Thoughts on 629-4 Mountain Gun w/ Magnaports

[358156hp]

Muzzle flash is caused by the powder selected for the ammunition. Short barrelled 44 mags are often seen with huge muzzle flash, perhaps a foot & a half fireball from the muzzle. Under those circumstances, the little bit of gas from a ported barrel would make little difference. Choose ammunition with flash-suppressed powder, and you'll see a major reduction in the fireball. 357 & 41 magnums are the same way, you should see the fireball from my 649 with cheapie Winchester factory 357 ammo! I do have a ported 629-2 MG, and while I probably wouldn't spring for porting one, I don't see porting as a deal breaker by any means. I've had other ported revolvers, and really couldn't care less either way. Would some of you feel the same way about the older "Powerport" revolvers from the Performance Center? Oh, to clean the front sight, wipe it off with a cleaning patch, and residue is probably just carbon from burned powder. Just a suggestion.

 

[Engine49guy]

In SE Florida $750 is more realistic for an unaltered pre lock Mountain gun.

You mentioned you didnt like the lock but did you know the internal lock work can be removed and replaced with a "Plug"
which once installed makes the hole almost unnoticeable.

 

[Longhorn90]

Thanks everyone for all the input thus far.

As respects Magnaporting, in this non-statistical thread it seems the anti-porting side is a bit more represented. But what really shows is that theres a good bit of personal preference. I like the above point about porting and using lower flash ammo/powders. Personally I have a ported Marlin 45-70 Guide gun and do think the porting helps reduce muzzle jump compared to an unported version. I can handle an unported 44 without problem, so if I went for a ported model it would be more for helping speed up getting lined up for a follow-up shot by slightly less barrel climb.

And most of you seem pretty sure that $850'ish is too high for the 629-4 Mountain Gun with Magnaporting. IF I go this route I may simply do a take it or leave it lower offer. Happened to get a line on a 29-3, blued, 4in, non-ported, in really nice condition for about $550'ish so am kicking that around as well. Figure with Pachmayr Grippers in the Square Butt it won't be that much bulkier in the grip than the round butt MG.

Again, thanks everyone!

 

[saemetric]

If Larry Kelly was still alive, he would disagree on calling his process "butchering".

 

[KoiBoy]

A guy named Jerry Miculek knows a little something about shooting S&W revolvers and he recommends porting on your .357 magnum concealed carry gun. Watch Jerry Miculek - S&W Demo - Parte 1-5 on YouTube and hear him for yourself.

 

[Frank V]

I'm with Captian Hornet. The Magna Port would be a deal breaker with me too unless it was so cheap I couldn't afford to turn it down. I had a friend who had a 29 magna ported. I shot it & the only difference I could tell in shooting it was that it was LOUDER. You also didn't want to hold it at belt level & shoot it either, you'd get a blast of warm air in the face. I'd let the magna port lay.
In my area, $850 wouldn't be all that good a price. If it were me, I'd keep looking.
Frank

Longhorn90

Grab the 29-3 in the $550ish & do it quick, that'd be a WAY better deal than the other in my opinion!
FV

 

[feralmerril]

Frank, I just seen your 24-3 thread. I showed mine on your thread and thoughts. From a practical standpoint that gun will do what you want as well as the .44 mag! You can load that gun up to hot as you need the mag for, they are just about the same gun. Maybe you can make a case for the stainless in your area if you want to make a reason to buy it. I also own a 29-2 5" and dont think I haven even carried it since I bought my 24-3 like yours. They are fun to own, collect and look at though.

 

[tug700]

I bought a 629-4 with a magnaported pencil barrel and an unfluted cylinder. It was NIB from a very reputable dealer. I have enjoyed the gun with many different loads. The front sight sides do need attention after some lead bullets using Unique. I have the box and papers and would not consider selling mine for 850. I just couldn't let it go that cheap.

 

[358156hp]

I've seen ported 629-2 MGs on Gunbroker top $900.00. Still, I wouldn't pay that. My experience with Magnaporting is that it does exactly what it promises to do, reduce muzzle flip.

 

[Nemo288]

I MagNaPorted my original mountain revolver and am not
displeased. Higher loads of Unique/Universal have almost no
muzzle flash. My current fave is 11gr Universal under a Sierra
210 JHC (in a 44 Mag case) There is not much this round would not do unless
you are hunting big bears, moose or larger.
Check around for the near universal appeal of 10gr Unique under a 240.
Short barrels and ports love a faster powder. It's true; firing W296/H110
in this gun is a little like setting off a Howitzer in your hand.
It can be done accurately, but not for every day use even in the field.

I have fired exactly 3 300gr bullets in the 4" MG. Probably my lifetime total
I can see where the frame flexed enough that
the ejector shroud came down and hit the front of the crane leaving a shadow.

I have moved to 26gr of 296 with the 200XTP. It shoots into one hole in my Redhawk. Less is better!

...Nemo...

 

[arc2x4]

That is a new Gun price, and it is not a collector's item. The -4 has the endurance package though.


Here is a brand new 5" 629 no porting at Buds for about the same price delivered:

Smith & Wesson 629 Classic .44 Mag 5" $794.00 SHIPS FREE

3" TALO model 629 New

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/...ts_id/411549877/S&W+M629+DLX+44M+REV+3SS+TALO

 

[Doug M.]

Not comparable. They have locks, and that 5" has that hopelessly ugly full lug barrel. For a useful carry gun, not a good package.

 

[team sidewinder]

I vote for the 629 3" TALO. Sweet looking gun. Less money and I bet you wouldn't even know you were packing it. It's not my cup of tea but it might well serve your purposes.

 

[Magnumdood]

Another result of Magnaporting one might consider is the gasses actually cut and pit the front sight blade if the ports are directly even with the front sight blade. I've scrubbed the front sight blades to remove what I thought were carbon deposits on two of my Dad's guns that he bought already Magnaported. Both showed pitting and cutting on the front sight blade. It doesn't happen to all of the Magnaported revolvers; it seems to be isolated to the ones that have the ports either partially or fully cut even relative to the front sight blade.

 

[Longhorn90]

Again, thank you everyone. Obviously there's no 'one size fits all' right answer.

If I go the 44mag route, then I'm leaning (todays lean; may change overnight ) towards a 3in barrel. 1" less barrel length for being a tiny bit more discreet when needed and/or less getting in the way sitting down. And I'd probably prefer magnaporting as all the 'loose your night vision' issues, while true, are probably less of a concern to me than any improvement in getting back on target for a follow-up shot. Since I usually have the kids with me I'm not shooting in the dark and will try to have a flashlight on target....and maybe the Magnaporting plus a short barrel can double as a flash bang for whatevers on the receiving end

But I'm equally favoring a Glock 29 as concealable around the campgrounds, very totable carrying on the trails, and higher capacity of a pretty potent round (i.e. Buffalo Bore type loads). Then, if we're somewhere that I feel the need for a bit more hand cannon, I simply open carry or pack carry my 6 1/2" 29-2 .44mag and keep the G29 also as a backup.

Thanks!

 

[wheelgunguy]

.....perhaps gives me something to think about that I hadn't considered.

Thanks.

I think $850 is to much like many others here.If I was looking for a trail gun in 44 mag in that range a new Ruger Alaskan($845 shipped on GB) would be on my radar.I put this out there just because you asked for something you hadn't considered.If it's a Mountain gun you want I'd look for a better price.

Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan .44 magnum NEW 44 mag : Revolvers at GunBroker.com

 

[Nemo288]

Consider that in going from a 4" to a 3" barrel, you are losing
more FPS than any other 1" barrel reduction creates.
(Excepting maybe the jump to a 2")


...Nemo...

 

[Kinman]

I just had this pistol dual trap magnaported, it helped quite a bit with full on magnum loads. I can't wait to try out these new Kurac square butt stocks, I was so excited to see them in the mail today I damn near cancelled everything to run out and try them.
I think the price at 850 is a little on the high side for one built that late, I'm into this very early -2 less than 700 including the porting and stocks, if you want one keep your eyes open...they surface around here quite often. People take them out and shoot them with full magnum bear loads with the cheesy pachmeyer grips and don't like the way their hand hurt afterward, lots of guys around here use 10mm autos, usually swapped in a 629. IMHO if you truly need to stop a bear that is intent on doing you bodily harm you better be proficient with your pistol and put the shots where they need to go otherwise you might as well carry a flyswatter. I have been fortunate in that the only reason I fired my handgun was to try a shot into the air, this was after a fairly close encounter with a jaw popping black bear sow with cubs up a tree while flyfishing a noisy creek. The shot worked but she wasn't happy and I backed out of there real quick.
I forgot to mention my experience with the porting job, I did not buy this pistol for resale or collector status, I plan on packing it whenever out in the woods and may hunt with it. I tried it out with pachmeyers and full on magnum 250g rounds and was not happy with the fit of the pachmeyers for starters and did not enjoy the recoil enough to have it inhibit my shooting. I went with the dual trap porting and am very happy with the results...a good 20-25% reduction in felt recoil, I left the rest of the fitting in the hands of John C. the fit is perfect and should make this pistol very comfortable to shoot. I also like to shoot 240g lead semi wadcutters with .44 special for plinking, its my favorite go to round. About all I have found is that I have to spend a little more time cleaning up the debris from the ports, hasn't caused any damage to the sight as of yet. I find I have to spend time cleaning up lead anyway, it really doesn't detract from shooting it. I will keep my eyes open for a nice old triple lock .44 special strictly for shooting lead.

 

[ajvossman]

I have been throwing the idea around myself getting a 629. glad i came across this topic the only question i have is didn't smith make a 629 ported? one large port on top infront of the front sight? Theres one on the form forsale now. How does this compare to the magna port?

 

[Kinman]

Can't speak from experience about the single port job, the dual trapazoid ports on my 629-2 cut an honest 20-25% off the felt recoil with full-on magnum loads (250g silouette bullets) I couldn't be much happier with the results, I do not believe the dual trap ports will contribute to sight cutting as has been mentioned. I have fired 100 rounds of hot stuff down the barrel and found that all that was done to the front sight is that the dullness on the side near the front port has lost some of its paint or finish. With lead bullets I have to spend a little more time cleaning the residue off the barrel above the cuts, about as much extra time as I have to spend on the cylinder face. I keep my weapons clean at all times and don't mind the extra alone time it takes to get things clean again. This is my first stainless pistol and I am finding it has an advantage over blueing when it comes to cleaning, no need to worry about using anything harsher than Butch's or Outers.