I have been offered a Model 69 I think with 3 inch bbl(haven't seen it yet) been fired but not much. Only thing about the 69 I know is that it is an L frame 5 shooter. He wants 500 bucks in the box papers etc etc. It does have the lock(don't have any guns with locks). Anybody that can steer me on this gun would be a big help. A 3 inch 44 mag may not be my favorite handgun...but I thought 500 was fair and the only reason I am considering the purchase. The present owner may not like the 44 mag in 3 inch either. Ya'lls thoughts??

2.75" actually. Understand this gun empty weighs 34 oz and is a handful, to say the least, with full power 44 magnum.
I handload mine to a step or 2 above 45 ACP.
Fit and finish on mine was perfect. $500 is a steal, IMO.

My first hot, full house 44mag shot out of my 2.75 M69, with a 2 hand grip, brought the gun up over my head. I've heard it described as a 44spl revolver with magnum capability. Downloaded magnum loads like Shocker said are the ticket.
It's a nice gun and $500 is good if in good shape.

For $500 bucks it would already be mine

I have the 4 1/4" barrel and it's not that bad at all, I put 100 rounds of 44 MAG and 100 rounds of 44 spec. thru it each time I took it to the range (3x). I don't think I would like it if I shot more than that before my hands would be severely fatigued since the revolver is light. I bought it to carry every blue moon or so in a shoulder holster. At $500, I would invest in the 2.75", enjoy it at the range, trying different loads of 44 Mag and 44 special and add it to the carry rotation.

I put a Pachmyar Compac grip on mine. It's thicker and magnums aren't that bad now. I bought some beautiful Altamonts for it and quit on shot three they hurt so bad.
I paid $775 for mine new two years ago.

As an earlier poster said, "At $500 it already would be mine." I guess we'd be bumping shoulders. And that's for a second one; I bought one a couple of months ago and like it.

Great for carrying IWB, loaded with .44 Special . Comfortable shooting that. I like having the magnum capability as a companion piece to a Henry Carbine in 44mag. My 6 1/2" 629 is a bit big for that job.

All over it I would be .

I have the 4" I would buy that one for $500. Go for it/

Useful info. I had been looking at Altamonts; not a good idea, I guess. I'll stick with the factory rubber on the 629, and have a look at the Pachmyers for the 69.

One of our local stores had one for $874 new last week. I left to mull it over as it was a bit pricey. I came back the next day and it was gone. So if this is a nice revolver with little use, $500 is a steal. I personally love big magnum revolvers so I don't think this gun is anything to worry about as far as recoil. I have the 500 magnum in 4" and it's a beast but it's fun to shoot. The 629 short barrels are fine for recoil and I have the 26 oz 329PD Alaskan Backpacker snubby. That is pretty punchy with full magnums but it's still very shootable. I'm 64 and have had a shoulder replacement 2 years ago. You will be fine with this gun with 44 magnums. If SW wanted it to be a .44 special gun it would end in a 4 not a 9. IMO... go for it!

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John 1:17
NRA Life Benefactor

I'm late to this thread but......... I bought mine new as well and paid in the mid-700 range. These are really neat little revolvers and would jump on a duplicate for $500 in a heartbeat. Yep, they can be a handful, but mine is on a very short list of ones I would not get rid of! As an aside, if you buy it and just don't like it, I expect you'll easily get what you paid back out of it. Ergo: Go for It!!

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"You're messin' up my Zen"

I have both the 4-1/4" and the 2-3/4" and I like, and shoot them both. You can really tame them down by installing a set of X frame Hogue grips. I shoot 1000fps cast boolits of 200 to 230g outta mine and find them very manageble. I'll be 80 in a couple of months, and no longer see the need for me to shoot 1200 to 1300 fps loads.

I love mine and that's a great price. It likes the Buffalo Bore heavy .44 Special loads.

My 4 1/4 inch is my favorite 44 magnum and I have had a bunch of them. Full house loads are manageable with rubber grips in reasonable quantities. At 500 like others have said it would be at my house already.

Ya'll have convinced me...maybe. Going to go take a look at the very least. I am not real keen on a short bbl in 44 mag and expect that is why he wants to sell it to me. He knows I am a S&W fan. If it was the 4 incher... yeah I think I would be really interestedI have a couple of 29-2s...one 4 inch the other is either 6 or 6 1/2. Have never shot it. I have always used my old M-57 4 inch for forest/woods carry. I carried it when I guided in Alaska back in the mid/later 60s. At the time I couldn't find a M-29 so bought the 41 mag

Yeah I'd buy it for my son. I already have one. With rubber grips it's not bad at all to shoot. I put checkered wood Hogue Bantam Boot grips on mine. They make the gun a lot more compact. It's still not bad with milder loads. With hot loads I'm done a 5 or 10 without gloves. My skin is too soft. I do manual work but I always wear work gloves so my skin is not tough at all and the checkered wood grips will eat up my skin pretty quick with hot loads. Well even with the OEM rubber grips I had trouble after 40 hotter rapid fire loads, if you call Hydroshocks hot (might have been Gold Dots). I had some blood as it tore the skin in the web. I would have quit before 40 but I was using it for my qualification and I couldn't stop.

If you're more recoil sensitive shoot specials.

Great gun. Buy it.

I have an original version 4.25" one, I'll never sell it. I like it so much it went back home to S&W for the master action package. I only shoot full magnum stuff through it, it's not bad at all. To the point that I can't really tell a difference between it & a 44 N frame Mountain Revolver.

I hope you get it & shoot it

Cory

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Cory
SWCA #3015 SWHF #465

Yep, they are a real pocket rocket. Great for woods carry. I load mine with 240 grain cast SWC's at about 950 fps. Very accurate, and pleasant enough to enjoy at the range, yet still pack a punch.

Larry

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$500 for a Mod 69 is either one of the best deals you'll ever encounter or a scam. If you know and trust the seller don't wait and buy it now. If you don't like it you can easily recoup that $500.

I have the 4.2" and it has become my woods walking gun. I second the X frame grips. I am ok loading with with a 280 gr bear load and have shot it enough to know it hits where it points with that. I plan to also shoot those 2-3 times a year but the rest of the time it is Keiths at 1000 fps.

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Front sight and squeeze

The ones I got were called ALTAI Super Rosewood. The look wonderful but are too narrow so they really split my hand. I just went to their site and they don't appear to have this kind anymore. I have other Altamount grips on other guns that I like, but not 44 magnums. Some of their others might be thicker though.

It's a great deal at that price. If it's in good shape, you could at least buy it and turn it around and make some money off of it.

I like mine a lot. As others have said, it's better with .44 Specials or with light loaded .44 mags. I mostly shoot .44 Specials in mine for practice, and carry it with the now discontinues Speer "Short Barrel" .44 Mag factory loads that were lightly loaded. It's really a shame that Speer discontinued that load, because it's great for short barrel 44s.

Just some local observations. I asked my local FFL and s friend about the short barrel 69. The 2.75” model 69 wholesales for somewhere in mid $600s. I saw the one I mentioned for $874 at a higher end gun store. Then today I stopped at a shop in Mayfield. They have a lot of S&W revolvers from 1950s to current. Colts and Older Rugers. Walthers... Anyway he had one in his case marked $1199!!! I almost laughed at him. He told me a guy ordered it and never can back to pick it up. But he also said he paid over $1K from dealer/wholesale. I know that’s just not true.
The bottom line is $500 is a steal ( it’s well below wholesale. If you know the seller run over and grab it. If you don’t know him I would be skeptical.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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John 1:17
NRA Life Benefactor

Oh I know the fellow. He bought one gun from me not so long ago. He also wants one of my 27-2 5 inch guns. I really think he doesn't like the 69 because of the pretty "sudden" nature of the recoil...which is my concern also. I would probably mostly shoot 44 specials in it if I do buy it. Gonna see him tomorrow.

What he said, @$500 no thinking is required except how much faster can I get there.

I would run over there and buy it at 500 and I am stove in.

I have the earlier version of this gun! It has a model number stamped on it, 696! When these were brought out every body started hot rodding it by loading the 44 Spl to mag levels and splitting the forcing cones! So now S&W brings out a 44 Mag version and most are saying it recoils too much. The price of a 696 has gone out the roof. So, shoot 44 Spl ammo or load mag cases down to 44 Spl levels and you have a 696 for half the price! $500 is a steal for either gun!
jcelect

I have the 4" barrel, mostly shoot .44 spl., it has become my favorite..

I would buy it and flip it...I have heard good things about them, but for me, I have a m29 4” mtn gun and a Kodiak red hawk .41 mag-both 6 shooters that fill my small powerful woods/mountain predator guns bill....

In my opinion it is a definite buy...........

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dd884
JMHO-YMMV

GRAB IT NOW.

Before someone else offers him $750 or more.