29-2 and cylinder 'upgrade'?

[bczrx]

Hello,

I've read about the 'Endurance' package S&W developed for the Model 29 and phased in through the 29-3 to the 29-5.

One of the changes was longer cylinder notches, to reduce cylinder spin when firing a lot of rounds [as I understand it]. Some said the cylinder stop notch was deeper, but that seems unlikely, as it is right over the chamber wall and doing that would reduce it's pressure holding ability.


Does S&W still do any modifications of the older 29 revolvers [like my 29-2] to 'upgrade' them to the endurance package?


Or, would the Wolff gunspring's stiffer cylinder stop latch spring take care of the problem?

I am more concerned with lifetime durability than any cosmetic 'drag' marks.

 

[Protocall_Design]

I would make sure to peen down any raised burrs on either side of the notches and use a Wolff heavy cylinder stop spring. I don't think S&W will modify an old cylinder to have the longer (not deeper) notches.

 

[austintexas]

endurance package

I think the endurance package was introduced for people that used the M-29's in competition. In normal use I don't think you would need it. I have a 5 screw M-29 that I used to take to the range often and never had a problem. Then again I wasn't shooting a lot of double action, silhouette shooting or super heavy loads.
SWCA 892

 

[bczrx]

Good insights. I'll debur and use stiffer cylinder stop spring.

This is a 4" and I don't intend to use it for the really heavy/hot loads. I have Rugers for those.

I will use typical factory 44mag loads and .44 special loads in this one. So, the cylinder spring and deburring will probably take care of all of my needs.

Thanks!

 

[stansdds]

As long as you are not using full power loads with bullets heavier than 250 grains, you really do not need the endurance package. Given that yours has a 4 inch barrel, you probably would not enjoy shooting full power heavy bullet loads.

 

[Bald1]

I don’t understand threads like this. The early S&W 44 mags were made to shoot loads much hotter than your typical commercial load today. Were improvements made over time? Sure. But I can’t imagine wearing out or breaking a 29-2 with the amount of shooting most of us do. If I’m way off base please correct me. But this has been my experience

 

[WR Moore]

I'm not sure how you define "early S&W .44 magnums". But, at least before Dirty Harry, they were a low production premium product. Afterward, that wasn't the case. BDH/ADH?? However, the product was conceived as a hunting gun, which would be fired with full power loads when hunting/practicing, not all the time. I recall reading how few full power loads Ol Elmer fired through his over a period of time. Nothing like the pounding silhouette shooters gave/give their guns.

OK, back when 29's back spacing the cylinder when fired wasn't unusual, I had some in the shop. ALL had excessive endplay. Most had carryup issues, so got thicker hands, possibly/probably new cylinder stops & springs. Never had one come back.

Rugers shooting their barrels loose happened too. I expect the pressure to get the product out the door was causing less than stellar attention to detail at both brands. However, as noted above, some the above problems could have been caused by the pounding of constant use of full power (or just a tad over) loads.

 

[Protocall_Design]

Don't just file off burrs on the notches. Peen the metal back where it came from. This will tighten up the fit of the notch to the cylinder stop to original specs, and give a more positive lockup.

 

[steelslaver]

Peen-tap it back in place by tapping on the raised metal with a small smooth flat faced hammer.

I will second the minimum endshake comment. End shake greater than .001 will allow the cylinder to snap back and forth longitudinally and the rounded top of the stop in the rounded bottom of slot can pop the stop down

But, it is most likely with real heavy loads. IMHO 240-250 gr bullets going 1400fps just aren't that much mote deadly than ones going 11-1200fps and past 100yds the trajectory rainbows enough either way that range estimation and knowledge of you rounds ballistics are more important than a few 100fps

 

[WR Moore]

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Back when my 29 was my deer hunting choice, I discovered that my handloads at 1150-1200 f/s shot woods hunting distance groups half the size of the factory stuff at ???? f/s. Noticeably less recoil. The deer didn't seem to notice the difference. All one shot kills.

At 0.001 in endshake, mine was a bit sticky on rotation. Removing one shim solved that. The guns I saw with issues generally had endshake you didn't need a dial indicator, feeler gauges or even extremely acute eyesight to find.

 

[Protocall_Design]

I'm shooting a 629 8-3/8" barrel with 300gr. bullets at 1050 fps. The recoil is mild, like a 44 special. This is for Metallic Silhouette where the Ram targets are 54 pounds and 200 meters (218 yards) away. The ballistics table says they are still doing 900 FPS out there.

This gun shoots around 5 to 6 inch groups with me holding it (probably better from a Ransom Rest) at that distance. You have to knock the targets over to count for score. I have never failed to knock one over that was hit with this load. This shows that you don't need high velocity or high recoil in a hunting handgun to get the job done. I'm sure this load would flatten a deer with a well placed shot.

 

[steelslaver]

A 300gr bullet going 900fps would go all the way through a deer even at an angle.

If a cylinder is sticky at .001 I would suspect the end of the yoke barrel end or the cylinders center hole is slightly out of square. But, there is really nothing wrong with .002. I just like to keep it down as much as possible

 

[WR Moore]

Actually, from the factory, the end of the yoke barrel was way out of square. I squared it up. Been decades, but getting the whole thing Armoloyed apparently added just enough ten thousandths to need removing a shim. I suppose I could have taken a little off the end of the yoke barrel, but after plating, that might not have worked well.

 

[steelslaver]

Actually, from the factory, the end of the yoke barrel was way out of square. I squared it up. Been decades, but getting the whole thing Armoloyed apparently added just enough ten thousandths to need removing a shim. I suppose I could have taken a little off the end of the yoke barrel, but after plating, that might not have worked well.

I agree with the not messing with it after plating. I think Armaloly type finishes are probably the best after market finish. Bet its a sweet gun

 

[BLUEDOT37]

Bullet weight didn't matter

I bought my M29-2 new in '77 & put a healthy diet of 250gr LSWC-FB bullets thru it (never anything heavier) pushed by either 22.0grs or 17.5grs of 2400, probably at a ratio of 1:3 over the early years.

Eventually it loosened up with excessive endplay & would rotate backward a chamber on firing.

A couple of shims/spacers fixed that issue & now it spends its retirement years letting my 629-6 handle the magnum loads.

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[Mike SC Hunter]

I don’t understand threads like this. The early S&W 44 mags were made to shoot loads much hotter than your typical commercial load today. Were improvements made over time? Sure. But I can’t imagine wearing out or breaking a 29-2 with the amount of shooting most of us do. If I’m way off base please correct me. But this has been my experience

I feel the same way.........My old 29-2's have NEVER given a problem in this area.......Iffen it ain't broke don't fix it........Cuz you can cause NEW problems.