How's the recoil with a 329PD?

cjwils · May 14, 2012

I am curious about the recoil with the 329PD, which is a scandium and titanium 44 mag, weighing only 25 oz. I have prior experience with what looks like that gun's baby brother, the scandium and titanium 360PD, a 357 mag that weighs less than half as much. When shooting magnum loads in the 360PD, the recoil can be brutal. For that reason, I usually shoot scaled back handloads, which are sort of between a 38+P load and a 357 mag load. So how does the recoil of the 329PD compare?

epd1102 · May 14, 2012

Years ago, a guy at the range offered to let me shoot his 329. I don't know what kind of loads he had in it but it was pretty brutal. The odd thing is that since then, I have been wanting one. I keep telling myself that the recoil wasn't really that bad. If I were you, I'd try to find someone who had one and shoot one before you buy one.

CWH44300 · May 14, 2012

I have a pair of them, the factory wood stocks are just brutal for me with any load, the pachs are kind of squishy but the guns are shoot able with them , I do like the factory rubber grips with the open back, but I still limit it to no more then 50 magnum 250 gr loads per session , after that I'm about done for, all in all I'm happy with them, hope this helps

Shuz · May 14, 2012

I've had a 329PD since they first were introduced. Mine has been back to the factory twice to have the top strap shield replaced.I now have applied J-B Weld to the "line" in the top strap shield to try and prevent the hot powder gasses from cutting the shield. So far it has held up for about a year now. The recoil from this revolver is quite stout, but can be tamed somewhat by installing S&W (proprietary) Hogue X frame grips. With these grips I can easily tolerate 1000 fps loads with boolits that are 230 grains or less. Once either the boolit weight or velocity goes up, I find I shoot it with less enjoyment, and curtail the number of rounds per session. IMHO, this gun was meant to be carried a lot and shot a little. I shoot mine a good bit, but find myself shooting my Classics and Mtn Gun a great deal more. However, my 329PD is the one I carry all the time.

Snowwolfe · May 14, 2012

Shuz said:
The recoil from this revolver is quite stout, but can be tamed somewhat by installing S&W (proprietary) Hogue X frame grips.

Bought a set of these grips from S&W to try on my son's 629. They look exactly like, and fit like the standard Hoque rubber grips. Save some money and order them on Ebay for about $20

Picked up a 329 PD about 6 months after they came out. It was the worse recoiling handgun I ever owned and I am used to shooting my S&W 500's. Sold it and will never buy another.

Rocket-scientist · May 14, 2012

The huge goofy grin on my face every time I shoot it is worth the missing skin after 100 rounds. Seriously, find someone who will let you shoot one. I love mine!

686ppp · May 15, 2012

If you reload youll love it. I didnt shoot more than a few factory magnums in mine. I had some old PMC that were marked 19.99 that would stick in the chamber had to hit them fairly hard with the hand to get them out. Light 44 or spec were fun i shot several matches with it using 200 gr round nose

tek4260 · May 15, 2012

I have shot mine a few times and am underwhelmed by the recoil. It is sharp and fast, but it is only a 44. I even went as far as to shoot some of my hot 300gr loads to see how bad it would be. I have only shot it with the factory wood grips and am looking into some wood boot grips to try. The rubber grips were given away as soon as the box was opened.

CWH44300 · May 15, 2012

tek4260 said:
I have shot mine a few times and am underwhelmed by the recoil. It is sharp and fast, but it is only a 44. I even went as far as to shoot some of my hot 300gr loads to see how bad it would be. I have only shot it with the factory wood grips and am looking into some wood boot grips to try. The rubber grips were given away as soon as the box was opened.

I've been wanting to try some smaller boot grips on mine has well, I think they would help in concealing the gun during the warmer weather

photoman · May 16, 2012

I carried one for a bit. Didn't shoot many magnum rounds through it but it was a real fine gun with .44 Specials.

dla · May 16, 2012

This will give you an idea: Shooting the 329pd compared to 45acp

TAROMAN · May 16, 2012

Handled a nice one at a LGS.
The owner said he's selling it for the third time.
First (new) owner returned it after firing 6 Winchester 240gr factory loads.
Second owner returned it after firing six Buffalo Bore 300 grain loads

For a handloader, however, one could be tempting.

skeete · May 17, 2012

I have been shooting 29's and 629's for many years from the old Super Vels to Garrett's and I do not like shooting the 329 with any magnum loads. It is not pleasant or fun but I do carry it a lot in a Krammer horse hide OWB holster. It is a joy to carry and painful to shoot. I only use the wood grips that come with it as they do not "grab" material like the rubber grips do when carrying concealed. It weights about the same as a Glock or Colt CCO but I never feel it would let me down if a mountain lion or bear were interested in people food (me), which is a real possibility here.

serialsolver · May 17, 2012

i dont like to shoot any load over 1200fps in a 329. my carry loads run about 1050fps a very managable load that i can shoot alot at one time. standard 44sp loads are easy shooting. my 329's

spaniel · May 17, 2012

44Spl or low/moderate end magnum loads, the recoil is not a problem. I have shot a few high end magnum loads with mine...with the open back grip I had no desire to finish off the first cylinder of them. I need to try again now that it wears X-frame grips.

It's a great defensive handgun against something trying to eat you, or for taking 1-2 shots at a deer, but I would never want to shoot it with a steady diet of full power loads. Of course, I wouldn't do that with a 629 either so it depends what you are looking for.

CWH44300 · May 17, 2012

serialsolver said:
i dont like to shoot any load over 1200fps in a 329. my carry loads run about 1050fps a very managable load that i can shoot alot at one time. standard 44sp loads are easy shooting. my 329's

Those guns look sweet stocked like that, what are they?

serialsolver · May 18, 2012

The grips are Collins craft grips.

How's the recoil with a 329PD?

cjwils

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