S&W 296 .44 Special

RonLee · May 13, 2019

I recently acquired a S&W 296 .44 Special and have found it to be wildly inaccurate. By that I mean, at the range at about ten meters, my shots were all over the silhouette target, whereas with my S&W 640 Pro as well as a Colt New Agent 1911 my groups were fist sized. Recoil is not an issue nor is trigger pull, I favor double action only for concealed carry with my J-Frame revolvers.

I am getting set up for reloading the .44 just not done yet. S&W 296 recommendations for this .44 Special is of course NOT to exceed 200 grain projectiles. Should I load for low velocity to improve accuracy?

Any suggestions for improving the accuracy of this "gorgeous" revolver?

GerSan69 · May 13, 2019

With all due respect, it ain't the gun.
You really can't compare a lightweight big-bore revolver to anything else. I don't have a 296, but I do have a couple of K-frame size Taurus 44 revolvers, and there is no way I'd compare recoil, etc., to my Shield 45 or my officer-size 1911s. May I suggest holding off on a complete eval of your gun until you can reload some "manageable" rounds and maybe do some bench-rest testing? From everything I've seen, the 296 is a helluva nice revolver. I'd hate to hear someone give up on one too soon. Good luck, keep us posted.

Cal44 · May 13, 2019

Until you get up and running with reloading, try some light cowboy loads.

Georgia Arms, for example, offers a 750 fps 200 gr load.

I have m242, the 38 Special version of your gun, and it's hard to shoot too -- but not nearly as bad as what you are describing.

Keep practicing.

s&wchad · May 13, 2019

I'm no bullseye shooter, but my 296 shoots fist sized groups at 30' with Winchester Super-X 200 gr Silvertips.

Try shooting it off sandbags from a bench. If it doesn't do any better, I'd inspect the crown and make sure the frame isn't cracked (under the barrel and above the yoke). I'd also check to make sure the barrel and shroud are tight. I's a two piece barrel with a stainless liner and a shroud that keys into the frame. A special tool that engages the rifling is used to screw the liner into the frame and secure the shroud. Whatever you do, don't put a wrench on the shroud and try torquing it.

As far as reloading, I'd stick with 200 gr jacketed bullets. You can't use anything abrasive on the titanium cylinder (CLP and nylon brushes only), so I don't know how you'd remove lead build up.

22hipower · May 13, 2019

I use the same 44 loads in my 296 as I do in other 44s; mostly 240 grain plated with 4.8 grains of TiteGroup. I don't expect much for accuracy with the DAO trigger but it is more than adequate. The other thing I like is the short barrel which works well with shot loads during snake season, and in Texas it is almost always snake season. Good luck.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

flagman1776 · May 13, 2019

This gun needs a detailed inspection for flaws & damage especially barrel tension, crown, forcing cone, timing, frame (under the barrel), loose sight? Then... I agree, to sandbag the gun from a rest. Bring the target in closer. Maybe try changing out the grips.
But if it's really that bad... I suspect it needs a trip to the mothership.

Narragansett · May 13, 2019

I have never seen one of these, let alone shot one. I would visually inspect the gun for anything that looks not quite right. I would try putting the target closer. If the gun was used, have you inspected the bore for leading? I suspect that you may be pulling the gun off the target firing double action, or perhaps flinching? If you have a proficient shooting friend, let him try it. Try some different ammo? The bullet may not be stabilizing in the short barrel?

The_Truth · May 13, 2019

You're not supposed to shoot heavier than 200gr bullets out of the 296Ti. It says so right there on the ejector shroud.

I love mine. It's a heck of a sweet ugly duckling. In fact, it's one of my favorites! I've had no accuracy issues.

murphydog · May 13, 2019

You didn’t mention which load you used, but since you shoot other big-bore handguns without problems I would suspect ammo incompatibility (undersized bullets). In addition to the other good suggestions above I would try a different ammo brand/type and put a really big set of rubber grips on it, like Pachmayr Decelerators.

6518John · May 13, 2019

I have a love/hate relationship with mine—I love to carry it, but hate to shoot it! I am an overall bad shot normally so I don’t notice the 296 being that bad. As mentioned above it is excellent with snake shot.

This is a helpful thread it touches on an issue I have not thought about—namely avoiding lead bullets in the gun because of cleaning difficulties. S&WChad makes an excellent point on that. And I have shot those Georgia Arms lead loads in mine.. Never thought about it causing problems.

mooshoo · May 13, 2019

the older i get the worse i shoot pistols with that said i have good days and bad days, it just takes practice lots of practice and i need more!

Pizza Bob · May 13, 2019

The_Truth said:
You're not supposed to shoot heavier than 200gr bullets out of the 296Ti. It says so right there on the ejector shroud.

As I understand it, the prohibition about bullets heavier than 200 grs is due to the possibility of bullet-pull under recoil. If you hand load you just need to make sure that you use a heavy crimp.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

flagman1776 · May 13, 2019

If you are going to shoot lead bullet ammo, check for hardness... barrel leading.
A trick I learned from a gun mag years ago... immediately before shooting... wipe the gun down, inside & out, with Breakfree CLP on a patch. Chambers, bore, inside the yoke, the exterior. Everything but the grips, LOL!. Followed by a dry patch... leaving only a film. All the fouling will be on top of the film & nearly wipes of with a paper towel.
A friend was the dept armorer... he saw me do it, saw the results... and provided a B/F CLP in a pump sprayer at the next qualifications.

BLUEDOT37 · May 14, 2019

RonLee said:
S&W 296 recommendations for this .44 Special is of course NOT to exceed 200 grain projectiles.

As Pizza Bob mentioned you can basically ignore that, with the caveats below. It was put on earlier models because they thought bullet jump would be a problem in them and it was not included on later models (my 396NG does not have it).

With standard pressure 44 Special loads (14K cup or 15.5K psi), that have a good roll crimp, bullet jump shouldn't be a problem. If you end up handloading & use plated bullets, which are slick & have little to no cannelure, bullet jump might come into play.

If you shoot (+P) loads, which could present other issues because of the thin forcing cones on the x96 models, again bullet jump likelihood increases.

If you end up carrying it for SD just make sure you thoroughly performance test any load you pick.

On the accuracy question, my 396NG, as well as other S&W .44 caliber models, have been found to have tight throats, .4285", (+/-) .0005", which mine had, that can cause accuracy, & other issues.

A couple of the throats were not perfectly round too when viewed from the face of the cylinder. I bought a reamer from Dave Manson & opened mine up to ~.4305". Throat size is best checked using a pin gage set.

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Reaming M396NG throats
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The_Truth · May 15, 2019

Pizza Bob said:
As I understand it, the prohibition about bullets heavier than 200 grs is due to the possibility of bullet-pull under recoil. If you hand load you just need to make sure that you use a heavy crimp.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

That's very good to know, especially since I just inherited a reloading setup from my pops! Thank you!

Protocall_Design · May 15, 2019

Since you can already shoot other guns well, It is most likely something in the chamber/barrel group. Look for problems in throat, forcing cone, muzzle crown, loose barrel/shroud, leading, etc.

amazingflapjack · May 15, 2019

It sounds like you are trying to start out with this new gun by shooting it double action-suggest you shoot from a rest in single for a while first.

The_Truth · May 15, 2019

amazingflapjack said:
It sounds like you are trying to start out with this new gun by shooting it double action-suggest you shoot from a rest in single for a while first.

The 296 Ti is an internal hammer, DAO pistol.

HamHands · Jun 1, 2019

Winchester 240 grain "Cowboy Loads" at 750fps are very accurate in all my .44's... I don't think you will experience any crimp jump with these loads even being 240grain's. They are the first pills I put thru any .44Mag or .44Special...

RonLee · Jun 3, 2019

THANK YOU

Thanks to everyone who gave such good advise.
I have on the way several boxes of Underwood 44 Special 200 Grain Hard Cast Lead Wadcutter. I'll be giving a report after I've been to the range with that ammo.

S&W 296 .44 Special

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