hello everyone, first time on the site for me. I received a S&W model 29-2 in .41 magnum after my father passed. I've been trying to find information on this gun from day one. I keep coming up empty on all avenues. It has a serial number, and i have found that it was manufactured in 1977-78 but S&W cannot tell me if it left the factory as a .41 or as a .44. It is nickel with 8 3/8 barrel. Any info would be a great help. Thank You
29-2 .41 Magnum
- Thread starter bglboyz
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
hkcavalier
US Veteran
29-2 will be a .44 Magnum. The .41 Magnum is a Model 57. Without the serial number (or most of it) and some pictures there's not much else we can tell you.
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2007
- Messages
- 27,669
- Reaction score
- 21,363
Welcome! A few questions.
Does it chamber a .44 Magnum?
Is there an over- or second model stamp on the frame under the barrel, where the serial number is also stamped?
It is most likely a model 57 mis-stamped as a model 29-2. A letter of authenticity from the S & W Historical Foundation may be helpful, but if the records show it as a model 29-2 there would probably be nothing to indicate it was a .41 Magnum.
Does it chamber a .44 Magnum?
Is there an over- or second model stamp on the frame under the barrel, where the serial number is also stamped?
It is most likely a model 57 mis-stamped as a model 29-2. A letter of authenticity from the S & W Historical Foundation may be helpful, but if the records show it as a model 29-2 there would probably be nothing to indicate it was a .41 Magnum.
Lonegle57
Member
Welcome to the site. I have been a 41 mag fan for decades. I once had a
6 inch nickle 41 magnum. It was stamped 57-0. If you looked closely under the 57-0 was 29-2. My view, your gun made it out before they restamped the frame. Hopefully you know both the 57 and 29 are N frames. The demand for 44's high while 41 a lot less so 29 stamped frames must have been needed to complete a run of 41's.
6 inch nickle 41 magnum. It was stamped 57-0. If you looked closely under the 57-0 was 29-2. My view, your gun made it out before they restamped the frame. Hopefully you know both the 57 and 29 are N frames. The demand for 44's high while 41 a lot less so 29 stamped frames must have been needed to complete a run of 41's.
Last edited:
Welcome to the forum!
You've certainly found the place where knowledgeable folks can answer your S&W questions.
Now, please be so kind and assist us here by providing pictures, if you are able. That is the very best way to get accurate information on what you have.
-Bill
You've certainly found the place where knowledgeable folks can answer your S&W questions.
Now, please be so kind and assist us here by providing pictures, if you are able. That is the very best way to get accurate information on what you have.
-Bill
Welcome from Arizona.
Hair Trigger
US Veteran
local_dirt
Member
- Joined
- Oct 6, 2015
- Messages
- 247
- Reaction score
- 327
Get a letter
Thanks for the replys everyone... bare with me as i'm not the best at computers. I try to get it figured out how to upload pics and get them on here. In the meantime ....there is only one stamp for the model #. What part of the serial number will work or do you need it all? I'll work on the pics asap. Thanks again
Model19man
Member
This is the easiest forum to post pictures on by far.
gnappi
Member
A .41 load will flop around in the cylinder, a .44 will not 
- Joined
- May 6, 2009
- Messages
- 2,925
- Reaction score
- 4,204
OP-what does the caliber say on the side of the barrel? Do you have ammo to check for fit as people have suggested? There are multitudes of examples of incorrect model or dash number stampings. If the barrel says .41 that is most likely what you have.
Pictures, pictures, pictures!!
Hair Trigger
US Veteran
That all depends on how much you're planning to take off.
We need the prefix letter (S or N) and the first four of the six digits; put an "x" where the other two are (S1234xx)
It's a S&W N-frame, 8 3/8" barrel, likely a factory applied nickel plate finish. Model 29-2 should be a 44 Magnum, but the barrel is stamped as being 41 Magnum. Factory mismarks are somewhat common with S&W revolvers, but that's a pretty big mistake.
Last edited:
The big question in my mind is have you shot it. I think I would put a micrometer to the barrel before I tried it. A 44 mag round trying to pass through a 41 barrel could get exciting. I wonder what the guy at the factory who test fired it was thinking. Maybe he wasn't thinking. 
Last edited:
luvsmiths
Member
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2016
- Messages
- 1,135
- Reaction score
- 2,186
I wonder what the guy at the factory who test fired it was thinking. Maybe he wasn't thinking.
I would imagine that "the guy at the factory" is test firing a whole lot of whatever caliber this winds up being, and isn't handed a whole pile of different caliber guns to testfire, with a mountain of different caliber ammo to take his pick of.
So- "the guy at the factory" didn't need to think. He just needed to fire his test guns with what ammo was supplied for that particular run of test firing.
And a 44 Mag wouldn't fit into a 41 mag cylinder.
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2007
- Messages
- 27,669
- Reaction score
- 21,363
Exactly! And same question from the early original post - does a .44 Magnum fully chamber? If so, mystery solved.
hkcavalier
US Veteran
A .44 Mag cylinder and a .41 Mag barrel would be a deathtrap and certainly caught by the factory. In this Schrodinger's Cat of a thread, the OP either has a .44 Magnum with an incorrectly marked barrel or a .41 Magnum with a mis-stamped frame. I've been on this board for over 10 years and never seen an incorrectly marked barrel mentioned, so I'm putting my $0.00 on the latter scenario.
Agree with hkcavalier - mismarked frame for a model 57. We have seen this happen a lot.
A 44 Magnum round will not chamber in a 41 Magnum cylinder. I am sure the revolver is a 41 Magnum or Model 57 mis stamped as a 29-2 as this, and the reverse have happened.
Bill
Bill
A .41 load will flop around in the cylinder, a .44 will not
44 cylinder for sure. Still, the barrel markings are grounds for caution. I'm sure the bore .430 but I would still check
i've shot this numberous times, only using .41 ammo. I was just trying to find information on it, When i look up m29, it shows its a .44 . when i look up .41 it shows its a m57. I contacted S&W, they could'nt tell me if it left as a .41 or a .44. It was just a little confusing for me.I greatly appreciate all the feedback.
If you have fired .41 rounds through the gun and there was no bulging of the cases (and you hit your target, since .41 is a true .410 bore and .44 is a .429 bore) then I'm with Doc44 that your frame was mis-stamped. maybe intended to be a .44 but an order for .41s came through....who knows?
Similar threads
