A friend in Alaska has asked me what’s the best 4” 629?

[crofoot629]

First of all my screen is "crofoot629". That's because it's my last name, and badge number when I was working. I don't know a lot about 629's !!

Though I'll post a photo of my 4" No Dash at the end of this.

He wants to avoid MIM and the lock.
I told him a Dash - 4 was his best bet for a revolver that would stand up to .44 Mag. He currently spends a lot of time in the bush and relies on a 12 Ga.

However a friend of his had a recent encounter with a bear where his rifle was pinned up against him. Makes my buddy think he needs a handgun.
His is a retired LEO and way more Gunny than me. He's just more of a rifle and Glock guy. I suppose a Glock 20 wouldn't be a bad choice either?

Gun Photo as Promised.

Emory

 

[gunblade]

I agree with your recommendation of a 629-4. I have that model also. Mine has the 4" bbl, sq butt, and steel case colored hammer and trigger. It has the performance enhancements but still has the hammer mounted firing pin, no lock and no MIM parts. I think it was the last model before those changes were made.

 

[Bobthegod]

The best 629 for bear is the Smith and Wesson .500 without a doubt. Either the 4 or 6.5 inch barrel. Why hope you got a bear when you KNOW you got bear gun.....get the 5 hundy and forget the rest. Or at least use Buffalo Bore or Garretts .44 mag loads for bear. Myself I got the .44 for black bear country and the 500 for brown bear country.

 

[A10]

I'll 3rd the -4 suggestion. Mine is a 6" round butt, and is very accurate and reliable.

 

[J-FRAME]

329 PD to carry-629-4 for a range gun Garrets in the 329 PD

 

[Doug M.]

According to an article Bowen wrote, the recommendations for the -4 are on target. However, with what you describe about your friend's background, your throwaway comment about the Glock 20 has a lot of value. 15 rounds of hot 10MM loads with solids of some kind would be a lot more useful if the SHTF in the circumstances being considered.

 

[gr7070]

He currently spends a lot of time in the bush

I think that makes the all-steel 629 a bad option! That's one heavy gun. I'd be looking for the lightest, quality .44 option available. I son't know my S&W catalog that well, but I presume that'd be the 329.

 

[Sprefix]

My vote is for the Mountain Gun in the pre-mim configuration. If he is going to carry it all the time on the trails, lighter (to a point) is better. Get too light, and you get the snot beat out of you. Best of luck in the final choice.

 

[David Sinko]

I like my Glocks but I would not trust anything semiauto in bear country.

I'll second the .44 Magnum Mountain Gun.

Dave Sinko

 

[CWH44300]

The 329 is hard to beat

 

[TAROMAN]

The best 629 is the one that's in your hand when you need it.

 

[BSA]

Nothing is a free ride. A lighter weight handgun is going to have more recoil especially the hotter with the load. How you distribute the weight will make more difference than a lighter gun. Take a look at Simply Rugged holsters.

Cattleman

My choice;

Chesty Puller Conversion System

 

[blueknight7]

Recoil and life or death situations, do not equal the same thing. When something big, ugly, and mean has decided to kill you/eat you/what have you, I guarantee you will you will not feel any recoil at all.

It doesn't matter if its the boogy man, down the street, a Kodiak bear that doesn't like you infiltrating his fishing hole, or the Cape Buffalo that you just popped with your .375 H&H. If your primary and/or backup is a lightweight Nightguard 327, a 329PD, or a 4 Bore. You will not feel it go off. You might hear it, but, you will not feel the recoil.

If, you are lucky enough to see the elephant, and win the battle, you may be surprised on how many rounds you did fire. When the blood swells up in your ears, you don't hear much either.

As for a handgun in Alaska, first choice, my Remington Mod. 660, in .350 Rem. Mag. Well, its close to handgun size. Second choice would be a S&W .500 in 2 3/4 or 4" barrel. Third choice is my Marlin 1895 Guide Gun, with pretty warm loaded .45-70 rounds. Same argument again, its close to handgun size. Except it does kick like a mule, over dosed on Geritol.

 

[aphelion]

Unless he is set on a 629, another possibility is a 4" standard stainless Redhawk. It is no big trick to get 1400+ fps from a cast 320gr bullet with one. Still relatively compact and will stand up to that class of load forever, or close enough to it.

 

[carbofan21]

How about a big can of bear spray, and stick with the 12 guage. We got pretty close to a big male grizzly the last trip to Yellowstone. I would not be comfortable relying on any handgun.

 

[Larry from Bend]

Your friend is absolutely on the right track.

John Linebaugh, who makes ultra-powerful handguns and could certainly use anything he wanted, uses a Model 25, 4" barrel, 45 Colt with 300 grain hard cast bullet @ 1100 fps for this exact same kind of work. Your friend can closely duplicate that out of a Mountain Gun with no trouble.

I horse pack and fish in Griz country and I use this 5" 629-4 Classic for protection. The Mountain Gun would be lighter, although with a good, stiff belt, the weight doesn't bother me at all.

 

[ladder13]

I like the ND 629 myself.

 

[M29since14]

I suppose a Glock 20 wouldn't be a bad choice either?

I think that might be best for your friend. I wouldn't know from experience but I have always been told you can't stop a big bear with power, it is a matter of placement and penetration. With the right bullet, the G20 ought to do that. (Maybe a 200-gr hard lead bullet similar to what might be used in a revolver - a truncated cone, flat-nose?) If he is a Glock man, a G20 might be just the ticket.

Either a -3 (square butt) or a -4 (made both ways, has the new type sight) will be as sturdy a 629 as you are liable to find. The difference between the two is in the details of the frame and sights. Both are equivalent internally, as far as I know.

 

[Stainz]

The regular production 4" 629 weighs a whopping two ounces more than the 4" 629 Mountain Gun. Most of that weight is in the full diameter barrel, which will help keep the muzzle down a bit during recoil, while some is in the larger hammer and trigger that the regular 629 comes with. It's sights, orange ramp/front & white outline/rear, beats the black/black of the MG, IMHO. It's always in or about to be in production - not so for the MG. I replaced my MG with a 629-6, ie, current production - MIM & IL-equipped, and have been totally pleased. I had tried the .500 Magnum Hogues on my MG - great improvement - so the production 4" (and my 6" 629-6) sport those grips when Magnums are the choice. For my usual range plinking with my .44 Russian to wimpy Magnum load, wood grips are fine. More rationale for a -6... it'll have all of the enhancements and you can buy it new - and know what it has shot!

I am ready for my Alaskan trip... my 4" 629-6 should suffice. I would look for an all-weather holster, perhaps.

Stainz

 

[crofoot629]

How about a big can of bear spray, and stick with the 12 guage. We got pretty close to a big male grizzly the last trip to Yellowstone. I would not be comfortable relying on any handgun.

The handgun is in addition to the 12 Ga he packs.
He is a very capable fellow and was one of the lead firearms instructors at the Sheriff's Office we both worked for. He just didn't know what "Dash #" S&W. I thought dash 4's and lower but wanted to check.

He's been eyeing various rifles at Wild West guns too.

I spent 5 months living in a log cabin on the Lowe River in Alaska in 1995. I had a .338 Win Mag, but usually carried a 12 Ga in preference to it myself.

Thanks for all the feedback.

Emory