My short ownership of a 329PD....Thoughts and Observations.....

Count me as the third to agree with what Dick Burg said. My 329PD is an excellent carry gun and .44 Special, bar none.

With .44 Mags? I better be wearing, at least, a band aid on my middle finger for the recoil from the trigger guard and rubber, not wooden, grips. The wooden grips look great but they bring the major suck when fired with magnums. The rubber grips I have on it now cover the back strap and are an excellent addition to the gun.

My .02! :D
 
What,... 44 Special? Its a Magnum gun. This is a 454 motor stuck in a VW bug. Lots of power with no control. Fun for quick run on drag strip but useless for anything else. A 44 special isnt gonna get the job done hunting or for bear defense. So here is the dilemma with a $1100.00 gun with good intentions but limited execution. This gun would actually be a much better 45lc or 44 special. I could almost understand buying this gun if it only came in a 45LC or 44 special but soon as you put the word "Magnum" on the gun, puts it in the false advertisement category. To add insult to injury, why didnt S&W ship this gun with Hogue Tamer grips?? Its almost a sadistic joke sending it out with wood grips unless its a display gun. Its a neat niche gun.
 
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A year or so, a LGS had one LNIB for $700.
Owner said he's selling it for the third time.
First owner: 12 rounds WWB fired.
Next man up: 6 rounds Buffalo Bore 300 gr. :eek:
I was tempted, but passed, still wanting a 296.
 
I posted the following a few times (I cut and pasted sections of old posts, and I'm too lazy to edit , so it may seem a bit disjointed.

Any handgun is a compromise to some degree.

The 329 can be loaded with ammunition (from light.44 Special thru heavy .44 Magnum) appropriate to the intended use or threat level in your specific stomping grounds.

I live in Montana and the 329 has been my all day, every day carry gun for the last 6+ years. I’ve shot around 8,000 rounds of 240-260gr bullets at 1,100 to 1,300 fps thru 2 guns. They have been sent to S&W for wear related repairs on several occasions (all at no cost to me). For my purposes, the 329 provides the best compromise of weight to power -- I don’t leave home without one.

The .44 magnum isn’t the ideal Grizzly cartridge, but in the hands of the average shooter, most handguns aren’t. It is a weapon that can be carried on your person while leaving your hands free for other activities. It can be carried unobtrusively and virtually unnoticed. It will always be with you no matter what activity you are performing. At contact ranges (unless hunting, an “encounter” will most likely be at contact range) it may just save your life.

The feature (light weight in this case) that makes the 329 so desirable for all day, every day comfortable carry is also the feature that makes it more difficult to load for, shoot comfortably/accurately and leads to increased repair frequency.

“Crimp jump” can be a problem with the 329 -- heavy for caliber bullets (300gr +) worsen this problem (depending upon velocity and nose design) although I have successfully loaded and shot 300gr Keiths, and 325gr WLNGCs at 1,050 fps in the 329. These bullets have a long crimp to nose length (the nose of the bullet is closer to the cylinder face) and minimal bullet movement can impede cylinder cycling. However, for everyday carry, I have settled on a hard cast 260gr WFNGCs right at 1,200 fps. The Wide Flat Nose has a shorter crimp to nose length than other designs, which gives an extra margin of safety when it comes to crimp jump tying up the gun.

A couple of things to consider if you choose the 329.

1. Make sure the ammo you chose doesn’t exhibit “crimp jump”.
2. There have been reports of the internal lock engaging under recoil.
3. Some ignition problems due to short firing pins have been reported.

Ruger’s Website lists the Alaskan’s weight as follows:
Alaskan .44 Mag = 45 oz
Alaskan .454 C = 44 oz

On my electronic scale S&W’s weigh (unloaded and Hogue 500s):
629 Half Lug 6” .44 Mag = 46 oz
629 Mtn Pistol .44 Mag = 39 oz
625 Mtn Pistol .45 Colt = 37 oz
329 PD .44 Mag = 25 oz (empty) 29 oz (loaded w/260WFNGCs)

That is from 3/4Lb to 1 1/4Lb more for the above listed handguns vs. the 329 PD. That is a lot of additional weight to carry all day every day, even more so if you are in mountainous terrain above 5,000 ft. For this old body, it makes a huge difference.


I can put up with the wear related issues, It’s the weight that I have a problem with.

FWIW,

Paul
 
none of my 629's are for sale and I'm keeping my 329's too, if you cant handle one thats fine but many here can...and do shoot these guns including me

photobucket-32091-1354399759457.jpg


for a real treat try some retro combats...lol
 
I let guys shoot my 329 every now and then. Opinions run about 50-50. Half of them think it is insane and half of them can see the utility of the gun but admit it is a meanie. :o I guess I side with the latter half.

I haven't been west in bear country in years. Maybe I will get back there some day. If I do, the 329 likely would go along. I wouldn't like that, but at my age I probably would not want to wear a standard Model 29 all day long. Kind of a shame that something so efficient is so ugly. :rolleyes:

In the meantime, the 329 is going to have a tough time earning its keep. I would much rather shoot my .44 Specials out of a pretty gun that is properly chambered for them. But it is an amazing revolver. The fact that is holds up as well as it does amazes me. I just wish S&W had offered the gun with white outline/red ramp sights, but I am working on that. It's a low priority.

The comparison with the 340PD comes up, as Jack the toad mentioned. They are both terrible. :) I don't think either one is good for my hand/wrist/arm and don't plan to shoot either one very much.
 
It's all in good fun. It's just some Tong and cheek humor. The 329 is what it is. I just was trying to shed some light so no newbies confuse this with a viable alternative to a hunting gun.
 
blueknight7 said:
I was given the opportunity (sarcasm interjected) to fire a sawed off shotgun, that was evidence in court. It was professionally modified. Being the dept. armorer, I didn't have much choice. But, we got it in a very nasty drug raid, and we had to prove it did work.

12 ga. 10" barrel, double barrel. Fore end tastefully shortened, pistol grip for a stock. Single trigger, box lock. Both barrels were modified to simultaneously fire. When we found it, it was loaded with 2, 00 buckshot rounds. So, that is what I got to shoot in it

I was fortunate to have sense enough to wear gloves. The result, two rounds fired at the same time. It did stay intact. It also resulted in breaking the ring finger on my right hand, when I hit the trigger guard, in recoil. Yes, I had my off hand on the top middle of the barrels to hold it down, or I would have eaten it.

It made a great video. That is when the video recorders. were about the size of a small suitcase, and used VHS cassettes. My testimony in court was very simple. Yes, it fired, ONCE. Would I fire it again? No!
Click to expand...

That doesn't sound pleasant at all.

I usually shoot about 3-4 cylinder fulls of moderately heavy to heavy .500 Mags when I take them out but I'll happily say I have no interest in more recoil than they have (8 3/8" model).
 
Infidel_319 said:
Had a similar experience recently with an m&p340. Wicked little bugger. No fun at all. It's going to be fed 38+p only.
Click to expand...

Exactly why my m&p 340 is now a 638. HATED the recoil in the 340 even with 38's. Hard to believe the difference of less than 2 oz. between the two.
 
I paid $650.(briefly) out the door. I have owned a total titanium 357mag so I am not new to the concept. Perhaps the 357mag is the max power that should have been considered in this light weight package. I had no problem controlling it at all.
Lets put it this way, I don't think it was worth $650.00 for me to keep the gun and have S&W fix the cylinder/extractor problem it had. If I had $1000 locked up on this gun, it would be traded back in for maybe a 686V comp or somthing I could shoot more. I do love everything about the 329 except shooting it and I can't live with just a carry gun. I am a experience handgun hunter so I do know what you need out of a handgun to successfully hunt with and the 329 ain't it. There is no way I would ever advise hunting with this gun. You owe your game a more stabil platform. The 329 is a gun of carry convince to be used in a emergency situation and NOT a hunting handgun. It is tough to shoot well in the very best conditions and that rarely happens when hunting.
I have many trail guns and generally carry a Glock20 as a woods gun. I have noticed the 329 gets flipped ALOT with very little shooting. I could easily find a clean cheap one again if I wanted to give it another shot. I have ALOT of guns but I have a craving and a hole in my collection for a really sweet shooting 4" revolver for general carry. I am thinking maybe a 627??? My hang up is I really like the 44cal and have years of reloading experience with it.

blueknight7 said:
TheMystro, I ask you to link back to this thread. Maybe this was a question you should have asked yourself before you made a $1000 purchase. http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-revolvers-1980-present/249840-thinking-329-a.html

I think this thread makes it adamantly clear on the care and feeding of something that is more than capable of hurting, on both ends.
Click to expand...
 
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I have had a 357/.41 Magnum for a number of years. With full loads it controllable...having shot two friends 329s they are not.

That said all my 357 gets for loads is a 230 Keith with 8.0 grains of Unique...chroned at 975 fps. If I needed something warmer would go to the Speer 210 Gold Dot as they are not quite as hot as some of the other 210s and do expand.

If you have a 329 try the Speer .44 Magnum 200 grain Gold Dot Short Barrel load...very light recoil and a bullet that expands every time. Velocity is in the 1080 range....

Bob
 
The 329pd is not a big deal IMHO. I think there are just folks who are recoil-shy. I also shoot a Marlin Guide Gun stoked with warmish loads, so I guess I'm a masochist :)

I don't think I've ever bought a firearm on impulse. I'm cheap, so I spend the time thinking through what I need, then I buy.

I knew the 329pd was going to be a hard-kicker when I bought it, so I spent the time learning to master it. Since I enjoy load development, I spent a lot of time finding my carry loads. I have an expanding bullet load for changing a medium bear's mind and I have a hardcast hole-driller for when I need to brain a bear from his anus.

I enjoy shooting my 329pd, even though I've had a bloody web at the end of a shooting session. I absolutely love carrying it. I know what I bought.

I've documented my experience to help folks get the most from their purchase. This is bit out of date as I've gone long past 1500rnds now.

S&W329pd Information
 
dla, YOU? A masochist? Nah, now I may be. I also have a Marlin guide gun. Its not stoked with warmish .45-70 rds. They are flat-*** hot. Breaking 1900 fps. across the clock. Not with a 300 or 350 gr. chunk of lead. Go all the way, 405 gr. or bust. When it goes off, there is no doubt in your mind, something just went out the barrel. I put a Limbsaver recoil pad on it. Didn't help much.

I also have a Rem. Mod. 660 in .350 Rem. Magnum. It was built 3 months after I graduated from high school. Its stoked with 200 gr. rds. that matches Remington's ballistics on their factory round, shot out of a 22" barrel. Mine has the 20" barrel. 1 1/2" more barrel than the original mod. 600. This thing will shoot 1 3/4" groups at 200 yds., if you are doing your part, from the bench.

On the other hand, I do have a Ruger 77, all weather in .350 Rem. Magnum, with a 22" barrel. I.E. truck gun, in an overhead rack, LOCKED into place.

And for varmints, what else but a Rem. Sendero 26" fluted, stainless barrel, in the world's best varmint cartridge: .264 Winchester Magnum. Amazing how fast you can push the Speer 90 gr. TNT, that Speer said was not appropriate for the .264, with 3/8" 3 rd. groups, at 100 yds. off the bench. Yes, it does help when you have a range in your back yard.

No, I am not recoil sensitive. I am just numb. Just too old to change. For the record, my first .44 magnum was an M-29, 4 inch, that I bought new, in early 1973, right after I got out of the service. $350 was a ton of money, for a rookie cop, back then. But, Harry Callaghan pretty much put a premium on them. That one, I wish I had back.

And, like you, I may be cheap, but it also helps to be broke too.
 
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