I purchased a few new (2 me) guns on my family vacation, but this one I am pretty excited about:

It's a 629-1, 4" with what appears to be the original grips. The grips are stamped with 1984, and the serial number is AEBxxxx.

There was no box, but it came with a nice little bianchi holster and 3 HKS speedloaders with 2x and 1x pouches. I think it was top dollar at $700 with tax, but it's in nice condition and not having an ILS was worth the premium to me.

Only problem is --- I've never shot a 4" 44 magnum.



I'm guessing I should ease into it with some 44 special loads, and work my way up to the full house magnums. I am hoping some good grips will make it manageable.

Any recommendations are appreciated!

That's a great looking gun, that's how I started with my collection of smith & wessons, get a Hogue grips,will help with shooting. Ned

Congrats, you bought a nice gun!!

Good idea on the 44 spls and work your way up. I recommend your going to the S&W website and buying a set of either the 500 magnum grips or the Tamers. Keep the wooden ones in a safe place in case you want to sell it etc. The grips will make a huge difference in shoot-ability.

Nah, don't ease into the .44 mag! Just shoot it! You will be surprised at how the gun handles the round and while the recoil will get your attention, it is very manageable, but I would not use those target stocks. I would put them up for "company".

I had a 4" 29-2 with factory grips. Shoot some heavy loads. I did and it made me giggle like a school girl.

That's one fine looking sixgun, I like the stocks its wearing

Beutiful gun.Load it up with factory .44 magum and enjoy it for what it was
meant to be.

That looks like the 629-1 I got last year, but yours is cleaner.....good lick!

The target stocks look good, but they are shaped all wrong for handling recoil...at least for me. The "horn" at the top kept eating up the base of my thumb. I got a set of Pachmayr Grippers and it has made all the difference in the world. The heaviest load I shoot is 19.0 grains of 2400 with a 240 or 250 grain SWC, and the new grips make it fun rather than a feat of endurance.

That is a fine weapon.
My -6 (not a pre lock like yours) is a refined and accurate pistol.
It was my first 44mag, and it took some practice to overcome the recoil.
It is well worth the effort.

I used a set of 'X' grips to replace the original grips, which cover the exposed metal.
Cost was maybe $35 from my LGS.

When I first started practicing I could not hit a barn, later I was shooting low and left (I was over gripping and anticipating), but perseverance won the day...and practicing with snap caps!

Good luck.

Attached Images

SW 629-6.jpg (111.8 KB, 32 views)

For recoil Herrett Jordan Troopers smooth- no finger grooves-made to fit YOUR hand-expensive but worth it or cheaper are the 500 S&W as recommended above. pretty gun

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T. Johnson

A 4" 44 magnum is one hell of a trail gun. IMHO I am down to one now, but this ca. 1961 gun will still get it done for me. Yes, she wears a pair of 'cokes', suspected to be a pair of 'lunch box' stocks. Next in line would be a 4" 357, as in MDL 27, or 28. Again JMHO

I have a 629-1 that looks just like that, except I have Keith Brown Cokes and a Millet rear sight on it.

I guess everyone's hands are different. I have always liked the factory oversize target grips for shooting. They're not great for carrying though, except in a holster of course.

I've got the same gun. It's been magna ported and I have a set of Hougue rubber grips....perfect combo with full magnum loads! Enjoy.

I changed out the targets on my 686.
Keep the orginal targets and keep them safe. (mine are in my sock drawer). They add big value when and if you ever sell/trade.

+1 on what he said and congrats on the purchase

Pretty sweet cherry you got there. Doesn't even look like it was ever fired let alone carried in a holster. Why can't I ever fall into a deal like that ? Reason " No Luck ".

IMHO I would just start out with full mag loads and better to get use to the recoil ( Its not that bad ) from the beginning. Shot a friends " Bear Loads " in his 629 and I don't know what they were but they kicked like a mule and can't be good for the gun being that hot. After the " Bear Loads " my factory ammo in my gun is tame and no problem to shoot a lot. I put a pair of S&W ( Orange ) Tamer grips on my 629 and while they don't look good they sure do the job absorbing the recoil. I consider myself to have a pretty good grip but I just can't hang on to the wood grips.

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44 Garrett Defender Ammo 4 me.

With those grips you shouldn't have trouble with shooting 44 mag. I personally don't like the combat grips they put on the newer 629's (with the finger grooves on a round butt frame) and have changed them to Kurac's round to square coke style grips. Big difference for me in shootablilty. I has a 5" 629 that I hated shooting, trigger ate my finger and felt recoil was harsh, sold it and got a 3" 629 which is much nicer to shoot. Go figure. Enjoys hooting your 629, it looks great.

That's a beautiful gun. I wish I had it. A 629 is going to be my next purchase. Got to digest the outlay for the 66 and 27 that I've already bought this year. What an addictive hobby.