Hi. I have a 29-5 BKY4xxx and have a few questions:

1 - In the Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson I cannot seem to find BKY (using search feature on Kindle or just paging through the book). I believe the range for when it was born is 1990-1993. Does anyone know what year my sidearm was born; or is there an online database that searches to give year of birth based on serial number?

2 - Should I use 44 magnum ammunition or would 44 Special be okay *AND* milder on the weapon?

Thank you in advance!

The 29-5 is about as sturdy as an S&W .44 is going to get. Sure you can use magnums. If I owned that gun, I’d be inclined to stay away from the 300 grain or heavier magnums, or only use them sparingly. Otherwise, keep it clean, hold the fast DA shooting to a minimum, and shoot anything that’s safe to use in it. It should last a long time.

FWIW, Model 29-5 serial BKY78xx was shipped in May 1992. Be advised that S&W didn't ship in serial number sequence. The only way to know when your 29-5 left the factory is to request a letter or submit a ship date request on the S&WCA member side of this board.

I have a 629-3 5" Classic with BKV prefix and 29-6 6.5" Classic with BRD prefix. I believe the BKV prefix is 1993 and BRD is 1994. Have not lettered either.

.44 Special ammo is just fine in your 29-5 and it's easier on the hands for casual shooting and target practice. The cylinder chambers are slightly longer than .44 Special brass cases so you may have to brush the chambers to get the crud out.

BTW, I'm curious, is your 29-5 hammer and trigger case-colored or flash chromed?

Here's my beloved 29-6, "Big Blue".
1994_Model 29-6_Classic_.44 Mag_Krein05Walkabout.JPG

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Tom in AZ
Respect the Dingbat

I have several -4 629s and one 29-5, they all have the endurance package. Like the vast majority of 44 mag owners, my wrist and hand will fail before the gun. Feel free to shoot as many specials and magnums as you can handle. However, unless you’re hunting or testing heavy hunting loads, there’s no reason to use magnum power loads for target shooting. If you handload you can always use magnum cases using “special” powder charges.

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213th FBINA

Do you have the original box? The special order number is the Julian date and tell you the day it left the factory.

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

No need to baby that one