Model 29 or 24??

[45NUTT]

I have 3 44 Special revolvers in my safe, 2 Colt SAA's and a Charter Arms Bulldog. I have been wanting a 29 for a while, but know that I will mostly shoot specials in it. So, I am unsure if I want to get the 29 because back in the day I owned a 44 mag for a month and returned it to Oshman's because of the recoil. (I know this ages me, but I am an Old Fart!!)

I can find a good 29 for a better price than a 24, but I don't want that to be my only criteria. Opinions please? If I went with the 29 I would hunt with it loaded with magnums. I would hunt with either one actually.

I have only one safe queen, so that's not a problem either. Help a brotha out!

 

[22hipower]

I would buy whichever one I found first in good condition at a good price. The right answer, on this forum anyway, is to eventually buy both, or several of both. Good luck.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

 

[murphydog]

I think if you’re planning on shooting it regularly, the extra weight of a model 29 would be an advantage. Plus you can use your stash of .44 Special ammunition in it. If you’re planning on carrying it, however, a 4” 24/624 or 29/629 might be a consideration. Or get one of each?

 

[lppd4]

I would get the 29 and not think twice about it. It just offers more versatility and you don't have one.

 

[gmarshall99]

I think if you’re planning on shooting it regularly, the extra weight of a model 29 would be an advantage. Plus you can use your stash of .44 Special ammunition in it. If you’re planning on carrying it, however, a 4” 24/624 or 29/629 might be a consideration. Or get one of each?

Could the weight of a similar barrel length model 29 and a model 24 be significant?

 

[murphydog]

Could the weight of a similar barrel length model 29 and a model 24 be significant?

Bigger cylinder, heavier barrel - 4 - 6 ounces?

 

[Patrick L]

If this helps, back in the early 2000s I was in exactly your place. I bought a 4" 24-3 .44 special because I found one first. I eventually did find a 29 (actually a shooter grade 6 1/2" pre 29.) I kept them both for years. I shot 99% light .44 special loads thru both. I worked up a hunting load for the Special I was totally confident in. I of course then switched to hunting with the pre 29, with a very starting level .44 magnum load ( deer around here aren't monsters.) Over time I found I favored the 29, due to its longer barrel and heavier heft. I would occasionally shoot the 24 just for old times sake.

Last year I sold the 24-3 to a forum member to finance something else I really wanted.

I guess I have no real point. I would say you can't go wrong either way, buy what you find first that's to your liking.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Not knowing where you live-
You can most likely find more 29s than you can 24s.

 

[Engine49guy]

If you want one that does everything you might start by:
First determine it's primary purpose,
You mentioned using it for hunting and not liking 44 Mag recoil.
Imo the longer barrels with heavier profiles tend to tame recoil as do certain grips,
The longer barrels longer sight radius tend to result in higher accuracy as well as higher velocities which would be good for hunting purposes but not for carry.
Will you be mounting an optic or using iron sights ?
If using optics the shorter sight radius issue is less important.
Will it be carried in the field for extended periods and is weight and issue?

S&W has a wide variety of 44 Magnum options from the lightweight 329Pd to the heavyweight full underlug 629 classic.
There are plenty in between like the 629 Mountain gun which uses the same narrow rib barrel profile as the 624/24.

Lastly do you handload?
The Magnum will fire both 44 Magnum and Special but 44 Mag tends to cost less so if you handload you can load 44 Mag cases as hot or mild as you like.

My vote is 44 Magnum but I like them all.
On a side note Lipseys has recently commissioned SW to produce a batch of 4" Mountain guns in both .357 and .44 Magnum with the lock and hole deleted.
The Mountain gun is another great compromise, not too light, not too heavy but it's aimed at being a field carry gun so is only available as a 4".

 

[stansdds]

I expect it will be a lot easier to find a Model 29 than it will be to find a Model 24. A Model 29 might actually cost a little less than a Model 24 these days.

 

[dave1918a2]

Either one should be acceptable. The 29 would be easier on recoil, a little heavier, and probably cost a lot less for comparable condition. My choice would be the 29. Us folks with brain damage can't feel recoil.

 

[Truckman]

Either/or threads always puzzle me...There is no such thing as too many S&W's......Ben

 

[45NUTT]

Thanks for the wisdom. Since I'm a certified gun nut, I will end up with both.

I will not hunt with it all of the time, but when I do I will use open sites, so I will be getting a 29-2 or 3 with a 6" barrel. Buying the 6" 29 will enable me to buy the 24 that I really want, a 3" Lew Horton.

Not a bad way to spend money!

 

[Yendor357]

A 29 is a 29 and a 24. A 24 is only that.

Somewhere around the late 80s, S&W put out a batch of 624s that were just stinkers. The throats were too big and the forcing cone was cut too deep. I had one, and my gunsmith had one as well. Beware of one of those.

I’ve never heard of a bad 29/629. Get a dash four if possible.

 

[weatherby]

I think if we're spending "your" money go with a triple lock target.

 

[44wheelman]

so I will be getting a 29-2 or 3 with a 6" barrel. Buying the 6" 29 will enable me to buy the 24 that I really want, a 3" Lew Horton.

See that makes sense. a longer heavy bbl for magnums, and a short tapered bbl for std psi.

 

[Nightowl]

Interesting thread! My first Smith & Wesson was a Model 29 with 6 1/2 inch barrel. I shot it a lot and mostly used a load of 20 grains of 2400 with my 429421 cast bullet of Linotype that weighted 235 grains. Stout, but not full loads. I now have 3 .44 Specials that I have not shot for years. I was really disappointed in the accuracy of the 6 1/2 inch 624 and only shot it once. A couple of 2 pound coffee cans loaded and ready, though.

A few years ago, I bought a 544 for shooting. The 5 inch Magnum style barrel profile balances better to me than the Special barrel profile. The 44-40 is not any harder to load than any other round, in spite of some other opinions! A 44-40 loaded with a 500 grain RNFP bullet being 10 grains of Longshot seems plenty potent with reasonable recoil. Just a thought!