Model 29-2 Grips / Stocks

[scotchblade]

I've run across a couple of different style grips on Model 29-2's.

One has a "football" relief and another has a section cut out. The relief seems more common and appears in my 1974 Shooter's Bible as the grip that came with the gun.

Wondering why I see different varieties and if it is any way of identifying a year of production.

I probably should not concern myself with such details, but it's the way I am!

Thank you for any information.

 

[TAROMAN]

Stocks get swapped and changed around a lot.
The "speedloader" style appeared about 1981.
While anything's possible, I have never seen a 29-2 that shipped originally with the speedloader stocks. possible the very last ones shipped that way.
The 29-3 appeared in 1982, and they definitely had the speedloaders.
One thing's certain with S&W: NEVER SAY NEVER

 

[Art Doc]

The 29-2 ended in 1981 and the large relief style stocks came out in 1982. No 29-2s should have shipped with the later style.

 

[scotchblade]

I know alot more now than I did before posting. Thank you for the info.

 

[weatherby]

Your first picture with the football cutout has diamond targets.
The Diamond around the screw.That was eliminated in 67 or 68.

 

[murphydog]

Factory Target stocks were first produced in about 1950, with the uncheckered diamond around the screw and no cutout. From 1953-'67 (as weatherby noted) they had the extractor or "football" cutout with the diamond, then the other variations as noted above.

The chronology holds if the stocks are original to the gun, but even I can change them out...

 

[Art Doc]

We should have mentioned that from 1956 to 1966 44 Magnums and M29s came with what collectors call "Coke" stocks. They had a swell in the palm area like the soft drink bottle shape. Then 1966-1968 they used the same target stocks as other N frames with the diamond around the screw. In 1968 the diamond was eliminated.

The "Cokes" will sell for $500-$600 in nice shape.

The "diamond" stocks will sell for $125-$200.

The post 1968 stocks will fetch $75-$125 in most cases.