First Long Barreled Handgun for me...

[HamHands]

I've always been into the short barreled handguns, rifles, and shotguns. I shoot them all well and they are very compact and wielding for my style of shooting, hunting, and self defense. Recently though I've gotten into shooting silhouettes at longer handgun distances thanks to a couple of great forum members here I've become friends... Vette75 and Sw282... who have introduced me into IHMSA shooting in addition to the IDPA and IDPA inspired farm shoots I've mimic'd in the past over the years. Going out further than 100 yards requires a barrel longer than my 3" barreled .44's for sight radius purposes. So I started looking at 6.5" barreled guns. I picked up an M629-3 yesterday after very much ambivalence on a GunBroker bid that I should have did more homework on both the seller and the gun... but that is another thread title for another time after I get a chance to shoot this 6.5" 629-3 this week. Anyways, here she is pictured along with my other lovely Smith .44's of the 3" variety and a couple single pics.

 

[sandog]

Nice collection you have going there !
Good thinking to have the same grips on all 3, you'll have consistency of grip and the same feel no matter which one you pick up.
Although the grips on the 6 inch 629 do look a bit small for that big of gun.
But familiarity trumps looks every time.

I have similar grips on my 325PD but it's a square butt

 

[Narragansett]

Very nice!!! I have my first long tube on the way, a 27-2 1973, 8 3/8". I have those same grips on a 29-5 classic DX 5' and I find them a bit unforgiving relative to recoil. i think they are Morado wood or something like that. Below is what I have coming

 

[DocB]

Fun gun to shoot with those little RB grips. Just holding the gun up to aim it (with that 6 and half inch barrel) is a challenge.

 

[HamHands]

Fun gun to shoot with those little RB grips. Just holding the gun up to aim it (with that 6 and half inch barrel) is a challenge.

I'll find out in about 20 minutes... But no, there is a reason these grips are on it... They fit my hands better than any other I've tried and I have a peg board full of one's that don't ready to go on ebay. I've been shooting Combat's for more than a minute or two and they fit like a glove.

 

[HamHands]

Very nice!!! I have my first long tube on the way, a 27-2 1973, 8 3/8". I have those same grips on a 29-5 classic DX 5' and I find them a bit unforgiving relative to recoil. i think they are Morado wood or something like that. Below is what I have coming

They are Morado's... 90's era OEM Combats. I love them on the Mountain Back Packer shown above. The Goncalo Alves Lew Horton Combats fit almost as well as I've been shooting LHS Combats for a couple years now and they are the first revolver grips that ever just worked for me. I'm thankful I got into them or I might not have many revolvers if not discovered!

 

[75Vette]

Glad to see you stretching it out Hammy. When the front sight hides the rams at 100 yds you know it's time to go with the longer barrel. I've found the 6 1/2" Classic to be an excellent choice for shootin the steel critters. Shooting big bore at 200 meters with a handgun is quite the challenge but so rewarding when the steel rings. Congrats and good luck Sat.

 

[jimbo728]

I also have a 629-3 Classic with a 6 1/2 inch barrel. The one I bought wears Hogue Mono`s. If you handload you will enjoy it even more. With .44 mag cases I load 240 gr LSWC`s to around 840 fps and load the jacketed Magnums to the low end on the Magnum scale. It is very accurate and fun to shoot. Enjoy.
Jim

 

[dave1918a2]

I just picked up this 6" Classic this last weekend at the CO Collectors show. Hope You enjoy Yours.

 

[hkcavalier]

I think it's finally time for me to get a 8-3/8" gun.

 

[Narragansett]

Glad to see you stretching it out Hammy. When the front sight hides the rams at 100 yds you know it's time to go with the longer barrel. I've found the 6 1/2" Classic to be an excellent choice for shootin the steel critters. Shooting big bore at 200 meters with a handgun is quite the challenge but so rewarding when the steel rings. Congrats and good luck Sat.

I think it's finally time for me to get a 8-3/8" gun.

Enough people worked on me, and I had to finally break down. I near bought a M57 8 3/8" because I have the 4" and 6", but thought better of it

 

[75Vette]

Enough people worked on me, and I had to finally break down. I near bought a M57 8 3/8" because I have the 4" and 6", but thought better of it

We call ourselves "The Enablers".

 

[Narragansett]

We call ourselves "The Enablers".

You guys are at least that.

 

[HamHands]

Glad to see you stretching it out Hammy. When the front sight hides the rams at 100 yds you know it's time to go with the longer barrel. I've found the 6 1/2" Classic to be an excellent choice for shootin the steel critters. Shooting big bore at 200 meters with a handgun is quite the challenge but so rewarding when the steel rings. Congrats and good luck Sat.

Your ported Classic is a first class steel ringer Vette! If I do half as well as you do Saturday Vette then the day will be a win for me brother! I wish I could say that I have a "Classic", or even a "DX Classic" like you do Vette... but the truth is... I just don't really know what I have, Hahahahahaha! The frame... Smith & Wesson verified as a "DX" serial numbered part/frame. The barrel appears to be a Smith barrel but with the laser etchings and/or stampings being vanquished... I just can't be sure, hahaha! I think I'll call it, a, "Ghost-Gun-Classic-DX"!! That's right... At this point, I just have to laugh at the situation and carry on like a good soldier. It shot fine today @ 25 yards but that is a loonnnngggg way from 2Hundy! That said, it sure is pretty and although nowhere near a 99%+ gun as she was blatantly described in the original GB ad... She certainly is a (90%+) gun and the only flaws she has is the Sanitized barrel markings; for whatever Dumb reason that was done but I have a real good theory.

Vette, I did contact a Mr. Minot @ Lew Horton Distributors about a real beauty of an M24 I won the bid of on GunBroker from a small but legit vendor/seller. Mr. Minot verified my M24-3 is a real-deal true blue Lew Horton Special that passed thru Lew Horton Distributors hands. She's not aqn Overrun Lew Horton (of which I have an Overrun M29-3 LHS that is lovely), so I'm batting .500 this week which isn't too shabby!
Quick peek of said M24-3... of which I'll be making it's own thread this week later on outside lighting, etc...

 

[HamHands]

We call ourselves "The Enablers".

I can vouch for that title for 75Vette and SW282 both being trouble... I met them in person, and within a month & $3K later spent on 2 new to me "N" frames and a pair of "N" frame "Combats" and I'm in so much trouble with the wife that she put the deep freeze on my gun buying until day one of 2020'... But I'm always in trouble around here anyways so I only contribute the deep freeze to about 25% Vette's fault, 20% SW282... "The-Enablers" and 55% my owned damn fault...

 

[75Vette]

I can vouch for that title for 75Vette and SW282 both being trouble... I met them in person, and within a month & $3K later spent on 2 new to me "N" frames and a pair of "N" frame "Combats" and I'm in so much trouble with the wife that she put the deep freeze on my gun buying until day one of 2020'... But I'm always in trouble around here anyways so I only contribute the deep freeze to about 25% Vette's fault, 20% SW282... "The-Enablers" and 55% my owned damn fault...

Glad we could help!

 

[geodimeter]

My 686-3. Real tack driver.

 

[Narragansett]

I can vouch for that title for 75Vette and SW282 both being trouble... I met them in person, and within a month & $3K later spent on 2 new to me "N" frames and a pair of "N" frame "Combats" and I'm in so much trouble with the wife that she put the deep freeze on my gun buying until day one of 2020'... But I'm always in trouble around here anyways so I only contribute the deep freeze to about 25% Vette's fault, 20% SW282... "The-Enablers" and 55% my owned damn fault...

As I have said before, it is always better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission.

 

[HamHands]

As I have said before, it is always better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission.

True, very true in this case! I'm kinda glad she put the molasses on the spending spree to keep things in check! Procuring Classic Smith's can lead you down a rabbit hole. My 4 classic N frames are my favorite of all my handguns... including my 1911's and CZ's!

 

[Narragansett]

True, very true in this case! I'm kinda glad she put the molasses on the spending spree to keep things in check! Procuring Classic Smith's can lead you down a rabbit hole. My 4 classic N frames are my favorite of all my handguns... including my 1911's and CZ's!

More like a sink hole or crater. I had not bought a gun in 20 years, then I bought 20 in a year. My oldest does it right, 1 a year, but it is usually some sort of a Colt snake gun, so it is like buying 2 or 3 of something else. I only own one 45 semi auto. A bright stainless Officers model I bought new in 85 when i was in CT. Walked it through the front door of the Colt Custom Shop for a proper tuning. This year I put a set of Grashorn stags on it