My Next Smith and Wesson...Suggestions?

[Invictus357]

The 629.

Simply because the curve near the hammer is still the classic line even with the lock.

I would never have noticed this in a million years had one of our resident experts not pointed this out.

 

[H Richard]

You don't list enough options. Unless you didn't mention it, you "NEED" a 17 or 617 so you can quintuple your range time for the money spent. A .22 RF is an indispensable part of any shooters collection.

 

[tkosiba]

Forget new or used and focus on the best of the breed: A 629 5" full lug. You will get the most out of that "platform" in .44 magnum. Meaning, accuracy, with little fatigue.

I can shoot that gun all day long. And practice makes perfect.

 

[Fresh1179]

Thanks guys, All this talk has me considering picking up a 17 or 617, I actually looked at those for a while before I opted for the 686. I am probably going to opt for the 29 first, then pick out a 617 to round out my collection. Famous last words... This is slightly irrelevant, but have y'all seen the 617 reviews on YouTube. There is some slanderous stuff about them locking up for some guy, but he gets it righted by way of the Warranty on the gun. I am not particularly fond of YouTube reviews (particularly NutnFancy..) ::cringes in ancticipation of "TNPers" fury:: but wanted to throw that out there. Thanks!

 

[Clean Break]

I think you should add a 10 shot 617 in either 4" or 6" to your list, if you don't already have one.

I bought the 629 in 6.5" first, then the 686 in 6", and then the 617 in 6".

Guess which one sees the most range time.

For plinking and target shooting, its hard to beat a .22LR.

Having said that, of the ones on your list, I vote for the 629.

Good Luck.

Yep, When I saw the OP's first post I was thinking to myself "He NEEDS a .22lr " so I agree with everything here but my 629 is 4" and love it. If you use your guns in a rainy climate, stainless steel makes a lot of sense.

Clean Break

 

[M29since14]

Hello All,
Let me preface this by saying this gun will be used strictly for plinking/target shooting/competition.

Winston, with that in mind, whatever you do, do NOT buy a 4-inch 44 Magnum. You will be a lot better off with a 6-inch gun.

If you are not a handloader, I agree with others who have said a .22 probably makes more sense. When I was learning to shoot revolvers I can't recall how many 500-round bricks of .22s I put through my Dad's K22. Of course that was limited by my income, but I am sure it was a couple a month, during the summers. They are great guns for the plinker, target shooter, or outdoorsman. You'll enjoy every shot.

 

[M3Stuart]

Sticking to the options listed, I'd go with the 629. That's going to be closest to your 686 in a different caliber. The 586s are going to be very similar to your 686 and, IMHO, offer no appreciable advantage to it.

 

[dma1]

Before you buy, see what you can get one of these for: 5" 29 Classic. My brother bought one from a guy on this forum and he loves it. I do too...

 

[Fresh1179]

After all of the tips I think I would be missing out if I didn't get a 617. Thanks for all the tips guys, I think my minds made up. Plus I always got time down the road for a nice 29

 

[elm_creek_smith]

Given those options, I'd buy a four inch Model 629 so I could get my Model 681 back from my wife. I traded mine off after having my elbow rebuilt by Ireland Army Hospital, and my wife pitched a fit! When I was away on deployment or just in the field, she kept it loaded with .44 Special Silvertips and considered it "her gun." Gotta get another one, one of these days.

ECS

 

[M29since14]

After all of the tips I think I would be missing out if I didn't get a 617. Thanks for all the tips guys, I think my minds made up. Plus I always got time down the road for a nice 29

Good approach. Take your time looking for and finding the S&W 44 Magnum you really want. There are a million variations of them. I am from the old school, I guess. After all these years of shooting them, the one that I still prefer is the original 6.5-inch, standard barrel model, preferably in blued steel. That particular configuration was made up through the 29-5s, and then brought back in the 29-10. But everyone has his own ideas and there are so many models of 29s and 629s there is bound to be one you will like more than others. Take your time, look around, do your homework. Learn about the different versions and try to shoot as many as you can before you buy. All that stuff is at least half of the fun!

 

[stantheman86]

Get the 4" 586 "Classic", and then get a set of Wilson Combat springs......put the "mid-range" rebound spring in, along with the new lighter mainspring. Also get a Cylinder & Slide extended firing pin.

I did this to my 10-14 and it's one of my favorite revolvers, and I have MANY........it's a sweet shooter with a perfect DA pull and SA break, and it's a tackdriver. People who have tried it say I must have had a high-dollar action job, and I tell them I did it with $40 in drop-in parts and about 30 minutes, taking my time......... and no stoning, polishing etc. I believe the Wilson set includes an 8, 9 and 10 lb. rebound spring. I used the 9 lb., and then put the 8 lb. in my SAO Model 14 This 10-14 is dead nuts with 130 gr. .38 and will shoot cloverleafs in SA at 25 yards if I do my part.

I also used "the plug" in the 10-14 but it's not necessary. I have several other IL S&W's that I left the lock alone in.

 

[CGT80]

You couldn't go wrong with a 629 stainless in 44 mag and a 6-6.5" barrel. I would love to have one. I opted to get the 460 s&w 8 3/8" instead. The 460 was my 1st choice, and yes I plink with it. If you reload, a big round can be from mild to wild. I just got into revolvers so I haven't checked out any of the other smiths yet. My dad has an old smith 38 spl. I have put thousands of rounds through it. He has run even more himself. I much prefer the new smiths to it though, but it goes to show that they build a great gun. I have only shot a single action 22 revolver. It was kind of boring. I have thought a double action 22 revolver might be fun, but I have a 22 ruger semi and a 10/22. I don't know if I would use the 22 revolver as much as the others.

A 9mm or 45acp would be cheap and fun to shoot, especially if you already have autos in those calibers.