SOME THOUGHTS ON THE 329.

If Tim Sundles (the owner of Buffalo Bore) says don’t do it, then DON’T DO IT! He has pushed the edge of the envelope and knows of what he speaks.

Any handgun is a compromise – regarding the 329:

The .44 magnum isn’t the ideal Grizzly cartridge, but in the hands of the average shooter, most handguns aren’t. It is a weapon that can be carried on your person while leaving your hands free for other activities. It can be carried unobtrusively and virtually unnoticed. It will always be with you no matter what activity you are performing. At contact ranges (unless hunting, an “encounter” will most likely be at contact range) it may just save your life.

The feature (light weight in this case) that makes the 329 so desirable for all day, every day comfortable carry is also the feature that makes it more difficult to load for, shoot comfortably/accurately and leads to increased repair frequency.

“Crimp jump” can be a problem with the 329 --, heavy for caliber bullets (300gr +) worsen this problem (depending upon velocity and nose design). I have loaded and shot 300gr Keiths, and 325gr WLNGCs at 1,050 fps in the 329– these bullets have a longer crimp to nose length (the nose of the bullet is closer to the cylinder face) and (depending on the exact nose design) with minimal bullet movement can impede cylinder cycling. For everyday carry, I have settled on a hard cast 260gr WFNGCs at just under 1,300 fps. The Wide Flat Nose has a shorter crimp to nose length than other designs, which gives an extra margin of safety when it comes to crimp jump tying up the gun.


I live in Montana and the 329 has been my all day, every day carry gun for the last 5 years. I’ve shot around 8,000 rounds of 240-260gr bullets at 1,100 to 1,300 fps thru 2 guns. They have been sent to S&W for wear related repairs on several occasions (all at no cost to me). For my purposes, the 329 provides the best compromise of weight to power -- I don’t leave home without one.


A couple of things to consider if you choose the 329.

1. Make sure the ammo you chose doesn’t exhibit “crimp jump”.
2. There have been reports of the internal lock engaging under recoil.
3. Some ignition problems due to short firing pins have been reported.


Everyone is different, but heavy guns just don’t work for me for all day carry.

FWIW,

Paul