My new .44 Mag S&W 629-4 Mountain Gun...!

[ebm1973]

I received this on Valentine's Day which makes it XOXO special!!

S&W 629-4 Mountain Gun in .44 Mag.

Cheers,
Eric

I bought the S&W "Tamer" grips and plan to practice shooting specials and then working up to full loads. I have no idea how it will feel but I'm looking forward to it. Eventually I'd like to move into some Herrett grips like this:

 

[team sidewinder]

WOW!!!. I only wish I would get a Valentines Day gift like that.

Very nice gun. I think you will like the S&W " Tamer " grips. They are not " Purdy " and most think they are ugly as sin but they do have a functional purpose with reduced felt recoil and a good grip no matter if they are wet or your hands are sweaty. They are the only grips ( I have the black and orange tamer grips ) I use on my 629 bear gun.

 

[ebm1973]

Thanks, it was a "gift" to myself. lol. The pickup date just happened to be Valentine's Day.

What kind of bear ammo are you using?

I bought a variety of Buffalo Bore and Double Tap ammo to try out.

Eric

 

[BCDWYO]

Very nice indeed! Mtn Guns are among my favorites as you can see from this recent thread...
http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-revolvers-1980-present/262691-four-mountains-new-grips.html

Enjoy that 629!

 

[ebm1973]

Brad,
That is an awesome lineup!! I really like the Cocobolo in particular.

Eric

 

[ChefJeff]

Nice! You'll love it.

 

[team sidewinder]

Well, I am using Garrett Cartridge Inc of Texas Defender 310gr hard cast bullets. BUT while I believe these are just about the best ammo for bears you can shoot in a .44mag S&W 629 it isn't cheap. You can read Randy Garrett's thoughts on a defensive 44mag bear load on the Garrett Cartridge Inc site.

Another just about equal bear load is the Federal 300gr castcore which is probably as close as you can get without reloading you own ammo. IMHO a solid cast bullet is need for the penetration you will need to kill a large bear. This the ammo I use to practice and carry the Garrett ammo while out in the woods.

I would start out with some Speer Gold Dot 240gr ammo for anything else.

You will be suprised that your gun isn't going to recoil as much as you think and the tamer grips will help a lot.
Good shootin.

 

[ebm1973]

Thanks, Team Sidewinder. I'll have to try the Garrett Defenders once I work through the Buffalo Bore and Double Tap. 310 hard cast is a full load, for sure!!

I'll report back after I get some shooting time in!

Eric

 

[gaijin]

Nice revolver!
The MG format is a favorite of mine.

 

[mic214]

Nice revolver!
The MG format is a favorite of mine.

Mine too....!

 

[holo]

thats a real sweetheart

 

[Sven]

I love my 629-4 MG. I tend to use hand loads, and the stoutest load I've put through the MG is a 250gr LBT WFN with a full load of H-110. It is a hand full! OTOH, Winchester 210 gr Silvertips or the equivolent hand load is great. I've shot Action Pistol matches with it using cast 200 gr loads a little slower than the Silvertips and it's gone well. Double taps are a bit slow, but other than that. . . S&W .500 mag grips work great for taming recoil, but for show or general carry I have a set of Aherands wood grips that look much nicer.

Great revolver you have there!

 

[team sidewinder]

Sorry if I assume everybody uses their .44mag for a bear defense gun as I do and my ammo choices reflect that. I am sure you may choose to use yours for home defense or just a range gun where lots of other ammo will be fine. Your BB and DT ammo choices are excellent choices also. If I ever get another S&W 629 the MG is next on the wish list.

 

[jack the toad]

congrats... very nice

 

[SmithMarine]

Get the Herrett Jordan Troopers! I have used them for 30 years and they make a huge difference with recoil. I literally bet my life on them on the job. They spread the recoil better than even the skinny-back rubber grips.

 

[shawn mccarver]

Get the Herrett Jordan Troopers! I have used them for 30 years and they make a huge difference with recoil. I literally bet my life on them on the job. They spread the recoil better than even the skinny-back rubber grips.

Herrett's Jordans are great, IF you have huge hands like Bill Jordan had. If you have "average" hands, best to tell them to make the grips with the backstrap exposed or else you won't be able to reach the trigger.

 

[cobrad]

First post here.
You guys are killing me with this Mountain Gun stuff!
A client offered to trade me one with 20 rounds through it for a used big game rifle but I don't have any I would trade off. I've been resisting the urge to buy a new one for him.
I bought a FA 454 Casull last summer to replace the .44 I sold a couple years ago, but I really love the .44. My last one was a Dan Wesson and my using load was 325 gr hardcast over 22 gr. H110. I used it to kill a B&C black bear. Two shots at the point of the right shoulder as he faced me were both recovered under the hide behind the left hind quarter Those bullets penetrated a solid 4' of bear.
I still have several S&W's and really (don't) NEED a Mtn. Gun!

 

[ebm1973]

Cobrad - The MGs are calling your name....!

SmithMarine - A lot of folks really like the Jordan Troopers. I'm wondering how those grips would stack up against the Shooting Master grips. I'll have to give Herretts a call maybe and discuss. Real world experience/input is very much appreciated. Thanks!

Eric

 

[brokenprism]

Hey... you live in So Cal. What bears? Cal Bears, the football team? jk I hiked the Rockies for 17 years and never worried about bears or cats. It was people you had to watch out for in the Natl Forests.

 

[gaijin]

The Herretts pictured in your OP (last photo) are their "Shooting Master" stocks.
The photo is of grips I received and took wood rasps/sandpaper to and refinished.
The ONLY issue I have with Herretts is this: as received they were about perfect for shooting in single action mode.(I have "medium" hands-Bill Jordan was a BIG guy with hams for hands...)
For their intended purpose the revolvers I have them on serve-hunting/woods/ranch guns-I want the ability to use double action without a major shift of my hand position on the grip. Hence the modifications.
I sent my "modified" grips to Herretts and they replicated the grips I sent them to perfection- on a set of "Troopers" and a few more "Shooting Masters".
I find both entirely suitable for heavy recoiling revolvers.

Best.
T