It Beat Me part 2...back for more.

[scruffy]

About a month ago I foolishly traded away 629. Too much recoil, arthritis, expensive ammo, I don't hunt, etc. etc. I did pick up a 686 with 6" barrel that is a tack driver and just plain fun to shoot. Swore I was done with .44 Magnums. Never again.

I had a small stash of .44 Special and Magnum that stared me in the face every time I opened the safe and remembered the fun of watching them make steel plates jump like they were hit with a cannon. Should not have went into the LGS yesterday, but I did. I liked the way the 4" barrel handled so this followed me home along with a bottle of Aleve. Off to the range tomorrow to let some Freedom Ring.

 

[series guy]

Very nice find. I have been shooting .44 Magnum for many years. I started with factory ammo and then started to load my own. Now my reloads are very mild as I have nothing to prove to anyone. My .44 Magnum rounds may be no more powerful than .38 Special but I’m still out there shooting every week and having fun.

 

[scruffy]

I don't reload (yet) so this gun will see .44 Special heavily favored at the range and a cylinder or two of .44 Magnum to keep up practice.

 

[MajorD]

Unless you are a millionaire shooting big bore revolvers and not being a reloader are sounds like full on crazy to me.

Reloading is your gateway to a long enjoyable relationship with a gun of this type, aleve not required.
Reloading a light reduced load can get you into bunny fart load territory, and make the gun as comfortable to shoot as a 38 or 9mm

 

[ameridaddy]

I see it came with rubber wrist savers, so you'll be OK. Enjoy!

 

[scruffy]

I see it came with rubber wrist savers, so you'll be OK. Enjoy!

I replaced the stock rubber (top pic) with S&W logo Hogue round to square conversion grips. The stock grips cover the backstrap making it difficult for my smaller hands to shoot D/A. They are also a harder rubber and are narrow in the back which doesn't help that much with recoil to me. The Hogues although open in back fit my hand really well and cushion the recoil while enabling me to maintain a secure grip. I've got them on my 686 also.

 

[StrawHat]

That is a good looking revolver! I hope you don’t need the pain killers when you use it. The full barrel ought to help.

A very long time ago, I had a Model 29-2. Used it for maybe a decade and then decided that I really did not care for magnums. So it went down the road.

The good news is S&W makes many revolvers that look just like a Model 29-2 that chamber less than magnum rounds. The better news is that some have the tapered barrel also!

Kevin

 

[stansdds]

Just because it is chambered in 44 Magnum does not mean that you have to always shoot 44 Magnum loads in it. 44 Special is a lot easier on the hands and wrists. Should you get into reloading, you can use 44 Magnum brass to make "light special" 44 Magnum loads, like Dirty Harry used.


[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs8AqzN9Ga4[/ame]




Actually, 8 to 10 grains of Unique under a 240 grain LSWC in 44 Magnum brass has very tolerable recoil. Might be just a touch more than 44 Special, but a long way from full power 44 Magnum loads.

 

[xfarfuldog]

IIRC the directors were unhappy with Clint saying special light load. They did not want to insinuate the rounds were 44 special, just a lighter 44 magnum load. Either way I think that shooting 44 special is the way to go. But I'd keep some magnum ammo available just in case.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

Remington loaded a "mid-range" 240 LSWC at 950 fps many years ago. Aquila (the Remington of Mexico) still loads it.

Most shooters shoot Specials in their Magnums.

 

[remshooter]

put an Hogue X- frame rubber grip on it ,it covers the back strap and takes a lot of recoil out ,I did that to my S@W MG .44 Mag .I can shoot it again .Iam getting old also

 

[GTS197]

Had a 629 years ago and foolishly sold it. Tried to compensate for it by getting the 69, but it just wasn’t the same. Found another 629 last weekend and brought it home.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Shibadog]

Like others have said, load to .44 Special or a touch more and they’re fun to shoot (and still pack a fairly good wallop). I’ll still use Magnum loads to hunt, otherwise, light stuff for me.

 

[RSBH44]

Resistance is futile. Welcome back to the .44mag world

 

[kamloops67]

Is that 629 a true 4” , or a 4 1/4” barrel ?
Just curious if the Canadian versions (4 1/4”) are different from models intending to be sold in America ?
I’ve had mine for about 10 years now , it is my favourite firearm . Period.
Edit to add: it’s been my profile pic ever since I got it .
As others say I load to 44 special specs for 90% of my shooting
But still shoot fireballs once in a while because it’s fun and well that’s enough reason isn’t it ?

 

[gwpercle]

Did getting this one ... " Make Your Day ? "
Nice ... you did good!
Gary

 

[Shibadog]

Beautiful revolver. I love my .44’s. With that said, get yourself a loader and put together some nice Special loads in that magnum brass. Much more fun to shoot, still rings steel nicely and a TON cheaper than .44 Special. If you shoot much .44 at all a loader will pay for itself Very quickly.

 

[Inland7-45]

.44 Specials are fun to shoot from a .44 Mag. I have a 6.5 “ model 29-2 and a Ruger SuperBlackhawk and shoot .44 Special most of the. Fun and comfortable to shoot from the Ruger. The model 29 handles like a 1955 . 45 Target while shooting the lighter stuff.

 

[jcs266]

BEAUTIFUL! I really like that finish on these newest stainless S&W's and I do like that particular rubber grip they currently come with.

I'd have jumped on that too if I saw one in the LGS.

I have a 4" 629-3 Mtn Gun and it's been a long time favorite since I got it in 1997.

 

[cmj8591]

5 grains of Bullseye with a 240 grain, lead bullet will let you shoot that gun all day. You'll get tired of shooting before your wrist does. Bring a couple of cylinders of hot rod loads to shoot at the end of your session just to say you did.