Pre-Model 29 Question

[alaska_adam]

Hi all,

I have a 1957 4-screw Pre-Model 29 that is a shooter. I am the third owner and it is in perfect shape mechanically, just lots of holster wear. Anyway, I hear people making comments about S&W .44 mags wearing out using Winchester white box ammo. I have a bunch of the winchester ammo that I used to shoot in other newer Smiths I've owned.

My Pre-Model is at Rocket Anderson's in Springfield Missouri getting re-blued. When it gets back in a couple weeks, I am planning on shooting it mostly with .44 specials, but I would like to shoot mags in it too without worrying.

Is there a known issue with the Winchester white box .44mag ammo? I wanted to check with all of you that might know, since I keep hearing that brand brought up when talks are about .44's getting shot loose.

Thanks a bunch!

- Adam

PS

I will be getting a new camera soon, so I promise I will get pics posted soon

 

[alaska_adam]

Hi all,

I have a 1957 4-screw Pre-Model 29 that is a shooter. I am the third owner and it is in perfect shape mechanically, just lots of holster wear. Anyway, I hear people making comments about S&W .44 mags wearing out using Winchester white box ammo. I have a bunch of the winchester ammo that I used to shoot in other newer Smiths I've owned.

My Pre-Model is at Rocket Anderson's in Springfield Missouri getting re-blued. When it gets back in a couple weeks, I am planning on shooting it mostly with .44 specials, but I would like to shoot mags in it too without worrying.

Is there a known issue with the Winchester white box .44mag ammo? I wanted to check with all of you that might know, since I keep hearing that brand brought up when talks are about .44's getting shot loose.

Thanks a bunch!

- Adam

PS

I will be getting a new camera soon, so I promise I will get pics posted soon

 

[alaska_adam]

I just realized this should be in the ammo section - ooops

 

[M29since14]

It's probably just as much a gun question as an ammo question. I am not familiar with the Winchester white box ammo by way of personal experience, but if it is somewhere in the area of a 240-grain bullet at 1180 FPS, as is typical for modern 44s, it shouldn't hurt your gun. I would just keep an eye on endshake when shooting any magnum load in any S&W 44/Model 29. As a precaution, I always avoid the 180-grain loads too, applying the same logic employed in avoiding 125s in Model 19s, but I have no use for 180-grain 44 loads anyway.

I have seen the comment about WWB 44s and wondered about it myself. Any further comments from more knowledgeable members?

 

[alaska_adam]

I checked on winchester's site and it says the 240 grain JSP (White Box) is flying at 1180fps at the muzzle.

I'm assuming that shooting a steady diet of specials and a box or so of standard strength mags thrown in once in a while would be ok.

I do undertand that a smith is not a ruger and the N-Frame was "modified" to shoot mags, not "designed" for them. my pre-model 29 is my baby and I don't want to hurt it even though I plan on shooting it.

 

[29aholic]

Originally posted by alaska_adam:
Hi all,

I have a 1957 4-screw Pre-Model 29 that is a shooter. I am the third owner and it is in perfect shape mechanically, just lots of holster wear. Anyway, I hear people making comments about S&W .44 mags wearing out using Winchester white box ammo. I have a bunch of the winchester ammo that I used to shoot in other newer Smiths I've owned.

My Pre-Model is at Rocket Anderson's in Springfield Missouri getting re-blued. When it gets back in a couple weeks, I am planning on shooting it mostly with .44 specials, but I would like to shoot mags in it too without worrying.

Is there a known issue with the Winchester white box .44mag ammo? I wanted to check with all of you that might know, since I keep hearing that brand brought up when talks are about .44's getting shot loose.

Thanks a bunch!

- Adam

PS

I will be getting a new camera soon, so I promise I will get pics posted soon

How does someone in AK get hooked up with Rocket? Personally I would not have had it reblued.

FWIW I wouldnt shoot anything hotter than midrange loads in a Pre-29. Its not that the revolver cant handle it, but why take a chance??
Just my $.02

 

[alaska_adam]

Well, I had seen some re-blueing jobs Rocket had done for a friend who lives up here, and they were really well done.

I decided to re-blue it because it looked like a 50% gun with all the blueing missing. It was bought new in '57 and carried all around Southeast Alaska while the fellow hunted. It didn't have any rust on it, just no blue left.

The second owner never shot it. and he thought it was nothing more than a junker model 29.

So I am having Rocket polish and re-blue it like the old Smith blue. He's also replacing the orange sight insert with a real gold insert. I have a set of 1950's vintage stag magnas with a palm swell for it too.

when I get everything together, I will get some pictures up for you guys to look at.

- adam

 

[Joni_Lynn]

It sounds like it'll look pretty good when you get it back.
I'd like to see pics posted.

Welcome to the forum.