S&W Model 29-2 info needed

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Greetings to all,

My grandfather past away a few months ago and 3 weeks before he past he gifted me this model 29-2 that looks to be in very good condition showing very little wear on the bluing. He told me he had this gun for over 40 years and to please honor him by keeping it in the family and passing it down to my kids when I'm gone. I would like to know the approx year this gun was manufactured ? Can I fire modern day ammunition without risking damage to the gun ? The approx market value for insurance purposes ? He always kept all his weapons in a climate controlled environment and I've haven't seen any rust on the gun. The interior of the box is a little torn but otherwise looks good for the age. All the original paperwork and manual that came with the gun from the factory are totally intact. Thank you very much for the info you guys can help me with.
 

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Thats a mid 70's gun, somewhere between 1975-1977. I'd say its probably worth $1500-$2000. Modern day ammo would be fine, but I'd probably stick to loads 250gr and lower. The gun and your hand will thank you. I'd also store the gun outside it's presentation case. Depending on the climate in your area they can acculumate moisture and damage the finish.
 
Nice looking example of a later 29-2. The display cases often suffer with time, but can be restored.

You can fire standard .44 special and .44 magnum ammunition without any issues. A steady diet of full-house magnums will increase the wear/tear on the gun, as well as being unpleasant to shoot (for most of us, anyway).

A rough estimate on the shipping date would be 1976-77, but the only way to be specific would be a factory letter.... S&Ws were not always shipped in s/n order.
 
Thank you for your comment. I plan on shooting it with 44 Spl and once in awhile shoot a cylinder with 44 Mag. I'm not that young anymore, lol.
 
Sorry for your loss.
Your grandfather had very good taste and he left you a beautiful heirloom.
Get some 44 special to go easy on it.
44 mag kick like a mule. Especially with a 4” barrel so you won’t want to do that too much anyway.
Check out this wiki page below to give yourself the basics.. this SW site for more detailed info as you want it…

Smith & Wesson Model 29 - Wikipedia
 
Give us the SN, or at least the first three numbers of it, and we can probably get close with a date. S&W didn't ship them in order though so you really need a letter to know the exact date and the ship to location.
Nice gun, enjoy, and welcome to the Forum.

Jeff
SWCA #1457
 
Thank you so much for the info. Grandpa also left me an Original Belgium Browning FN 9mm High Power that dates circa 1959 and a Browning Sweet 16 shotgun in 16ga that dates to 1956. My brother was gifted a Walther P38 with Nazi proof marks that he brought back from Europe after WW2 where he served in the U.S. Army.
 
Thank you for your help. The serial number is N4273XX. From what others have told me it puts it around 75-77.
 
Welcome to the Forum! Sorry for your loss, but you definitely benefited from Gramps' great taste in firearms. My 4" blued Model 29-2 (N464411) is from the same 1977 time period, and it's one of my favorites. I do tend to put a set of Hogue rubber stocks on it whenever I take it to the range with .44 Magnum loads. If you would like to restore the mahogany presentation case, Forum expert craftsman jcelect can fix you up. He does outstanding work for a fair price...you can PM him if you're interested. The value of 29-2s has been skyrocketing lately, so I think that the set (revolver, case, and tools) is easily worth $1500+. Congratulations, and enjoy!
 

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Thank you very much for the comments. You have a beautiful collection of 29's. The case itself is in excellent shape with no scratches or dings at all. The interior is what has deteriorated after close to 50 years. I will lookup jcelect and see what can be done about the inserts. Thanks again and happy holidays.
 

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