Met a great older gentleman today who passed on to me his deceased brother's revolver. It's a 629-3 classic with a 5 inch barrel and it is complete. Sealed cleaning kit, warranty card, all paperwork and the matching box sticker is unmolested. Says his brother bought it new and took it with him in the woods on occasion. It's my first 44 I've always been a 38/357 S&W owner/shooter.

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You did great! I’ve owned two of this particular model and they are superb revolvers. The 5 inch barrel is short enough to carry, but long enough to give great velocity, accuracy, and recoil control.

PS, if you ever sell it, keep me in mind!

Welcome to the Best Smith & Wesson Forum in existence
Accept no substitute. You will find a wealth of Knowledge here.

Congratulations on your new S&W Model 629-3 44Rem Mag
Classic with 5"Bbl.

Thank you for sharing your Story and Picture. Please give a
Range Review when you get to shoot it!

The Best to you and your Endeavors.

My Circa '93 S&W Classic, with 6-1/2"Bbl.

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SD social distanc'n since 1889

That's a nice 629 Classic!

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

That's a great gun for a first 44. There's something special about a 5" barrel. I was fortunate to get my hands on one too.

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

Congratulations!

Congratulations, that is one that is on my want list for sure, the perfect balance IMO

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This is the way....

That's a beauty, and a nice time capsule too, produced 1991-1994. Mine is a 1992 example with .429" throats. I plink with powdercoated 215 gr. .44 Special bullets from Bayou Bullets over 7.5 grains Unique. You done good, enjoy!

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Tom in AZ
Respect the Dingbat

That's the one barrel length in .44 that I covet. I have 2.5, 3, 4, 6, 6.5 but so far the five inch has eluded me.

I do have a couple of five inch 27's and I agree with others that in the N frame the five inch is the best balanced barrel length.

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Bill

WOW, it doesn't get any better than that.

That's a strong start for a 1st 629. Quite strong! Well done, sir.

My first .44 Magnum as well. Enjoy!

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Psalm 27:2

How did you do?

If it was free, you did amazing! If it was $3K, you got taken to the cleaners.


You have a very nice pistol either way.

^Exactly this, how you did depends on how much you paid?

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Dave Ramsey Cultist

Regardless of what you paid they’re never making any more. I’m lucky to have the one I do, it came in the LGS the day I was picking up a 29-6.

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-Matt

This is just a classic revolver and variant...well done!

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Rather be outdoors

I paid $1000 even for it. He was asking $950 and I offered another 50 dollars to meet me halfway on the drive. Felt like one of those right place at the right time things because it all lined up and I'm very excited to go and try it out at the range!

You did great!! The early 90s guns seem to be very well made, at least the samples I have seen. I bought a 629-3 5 inch in a pawn shop way back in the mid 90s, no box. It has been and still is an excellent gun. Congratulations!

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Richard Gillespie
FBINA 102

You did great
Your going to love that
Do you mind putting up a pic of the label
Mine came wearing combats and had a set of pachs in the box that had been in there long enough to make an imprint in the cardboard
My label is marked PM for the stocks

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That’s a great acquisition. IMO the perfect S&W is a 5” N-frame.

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Some Might Say.

Morning Tin Knocker

I think we’ve chatted about this before but how is your box marked ?

Anyone else care to share their box labels?

You're up early Rod Buster. Here's the end label on mine. PM for the stocks. No Goodyears with mine, just the flatside combats.

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

This is one of the few N frames I have in my collection, something about the barrel length just seems perfect. I have always been a .357/38 shooter but for this gun I make an exception. Great pickup!

Thanks buddy
The PM thing bothered when I bought this gun and now it’s bothering me again.
It’s got to mean pachs.... what else could it stand for?
Is there anything in the standard catalog?

Nope. Pages 200 and 201 of the Fourth Edition list all the Revolver Feature Codes used on box labels and "PM" is not included. I do see that "TS" still represents Target Stocks even though the box labels of Classic Hunter versions bore that marking even though the guns came with aftermarket Hogue Monogrips so with Smith & Wesson, one never knows.

Ed

You started with the best!

Thanks for checking
I appreciate it
And
I apologize to the op for the derailment

I recall this discussion from a few years ago after I bought a gun with the PM stock description. Might have been this gun. If I recall, no-one ever quite figured it out.

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

Mine also says PM on the label even though it obviously has the original hogues with medallions on it. No apology needed for derailing things any S&W discussion is a good discussion!

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I had to dig mine out. It has CC hammer and trigger. I do prefer flash chrome on stainless but what the heck.

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Sure you did

Congrats on a great purchase. I bought mine new around 1994 and then sent it to Jim Stroh at Alpha Precision for some fine tuning.