Okay, I have a 629 with the 8 3/8" barrel. It's factory tapped for a rail and a scope.
But because I'd only like to use the scope for deer season and like to keep open sights for plinking and using it in the holster I'm wondering if anyone makes a rail that I could install that wouldn't mess up the iron sights and that I could drop a scope on when I wanted to.
Is there another option that I'm not thinking of? Or am I going to end up mounting a rail and scope "manually" and there's just no way around it?
S&W makes one... My R8 came with a sight-thru rail.
I'm not sure you'll be able to find a holster that will work with a sight-thru rail installed
Ive seen one that had the top ( ??..front..??) cut out of the leather holster for a scoped revolver to fit into it. In that case the HEIGHT of the scope off the top strap shouldn't cause any problem
I Have a 686 that came from S&W with Millet rings fitted into cuts, allowing the iron sights to remain. Unfortunately, they didn't sell well and are no longer made.
I believe a good machinist could duplicate the cuts, but I don't know of anyone doing it currently.
Warne makes a rail that also replaces the rear sight for modern factory-3-hole pattern top-straps and isn't see-through, but provides a front-sight post on the rail and allows for a new-style round-tang rear-sight assembly to be installed on the rail. Couple that with some quick-detach rings and you'd have glass or irons available in the field without needing any tools.