Hi everyone,
I am new here but have always been a huge S&W fan. Especially their revolvers. I have a 629-3 Classic DX with the 8 3/8" barrel. I bought it new many many years ago. Im seeing post about the 629-3, -4, -5, etc... Im sorry to say I dont know the differences. So what can anyone tell me about my -3. Good or bad, what is the difference than other models.

Blacky

Welcome to the forums!

The dash number after the model number stands for the engineering revision the pistol was built under. Your 629-3 Classic DX is one of the more desirable models, as it has the full Endurance Package applied to it that helps it handle the hotter 44 Mag loads without shooting itself loose, but it still has the flash chromed forged trigger and hammer, with all forged internal parts. Furthermore, the DX series were tested to be accurate out to 25 yards (I think) and had a test target of the group shot included with the gun when it was sold. And I don't think they made a whole bunch of the 8 3/8" barrel DX guns either. The 6 1/2" barrel was much more common.

BTW, we do like pictures posted of your gun here.

Blacky, welcome to the forum, you have a great revolver - enjoy it.

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Ed

In my humble opinion, the -3 is a great gun, perhaps the best of the 629s. The DX is supposed to be the best of the best, and shipped with a test target fired at 50 yards and less than 2 inches. I bought a 6 1/2 inch model when they first came out, and have seen pictures of the 5 inch, but never seen a 5 or 8 3/8" in person. Would be fun to shoot at long range!

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Richard Gillespie
FBINA 102

Yes, i still have the test target in my files somewhere. As soon as i find it ill post a pic of target and pistol. I do remember it was fired from a ransom rest, and at 25 yards put 12 shots in .75". Looks like one clover leaf. Also came with two sets of gripd, fancy wood finger groove and rubber reverse taper finger groove. Also i think 6 sets of front sights. I still have all of it.

Yeah, since you got all the goodies, that gun is worth some decent money nowadays. I would imagine that gun on GunBroker with all the goodies and original box would easily sell for north of $1500.

Nope... cant let it go..lol. Besides, how much would i have to spend to get another 44 mag that will put 12 shots into 3/4" at 25 yards..lol. More accurate than ill ever be.

Welcome to the forum. The Doctor is right, if you have all the goodies then you have a keeper. I was fortunate enough to pick one up awhile back for a good price. It'll be a long time before I turn it loose.

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

Yep.. thats exactly what mine looks like, except i keep the rubber grips on it..

As 75Vette's target illustrates, Dash 3 DX test targets were 5 shots at 50 yards. They were tested with Federal 240 grain.

Regarding the quantities of 6 1/2" and 8 3/8" DXs produced my observations or luck do not coincide with the other posters. I've seen more 8 3/8" DXs for sale locally at about a 3:1 ratio. That could be because there was a lot of participation in silhouette competition then the long barreled ones were sold after silhouette competition was superseded by timed short range matches that include drawing. The weight of S&W's 8 3/8" full lug barrels make a very specialized revolver. However, Montana has lots of places to shoot at long range where they shine. I like mine.

I bought my DXs used. There has been debate here about which front sights they originally came with. Which front sight blades did yours come with?

Maybe Blacky Montana can answer that, k22fan, since he has all 6 that came with the gun. I was looking at Numrich and they have more than 6 quick change sights for the guns. They show several different patridge sights, a few ramp style sights and even show 2 different gold bead quick change sights for the Classics and DX type guns that use the quick change style sight blades.

Mine came with the white dot installed to match the white outlined rear. But also has a gold dot, red ramp, black ramp, and a black level post. Has a total of 5, not 6. But i was thinking that i did have a serrated black ramp as well. So maybe it was originally 6.

I just pulled my box off the shelf and the front sights are a black ramp, a red ramp, a plain patridge and a white dot patridge. If it came with the gold bead patridge the previous owner kept it for himself.

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

My 5" DX came with all the sights 75Vette listed including the gold dot Patridge. But somewhere I recall reading that test targets were not included with certain barrel lengths - my 5" did not come with one.

Ed

Numrich has 2 different gold bead patridge sights in stock if you want to round out your sight selection. They have the .227 and the .250 high gold bead sights. I'm running the .227 height (100 yard sight) ones on my guns that use the quick change sight system.

Front Sight, Patridge, Gold Bead, MC, Classic, .250

Front Sight, Patridge Style, 100 Yds, Classic, .227" w/Gold Bead

I have the exact same model, and I don't see how the other dash numbers could improve on it. When I first fired it at the range from a rest at 50yd., I was almost dumbstruck at the accuracy -better than the test target. I'm convinced that the holes would have touched had it not been for my aging, faulty eyesight. The long heavy barrel reduces the recoil considerably, also. I put a Nill conversion grip on mine -don't like round butt anyway, but a round butt on that gun?? Not for this guy.

Regards,
Andy