42 AM
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I suspect the amount of meat at the base of a shooter's thumb is going to have a lot to do with recoil perception. People with arthritic or bony hands will benefit from a compressible grip that covers the backstrap. It would also be good to have a wider grip that distributes the recoil energy a little more broadly in the hand.

I haven't put a wider Pachy grip on this gun yet, but I have added the heavier steel cylinder. More than a few members of this forum have made that modification, and I find the extra couple of ounces of mass helps quite a bit. The Big Dot sight is huge help with target acquisition. I will probably put one of those on my 649, which might as well have no front sight at all in the factory configuration.



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Old 01-15-2012, 10:47 AM
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I've got a couple of spare 696 cylinders that I picked up, just in case, but had planned to save them for a 696 Mountain Gun project that probably isn't going to happen. The 296 is my only really lightweight large revolver, so I'm keeping the factory cylinder. Were I to do it, again, I would probably get a 386, as there just aren't enough differences in ballistics between the light .44s and the .38+Ps I would likely carry in it. Though I love .44 Special and don't think I could get rid of one.
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Old 01-15-2012, 03:25 PM
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I find the 296 with the Gold Dot 200s to be a lot less unpleasant to shoot than a 38+P in a lightweight J frame. The 296 is my default fanny pack gun, and I carry it regularly for walking the dogs, at the gym, etc.
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Old 01-15-2012, 09:39 PM
Tony_the_tiger Tony_the_tiger is offline
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LOL @ fanny packs. The 296 fits perfectly in this "Tacti-cool" pack which I have used on occasion when bicycling.

http://www.amazon.com/Fantasybag-3-Z...6677979&sr=8-3
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Old 02-02-2014, 10:16 PM
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LOL @ fanny packs. The 296 fits perfectly in this "Tacti-cool" pack which I have used on occasion when bicycling.

Amazon.com: Yens® Fantasybag 3-Zipper Fanny Pack-Teal, FN-03: Sports & Outdoors
I had the same thoughts about mass on the grips:



I have a couple of these Nil Grips from Germany. They handle the recoil extremely very well. The grips completely cover the grip frame and this handles the recoil very well.

I plan on using this gun as a woods gun so bulk doesn't matter to me. I have a hunting style shoulder holster.
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Old 02-02-2014, 10:20 PM
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I suspect the amount of meat at the base of a shooter's thumb is going to have a lot to do with recoil perception. People with arthritic or bony hands will benefit from a compressible grip that covers the backstrap. It would also be good to have a wider grip that distributes the recoil energy a little more broadly in the hand.

I haven't put a wider Pachy grip on this gun yet, but I have added the heavier steel cylinder. More than a few members of this forum have made that modification, and I find the extra couple of ounces of mass helps quite a bit. The Big Dot sight is huge help with target acquisition. I will probably put one of those on my 649, which might as well have no front sight at all in the factory configuration.



I had the same thoughts about mass on the grips:



I have a couple of these Nil Grips from Germany. They handle the recoil extremely very well. The grips completely cover the grip frame and this handles the recoil very well.

I plan on using this gun as a woods gun so bulk doesn't matter to me. I have a hunting style shoulder holster.
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