I've found Ramshot Enforcer to be a great powder for the 44's, I use 300gr LWFN bullets for hunting and it is very easy on the wrist. The 300gr bullet has great penetration!

Powder charge weight?

I recall that AA 4100 is the same powder.

Wow your photos look great, your new grips do to.
I realize everyone's hands are different, but those old targets fit me pretty good and I like the looks of your old set. Are you going to hang on to them? I know I would.

Tell me about your dash eight, how is it different than a dash six or seven?
I have one dash seven(I think its the pc magnum hunter)and I'm thinking its only change from the six, is the two piece barrel.

I plan to keep the originals. I doubt if anyone actually used them much...probably 90%+ condition. The checkering is harsh though, certainly not worn down.

The pics are a credit to my Windows Phone, which has a hi-res camera. I do the no-flash lighting though.

I you decide to get rid of them let me know. Just for the heck of it, how about showing some different photos of them?

My 4" 629-1 wearing Royal Walnut Smooth Target Kuracs.





The back of the grips, check out the palmswell - they fit my hand perfectly!



A close up - the wood grain is so beautiful:



Another of the right side:


And one more of the left:


I just can't tell you how nice these stocks are. The gun is not worthy of them!

Maybe sometime. I have three of them, all very nice. I replaced the grips on my (2) 657, and this 629, all square butt. I know they are worth at least $150 each and are valued during resale, so they will not be for sale separately from the guns.

The Revolver:

A 4" 629 (No Dash)
- Pinned Barrel
- Recessed Cylinder Chambers
- Target Hammer
- Target Trigger
- Target Rear Sight with White Outline
- Red Ramp Front Sight

Very few examples of Pinned/Recessed 4" 629s are out there

The Stocks:
- Keith Brown Tulip Style Stocks
- Made from Red Heart wood
- Ebony Diamond Inserts
- Exhibition Finish


Left Side:



Right Side:



Close Up Left:



Close Up Right:



One more of the Left:



One More of the Right:

I recently "re-joined" the 629 club after a 15 year absence. I bought my first 6" 629 back in 1984 while still in high school. I scrounged up the $350 by working my tail off and when I finally had the money, Dad and I went to the gun store and I bought...with him there to do the actual buying, a brand spanking new .44 Magnum. I'd never even fired new before but wanted one for a few years something bad. I bought the revolver, and a box of shells and right when we got home I went stright to the woods and became hooked on the big .44 and it's recoil. I loved that gun, and it's the gun that got me into reloading. Lead bullets and Unique...I shot the heck out of the gun. Sadly, as a young man looking to buy an engagement ring I foolishly traded my favorite gun for cash and regretted it ever since. I finally just replaced it with a new 4" 629. That experience has taught me to have a sit down with my son and tell him if he ever needs money he's to sell his guns to me first, and they'll sit in my safe until he comes to his senses and buys them back!

Anyway, it feels great to be reloading for the .44 again. I did have the send the new gun back twice to have the barrel properly aligned but now it's perfect! I've decided not to mess with lead any more as I always had a cleaning chore with my old pistol, but have found that HP-38 and plated bullets plays nicely. Very accurate, gentle recoil, and the gun cleans up very quickly. I have some factory magnum ammo that shoots nice too and plan to attempt to harvest a deer this fall with my 629. I'm comfortable to 50 yards and in these thick NH woods that's usually max range even with a rifle so we'll see what occurs in a few weeks.

They certainly are beautiful but I can't agree with your statement of the gun not being worthy

I don't know if AA 4100 is the same powder, but I used 18.5gr's of Enforcer, LPP (not magnum).

I really don't know, I called S&W, they said it was made in 2006 as part of a special run, but couldn't say for who. Never saw a 629-8 with such a short barrel (but I don't really know much about the S&W revolver evolution). I suppose if I really want to know, I'm going to have to send off to S&W for the research.
Might do that as an early Christmas present to myself .

How long ago did you order those Herretts? The last time I ordered a pair for my 629-4 MG they came looking more like for a round butt? After first calling then sending them back they arrived without much change.
Steve

You guys are probably tired of seeing my same old pictures over and over again, but I figure if the shoe fits, post it. Plus this thread also needed a bump.





629-1 "Classic Hunter"

Bump away! Here's mine: two no-dashes, a dash-2 3", a dash-3 5", and a dash-4 6 1/2".

Attached Images

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Small but growing accumulation of 629's:

I'd like to thank all the members who've contributed to this tread. I've just finished going through all of it. Amazing!!! The 629's photoed in this thread are simply amazing. Its a treat for me to have all the photos and information in one thread. And a special thanks for the few die hards that keep bumping it back to the front with more 629's.

Thank you all,
Chris

Updated pic with ebony stocks by Kurac

I see this gun every now and then. It's on display at Hoffman's Gun Center in Newington, CT. It's been offered @ $80k for a long time. It just isn't an $80,000 gun. Nice engraving work though.

Here're my two 629s - 3" LH & 5" Classic

Attached Images

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Here's my first 629 it's a 629-4 6-1/2" power ported barrel.
This replaced a LCR as my carry gun. I know what your thinking.

Attached Images

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God bless Elmer Kieth.

FRIENDS...

I recently purchased a "NIB" 1997 S&W 629-4 Classic DX for my grandchildren to enjoy for many years to come.

The revolver arrived with the OEM S&W-medallioned Morano wood grips and, much to my chagrin, a backstrap-hiding, logo-obscuring Pachmayr "Gripper" monogrip instead of the OEM S&W-medallioned Hogue Combat Square grips which I'd expected.

I am trying to find a photograph of the original Hogue grips which S&W shipped on their S&W 629 Classic DXs during the latter half of the '90s.

Does anyone know the whereabouts of such a picture?

Thank you very much for your help.

Just cut to the chase and order the Pachmayr Diamond Pro, which I find ideal for the big guns like my 629 Classic 5".

Sounds like a great find, congratulations.
Here's a photo of a -4 sporting factory OEM rubber grips.

Thanks for the much-needed help, my friend.

But for my missing S&W-embossed Hogue monogrip, your revolver & mine were "separated at birth".

I love the gun's heft and its 6.5" barrel... such a great combo!

Has anyone picked up a new dash 8 PC 8 3/8", its unfluted and comes with an orange c-more front sight? I'm thinking they are new this year.

I LOVE THIS THREAD. THE REVOLVERS ARE GORGEOUS, AND THE PHOTOGRAPHY IS SUPERB……

I AM AN OLD GEEZER WITH LIMITED PHOTO AND COMPUTER SKILLS, BUT BELOW ARE 2 OF MY 629s. THEY HAVE 3" AND 8 3/8" BARRELS, AND ARE WEARING SAMBAR STAGS, BY EAGLE. I CARRIED EACH OF THEM CONCEALED, BACK IN THE DAY---OFTEN BOTH AT THE SAME TIME……

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'Nam 1968-69.DAV,VFW,NRA Inst.

My 629-1 3 inch custom, tuned and ported(useless) with some engraving. Purchased in 1986 for $500 at a LGS. I carry this all summer fishing and backpacking and just hiking. It really likes 250 gr keith LWC and 18gr 4227. Also have a pre 29 6 1/2 and
a 29-2 8 3/8. The 629 is My favorite.

new 629 6"

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629 686+ 586 67 10
M&P45

Nice six-guns, they look great wearing bone.
The photo of your 3" gun has got me wondering.
How in the world did you photo your gun on Hoffman's letter?

A few more 629 photos,
No dash,
Some dash ones,
A few -2's
I'll put up a few more later.

I DON'T KNOW WHO "Hoffman" IS. THAT'S MY LETTER FROM ROY JINKS………..

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'Nam 1968-69.DAV,VFW,NRA Inst.

In the photo you posted only the last couple paragraphs are readable. It looks like they are about the Hoffman gun. Maybe that information is added to all 629 letters?
Sorry for my mistake.

PERHAPS. I LETTERED BOTH OF THOSE 629s. THEY WERE THE ONLY S&Ws THAT I HAVE EVER LETTERED. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I WAS EXPECTING, BUT ALL I LEARNED THAT I DIDN'T KNOW, WAS THE NAME OF THE DISTRIBUTOR THAT RECEIVED THE REVOLVERS FROM THE FACTORY……

I HAD THE BOXES AND THE STANDARD CATALOG OF S&W, WHICH WAS MORE INFORMATIVE TO ME THAN THE LETTER FROM ROY JINKS. MUCH OF THE VERBIAGE WAS COMMON TO BOTH LETTERS, AND APPEARED TO BE BOILER PLATE. IT IS PROBABLE THAT IT IS COMMON TO THE 629 YOU ARE REFERRING TO, ALSO……

ANOTHER THING THAT I LEARNED FROM THE EXPERIENCE IS THAT A FIREARM SHOULD BE SOMETHING REALLY SPECIAL, BEFORE YOU BOTHER TO SPEND $50. TO HAVE IT LETTERED…..

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'Nam 1968-69.DAV,VFW,NRA Inst.

629-4 RSR Trail Boss

629-5 Mountain Backpacker with an unfluted cylinder, magna-porting, and XS big dot front sight.
629-6 4" my new "woods gun" with Cylinder & Slide fixed rear sight

Here are my "pair" of S&W 629's, the 629-8 that I have pictured already on this thread, and my newer Stainless Stealth Hunter from 2001:

I'm finally back in the club. I bought a 629-6 a few months back. I was out of the club for awhile for numerous stupid reasons. I won't make that mistake again. I've owned numerous 29s and 629s over the years.
My biggest regrets are selling my Elmer Keith Commemorative & Mountain Guns. Life gets in the way sometimes...

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Joshua 1:9
82nd Airborne

is a six-inch model that I won in a CA shooting match back in 1988. I use it for bowling-pin shooting and deer hunting.

This is my off duty carry in colder months, backed up by a Glock 27 .40 on my off side.

Lew Horton 629-4 3" (1 of 538)
Unfluted cylinder
Full length ejector rod

S&W service:
Mag-Na-Port
Bead blast
Action tune
Chamfer cylinder holes

Done by me:
XS big dot tritium front sight
Cylinder & Slide U groove fixed rear sight
Removed hammer spur
Rounded off Hogue grip

F.I.S.T. K-1 kydex IWB holster
Carry load: CorBon .44 mag. 165 gr. JHP

Great Forum,
Too Much Fun!

Attached Images

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My 629-1 that I've personally been shooting since I was 12.

Only thing I did was Hogue grips (did plate the screw for the grips, as it was pretty bad over the years).

My first S&W. Bought it for an outdoor/hiking gun. Fits the need perfectly. Got a NOS Don Hume Bill Jordan holster for it. Gun shoots great with little recoil. A pleasure to shoot even compared to my 8" and 6" Anacondas.
IMG_1899.jpg
Totally forgot to say what exact model it is. Excuse me, a 629-2E with a 3" barrel magna-ported. Made in 1989 for about 3 months or so, IIRC. The magna-porting was requested upon purchase and the dealer sent it out before taking possession.

THAT LETTER IS FROM THE S&W HISTORIAN, MR. ROY G. JINKS…...

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'Nam 1968-69.DAV,VFW,NRA Inst.

My 69-1. 4" magna ported. Modified square butt to round to accommodate Pachmayr grips for mag competition. No collector value, but fine working piece of kit.

I looked back and found my original post on this thread and realized that I needed to update my subscription to the 629 Club. I've added a couple since.
A 4" dash 4

A 6" dash 1

A 6 1/2" dash 3 Classic

A 6 1/2" dash 4 Classic Power Port

An 8 3/8" dash 1

An 8 3/8" dash 3 w/ integral scope mounts

An 8 3/8" dash 4 Classic

A 4" dash 4 Mountain Gun

And a 3" dash 6

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

Darn, 75Vette, what are you kids doing for lunch money this month?
Steve

No 2.5 kids and no wife. It makes life SOOO much easier!!

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

Tin knocker!

You are racking them up! Big time.
I like it, you keep this up and we'll have to crown you king.
Slow down and take pity on a poor old broken down iron worker.

I've seen that rack 'o' 44s you got Chris!! No pity for an ironworker today!

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing