Help on a M29-3 before I purchase

[silvercobra]

Looking to buy a 6" M29-3 but it has some issues. I have no pics. Gun is in excellent condition it's an early-3 because it has pinned barrel but the issues I have is the cylinder is not resest and the barrel is ported 2 slots on top by the front sight. Is this something smith and Wesson would have done. Any help would be appreciated

 

[luvsmiths]

Looking to buy a 6" M29-3 but it has some issues. I have no pics. Gun is in excellent condition it's an early-3 because it has pinned barrel but the issues I have is the cylinder is not resest and the barrel is ported 2 slots on top by the front sight. Is this something smith and Wesson would have done. Any help would be appreciated

No, Smith and Wesson didn't port them. That is aftermarket. You can google "Magnaport"

People here will tell you they love ported, and hate ported. Decision is yours.

If the price was right, and you want it, buy it.

Without pics I would not call it excellent condition!! DON'T buy it blindly.

 

[StrawHat]

The recessed chambers started to go away with the -3 series so that is correct. The ports, not sure. I thought S&W ported some versions but I am not a aficionado of the 44 Remington Magnum cartridge or revolvers.

Kevin

 

[silvercobra]

Thanks, good to know it's not original

 

[3rdgeargrndrr]

Gun has been modified. Take a good look in around it, test for hammer lift off and bring the feeler gauges. Any money saved might go into fixing it. I personally wouldnt buy it without giving it a thorough inspection.

 

[stansdds]

There is no problem with having a cylinder that does not feature the recessed chambers. I'm actually a fan of the later cylinders as the lack of recessed chambers makes them a little easier to completely clean.
A pinned barrel on a 29-3 is unusual. I won't say that there are not any out there, S&W did not waste parts, but I would say that a pinned barrel on a 29-3 would have occurred in the first year of 29-3 production.

The ports in the barrel are not a factory item, but are aftermarket. Mag-Na-Port was the first to offer a porting system that used the EDM method, their ports are slender and trapezoidal in shape. Other porting jobs often were nothing more than drilling holes or milling slots into the barrel.

 

[TheTinMan]

Since it's been modified, you need to figure out whether the work was done by a gunsmith or Bubba. Oh and cylinder gap - that's what the feeler gauges are for. If timing is good, no end shake, good lockup, and trigger feels right, it might make a fantastic shooter.

Does the blast shield look like it's beaten up? Crane to frame joint look tight (from front) when it's closed? Any screws buggered up or problems with side plate seams? Oh and bring a light to check out bore and forcing cone - don't want a bunch of lead residue that might be a bear to clean up.

 

[Laketime]

Sounds like an early 29-3 transitional gun that was most likely Magna ported. I wouldn't be too concerned about it.

 

[Narragansett]

What kind of money are you talking?

 

[silvercobra]

Thanks for more input, the gun looks unfired no power resiedo any where no blemishes in blueing no dings tight lock up, didn't check with feeler gauge yet, I'm going to buy it $900 thanks again