How about a Mountain Gun thread?

David LaPell · #1 02-19-2009, 08:46 PM

I'll start the ball rolling. Here is my 25-13 .45 Colt, and my "honorary" Mountain Gun, a 624 .44 Special (waiting for the cylinder to get sent to Bowen for a blackpowder chamfer ala MG style)

akjaeger · #2 02-19-2009, 09:43 PM

I've got one of the original run of mountain guns. Chamfered cylinder, bead blasted stainless finish. I had Andy Cannon work over the action nearly 20 years ago. It's a slick accurate little sixgun. I usually carry it in a crossdraw full flap thumbreak holster.
It's been the revolver that I use as a yardstick to measure all others.
I've probably put 15,000 rounds thru it. Mostly 240-250grSWC's over 8.5gr. Unique. For a full house load I like a BTB 280gr WFNGC over 21.5gr WW296. There isn't enough sight adjustment for any of the heavier bullets.
I was working in Southeast Alaska about 15 years ago and carrying the MG every day. I climbed up on a huge Sitka Spruce blowdown to see over the brush, I was about 20' off the ground. A really nice Sitka Blacktail buck was bedded in an inaccessable spot right under the tree! I just leaned out and shot him between the shoulder blades!

BUFF · #3 02-20-2009, 02:23 AM

Andy Cannon was a great revolversmith and a very good man. He died way too young.

Nice photos of two very nice guns, David!

Wyatt Earp · #4 02-20-2009, 04:21 AM

629-4

Here's how it came

Here's now

Shorty4T · #5 02-20-2009, 05:40 AM

Here is my 629-4 MG with her bigger sibling...

Cheers,
Sam

Roger Norris · #6 02-20-2009, 05:40 AM

Nice. I have a stock, new .44 M MG. I am thinking about a Bob Mernickle Bear Paw crossdraw holster for it. I pack it now in a Simply Rugged pancake holster. Mine came with the small wooden grips, and the full sized Hogue Monon grip. I prefer the smaller ones....I rarely shoot it with full house loads.

Last night while watching TV, I cleaned both my MG and my 642. The size difference is pretty striking!

wls749 · #7 02-20-2009, 07:33 AM

I think a Mountain Gun thread is a good idea. I have a 25-13 and it is my favorite revolver. I always search and read comments on the different Mountain Guns. If I knew how to post pictures I'd show mine.
PS. Very good group David.

Patrick L · #8 02-20-2009, 07:41 AM

Mine is also an "honorary" Mountain Gun. It's a 24-3 .44 Spl.

dirtygrunt95 · #9 02-20-2009, 08:06 AM

Here's my recently aquired 25-13. The nice thing about colder weather is that it allows this to be my daily carry for awhile.

Beans · #10 02-20-2009, 08:17 AM

I have posted the photo's of the 4 brothers before and I will share them again

top to bpttom
625 MG 45 Colt, 625 Mg 45 ACP, 629 MG and the 657 MG

The 3rd one down, the 629 MG has had the optic front sight replaced and is now back to factory specs

akjaeger · #11 03-04-2009, 11:37 PM

I just picked up a .45 ACP version of the Mountain Gun off Gunbroker, it should be a lot of fun!

jimmyjoe · #12 03-05-2009, 05:03 AM

629-4 44 Magnum, Mountain Gun....

mtscout · #13 03-05-2009, 03:28 PM

My MG is on order at my local 'gun emporium', and while being patient I was wondering what holsters you 'mountain gun' owners are using?
Photo's or links would be very useful.
I will be wearing my MG 45LC horseback and hiking.
scout

myanof · #14 03-05-2009, 09:23 PM

629-5 with little Bro 60-10

normamag · #15 03-05-2009, 09:45 PM

just a 25-13

s&wchad · #16 03-06-2009, 08:42 AM

The Mountain Revolver (629-2)

akjaeger · #17 03-06-2009, 02:55 PM

Great pic of your Mountain Revolver!
My favorite of the Mountain Guns.
Mines scuffed up a little more than yours, been packin' it for 20 years or so.

Roger Norris · #18 03-07-2009, 12:40 PM

myanof · #19 03-07-2009, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Roger Norris:

The grips look good. What are they?

Roger Norris · #20 03-07-2009, 02:00 PM

Not sure....they came stock with the gun. They came with the full size Hogues also, I like these much better.

Doug M. · #21 03-07-2009, 10:28 PM

"beans", you are cruel. I think I must add you to my list of people to hate.

That collection makes me whimper. I don't "need" one of them, but ... wow.

whelenshooter · #22 03-07-2009, 11:38 PM

Roger Norris,
Do you know the exact SKU number for your revolver? If we can get that, we might be able to ask Smith & Wesson if they have any of the grips that came on your Mountain Gun still in stock. (It helps them look it up if they have the SKU from the gun.) Your grips are really great, and I'd love to have at least one set of those to put on one of my Smith & Wessons.

I recently purchased three sets of the grips that come on the S&W Model 60 Pro-series, and I'm about to buy a fourth set. (One set for my wife's 5-inch Model 60, another set for her 5-inch Model 63, and a third for my 3-inch Model 60. The fourth set are intended for my older 4-inch round butt Model 34.) The grips on your gun are close in shape to the Pro series model 60 grips, so I think they might be really nice on another N-Frame gun. I'd sure like to give them a try anyway.

Thank you for posting a photo of your mountain gun! It is beautiful!

Sven · #23 03-08-2009, 02:07 AM

Here's my 629-4.

I carry it in a Dillon/Mitch Rosen pancake loaded with Winchester 210 gr. Silvertips.

Roger Norris · #24 03-08-2009, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Roger Norris,
Do you know the exact SKU number for your revolver?

On the box is a product number, 163604 and a longer number on the UPC code, 2218863604. Does that help?

whelenshooter · #25 03-08-2009, 01:50 PM

Yup! The product number is the SKU number.

Thanks!

S&W-Keeper · #26 03-08-2009, 03:33 PM

I picked up a like new 629 mountain gun the last part of 08.It has the dreaded lock, but I only paid $300 for it.What would you have done?

Sven · #27 03-08-2009, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by S&W-Keeper:
I picked up a like new 629 mountain gun the last part of 08.It has the dreaded lock, but I only paid $300 for it.What would you have done?

Bought it and try to ignore the lock.

Iowahunter · #28 03-08-2009, 08:10 PM

A 657 Mountain gun on GB just sold for $1425 today. Looks like it had no box ect...
Here's one of mine in 45 ACP

Joed49 · #29 03-09-2009, 04:36 PM

Here's my first MG a 29-6 that I bought about 4 years ago. Picked it up for $399. Kind of unique as it seems to have an extra screw that I haven't seen on to many of these. Any idea why S&W did this?

sasu · #30 03-22-2009, 02:33 AM

Model 29-8 Mountain Gun ready for IDPA.

Don K. · #31 03-22-2009, 05:52 AM

I picked up a 629-4 MG a few days ago. I have been into .44s for couple of years and this was the first MG I've handled. The weight and balance difference between the MG and the standard 629 is glaringly obvious. I like it a lot. I put about 60 240g. and 250g. Specials through it 2 days ago and kept them inside an index card at 30' after a few sight adjustments. good enough for me.

Shuz · #32 03-22-2009, 07:52 AM

Does anyone else have a Patridge front sight on their 629 MTN Gun? That's the first thing I did to mine many years ago,and I love it!

medic15al · #33 03-23-2009, 12:05 PM

I just got mine back after a slew of selling and trading. Missed it immediatly and jumped the chance to buy back when offered. It is home now!!!

akjaeger · #34 03-23-2009, 12:30 PM

I just picked up a Mountain Gun in .45 ACP today.
I ran about 100 rounds of various ammo thru it. It sure shoots good. It seems to really like my Kimber Commander's favorite load, that's pretty lucky!
It's gonna take me a while to get used to full moon clips...

Agent6-3/8 · #35 03-23-2009, 02:43 PM

25-13 Mountain Gun wearing Ahrends Retro Targets. The Mountain Guns are without a doubt my favorite N-frames.

whelenshooter · #36 03-23-2009, 06:31 PM

I've seen photos of blued Mountain Guns, but I've never actually seen one in-the-flesh. I'd really like to have a new one, and I don't have any hang-ups about having one with the lock. Are any of the distributors out there advertising that they have blued Mountain Guns in stock? I don't care what caliber it is. If I can find a distributor with one, I can point a local dealer towards them and get one.

SuperMan · #37 03-24-2009, 06:49 AM

Mountain Guns...someone say Mountain Guns...have to be my favorite S&W revolver...

657 .41 Magnum, 6 shots at 50' DA

Pre-MG 625 .45 ACP

Two 629-2s and a late 90s vintage MG.

Second 657 with night sights..

I currently own one 625 .45 ACP, one 629 and two 657 MGs...just great guns to carry and shoot.

Bob

TexasSTEP · #38 03-24-2009, 07:33 PM

Okay, I'll throw my 629-4 MG into the pot...

Probably my favorite .44 magnum.

-TS

akjaeger · #39 03-25-2009, 07:44 AM

Mountain guns are my favorite S&W, and it looks like I'm in good company.
When the 629-2 "Mountain Revolver" first came out I bought one, even though I had three other S&W .44's aat the time. It didn't take long for me to trade off the other guns!
I ended up with two "Mountain Revolvers" and a "Mountain Lion". The 2nd 629-2 never shot as well and the "Mountain Lion" was to pretty for me, so they both left.
The original 629-2 has had at least 15,000 rounds put thru it. That gun could tell some tales, it's been carried as bear protection in Alaska, shot squirrels, grouse, deer and elk, it even shot the top out of a tree that was hung up in a power line this last winter! It's been my "go to" gun for nearly 20 years. Just lately I noticed that the trigger pivot pin had come loose, so it's gonna have to go back to S&W.
Well, I have all these holsters for a MG, so I bought a 625-6 .45 ACP to keep me company. What a great shooter. I was sighting it in out back the other day, I fired 3 shots offhand at 50yds to check my sights. When I walked out to check I had a 1-1/2" group!
Now I'm thinkin' I need a .45 Colt.
I guess you could say I'm a fan!

R. Walter · #40 03-25-2009, 09:47 AM

I've got a nice 657 in 41Mag that I load the Hornady 210gr XTP over Blue Dot for it.

No one's mentioned the Mountain Gun in 357Magnum. I've always thought that was the rarest of the Mountain Guns.

tbury · #41 03-25-2009, 09:53 AM

625-9 Mountain gun in .45 colt with round to square conversion grips. One of the sweetest shooting N-frames I have.

Favorite load 8gr of Unique behind a 255gr RNFP from Penn bullets. This load speaks pretty loud without the recoil and flame of heavier charges of unique.

myanof · #42 03-25-2009, 01:44 PM

This has been a really good thread. I posted a pic of my MG earlier in the thread, but I wanted to request that you add info on favorite loads for your MG. I noticed some have mentioned loads, but I would like to see more. I shoot two loads in mine. My purpose in buying the MG was to carry when Fly Fishing in Colorado in case Mama bear stumbled on my path or visa versa. Therefore for practice I shoot 240gr Hard Cast SWC over 7.5gr of Unique. For Mama bear I load with 300gr hard cast or Speer FP Bonded over a max load of 296. The 300gr is horrible to shoot in a MG, but probably not as fierce as mama bear. Thanks

Roger Norris · #43 03-25-2009, 02:28 PM

I have my MG posted in classifieds, looking to trade my .44 MG for a .45LC MG.

Joed49 · #44 03-27-2009, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by myanof:
Therefore for practice I shoot 240gr Hard Cast SWC over 7.5gr of Unique. For Mama bear I load with 300gr hard cast or Speer FP Bonded over a max load of 296. The 300gr is horrible to shoot in a MG, but probably not as fierce as mama bear. Thanks

The only thing I've shot in mine is the 250gr Keith with 7.5 gr of Unique. Any more then that and it is hard on the web of my hand.

I will admit with the new grips it's much better.

In addition to the .44 I also own a stainless version in .45 Colt. For some reason the rubber grips on this gun don't hurt me.

The load for the .45 Colt is a Lyman 255 gr Keith style and 8.5 gr of Unique. I also own a 265 gr Ballisti Cast mold that makes an even better bullet. But the mold never cools off and I sell 100% of what I make with it.

One day I will get to try that 265 gr bullet.

Muley Gil · #45 03-27-2009, 05:39 PM

Quote:

In addition to the .44 I also own a stainless version in .45 Colt. For some reason the rubber grips on this gun don't hurt me.

That's because your .44 Special load is about 100-150 fps faster than your .45 Colt load with approximately the same weight bullet. The .45 Colt is a BIG case.

Joed49 · #46 03-28-2009, 06:15 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Muley Gil:
That's because your .44 Special load is about 100-150 fps faster than your .45 Colt load with approximately the same weight bullet. The .45 Colt is a BIG case.

I thought I calculated them being closer then that. May have to recheck my math.

Been thinking of upping the .45 load to 9.0 gr of Unique too.

Also have to say that I've found the .44 to be more accurate then the .45 Colt.

sasu · #47 03-28-2009, 07:04 AM

Mountain Gun porn.

NONEYA · #48 03-29-2009, 10:46 AM

I own two 686 Mountain Guns. Here is a picture of one of them.

Nanook 450 · #49 03-29-2009, 04:35 PM

686-3 w/ Mountain Gun Barrel and night sights . . .

one eye joe · #50 03-29-2009, 05:20 PM

Hi all of you Mt. Gunners, I own a 686-Plus, a 625 and a 629. Only the 629 has a lock. They all carry Hi-Viz front sights and Eagle Classic rosewood grips. I can't seem to locate them in the "Blue Book of Gun Values" They're all in 98+% condition. Any ideas as to what they might be worth ? Someone told me that the 686-Plus is scarce in an MG. Is that true ? I'll post pics when I figure out how. Thanks.......one eye joe