Which .44 Magnum would you buy

[RoyM52]

can't have just one - M69 2 3/4 inch, M629-6 3 inch, 629-3 6 inch bought these over the years.

 

[Univibe]

I'd get the 629 with 6.5 inch barrel, the underlug one. That's what I got.

Exception: if you're going to handload hellacious T-rex loads, then skip all Smiths and go Ruger Redhawk.

 

[nachogrande]

100 % used.

Hopefully a Freedom arms single action, S&W's older mdl 29's are smooth as silk with beautiful bluing & wood. For hard use the Ruger SBH.

 

[Mike_Fontenot]

Here in Colorado there is a barrel length restriction that catches most folks off guard.

What's that restriction? (I'm in Boulder, and I'm not aware of any restriction.)

 

[RoyM52]

Restrictions are only for hunting. CC has no restrictions for barrel length.

A personal carry gun , no restrictions

 

[Mike_Fontenot]

Restrictions are only for hunting. CC has no restrictions for barrel length.

A personal carry gun , no restrictions

OK. Thanks. I'm not a hunter, so that's why I hadn't heard about any restrictions on barrel length.

 

[Rosco Shooter]

I have a Model 629-6 with a 6.5 inch barrel. I wish I would have bought the 5 inch model as it would be a little handier. My pistol is a shooter however as I won the center fire portion of the local Bullseye Winter League shooting reduced loads several years ago. At age 74, I don't fire too many full-house loads any more.

 

[keithherrington]

Well, since any brand is up for consideration...

and you need to keep the price under $1000 I suggest a Lipsey Ruger Flattop Bisley Blackhawk in 44 Special. That's right, 44 Special. Using a close approximation of Elmer Keith's and Skeeter Skelton's favorite 44 Special load (255 grain Keith SWC over 17.0 grains of 2400) you get close to magnum performance, superb accuracy and excellent terminal ballistics on game. While mine is heavily breathed upon by John Linebaugh, it was an exceptional gun as it came from the factory right out of the box. The gun still has its factory barrel and cylinder and shoots 1.5" groups at 50 yards.
Keith

 

[SLT223]

Random thought: That picture pretty clearly illustrates why one needs to seal off the chamber mouths of cap and ball revolvers.

 

[Mike_Fontenot]

At age 74, I don't fire too many full-house loads any more.

I'm 75 (76 on January 9th), about 5'9" (shrunk down from 5'11" most of my life), about 135 lbs, and pretty much a "tottery" old codger. But I can comfortably shoot 240gr Underwoods in my 5" 629 for a whole range session, without beating up my body, or even bruising my hands. The secret is my VERY relaxed grip, and very relaxed and flexed elbows (used with a straight-on isosceles stance, with my feet equidistant from, and facing, the target). Basically, none of the recoil reaches the main part of my body ... it doesn't jar my eyes, neck, teeth, brain, or anything else. The recoil just gets absorbed purely by the inertia of my forearms. And my hands don't take a beating from the recoil because they aren't resisting the recoil. It doesn't sound like it could possibly work, but it does. And, perhaps surprisingly, I'm also more accurate using that method.

I arrived at the method by very gradually relaxing my grip, and starting with lighter calibers: first .38special+p, then .357mag, and finally with .44mag. I figured I could safely do it very gradually, and stop whenever I would begin to have a little trouble hanging on to the gun, or to start to touch my head with my forearms. And surprisingly, I never got to that point ... I never had to stop! And each time I moved to a more powerful caliber, and repeated the slow process, I STILL never had to stop the gradual relaxing process. At the end of the process, I ended up holding the gun (no matter what caliber it is, and with full-spec Underwood ammo) as if I'm holding a fragile little bird!

I'm as amazed as anyone that it works, but it does. It works so well that I'm not willing to shoot any other way. But I should add that the muzzle rise I get is VERY high, close to vertical (even though I've never gotten smacked in the face with the gun or with my forearms, or had the gun start to come out of my hands). But because of that near-vertical muzzle rise, I've been kicked off of two different indoor ranges, for violating the rule of keeping the muzzle pointed down range at all times. So my method won't be tolerable for everybody ... it may not be tolerable for anyone but me.

[addendum]: I should add that when I'm shooting, I'm never aware of that near-vertical muzzle rise, because the gun isn't left in the vertical position after the recoil ... it's an involuntary fast up-and-down motion, like in a "double-tap", except with a much greater angular change. When I'm shown a video of my shooting, I'm always surprised to see that near-vertical muzzle rise.

[addendum2]: I should also add that I put the X500 grips on my 629, and also on my 69 and my 686. That is probably also an important factor in making the recoil comfortable.

 

[Barrie]

A Good friend of mine has bid on a S&W 44Magnon. It belongs to a Forest Ranger at this time. Apparently its in good shape and I wonder what a proper value will be on that gun. He has Bid $750.00 at this time.

 

[MichiGun'n]

First post.. yeaaah!

Hello all, I was in the same boat as OP for the last year or so. I've owned a 7.5" SBH and a 7.5" RH Hunter with the integral scope mounts on it. Liked both ALOT and will still own Rugers till I die. I sold the SBH to get the RH. For me it was barrel length. I wanted to take those revolvers everywhere, but those darn barrels got in my way ALL the time. And heavy!! I've always been a HUGE Ruger fanboy. Own several different Rugers and they make great guns. However, after beating myself up over the decision, I finally went out away from what I've known and pulled the trigger on a S&W model 69. At first you couldn't have given me a S&W. I've heard all these stories growing up about Ruger stronger this and S&W weaker that.... I could not have made a better decision!!! This is the "best", to me, 44 mag I've ever owned. So my short answer is.... Model 69!

Btw... With a 4.25" barrel

Michigun'n

 

[MichiGun'n]

and you need to keep the price under $1000 I suggest a Lipsey Ruger Flattop Bisley Blackhawk in 44 Special. That's right, 44 Special. Using a close approximation of Elmer Keith's and Skeeter Skelton's favorite 44 Special load (255 grain Keith SWC over 17.0 grains of 2400) you get close to magnum performance, superb accuracy and excellent terminal ballistics on game. While mine is heavily breathed upon by John Linebaugh, it was an exceptional gun as it came from the factory right out of the box. The gun still has its factory barrel and cylinder and shoots 1.5" groups at 50 yards.
Keith

The Ruger BH flattop bisley in 44 special was one of the 3-4 I had it narrowed down to... In fact I still see myself getting one in the near future. Prolly at the top of my want list now that the model 69 has been checked off the list...

MichiGun'n

 

[ericrlarson]

I've been wanting a 629 V-Comp for a long time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[rubiranch]

This one is going to go up for sale. 29-2 4".

If I get another 44 mag is will be the same thing but not engraved.

 

[BigBill]

To hammer a revolver in 44mag with hotter loads the ruger super black hawk will eat anything you feed it and want more. Life before the Redhawk. My RedHawks are no different there made to shoot magnum loads.

My smith and Wesson's are for normal 44 mag loads. But there is quite a history behind s&w firearms.

I like my RedHawks and s&w revolvers.

 

[gdpolk]

This one is going to go up for sale. 29-2 4".

If I get another 44 mag is will be the same thing but not engraved.

Oh that one is gorgeous! I'd love to have that in my cabinet or on my hip!

 

[HamHands]

Please don't do it! Smith's current bluing is nice but not comparable that those classic guns.

A bit of beautiful craftmanship from a bygone era is lost when people reblue those guns.

It's so sad but true. The Artisans that Smith & Wesson & Colt used to employ are long gone since the early 1980's... The guys with those beautiful bluing skills retired or let go and the art/skill had not been apprenticed down to the younger generation... "this was the story I had heard"... but who really knows. It's also why stainless steel is so focused upon the new revolvers I believe and the bluing on the new "Classic Series" cannot come close to or even dismally compare to the mile deep and stellar bluing of the 60's & 70's manufactured "J's" I have. My 85' manufactured M29-3 Lew Horton Special is maybe 80% the quality of the aforementioned J frames I have. Anything latter is going to be a big disappointment when compared to other blued finishes from yesteryear(s)... YMMV.

 

[HamHands]

If you do decide to get it refurbished and reblued, S&W won't be the place to send it for the job. I'm almost positive that they won't do gunsmithing work on Pre-model numbered guns any more (I've read that here several times) and the blue job they do now isn't nearly as nice as the old blue job when they make your gun. If you do decide to get it gone through and refinished, I've heard that Ford's in Florida does a really nice reblue and I also believe they have gunsmiths that can tune your gun up too.

I've heard that "Ford's" is the place to go for a good re-blue. But it won't quite be like the blue of a mid-70's M29.

I had a workhorse Hi-Power "Hard Chromed" in the late 90's done by "Tucker Gun" in Tucker Georgia, (they sent it off to someone in Florida maybe "Ford's" I don't remember) and it was the best re-finish I've ever seen. It got stolen during a break-in to never be recovered again... My hard use "work gun" semi-auto "P-01" CZ that gets worn when I'm at work might get a hard chrome refinish for its durability... but never one of my blued vintage Smith's that I carry in the burbs at home or in the woods.

 

[RoyM52]

I think it was the laws pertaining to the chemicals allowed to be used in the blueing process and not the skill loss that changed the quality of the Blue.