"Grizzly Bear" Mountain Gun

Pook · Oct 3, 2009

Hi all,

I bought a 629 Mountain Gun, four-inch, 44 mag, stainless that has the image of a grizzly bear's head on the sideplate.

On page 260 of their 3rd edition, Supica and Nahas describe "Mtn Gun, RR/WO, at least one reported with grizzly bear roll-marked on sideplate."

Is my "Grizzly Bear" Mountain Gun a scarce variation?

Thanks

grit · Oct 3, 2009

Got a pic?

Unfortunately, I don't have an answer for you, but maybe a pic would help your cause (plus it sounds like a pretty sweet rig!)

Good luck.

BKDinTexas · Oct 4, 2009

I have seen one previously and periodically kick myself in the butt for not buying it. The one I saw, the grizzly bear head was actually engraved (not lasered) on the right side. I got the impression it was factory.

Post a pic of yours and I can tell for sure.

If you want to sell yours let me know! :>)

gcarneal · Mar 2, 2010

Grizzly Bear Head Engraved on side

I have a Model 66-3 with a grizzly bear head engraved on sideplate. I known nothing about the gun, I bought it used with no box or papers. If anyone could tell me some infor, I would love to hear from ya.

InTheWoods · Mar 2, 2010

I have the same gun, with RR/WO sights and the bear etched on the sideplate. Yours is the only other one I have heard of. I bought mine in 2000 new for $599 and it came with some official limited edition paperwork I have misplaced or lost. It came with Hogue grips and now wears Nills. I have bagged three whitetails with this revolver.

BKDinTexas · Mar 2, 2010

Aaagh. Ya'll are killing me. I can't believe I let that gun out of my hands and didn't buy it! My absolutely most regretted non-buyers remorse...

Fred_P · Jul 22, 2011

While looking for info on the "Grizzly Sideplate" 629 Mountain Gun, I came across this thread.

I also have one -- just got it last week.

Mine came with the original box, showing stock # 103685 on the label. It matches the description on page 260 of 3rd edition, Supica and Nahas that Pook mentioned. I've attached a pic of the box end, with "XX" as the last two digits of the SN.

The box had all the regular documents in it, but was missing (or never had) anything to indicate that it was a special or limited edition.

The barrel markings are laser engraved. The grizzly image appears to be stamped or coined.

It originally came with Hogue rubber grips, but the previous owner switched to Hogue Hardwood Monogrips and left the originals in the box. Replacements are so nice to look at and so comfortable to hold (including a Coke-like bulge), I'm leaving them on.

Anyone with more information? Perhaps someone has a Limited Edition certificate they'd be willing to share an image of?

Thanks,
Fred

Sportsterguy · Jul 23, 2011

Very cool revolver and properly named. Your's and InTheWoods are the 1st I've ever seen and them are two sweet revolvers. Congrats to you lucky guys who own one!

Wish I would have kept my .41 mag MG. Load that baby with some Buffalo Bores or some hard cast bullets and it WILL take a grizz down. In your case, with the rarity of the revolver I probably would keep the heavies round count down to keep it tight.

Recommend you hang on if you ever do try em. I have some of them for my .41 mag and the recoil is vicious and deserving of a PAST glove or some rubber when in the woods. I shot a Sitka Whitetail in the rear left quarter with one and it exited on the front right shoulder. The deer never knew what hit it and never recovered the bullet. I do believe it would have easily taken two deer down if they were standing side by side.

InTheWoods · Jul 23, 2011

Yeah, my 'Grizzly Bear' mountain gun (pictured above) has taken three whitetail. All suffered damage equal to those I have taken with a 30-06.

I am really surprised we have not heard of more of these guns out there. This limited edition must have been REALLY limited. Honestly, I bought mine when Clinton was making his deal with Smith and Wesson. I knew I 'had' to buy a Mountain Gun of some sort before I couldn't get one anymore, and this was the only one I could find. I thought the grizzly on the side plate was kind of tacky.

macbullet · Jul 24, 2011

I've seen InTheWoods Mt Gun on here before and talked with him about it a few years ago, now two others come along, so counting mine that makes four I know of. Here's mine below my 629-2 Mt Revolver. Unfortunatley I had to sell mine awhile back. I suppose it's possible that one of these that just showed up is the one I sold......?

k22fan · Jul 24, 2011

During the middle 1990s, new S&Ws were packed with a brochure advertising laser "engraving" of scroll work and standardized images including a bear. I may still have a copy of that ad in one of my boxes. Their offer was to laser mark the images on guns the customer shipped back to them. The bear head image was similar to the one on InTheWoods' Mtn. Gun. I wonder if a few of the revolvers in this thread got their bear heads through that offer?

InTheWoods · Jul 24, 2011

k22fan said:
During the middle 1990s, new S&Ws were packed with a brochure advertising laser "engraving" of scroll work and standardized images including a bear. I may still have a copy of that ad in one of my boxes. Their offer was to laser mark the images on guns the customer shipped back to them. The bear head image was similar to the one on InTheWoods' Mtn. Gun. I wonder if a few of the revolvers in this thread got their bear heads through that offer?

Possible, but I bought mine NIB from a Smith and Wesson stocking dealer. If I remember correctly, there was some type of certificate in the box detailing the edition. I no longer have that paper work. That was long before my 'Smith and Wesson Forum' days. I know better now. It seems all these guns (4) also have the white outline front sight and red insert front, unusual for Mountain Guns.

S&W Fan · Jul 24, 2011

These seem to remind me of some guns that The Sports Authority sporting goods shops were selling a few years ago. I want to say they had the bear lazer engraved but it could've been another animal, supposedly a run just for the chain. I saw them in what was the old Gart's Sports Castle location in Denver @ 10th & Broadway, but Sports Authority had already taken over the company. Again, it's been a few years and I might be mistaken.

Fred_P · Jul 26, 2011

I doubt if the bear is laser engraved. Just seems to be too much metal displaced compared to typical laser work. The right side of the barrel ("Mountain Gun") is definitely laser, and I've seen other laser engraved "images" on metal surfaces that are consistent with the barrel marks.

Next chance, I'll remove the sideplate and examine the rear surface. I believe I should see stress skuffing from the flat plate being struck with a die, leaving a faint image on the rear where the deeper parts of the image deformed metal against a platen.

Fred

Leathermarshmallow · Jul 26, 2011

I WANT one....no, NEED one! This is exactly what I would love to get.

k22fan · Jul 26, 2011

The big bad bears under discussion do look like imprints from a stamping die. They're too deep to be laser images. Cabela's currently has blued Mtn. Guns and 6" .44 magnums on their shelf with "Outfitter", a few other words and a symbol/picture stamped on their side plates. The stamped bears could have been from a similar large store or distributor order but I think more of them would have surfaced over the last decade if that was the case. On the other hand, I haven't seen Cabela's Outfitter marked revolvers surface on this forum yet either, but they've been on the shelf less than a year.

mike42 · Feb 9, 2013

629 Mt. Gun with Grizzly side plate

Hello,
I just joined the Forum today. How scarce are the
Mt. Guns with the Grizzly side plate?
I am trying to attach photos of the one I own.
Thank You,
Mike42

00Buck2 · Feb 9, 2013

Defiantly a lot more of them than indicated in the SCSW.

jeffmonteith · Mar 6, 2017

I know this thread is a bit dated but I wanted to add photos of the S&W MG "Grizzly Stamped" M629-5 that I picked up over the weekend at a local gun show. It's a great little gun, can't wait to get it out and start plinking!!

I'll be going with a standard Bianchi Cyclone cross-draw holster, and man is thing light!

rom141 · Feb 20, 2025

Guess I have to join the club

Seems like several folks have either one of these in their possession or have at least come across one at some point. I too now join the club as I just acquired one. I find it interesting that even the latest 5th edition of the S&W catalog still only claims "at least one of these seen". Seems that between this thread and a few others that there are at least half a doze that we know about just in this forum. I am confounded as to why no one seems to now more about this gun. I read somewhere that there were approximately 500 of these made, but I have no idea where that number comes from.

"Grizzly Bear" Mountain Gun

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