329 PD

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Cal44

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I went to a local gun store today and they had a 329PD for sale.

It's the 44mag 4" barrel version which I believe has a Titanium cylinder.

Nice light gun.

I have some questions:

How durable is this gun? Is the Titanium cylinder a problem?

Also, it has a steel shield above the forcing cone -- I assume this is to prevent flame cutting of the Aluminum/Scandium alloy top strap.

My questions are:

How long does this flame shield last?

Can the owner replace it, or does it need to go back to S&W?

What does replacing it cost?

I figure this gun would kick like a mule with fill power 44 mag rounds, but might be pretty nice with 44 special.

Dave
 
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Cal44 said:
I went to a local gun store today and they had a 329PD for sale.

It's the 44mag 4" barrel version which I believe has a Titanium cylinder.

Nice light gun.

I have some questions:

How durable is this gun? Is the Titanium cylinder a problem?

Also, it has a steel shield above the forcing cone -- I assume this is to prevent flame cutting for the Aluminum/Scandium alloy top strap.

My questions are:

How long does this flame shield last?

Can the owner replace it, or does it need to go back to S&W?

What does replacing it cost?

I figure this gun would kick like a mule with fill power 44 mag rounds, but might be pretty nice with 44 special.

Dave
Click to expand...

I just will not buy one of these titanium cylinder guns. Read the cleaning warning that comes with the gun. I do not trust the coating they use to protect the titanium from erosion. There is a thread on here discussing this issue. Also, there is a guy who has a web site detailing all of the service issues he has had with his, including replacement of the "blast shield" above the barrel shank, and other issues.
 
What are you planning on using this revolver for?

For the majority, it is not a range gun unless you use .44 Special equivalent loads. Some consider it the best .44 Special ever.

It has been my main carry gun since 2006. Early on I shot 3 individual 329s quite a bit with lower end .44 mag loads (250gr at 1,150-1,200 fps). I have experienced a fairly high incidence of repairs (that's why I still have two of them).

Unless there has been a recent change, the 329 must be returned to S&W for replacement of the blast shield.

Smith & Wesson fixed every problem under warranty and paid shipping both ways.

There are several things you need to be aware of if you buy a 329.
1. Some recent S&Ws have had ignition problems (usually a strain screw or short firing pin issue).
2. In my experience, you are more likely to have the internal lock engage under recoil with the heavier/faster recoiling lightweights.
3. You need to make sure that bullets in the ammo you are using stay put under recoil (crimp jump).

The 329 is still my main carry gun and is loaded with 260gr WFNGCs (long distance nose to cyl face) at about 1,200 fps.

With the 329, you get much lighter weight in return for significantly heavier recoil, more frequent maint/repairs and they are quite a bit more difficult to hold steady/shoot accurately.

I wouldn't be without mine.

FWIW,

Paul
 
As stated earlier: The 329PD is a great .44 Mag carry gun. It's also a great .44 Special shooting gun. It's just not that great as a .44 Mag shooting gun.

I carry it almost daily. I also carry it with Hornady .44 Special defense loads.

I bought mine used. After about 50 full power .44 Mag loads, I noticed a crack in the frame. A quick e-mail to S&W and after about 2 weeks, I had a brand new framed 329PD. The OEM wood stocks are great looking and they feel great as well - until you shoot full power .44 Mag loads - then it's Katie-Bar-The-Door!

Great gun to carry and shoot with .44 Special loads, not so much with full power .44 Mag loads.


My .02.
 
Paul105 said:
With the 329, you get much lighter weight in return for significantly heavier recoil, more frequent maint/repairs and they are quite a bit more difficult to hold steady/shoot accurately.
Click to expand...

Sums it up well, IMO. The 329 is a bear to shoot accurately at any distance. Think of the difference between a Mountain Gun and a normal 4-inch 629, and then multiply that by four or five times. It's a 25-yard gun for me, max.

I can't answer the questions about the blast shield. The Titanium cylinder doesn't concern me, but I am not a cleaning fanatic. I don't worry about the burn marks. I keep the gun clean enough to function properly - that's about all. If you are a fastidious cleaner and a worry-wart, the Titanium cylinder guns are probably not for you.

I am not overly in awe of the 329PD. My opinion is that Paul105 has described the gun very well. In Montana, a featherweight 44 Magnum is probably a lot more useful than it is here in Indiana. I could get along fine without mine. And I don't know about it being the best .44 Special ever. I suppose if all you do is carry it that could be the case. Whether firing magnums or specials, it is still, as Paul notes, hard to hold still and control. I'd take a Model 24 any day for plain old enjoyable shooting.
 
I am pretty happy with mine.

It is perfect for what I bought it for. To be carried a lot and shot a little. No it is not fun to shoot full house rounds out of all day. But when I am out in the woods carrying it up and down steep mountain trails all day. I am pretty happy that it ways almost nothing. On top of that, the fact that it will equally repel a black bear or a meth head with ease is a big plus. I carry mine with me on a daily basis.

This is easy, if you do not want one then you should not get one. I wanted one, I got one, and I am very happy with mine. A person that I know that lives in Alaska shoots his quite a bit more than I shoot mine. He says that the gas shield is good for about a thousand rounds. He has had his replaced three times. He reports that S&W has been very good about assuming all expense for doing this for him.

Make your own decision.
 
I think the question is how durable are you hands. It is brutal. It needs to be shot with .44 specials.
 
I carry a 329PD all the time when hunting but only practice with a small amount of .44 mag and a lot of .44 spl ammo. I put "the Plug" in it and added the larger rubber grips with full backstrap cover (you can purchase them from the S&W website). As Charlie Foxtrot said, carry a lot shoot a little.
I also have a Ruger SBH with 7 1/2" barrel but kept leaving it in the truck because it was heavy and a pain to carry. Now I always have my 329 on my hip when in the woods.
 
329PD pro & con

"+" to all who say it is a brute to shoot. You can hurt yourself with it, and will likely suffer long-term hand pain due to tiny fractures and strain on ligaments. You'll pay for it when you get older.
I bought my first in 1/'04 for backpacking. I shot 6 rounds a year of hunting-strength ammo just to check the sights. I would also shoot about another 100 rounds a year of .44 Special and Cowboy Loads just for the heck of it.
BTW, google John Taffin's discussion of shooting powerful handguns. I stopped hurting my hand and forearm after reading his ideas.
In 2010 it went to Cylinder and Slide for replacement of the Extreme Duty and Big Dot tritium sights. They called me to say the lockwork was pretty beat up and should go to S&W for work. So, it did.
That first one experienced a problem about the third or fourth time at the range. I was unable to eject the shells. I braced the frame on a table and wapped the ejector rod with a gloved hand. The yoke broke. (Yeah, I know. I don't do that no mo'.) Back to S&W for repair, they paid for it.
I did two things to the first one that did reduce the pain of shooting them. I put Crimson Trace Hog Hunter grips on it and had Mag-Na-Port cut their double trapazoid holes in the barrel. I have let people fire it side-by-side with the unmodified one and the difference is apparent.
I shoot mostly my own loads through them, 200 - 240-gr Lasercast bullets at velocities from 850fps to 1000, 750 for Cowboy loads. I load 300-gr bullets to 1200fps for backpacking and fire only 3 per year before going.
I agree with the person who is not a fanatic about cleaning the titanium cylinder. Observe S&W's warning about abrasion and don't worry about it.
I've had no problems with the flame shields.
I got the second one from a private seller who also included the first and only box of ammo he bought for it. Most of the rounds were still in it. Heh.
Got a third one at a gun store, cheap. One of our sons is professional military and wanted it. I didn't ask "Why?".
 
Cal44 said:
I went to a local gun store today and they had a 329PD for sale.

It's the 44mag 4" barrel version which I believe has a Titanium cylinder.

Nice light gun.

I have some questions:

How durable is this gun? Is the Titanium cylinder a problem?

Also, it has a steel shield above the forcing cone -- I assume this is to prevent flame cutting of the Aluminum/Scandium alloy top strap.

My questions are:

How long does this flame shield last?

Can the owner replace it, or does it need to go back to S&W?

What does replacing it cost?

I figure this gun would kick like a mule with fill power 44 mag rounds, but might be pretty nice with 44 special.

Dave
Click to expand...

Paul105 summed it nicely I think. I love mine and think it is the best woods carry gun I've ever owned.

Here is some info you might find useful - S&W329pd Information
 
All of S&W's large caliber lightweight revolvers have the trade-offs mentioned above ... excessive recoil, crimp jumping, potentially cracked frames ... but those are the costs of doing business when bore goes up and frame weight goes down. With the lightweight .44s, just don't use hot magnum loads and the revolver should work well for an extended period. If magnums are a necessity, then get a steel 629.

As far as cleaning the cylinder, BreakFree has served me well for years without marring the finish on any of my lightweights.

Overall, the 329 is a solid and dependable .44, similar to the Night Guard variant. Don't abuse it, and potential problems should be minimal.
 
Pass.... I had one briefly and it kicked harder than my 454Casull and I am a experienced handgun hunter. I would rather have a light weight auto i could hit everything i was aiming at and a SS 629 to hunt with.
The 329 is a great idea but doesn't translate well in the practical world. Much like a paper shingle.
My LGS has one that's been there for 3 months at a good price and no takers.
 
2013-01-09_10-00-58_787_zps8f38f9b4.jpg

I love mine, wouldn't be without at least one of them.
In a proper rig, they just disappear, until you need it.
If you're looking for a range gun, keep looking(even with specials)if you're looking for a handy sidearm for woods bumming or a light weight 44 carry gun, you've found it.
Hope this helps.
 
I have had mine since shortly after they were released for sale. I generally shoot hardcast 200 grain RNFP cowboy loads between 950-1,000fps. It gets carried often here on my property. Very steep hillsides and bluffs. So, the 329PD and 357PD fit the need perfectly. I like them both. For heavy loads I shoot one of my Rugers or 629s.
 
Dave, I guess my first question is, what do you want it for? Yes, I have one. It goes out with me everyday. I have a feral hog problem. Unless you are wanting a nice light range .44 Special, you better have a real good reason.
If this is some macho, over abundant testosterone situation, get set to be humbled, degraded, beat up, and thoroughly embarrassed. Cause this critter will do it.
I do not use puny loads in mine. 240 gr. Laser Cast, over a pretty healthy dose of 2400. Oh, after about 2000 rounds of this, not a mark on the blast shield. This bullet is making 1200-1225 fps. across the clock.
I guess what I am trying to say, if you want a light weight .44 Special, and its a decent price. Go for it. The accuracy of this thing is supernatural. If you have a legitimate need, then it becomes a must. If this is an ego trip, go find something that is built entirely of steel. Shooting a .44 Mag, makes you man enough, and I don't care if you do it out of a Super Redhawk, 7 1/2" barrel, that weighs 53 oz.
 
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