S&W 610 or S&W 629

[sparkyvega]

To be clear, shooting 10mm in the M610 does not absolutely REQUIRE the use of moonclips, but the empty cases will not extract using the extractor. They have to be plucked out. Shooting 40S&W does require moonclips.

 

[shocker]

Perhaps (down the road) I'll buy a 610, but while I like the 6.5" barrel , it's weight puts it on the potential ban list, so a 4" may be in line.

Interesting statement. You made me look up NJ gun laws. Weight is a feature applying to semi auto handguns and is meant to help cull out pistols like the AK or AR. A 50+ oz revolver should be good to go.

 

[gerhard1]

Something to consider is that the 629's are in constant production, but the 610's are available sporadically. If you opt for a 629 now and want a 610 in a few years, you may have to pay a premium.

Do you reload?

That's a good point.

 

[gwpercle]

Shooting and reloading a DA revolver is much simpler if the case has a rim.
Reloading as in putting ammo into the cylinder .

Screwing around with , keeping track of , loading and unloading and not damaging moon clips sounds great on paper ...in real life ... it's a pain .

My revolvers: 38 S&W , 38 Special , 357 Magnum, 41 Magnum , 45 Colt.
Notice they all have rims ... My one 45 acp revolver gets shot very little and it's the pesky full moon clips fault.
Gary

 

[Tom_R]

Shooting and reloading a DA revolver is much simpler if the case has a rim.
Reloading as in putting ammo into the cylinder .

Screwing around with , keeping track of , loading and unloading and not damaging moon clips sounds great on paper ...in real life ... it's a pain .

My revolvers: 38 S&W , 38 Special , 357 Magnum, 41 Magnum , 45 Colt.
Notice they all have rims ... My one 45 acp revolver gets shot very little and it's the pesky full moon clips fault.
Gary

RIMZ polymer moon clips.

No loading tool, no unloading tool, the cartridges pop right in, the empties pop right out. They don't bend.

I highly recommend them.

 

[tlawler]

I've had a few 629's over the years and one 610. I've sold the 629's, but kept the 610. The .44 Mag is just too punishing for me with factory level loads. I've downloaded .44 Mag and used .44 Spec, but it just doesn't do it for me like the 610 does. It's hard to give an objective answer, because it really does come down to personal preference. I just really love the 610 and plinking with .40 in it is like shooting .38 out of a K-frame...hardly any kick at all. Realistically, the 629 probably is a more versatile choice, but not due to ammo cost or availability. .44 Mag is usually more expensive than 10mm and .44 Spec is way more expensive than either-when you can find it. I haven't bought any factory ammo in years, but reloading 10 and .40 is cheaper in powder and projectiles. Moon clips aren't that big of a deal, but people tend to either love them or hate them. I've recently acquired two .45 ACP revolvers and it's kind of neat to preload a bunch of moons and shoot them as fast as one would shoot a semi with magazines. I'm way more accurate with the 610 also, probably because it's just so hard not to flinch with the big magnum. I did ok with the .44Spec, but still not as good as with the 10. In my opinion, if you're going to get either a 10mm or .44 revolver, getting into reloading is a huge plus. I just like not being reliant on ammo stock in stores. I'm sure I'll own more .44's in the future...hanging on to my .44 Mag and Spec brass and dies for sure.

 

[Bumpus13]

I'm new to S&W (always been a Glock and Ruger man). I shot a friends 610 and his 629 and decided to pick one up myself. But, which one .. I guess I always thought I'd purchase a S&W one day but never went much down that trail until now. Both are great guns - but this purchase is not for need as much as it is for a little fun... and to add a S&W to my collection?

All advice is welcome!

So what did you end up with?