Curtis (29aholic) sent me a magazine article a while back from Handloader, entitled "Handloading the Smith and Wesson 29," by Brian Pearce.

I was reading through it again today and I noticed this paragraph:

The very early five- and four-screw guns have become collectibles, and prices have soared in recent years. Furthermore, barrel steels used during this period were intended for lead bullet loads only, while jacketed versions accelerate wear. For this reason my very early guns are only used with cast bullets.

First of all, I'm not sure if Pearce is referring to 29 barrels or to all S&W barrels from that era. I know there is sort of an endless debate on FMJ vs lead bullets and barrel wear. Some people say lead is better for the reasons stated above, i.e. it's softer. Others say that FMJ are better because with lead bullets you get lead buildup--and scraping the lead out can damage a barrel. I've also heard people say that a (softer) copper-jacketed bullet is not going to harm a (harder) steel barrel.

So what are the thoughts on this, particularly as relates to the older Smiths? Is there any truth to the fact that lead bullets are better for the older guns? Many of my Smiths are 50s and 60s guns so this has crossed my mind from time to time.

I generally shoot lead bullets but I have a you-know-what load of M41 130GR ball ammo that I cycle through my Models 10, 15, 19, etc.

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Aaron Terry