Should I sell?

[indie_rocker]

I need help! A few years back I inherited a 629-2 from my uncle. It has an 8 3/8 barrel and 3T's. I do not have any box or papers. It is in great condition. SN is in the BBY1xxx range.

Here is my dilemma. I don't shoot it that often because it's so huge and a pain in the butt to tote around. But, because of this gun, I love the caliber and would like something with a shorter barrel. I don't think my uncle would roll in his grave if I sold or traded it for something that would get more use. He would like that more than it just sitting in a dark safe and being shot once a year.

Is this something that I should hang on to because it may get more valuable down the road? It's my understanding that the -2s aren't all that collectable.

Locally, there is an Armslist post for a Talo edition 629 with a 3" barrel for just under $800. MIM parts and all the other new stuff doesn't bother me. Is that a fair price and would it be a fair trade for my -2?

 

[Tom S.]

How about the best of both worlds - have someone install a shorter barrel on this one. You get what you want and get to keep an heirloom too.

EDIT: Just so happens to be a 4" and a 3" barrel on a famous web auction site right now...

 

[Lou_the_welder]

Don't sell!

I would love to have something memorable from any one of my uncle's. They were the craziest and they only made a few of them!(uncles)

But, you want to go from an 8 to a 3"? I would consider a 6" is my sweet spot for a 44. Why don't you try a 4 or a 5? They may better suit you?

You can also go up and down the ladder and start hoarding them like most here do. " a dark path, the dark side is..."

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[arjay]

I'm a fan of the 4" so I would sell it and go shorter.My 5" ss went away,but I still have a 6 1/2".Its here only because it's a 4 screw gun.Id trade it in a flash for a 4 screw 4"

 

[Jim NNN]

I agree with Lou, don't sell. Don't modify, either, because the money spent on a mod might go a long way towards buying another gun that you'll use more.

I also have an inherited N frame that I rarely shoot (Highway Patrolman.) Like you, I find these guns rather bulky. Inherited items have much more than utility value. As I've gotten older, I understand this more. IMO, the sale of a gun like this has "FUTURE HUGE REGRET" written all over it. Best wishes, whatever you decide to do.

 

[indie_rocker]

How about the best of both worlds - have someone install a shorter barrel on this one. You get what you want and get to keep an heirloom too.

EDIT: Just so happens to be a 4" and a 3" barrel on a famous web auction site right now...

I didn't even think about that... Wow, what a concept!

 

[moralem]

From my perspective it depends on how old you are.....the older I am the more inclined I am to do what I want with my guns and dang the future.....if I like it I get it or I alter a gun the way I want......If I were younger and had a long runway in front of me I might think differently but with more runway behind me than I have in front of me, I am doing what I want....the kids and grandkids will get everything after I am gone so it will be there issue to deal with and lament that I should have left them all alone. I have posted here a few times guns that I acquired that were not perfect like a shortened barrel 38/40 with homemade sights....a 1957 python that had its 6 inch barrel for a 4 inch barrel and a trooper front sight along with a cut grip frame to accommodate what look to be Fuzzy Farrant grips......of course I could have put the money towards more pristine guns but it is not what I liked.......the decision is yours so think about it and decide.

 

[Rpg]

It really depends on whether you want a more functional, desirable handgun or a family heirloom.

If you have fond memories of you and the gun with the deceased uncle, and you were close to the uncle you may want to keep it.

If the gun is just one of uncle’s items with no special status in your experience with uncle, it’s fungible.

The 8 3/8 barreled 44’s are the least desirable 44s for good reasons: they are unwieldy to carry, they do nothing you can’t do as well or better with a shorter barrel and they don’t hold or increase in value as well as shorter barreled 44s.

For usability, it’s an easy choice: shorter barreled guns are more useful.

 

[indie_rocker]

Thanks for the quick responses, you guys are great.

I don't have any fantastic stories or memories that go with the gun. Just that it was my uncles and my aunt thought it should go to me when he passed unexpectedly. I know he hunted deer with it. I've decided to keep it though. I agree with some of the posters, that down the road I will probably regret letting it go.

What I will try and do is get my hands on a 4" barrel and have that installed. I'm not concerned with hurting resale value, but it will get the gun out of the safe for more action. And that's the whole dang point.

 

[Bosquebass]

I own a 3" Talo 629 and if you haven't shot one yet you should before you trade. It's not exactly easy to shoot with magnum loads, at least for me. I stick to shooting mostly Specials in mine because that's about all I can stand for more than a few rounds. And I am in no way recoil sensitive but I don't like my thumb blistered either. If you trade plan on changing the grips to the ones from S&W that fit the 500 mag. They seem to tame the recoil better than most other grips out there.

Your Long Tom 8 3/8 is a creampuff to shoot compared to any 3" magnum.

 

[RGVshooter]

Give S&W customer service a phone call. I bet for a fee they can swap out barrels for you. They'll send your original barrel back with the gun of course. More than likely they'll also inspect/clean and replace any worn springs or screws.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

I think you made a good choice. The only reason I'd keep that gun is the reason you used - it was your uncle's. Changing the barrel and getting more use out of what was once your uncle's gun is a good plan.

It's not my favorite caliber but if you hunt with it you'll be well served. If you plink with it or turn it into a home defense tool stick to .44 Special ammunition and you will enjoy it much more and be well protected, too. When I had one I stoked it with 230 grain LRN ammo and was totally satisfied. I don't miss it but that's not the point - it will wear you out if you shoot full house magnum ammo all the time.

 

[Bullseye 2620]

I had the same issue with a 29-2. It came with a 6-1/2 inch barrel installed and a 4-inch as an extra. I had a 29-2 with a 6-1/2 inch barrel already, so I sent the new to me revolver to Alex Hamilton in San Antonio, who installed the 4-inch tube, reset the b/c gap and sent it back to me. Now I have a 6-1/2 inch, a 4-inch, and a spare barrel. Get a 3 or 4-inch barrel, have it properly installed, and keep the 6-1/2 for later. You'll be glad you did.

 

[spad124]

Thanks for the quick responses, you guys are great.

I don't have any fantastic stories or memories that go with the gun. Just that it was my uncles and my aunt thought it should go to me when he passed unexpectedly. I know he hunted deer with it. I've decided to keep it though. I agree with some of the posters, that down the road I will probably regret letting it go.

What I will try and do is get my hands on a 4" barrel and have that installed. I'm not concerned with hurting resale value, but it will get the gun out of the safe for more action. And that's the whole dang point.

Good for you. Sounds like a good solution. I think its perfectly fine to make an inherited item your own. You still honor your relative if you find a way to make the wood and steel part of your life. I inherited several guns from my brother a couple of years ago. I've kept the ones that had reminded me of good times with him or that I know he used- with one exception I regret, a .359/9mm Blackhawk NM that I traded for CZ 75 that will go to my son. But the end of my brother's life wasn't pleasant and is a period I'd rather not be reminded of too much. I've traded off most of his guns that remind me of that period. And that includes a nice cased nickel 6" 29-2 and a 669. Just didn't want the bad memories. But I kept his 1959 Winchester Model 12 that he used when we bird hunted together. One Sunday I took the M12 and his last box of STS target shells and shot a memorial round of trap.

 

[MetalMan]

As this is a legacy from your departed uncle, I would cherish this firearm “as is” and protect it for the next generation.

You can always buy another but it will be impossible to replace this piece irregardless of its current monetary “value”.

 

[Watchdog]

If you aren't in a big hurry, why not just stick your uncle's gun away somewhere, save your money, and buy something you really like.

I wouldn't rebarrel it, either.

Other people recommend other things. I'm sentimental about guns that come from relatives or other people I'm close to.

 

[Qc Pistolero]

The only guns I don't regret selling are the ones I really didn't like.All others,I should have kept,save a little longer and then go get what I want.
But then maybe I'm too sentimental.
Qc

 

[jmclfrsh]

If you aren't in a big hurry, why not just stick your uncle's gun away somewhere, save your money, and buy something you really like.

I wouldn't rebarrel it, either.

I agree with this one. You can get a nice shorter-barreled gun for $800 or so.

You may find out later you wished you’d kept it, and the way it was.

 

[white cloud]

I agree with Lou, don't sell. Don't modify, either, because the money spent on a mod might go a long way towards buying another gun that you'll use more.

I also have an inherited N frame that I rarely shoot (Highway Patrolman.) Like you, I find these guns rather bulky. Inherited items have much more than utility value. As I've gotten older, I understand this more. IMO, the sale of a gun like this has "FUTURE HUGE REGRET" written all over it. Best wishes, whatever you decide to do.

This is the truth. I am an older shooter (64). I could about cry when I think of the nice guns I traded off.

 

[ridgewalker]

Those 8 inch 629’s are great. Don’t chop it down. If you don’t like it, maybe one of your uncle’s other relatives will appreciate it. Or sell it to someone who will like it. You can get something more to your taste. But try shooting it with some different grips. I recommend Pachmayr Diamond Pro’s or Decelerators, but I’ll bet those X frame grips someone else recommended will do a good job too. You might find what a great shooter that gun is.