Who's the toughest kid on the block? - M29 Question

[Easy]

I recently made the "mistake" of buying a minty M25-2 and it has rekindled my passion for older Smiths and now I want more of them. My next goal is to buy a Model 29 to replace a 29-3 I foolishly sold several years ago to help finance a Les Baer 1911. The foolish part was selling the M29 (and a five inch 27-2 (yes, I am an idiot)), not buying the Baer.
My only concern about buying an older dash two Smith revolver is that I don't know how it will stand up to a steady diet of factory .44 Rem Mag.
Would I be better off getting a newer model made in the past ten years or so? Would a stainless 629 Classic, for example, be able to take more punishment than a M29 made 30 years ago? How about the new line of S&W Classics? Would a brand new Model 29 Classic be any tougher than the original 29s it was modelled after?
Thanks in advance. I look forward to your opinions/comments.

 

[Pisgah]

The problems with the M29 never had much to do with factory-level 240 gr. loads. What was pounding them was max 300 gr. loads, thousands of them, as a long range silhouette load.

Now, the M29 is certainly rather delicate when compared to some other .44s, but it is built to handle standard factory ammo, and you will have to do a LOT of shooting of such to cause it any harm. Personally, I choose a somewhat lighter loads (240 @1200 fps or so). Loads at this level are just as effective as the stouter stuff, and much easier on the gun but more importantly the shooter!

 

[sw282]

siiiiiiiiiiiiiii

 

[29aholic]

I have a 29-3 that I have had since it was new (over 20 years now) and I have literally 1000's of rounds through it. Most have been in the 900-1000fps range which is more than enough for all but the really big animals, but there have been 100's of rounds of factory stuff and quite a few elephant/grizzly loads. it is a tad out of time now, but still locks up fairly tight and still shoots like a laser. I was in a unique position to be able to burn more powder than the average person ever would. If you are over 40 I doubt you'll ever shoot enough factory rounds through any 29 to do any damage.

 

[Dennis The B]

+1 on Pisgah's post.

This is the only thing that's kept me away from older Model 29's. I've never been sure, other than checking for the most obvious end shake or visible throat and top strap erosion, of how hot the loads were that were previously put through the revolver.

That written, I bought a Model 29-2, nickel-plated, that was a cop's gun. It shows some carry wear, but the cylinder locks up tight as new.

 

[Gun 4 Fun]

I would say that if you want to shoot a steady diet of full power factory loads, then buy a 29-5. They are pre-mim/lock, have the square butt, and will last indefinately with factory stuff.

I had a new 29-3 that, while I didn't own it long enough for it to "shoot loose", would leave double firing pin indents in the primers every single time with factory or handloaded ammo that equaled factory stuff, and I wasn't shooting any 300 grain loads way back then. Those were just starting to make the scene, and most of what I shot was 250 grain Keith SWC's at 1350 FPS (chronographed).

The double indent was one of the things Smith fixed with the endurance package. I also experienced trigger kickback regularly with that gun. I never had the cylinder come open though, nor rotate backwards leaving an empty chamber under the hammer, both of which were issues that others were experiencing with -3 and older 29's.

The yoke barrel was not nearly as tough and durable as they are today, and that was part of the reason that the earlier guns developed endshake trouble.

I sold that first 29 because of the trigger kickback and double indent issues, and started buying endurance equipped guns after that for my factory and equivalent handloads. I have never had one problem with any endurance package gun.

All that said, the older P&R guns sure look better, and I own several.

I sent you a PM.

 

[SmithNut]

Assuming you stay with factory loads......

The problems with the M29 never had much to do with factory-level 240 gr. loads. What was pounding them was max 300 gr. loads, thousands of them, as a long range silhouette load.

Ding ding ding............ Give that man a cigar....!
If you stay with factoru loads that are loaded to SAAMI specifications, you will not have any issues with a good-conditioned M29 of any vintage.

The problems noted above were encountered by silouette shooters who are known to push the envelop and then a little past.....

Any M29, assuming it's not damaged or needs any internal tune ups, will be just fine with factory loads.....

 

[toroflow1]

For the best 29/629, do not go "higher" on the dash numbers than a 29-6 or a 629-4. These are the last of the good ones, with all the endurance upgrades and FORGED parts (hammer & trigger).

 

[Easy]

Thank you for the excellent information.

Thank you all for the input. This is exactly what I was looking for. I now have a much better understanding of the issues involved and which guns to look for to meet my needs.

Christmas is coming. I wonder what Santa will be leaving under the tree?

 

[WVfishguy]

Let me preface this by saying I've been very unlucky most of my life.

I had two different M29s go out of time and lock up their cylinders. Had to send them both back to S&W. They broke while shooting .44 specials. Both were purchased used.

This was more than 20 years ago. I didn't know about model numbers, no one I knew even discussed that sort of thing back then, so I can't say which models they were.

I also had a new 686 seize up when the primers backed out. This was before the recall, which I knew nothing about until recently.

These incidents were simply bad luck on my part, but it soured me on S&W.

I also bought a Dan Wesson 715 (stainless .357) in April 1979. It also broke. The trigger would stay back after firing. Thirty years later a 'smith told me it had metal burrs - factory defects - on the inside. He fixed it.

Anyway, I became a Ruger fan early on. Rugers never let me down.

Now I have more Smiths than Rugers, and NONE of the S&Ws have malfunctioned.

For me, I'd be leery of early Model 29s. In fact, I use my no dash 629 as a .44 special, and will NEVER shoot magnum loads with it.

But then again, I'm unlucky.