I am thinking about buying a smith and Wesson 629 or a model 69. I do shoot a fair bit so I'm a bit worried that the smith has a reputation of not being as durable as say ruger. If I did shoot it loose what is involved in correcting the gun so that it works correctly again?

If I push up on the front of the cylinder of my mp 340 there is a little bit of up and down play. Is this what is known as end shake? Is it a big deal?

To me, it seems kind of pointless worrying about "correcting" a problem you don't have yet.

These guns are tough, and come with a warranty. IMHO, If you shoot either of these guns you mention with factory rated ammo, it will be the next generation that will have to "worry" about repair, parts replacement or "shooting it loose".

The "up and down" play in your 340 is probably normal gauge needed for the cylinder to rotate.....and no, that is not "endshake". If you are concerned, or the gun is malfunctioning, have it evaluated by a competant gunsmith or contact S&W Customer Service. 1-800-331-0852

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Ret. LE, FA Instr, S&W Armorer

I agree. I doubt you could afford enough ammo to shoot either pistol loose. If you reload, you just need to use 8-10 gr. of Unique under a 240gr. SWC for most of your shooting. The gun will outlast you.

If you stick to standard .44 Magnum loads -- no heavy-bullet elephant-killing fire-breathers -- by the time you shoot it enough to loosen it up you will be having surgery to repair the wear and tear on your hands, and fixing the 629 will assume a lower priority. Find something else to worry about.

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Pisgah