A couple of 29-3 questions...

[hedbonker]

My 29-3 has an unpinned barrel. Does this affect the performance of the revolver? accuracy etc? Is it possibles to change it to be a pinned barrel and if so is it worth bothering?

Second question - I usually shoot .44 spl out of the 29 and it's very accurate. If I shoot mags out of it - say federal 180gr factory ammo, the top strap starts to work its way so that it is lifting up off of the barrel. It has not really affected the gun but it's kind of annoying. I keep my screwdriver handy so I can seat it back down. Would putting loctite on the screw be inadvisable?

Thanks - Mike

 

[75Vette]

When you say the top strap is getting loose, are you referring to the rear sight? If so, I'd remove it, clean the screw and hole and use either purple loktite or clear nail polish and reassemble. The 29-3 didn't come with a pinned barrel unless you got a transition model. Your barrel shouldn't come loose.
Here's my 4" 29-3. Good luck.

 

[Jeep 1]

If you’re stating that your barrel is coming loose when you’re shooting it, I believe I would stop shooting it and get it to qualified gun Smith for becomes unglued in your hand
If it’s just your back sight that you’re calling your top strap, yes, you could put some Loctite on that screw
Tom

 

[hedbonker]

Yeah it's just the rear sight strap I guess you would call it. OK purple loctite it is then

So pinned or unpinned makes no diff?

When you say the top strap is getting loose, are you referring to the rear sight? If so, I'd remove it, clean the screw and hole and use either purple loktite or clear nail polish and reassemble. The 29-3 didn't come with a pinned barrel unless you got a transition model. Your barrel shouldn't come loose.
Here's my 4" 29-3. Good luck.

Beautiful 29. I replaced the Goncalo alves with a set of custom walnut carved grips as the original grips such as yours tore my hands up when I shot mags.

 

[75Vette]

Mike, you would have to really shoot the tar out of that gun to make the barrel loose. Your hand would wear out faster!! If it's accurate with your 44 spl rounds I'd leave well enough alone.

 

[Lou_the_welder]

Pinned barrels and recessed chambers were/ are unessesary. Having pinned barrels will not make the revolver more accurate.
Both features have been omitted by the factory and have led them to make even more accurate guns. With better features.

 

[Thaddeus Beauregard]

On top of that, for a couple decades, the pin wasn't even contacting the threaded shank of the barrel anyway! You heard that right; it literally served no purpose whatsoever! S&W was continuing to install the pins that didn't interface with the barrel anyway! And as stated, they weren't necessary in the first place. The barrel is shouldered up very tightly against the frame and they don't work loose in use. Today, the only purpose the pin serves is as a visual identity that tells you an older gun was made pre-1981 and signifies the gun also has recessed cylinder chambers.

I don't care so much about the pin, but I do wish S&W still recessed the cylinders so there's less gap between the rear of the cylinder and breech face.

 

[Thaddeus Beauregard]

So pinned or unpinned makes no diff?

None... nada!

 

[Law-dog]

My 29-3 has an unpinned barrel. Does this affect the performance of the revolver? accuracy etc? Is it possibles to change it to be a pinned barrel and if so is it worth bothering?

Second question - I usually shoot .44 spl out of the 29 and it's very accurate. If I shoot mags out of it - say federal 180gr factory ammo, the top strap starts to work its way so that it is lifting up off of the barrel. It has not really affected the gun but it's kind of annoying. I keep my screwdriver handy so I can seat it back down. Would putting loctite on the screw be inadvisable?

Thanks - Mike

ALL early models 29 were blue guns and came with the pinned barrel and recessed cylinders. The pin and recessed guns were fazed out in 1981 with spare parts extending into about October 1982.

The purpose of the pin was supposed to keep the barrel from coming unscrewed due to recoil over time.

The new version, starting with 1981-2, used a crush fit, or pressure to keep the barrel threads locked firmly into the frame. It was cheaper to produce and works well.

Absent a few first year guns, there is no evidence whatsoever that the pin or no pin guns with have different accuracy. No company uses pins to secure the barrel into the frame in the modern era. It does not matter, forget about it.

Your sight coming loose has been covered, put loctight or something on the screws and forget about it.

I collect the old ones and prefer a recessed cylinder, however, they do not serve any real purpose. Except on the rimfires. The rimfires require a rigid fit for dependability in firing. the recessed cylinder at that point, does seem to help. But I cannot prove that. Even other companies mimic that in the rimfires. Taurus, Rossi, etc. They work very well so, maybe so.

 

[hedbonker]

Thank you all for your thoughtful and helpful responses! Nice community here.

 

[bananaman]

I load heavy data .44 Special in .44 Magnum cases. Works for me! My 29-3. Bob Need some better pics.

 

[hedbonker]

Whelp since we's all sharin pix, here is mine.

 

[Thaddeus Beauregard]

ALL early models 29 were blue guns and came with the pinned barrel and recessed cylinders. The pin and recessed guns were fazed out in 1981 with spare parts extending into about October 1982.

Early P&R 29s (prior to 29-3) were available in both blued and nickel plated finishes.