Hello all,

Last night, I picked up a S&W 329PD. I shot the gun this AM. Holy recoil!!! (though I did expect this with a 44 mag this light).

Anyway, I like to be able to shoot 50-75 rounds per range trip in each of my 'shooting' revolvers (i.e. non-collectible pieces). Expect to shoot at least once a month due to my current work schedule.

Anyway, a friend recommended trying to unload the 329pd and picking up a Smith 629 Mountain Gun if I plan to regularly shoot it. I really don't want to go to a 6" gun, so 4" would be my ideal length for a .44 magnum.

I don't mind the recoil of the 329PD, but I am a little concerned of the long-term issues that might develop with regular .44 magnum rounds being sent downrange from the revolver.

Thoughts?

BTW - this is an earlier model 329pd that doesn't seem to have been shot much. Prior owner bought it new in the mid 2000s, and it only came with one factory wooden grip.

Also, I don't really have any interest in sticking to just .44 special rounds. I enjoy the full .44 magnum ballistics, and I want to train with what I intend to carry while in the woods / hiking / hunting, etc.

M69 4.25" is a great in between. 5 shot L-frame easy to carry. Recoil should not bother you if the 329 doesn't, lol. Good luck!

Attached Images

S&W69.jpg (46.7 KB, 78 views)

__________________
PTLAPTA!

Get some rubber grips to help with recoil.

No info from me regarding longevity shooting 44 Mags.

Thanks, but I actually installed some Pachmayr Decelerator grips on the gun before shooting. They seemed to help, but my Google-Fu results show that many people prefer the Hogue Tamer grip that ships on the x-frame revolvers. If I keep the 329pd, I may try that too.

Also, the gun came with XS night sights installed...

Keep it and grab a mountain gun. Then decide. I have the mountain revolver as well as a 3 inch 629. Love them both. If you decide to sell let me know as I am always looking for another ��. Good luck

These are pretty specialized pieces ment to be "carried a lot and shot a little". The 329 was my all day, every day carry gun for the better part of a decade - great carry gun. I put around 9,000 rnds of moderate .44 mags thru three different guns - they don't hold up well to continuous use of this type of ammo - those guns were sent back to the factory 6 or 8 times for various problems.

If strictly for range use, you'll be better served with an all steel gun (this from a guy who really likes the 329). Having had both, I'm not sure I'd recommend the Mountain Gun Either - probably the full lug 5". If you have to have a 4", stick with the standard barrel profile. A bit of additional weight to help reduce wear on the gun and dampen muzzle flip some.

JMHO,

Paul

I have the 329, several mountain gun/revolvers and full lug 44s, I carry the MGs exclusively while hunting, hiking and backpacking. Will trade the 329 for the right piece.

__________________
213th FBINA

Groo here
Trade for a 325 Thunder Ranch in 45 acp/AR.
Not as light but lighter than steel
45acp with moon clips for SD fast reloads.
AR [auto rim] for heavy [aka 45 super ] loads.
Lower pressure will not wear the gun or you so much.
Compared to 44 mag, 45acp is light and CHEAP.
45Super made up in 45ar brass or acp [moonclips]
Are between the Skitter and Keith loadings[250gr hard cast at 1000+fps]
Will handle most anything you want....

You don't have to shoot 44 Mags out of it. Shoot 44 special if you plan on just range blasting. Especially if you buying factory ammo, that gets expensive.

__________________
Still Running Against the Wind

I own and shoot a 329PD, 629-4 Mtn gun,and a mdl 69 4-1/4.
With magnum loads I find the model 69 to be the one I use most.
I have Hogue x frame grips on all 3 and highly recommend them.

I'd be careful with full power loads. Prolonged use may create hand/wrist/arm arthritis or other issues as you get older. John Taffin & Ken Hackathorn have both mentioned issues from years of shooting stout loads.

__________________
Watch & Pray

I'm not sure that I understand (yet) a need or desire to shoot 50-75 rounds of .44 Mag at a range session. I do understand the desire to shoot .44 Mag. The first thing that I would do would be to decide what skill I am supposed to be learning or maintaining with my practice, and design my session around that. Maybe it won't be 50-75 rounds.

I am now getting just slightly more frail in my mid-seventies, but back when I considered a 4" Model 29 to be a medium-recoil handgun, I found the Mountain Gun to have unacceptable recoil even with good grips, not so much that it hurt (it didn't, except for a sharp edge on the trigger that I could have easily relieved), but that the muzzle flip was IMO excessive. There was just too much time between the first shot and the second. I ended up getting a 3" double-Magnaported PC 629 which came with good grips. I eventually ended up with even better ones. With the better grips and the Magnaport modification, it recoiled less than my 4" 29. which was already much better than the Mountain Gun.

Because of my experience with the 29 and 629s, and my experience with a 4.25" 25-2 ("target"-profile barrel) and a 22-4 1917 reproduction (5.5" tapered barrel), I believe that the weight of the barrel is very important in controlling recoil. As a result, I do not recommend even the Mountain Gun for extended range use or any application where the second shot should maybe happen fairly soon after the first one. This probably hints to you what I think of the 329.

Your final determination will depend on your choice of grips, your own experience, and your own intentions for the gun. With luck, you may achieve this before making any major purchases or sales.

__________________
Formerly Model520Fan

+1 or 2 or more on the model 69. I almost grabbed a 329 and when I met the monster of a man that was selling it, I backed off that idea. He had hands and wrists like a lumberjack. He said it was not a fun gun to shoot and I certainly believed him. My 69 is great!

__________________
S&W factory revolver armorer

I mentioned N frames in my above post thinking that was what the OP was looking for. I'm a big fan of the M69, have a pair and a spare of each barrel length. Also highly recommend the Hogue X Frame "Tamer" grips. Was out this am shooting one of the 2 3/4" guns -- shot 30 rnds of magnum ammo (20.5gr 2400, 240gr JSP) and would have shot another 30 if I had the time. I try to shoot 30 rnds + three times a week just to keep my hand in. For reference, I'm in my early 70s.

I've found that preferences (what we like) change over time. Choose whatever appeals to you and if you don't like it, sell/trade it - consider the loss a rental fee.

I will be picking up a 3" S&W M629 Delux tomorrow. Not that it will replace my M69s, but because I always wanted one - aesthetically I find it to be one of the most pleasing revolvers S&W ever made.

In .44 mag, the all steel guns will last longer without repairs than the aluminum/scandium/titanium versions.

FWIW

Paul

The SW 500 mag rubber grip is perfect. Step back to 225 grain load or lighter. I like the Winchester hog load 225 monolithic copper as it can do anything you need from a 44. Practice with 44 special. Ours a fun pistol. I have the mountain gun too. I carry the PD for back up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I carry the 329 for my sidearm in the woods. I used to carry the 629, but as I got older it became more uncomfortable to carry on the long hunts i go on. The 329 does have one heck of a recoil and is not a fun gun to shoot at the range. But I hunt in bear country and I want the power of a 44 mag in my hands when and if it ever needed, so for me, I carry the 329 and I take the 629 to the range. There is no right or wrong answer to your question, its all about what you can afford and what you want to do. Keep the 329 and buy a 629,29 and 69 and have fun figuring it out.

Thanks for the responses. I have a few individuals offering to buy the gun for $850, so I will probably let it go and just buy a 629 instead. Again, love the gun, but I want a .44 I can shoot as often as I am able.

id snag the mountain gun man. the 329pd is a great gun dont get me wrong i bought one to carry for penetration on the streets in phx. rarely fired but carried a good bit. but if you want to run a box of full house 44 mags thru it all the time itll have to go back to smith for service at some point. that said if yiou want to run 44 specials it shouldnt be a problem at all

__________________
R/S
J.D.

Buy a Ruger then.

__________________
Still Running Against the Wind

As long as you mentioned Ruger, I’d get a Redhawk .44 mag. If not, then I’d get the Mountain Gun.

__________________
Pine_Worker
Ex-LEO, NRA Life

No-brainer for me: Mountain gun.

The 329pd is a purpose built 44mag - not a rsnge toy. Only those serious about carrying a 44mag should own a 329. And I don't mean "carry" from the safe to the truck and back again.
At 31oz loaded, it will have some serious recoil - but you won't notice that when a bear is closing on you.

I understand it’s not as manly as a gun, but bear spray only weighs 9.2 ounces and there’s no recoil, making follow up shots much easier and effective.

__________________
213th FBINA

Another vote for the 5" full-underlug 629, and for the X500 grips. It's been my EDC for a year or so. Very pleasant to shoot, especially with the very relaxed grip (and relaxed and flexed elbows) I use.

In your quest for a. 44 mag that you can shoot. 44mags in most comfortable, you might ask those who own and shoot mdl 69 4-1/4" and mdl 629 Mountain guns, which they prefer.

You bought the 329pd for a great price, so you have room to make some choices. Like Paul, I've sent thousands of full house loads downrange and actually had a heavily used 329pd of the three I own, replaced by the manufacturer (stretched frame). Now, after adding years (and some wisdom) I practice and load develop with an inexpensive Taurus with a 4" bbl. Same size and similar trigger, it's just easier on me and the guns. I share the 329pds with my son and friend when we bow hunt so I want to keep the revolvers in good shape. The Taurus is sacrificial, but the way it's holding up it will likely outlast me. I'll never be without a 329pd for lightweight carry though.

I used to carry bear spray religiously. But something changed as I got older and now I'm more bloodthirsty. I want something that will drill a 1/2" hole from nose to anus on a bear. My only remaining can of bear spray expired 5 years ago, but I still carry it in my truck for some reason (hot sauce? ).

If you are willing to carry a full size gun around the woods then the Mt gun may be your best bet. I prefer my 329 for carrying to a steel gun and that is what I carry in the woods and not my steel gun.

__________________
balin
NRA Life Member

I recently bought a 329 because I, "Needed" another .44 Magnum for a photography trip. I'll be going to Haines, Alaska for a brown bear photography in July. In order to get there from Anchorage, I have to drive across part of the Yukon Territory and cut off a corner of British Columbia, Canada before re-entering Alaska.

Communist Canadian gun laws prohibit transporting a handgun with less than a 4.1" barrel so my 629 Mountain Gun has to stay home. I've carried that gun for several years as my hunting sidearm and backpacking gun. The 329 at 4.125" is legal as well as the 69 at 4.25". I do have a 5" 629 Classic, but it is pre-lock and has an action tune by Milt Morrison when he still ran Qualitee Pistol and Revolver in Denver. There's no way I want to risk losing that gun to a Canadian Customs agent having a bad day.

The 329 is a specialized piece; lightweight for carrying when every ounce matters, it's not a range toy. The lightweight is what made the decision for me over the 69. I can practice with my 629 Mountain Gun or my 629 Classic without issue. After shooting 24 full magnum loads through the 329 today I was done. Also helped that the 305gr. Underwood loads wouldn't eject so it made the decision to go home early easier.

I'm going to try using some of my, "Cowboy Loads" in the 329, a 240gr SWC at about 900fps. That may tame it for range sessions. If you need a lightweight revolver for packing in the woods, the 329 is a great choice. If you're looking for a range toy, there's better choices. I'm actually thankful I got the 329 it's going to work out great for my photography trips. I have no plans to sell my 629 Mountain Gun, it's too useful of a gun and I'll probably continue to carry it in the woods when I'm not packing photography gear.

WOW! You must be the world record holder for the most magnum-load shots out of a 329 in a single range session.

the 329 is a specialized gun,ideal for a hiker,but not so great as a gun for a range gun. I had one years ago and could kick myself for selling it

Thanks all. On Wednesday, I actually posted the gun on a local firearm board for trade with a mountain gun, and thought I might get someone willing to do an even/up trade rather than buying outright.

I took the 329 to the range on Saturday while sighting in a new scope on my rifle. Shot 6 rounds out of the 329, 6 rounds out of my 686, then 3 rounds out of a friend's .500 magnum...

When I got home, I had a few trade offers (including a straight trade for a 6.5" .500 magnum with a two boxes of higher end ammo). I thought about it for about 60 seconds, and agreed.

Completed the trade this morning, and I have to admit that I am pretty psyched. I will still end up buying a mountain gun in a few weeks.

Sounds like a good trade to me. I'm of the opinion you should try everything you can while you can as long as you have the resources to do it. Nothing lost but a little money which you won't miss a year from now.

Post some of your thoughts when you get to banging away with that 500.

Enjoy,

Paul