carelesslove, here !
Gentlemen, your posts & pix of your beautiful, long-barreled, M29-2's make this thread a trip in the "Way Back Machine" !
My first .44 Magnum was a ~1970s version - nickel 8 3/8". At the time, I had to pay a fortune for it ($425, thanks to "Dirty Harry") and it came with the box (with the foam lining burned & stuck to the barrel, and a long, slim 20 round box of W-W factory rounds (14 were in the box, six empties still in the cylinder) !
The gunshop salesman said it was the equivalent of finding The Little Old Lady from Pasadena's SuperStock Dodge ! (You've got to be old to understand that...)
Even though I loved that gun, I literally shot it to death. My gunshop buddies all laughed at it & me, because - if you shook it, then laid it down, it kept rattling........ That's what happens to a Model 29-2, when you quickly put ~40,000 rounds through it.
My favorite gunshop owner took pity on me and contacted the S&W Service Department - they knew him by name - and he told them he had a good customer that had worn out a M29 !
The Manager of the Service Department - Mr. Fran Longtin (if my memory serves me correctly) - said: "No one shoots a 29 enough to wear it out - send it to me and if it is worn out - I'll fix it free!".
This gun returned (after 6 months) as a 8 1/4" gun - due to setting back the barrel shoulder, recutting the severely eroded forcing cone, with a new frame, lockwork, cylinder / yoke assembly, and completely re-nickeled - all free !
I was both lucky and disrespectful - I "shot it out" - again. It didn't take as long, this time, to burn off the back off the barrel, thanks to the new "ball powders". I returned it to S&W again and spoke with "Vito". I requested that he fit it with a new 5" barrel (my dream gun) - and he said he couldn't do that, because they were not allowed to cut a barrel and put the sights back on anymore.
I was sad, but asked him to fix it as best he could, and let me know the cost. I received the service / repair estimate and agreed to pay this nominal amount. Just a few weeks later, it was returned to my favorite gunshop and the owner called me and told me he had opened & inspected my package and that I was going to be very pleased.....
Vito fitted my old gun with a new 5" barrel - with perfectly centered roll-marking ! There was a crowd at the gunship, when I got there - we were all stunned !
Anyhow, I still have that old gun, and I don't shoot it as much, as I have others to burn up, now.
But, I don't have a nickeled, 8 3/8" M29-2 anymore...... I have one of them newfangled 8 3/8" M629-5 DX models, but it just ain't the same.
Because of your post & pictures, I will have to get me another one !
Thanks for listening, Tom "carelesslove" Love
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...Ben
