Hi Guys,

My friend keep telling me if I have never owned a SW 44 magnum revolver then I can't call myself a revolver guy. I am a younger generation so that whole dirty harry thing has little impact on me. I just started to buy revolvers and thought I am sitting pretty comfortable with the ones i already have. oh well, the same friend recommended all the revolvers I purchased. So he actually gave me lots of good advices.
By the way, can anyone check the production year of my new in the box sw 60-15 for me? the serial number is CZE07##.

Thanks,

Look, I love my model 69 but I LOVE all my firearms.

You seem to be collecting already - You don't need a .44 Magnum but you probably WANT one

Every good S&W collection should have at least TWO 44's.....one pre-war and one Post-war. There are plenty of choices on either side.

Yes, you NEED a 44

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On the Oak Savannah

To quote Patrick Sweeney: "There you go, confusing wants and needs again."

Buy & enjoy what you like....Not others!

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S&W Accumulator

...I wanted one after Dirty Harry...took me about 20 years to get one (29-3)...it's been 20 years or so since I found mine...I've never thought of selling it...I don't know if it was modified before I bought it...but it has the sweetest action and trigger of any handgun I've ever handled...I may not need it...but I'm sure not going to give it up...plus I own two Ruger 44 Magnums...I guess I'm kinda one of those recoil junkies...

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A Country Boy Can Survive

Reload? If you do 44 is a great caliber to play with. Don't reload? 44 is pricey to shoot.

Yes you need .44 and it should be an N frame if you don't have one.

.44 is what got me into reloading

You absolutely need one if you want one. I suggest getting a heavy one to start with.

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Foster Positivity.

Yes. You need one. No question.

I kind of look at this way , you don't have to own a horse to love horses.
Yes , I have 3 smith 44's and wouldn't sell any of them. I have had the older ones and now all mine have the endurance pkg . I would love to get one of the older ones to just enjoy but they have gotten real $$$$$ . I also love my 41's , I have 4 of those , 2-57's , 1-58 , and a ruger blackhawk that someone paid to have a huge amount of custom work then wholesaled it off . Their loss= my gain . So I wouldn't say you " HAVE " to have a 44 to be a revolver guy . My sister is a revolver gal through and through , has and loves her 41 , doesn't nor ever will own a 44 . I'm not compariing her to you or anyone , just saying that you don't have to own a 44 to be a revolver " person " .

Asking this question on this site is like asking a wino if he needs a case of MD 20-20!

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Possum—The other white meat!

I "needed" one too 30 years ago, and I'm glad I have it, but rarely shoot it because it just isn't comfortable to do so. I suppose it depends on how badly you want it, and if you will have to sacrifice getting something else instead. I know you can shoot 44 specials out of it but they are more expensive than magnums and that's what my .38s are for.

If you are a hunter or live in bear country go for it; otherwise there are other fun guns that are more practical. That is, if you are the practical type!

The ship date is early February 2016, or perhaps late January. It's right on the cusp.

If you look on the box label you'll see a number, something like 020116 or maybe 013116. That's the date code.

What is that number?

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~ S&W aficionado in training ~

I used to want one....

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

My short answer is no. I always wanted one, finally got a Lew Horton 3" M629, shot it a couple of times (twas a beast), loaded it with 44 Specials (much nicer), kept it as a bedside gun for years, owed a buddy $900, talked him into taking that gun. It was like owning a boat - the two happiest days of owning a boat are the day you buy it and the day you sell it. Gone and happily forgotten.

This is not to say you shouldn't own a S&W revolver in a caliber starting with a 4 - but that's why they make 44 Specials and .45 Colts or .45 ACPs. And if they don't make the one you want then an old one is out there with your name on it.

.45 Colt beats a .44 Magnum for ALMOST every possible use you can think of - and I say almost because there might be some big game animals that require monster calibers, which is why they make .460s and .500s.

The .44 Magnum might be useful in that category but that's such a limited use you simply don't really need one.

YMMV

The .44 Magnum lovers all hate me now.

I get it.

I can handle it.

If you have to ask, then, no, you do not need a 44 Magnum revolver.

Very nice. Having the balls out is a bit too much, though.

The answer is yes. Must.

Price and 'deserve's got nuthin to do with it.

Hahahahahahahaha!

Oh man that was good. Thanks for that

It appears you have a 3" J frame .357, a 4" K frame .357 (?), and a later 10-shot 617. Unless you use revolvers professionally you are already past the "need" threshold for another...

So, find a .44 Magnum in nice condition and at a good price, try it out and sell it for even money or at a small profit if you find you don't like it. Better yet, find the friend who advised you on the three S & Ws you have and shoot 'his' .44 before buying one . Good luck in your decision.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

"You must. The power of Christ compels you." - Father Merin

Full Definition of need. 1 : necessary duty : obligation. 2 a : a lack of something requisite, desirable, or useful b : a physiological or psychological requirement for the well-being of an organism. 3 : a condition requiring supply or relief. 4 : lack of the means of subsistence : poverty.

I would say you may qualify under definition 2b. if you consider yourself an organism....and thereby we can dispense with the definition of "want"

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Hipcocked45

I'll make sure I put them away next time.

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

WHEN IT COMES TO S&W REVOLVERS, MORE IS ALWAYS BETTER. YES, YOU DO NEED A .44 MAGNUM REVOLVER. IMHO, A 4" VERSION IS THE MOST VERSATILE. IT CAN BE CARRIED CONCEALED, OR IN A SUITABLE HOLSTER IN THE FIELD, AND ITS AT HOME ON THE TARGET RANGE......

FACTORY AMMO CAN BE PURCHASED IN A WIDE VARIETY, FROM LIGHT .44SPL TARGET LOADS TO HEAVY .44 MAG HUNTING LOADS---AND OF COURSE IT CAN BE HAND LOADED IN AN INFINITE NUMBER OF COMBINATIONS. WHY WOULDN'T YOU WANT ONE ? ? ?

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

I would recommend you acquire a 629 Classic with a 5 or 6 inch, full lug barrel and patridge front sight.

I've had a Model 69 (with the X500 grips) for about a year. It's my hands-down favorite, out of ALL my guns. It's become my full time EDC.

It's not "do I need a .44 magnum?". It's "how many .44 magnums do I need?".

The 44 I shoot the most is my 6 1/2 inch barrel full underlug 629 Classic. I reload and like to shoot mild loads at the range. The more I shoot it the more I like it.

The one I shoot the next most frequently is a 8 3/8 inch barrel 629 PC Hunter with a half lug. I have a rail on it and have recently gotten a red dot sight which I am getting used to.

I also have a 4 inch 629 Mountain Gun and a 329 Night Guard. I don't shoot them that often. I like longer barrels with the 44.

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Accuracy supercedes Speed

Zero.


Sorry. I couldn't help myself.

With apologies to my good friend ISCS Yoda the answer is a resounding YES! Anyone that considers themselves a true fan of S&W should have a 4" pinned and recessed blue finish 29/pre 29.

I'm still waiting to get mine!

You should have a decent 44 magnum revolver. Ruger, S&W, something. I recommend double action.

And casting. If a person can scrounge lead (increasingly difficult) any handgun ammo can be made for pennies per round.

Apology accepted S&W Fan.

Good luck with obtaining that 4" pinned and recessed blue finish 29/pre 29.

I admit that if you wrote 4" pinned and recessed blue finish 19 I would have agreed wholeheartedly - I looked a long time for a replacement for the one I blew up in 1997.

Balls out is the only way to go!

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Foster Positivity.

Naa
It's
Balls to the walls

The .44 Magnum is an American icon and while almost everyone has heard that now famous film line :
"The .44 MAGNUM is the Most Powerful handgun in the world and can blow your head clean off "
Very few can claim having fired or owned one and thats the reason to have one IMO as you join an elite club.

While many new calibers have surpassed the mark set by the .44 Mag since its introduction in the mid 1950's, (61 some years ago) like the .460 and 500 Magnums,
IMO those will never have the general public recognition of "Dirty" Harry Calahan's .44 Magnum Model 29.

Three of my favorites L to R are the 629 Mountain Gun, 5" full underlug 629 Classic with IFS system and of course what collection would be complete with out a 6" or 6.5" blue Model 29.


PS I think (Hope) that ISCA Yoda was just having a little fun with us in stating the .45 Colt is equal to or better than the .44 mag as everyone knows it isnt even close,
Well....Perhaps when comparing factory .45 Colt to factory .44 Special an arguement might (Might) be made...sorta ...
Otherwise the .44 Magnum is better in every single way imaginable to the old .45 Colt or ACP and .44 Magnum revolvers will also fire .44 Special for those faint at heart, weak in the wrist or not wanting a red palm when punching holes in paper .

When comparing factory 45 Colt to factory 44 Magnum there's no comparison. When handloading "magnumized" 45 Colt you can surpass factory 44 magnum ballistics and do so at lower pressures.

Edit: above is according to John Linebaugh. I haven't tried that since my only .45 Colt is an N frame....a 25-7 to be specific

Man,how childish can you get?

If you WANT a .44, get a .44. If he wants to feel that a person can't shoot unless he owns a .44 magnum, let him. For me, I'd like to have a .44 mag N frame but I would only shoot specials or at least lower end .44s out of it.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

I have no desire or need for a hand cannon. I shot a 41 and a 44 and I don't care to ever own either one. The reference hand cannon explains why.

Respectfully,
Why anyone would want to push the old .45 Colt beyond its published safe limits or worse yet risk having their "Magnumized" ammo find its way into an older revolver not designed for those kind of pressures is a bit of a quandary to me especially when the S&W X frame safely fires the venerable .460 XVR, .454 Casull and run O the mill .45 Colt with no risk of losing an eye or a finger doing so...then again thats me.... Mr Safety Guy ....

PS if you havent fired .44 Special it is Very pleasant in comparison especially in a 6.5" S&W N frame revolver...

Forget the 44. Get a .500. makes all others just a little insignificant

I'm 40, too young for the Dirty Harry craze, but always had a S&W .44 on my list.



For all around shootability, portability, and ease of maintenance I argue it's hard to beat the 629 Classic 5". If I were to have 2 .44s I'd probably get a nickel 29-2 8-3/8" and a 629 PC snub for carrying in the woods. But the one 5" meets in the middle quite nicely!

Sure, a .500 4" is bigger and hits harder, but is heavier and of course you lose a chamber. I'll take the extra round, if 300+ grain solids can't cure the problem, I am in real trouble.

Not sure I would call the .44 Mag "Insignificant" especially loaded with Buffalo bore Heavy .44 Magnum +P+ 340 gr. L.F.N. - G.C. (1,478 fps/M.E. 1,649 ft. lbs.) -but it takes the N frame to its practical limits,

In comparison the X frame 500 Smith & Wesson - 440 gr. L.F.N.-G.C.(1,625fps/M.E.2579ft.lbs.) is a sledgehammer in search of a butterfly to kill !

I never thought I even wanted, much less needed one. Until I found my first one (Astra Terminator) for a price I just couldn't pass up. Now I have four of 'em. And two 44 specials. If you don't reload they are expensive to feed. If you reload your own, then the ammo is about the same price as any other pistol caliber to reload.

My first Smith & Wesson revolver was a Model 29-2 6 1/2 inch barrel I bought new in 1968. I still have it. Almost all the ammunition through it has been handloads. I found the 22 grain load of 2400 was more than I wanted to shoot, to save me and the gun, I dropped to 20 grains for the heavy loads. Light loads were loaded with 8 grains of Unique. Now the heavys are 18 1/2 grains as 2400 has changed a little and from reading Brian Pearce, I have learned that I should move up to 9 grains of Unique. So I will try those.
I shot the 29 a lot back then, but not so much now, it is kinda semi retired as I have other newer 44s to shoot. But I still love the old beast, it is still tight and has a solid action.
But, I probably shoot a thousand .38s for every box of .44 mag loads I shoot.
So, Do you NEED a .44 Mag. NO, not unless you want to hunt game deer size and larger. BUT, if you want one, don't ask here. Buy one. They are a lot of fun to shoot, either target loads, medium loads or boomers.
I would recommend a 6 inch or 6 1/2 inch 29 or 629. The boomers like longer barrels, and are a bit easier on the shooter. I have a 4 inch I have not shot in probably 25 years, but like the longer barrel lengths better. I still like the 6 1/2 29s better than the 6, but its really a toss up for carry and shooting.
Good luck with your new purchase.

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Richard Gillespie
FBINA 102

If I was considering a 44 mag, I would attempt to find a friend that would let me shoot one, then make a choice. As a hunter that usually uses a handgun, I have a few 44's, yet lean towards a 41 mag in some form most days. It's ultimately your money and your choice, enjoy either way.

And that's not a bad thing. 629's are a bargain when compared to any N frame, adjustable sight model in 44 special. I'd love to own a 24/624 but nobody is giving them away. My 629 lets me load to were it about rolls out the barrel to "don't want to do that again".