your highest round count with a 29/629

[Petrov]

I have about 36k rounds of 38 special mouse fart loads through my 627.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

I keep a log on how much I load.........NOT how much I shoot.......Having multiple guns of the same caliber.....Its a non issue.

 

[T. McIntyre]

I have certain .44s that have seen a lot more use than others. For one thing, In my younger years for a short period of time the only centerfire revolver I owned was a M29-2 6.5". I hunted and shot everything with it from big game to ground squirrels.

I still use it, though not nearly as much as other guns, especially not that iron sights are not as easy to see as a red dot. But here is an example. I have shot literally thousands of high desert Jacks with that gun, as well as a 4" Model 29-2"

4" M29-2:

Plus a 5" 29 Classic that has seen a good bit of use, and still does often. It now wears an RDO and is use for ammo testing. I own a small custom handgun ammo manufacturing company, and this is the most accurate .44 I have ever used, so it gets shot frequently.

Plus I really, really like 5" N Frames (my favorite barrel length), so I tend to carry and use 5" .44s a good bit.

In fact here is a pic of Ken Hackathorn on the porch of my cabin a few years back, comparing 5" .44 Mags.

More to follow..

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Not a Bean Counter, but I probably have shot 2000-3000 Rounds through the 29 I’ve had the longest.
I almost said ‘my oldest’ but I got my Pre-29 on down the road and actually haven’t fired it that much.

 

[Photog]

Around 40K on a 29-2, 8 3/8 inch purchased new in 1976. Most loads in the 11-1200 fps range. Gun is getting "tired", but still shoots well. Stopped shooting it about 10 years ago, except once or twice a year.

 

[T. McIntyre]

I can tell you that 550 rounds of 240 grain LSWCs will fit in a tall Folgers coffee can. I filled the can up that is sitting beside me in this pic. It took me about 3 trips to empty it, shooting at stuff long distance. Fellow Forum Member "Superman" took this pic.

We were shooting at targets out to 450 or 500 yards if I recall correctly.

The N Frame 29 will take many thousands of your typical 240 grain 1150- 1200 FPS loads. I have been shooting them for years and have yet to actually totally wreck a gun. A little maintenance every now and then, and you are back in action.

 

[rockquarry]

Around 40K on a 29-2, 8 3/8 inch purchased new in 1976. Most loads in the 11-1200 fps range. Gun is getting "tired", but still shoots well. Stopped shooting it about 10 years ago, except once or twice a year.

Forty-thousand sound more like it. I think S&W and Colt revolvers that are well cared for will handle far more trouble-free rounds than many are aware of and you needn't use anything but cast bullets.

 

[jeffrefrig]

There's a lot of information in this thread. I'm wondering: are any of the firearm manufacturers interested in this real life information? And if so, would they be willing to pay for it, like maybe a case of ammo, tee shirts, etc.? They have their own people, sure, but real people shooting their home made ammo and keeping the records so accurate sounds like something I, as a manufacturer, would appreciate tremendously. Especially for the Sales Dept. Some folks would call me a dreamer but I doubt I'm the only one.
I'm very impressed with the record keeping you guys have amassed. We kept pretty tight maintenance/repair records on a lot of the RHVAC equipment like the high pressure boilers, chillers, computer room A/C, etc. All mostly the more important units.
Again, I'm very impressed the way yinz keep your reloading and shooting records down to the science that it actually is. Young shooters should take note!
Jeff

 

[22shtur]

+/- 3,500 rounds through my 629-3. I shoot 12 rounds once a week from May thru Oct, because my wife and I like to hike here in MT where there are big animal. I train with it and my 629-2 in the event I may have to use it on one of those animals.
I had a 629 no dash with 6" bbl that I sold to a member here. I shot about 3,000 rounds through it. Mostly in the 1,000 fps range.
All bullets have been lead cast 240 grain.

 

[cadmike]

I’ve been reloading since 2001 but have only been keeping records since 2016. Now with hindsight I sure wish I had kept records for those first 15 years!

This thread got me curious so I reviewed my records and see that I’ve loaded just over 2000 rounds of .44 mag since 2016. Mostly 240gr LSWC at 1150ish. All of them shot thru my 629-5 I bought in 2000. This gun saw plenty of rounds prior to 2016 but I couldn’t begin to guess how many. Gun still locks up rock solid.

I also load for a Ruger flattop Blackhawk in 44 special. Some of those specials make their way thru my 629 but I don’t keep track of what goes in each gun.

 

[JohnRippert]

About half a box. I have owned 2 4inch Model 29's over the years. The first one split a box of full power magnums with my Winchester .44 Magnum lever action. The one I own now has seen nothing but .44 Special. I just never felt the need to shoot full power loads in them.

 

[ruger 22]

I know it is off topic but having been a trap shooter for over 35 years before developing master eye problems our volumes were an easy 20,000 yearly practice rounds and 5,000-10,000 tournament. Trap shooters are notorious for changing guns as the drop of a hat but those who did not would sum up with hundreds of thousands of shots in their guns with relatively few problems.

 

[cd228]

I don't know the numbers, but have always been curious how others keep up with such figures in an accurate manner.

I keep a 3X5 card in my range bag for each pistol I shoot regularly. Update it at the end of the range session usually by counting the empty boxes. It is easy.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

I wish I was as organized.

20,000 rounds doesn't seem like a great deal assuming that figure is even close to right. I commend you guys who keep up with this stuff, but I don't think I will start at this stage.

I shot PPC and I am a reloader too. In PPC you shoot 150 for one match. Shooters who did not shoot a lot and frequently will usually flub on the last 30 shots and would finish in the bottom half of competitors.

I think you are way off on your guesstimate of 20,000 rounds. In reality it is likely 2,000 or 3,000. JMHO.

 

[RMFnLA]

I think this thread would be more enlightening if dry firing was included, and % of SA versus DA.

Why does SA vs. DA matter?

 

[Blazin Bill]

Why does SA vs. DA matter?

If you're shooting DA fast the cylinder stop has to slam into the cylinder notch and stop all the momentum of the turning cylinder fast; this can cause cylinder notch peening. And the heavier the cylinder the worse this is (think Model 27). It's often seen in IDPA & USPSA revolvers. So the trend in fast shooting revolvers is using titanium cylinders (Model 929) to minimize that cylinder turning momentum.

 

[rockquarry]

I shot PPC and I am a reloader too. In PPC you shoot 150 for one match. Shooters who did not shoot a lot and frequently will usually flub on the last 30 shots and would finish in the bottom half of competitors.

I think you are way off on your guesstimate of 20,000 rounds. In reality it is likely 2,000 or 3,000. JMHO.

Why would my guess be way off?

 

[CajunBass]

I'm impressed. Really. I couldn't tell you how many 38 wadcutter rounds I fired at the range yesterday.

Full house 44 magnums? I've fired exactly 10 through my current model 29-10. If I sold it today, I could let you have a box with 10 rounds still in it (I also fired 5 through a Taurus Tracker 44 I had). It started off as a 25 round box. I do remember buying a box of 20 rounds of S&W 44 magnum ammo back in the 80's when I got my first 44, a Superblackhawk. I did fire all of them eventually.

I'm one of "those guys."

I do shoot more 44 Specials but have no idea how many.

 

[Mehutch]

I don't know. I reload several handgun calibers. I load and test many of my 44 magnums for years. I have maybe 8 thousand handloaded in stock, (plus thousands of factory loads) with several thousand empty new brass, bullets, primers and powders on hand. I backpack with my 44's, Ruger and Smiths, for thirty years. I may have over done it with all my reloads, but it was therapeutic. And with the threat of anti-gunners over the years I was just being ready.





Never without my 44, here with my Ruger 44 mag in the deep bush country.

 

[gnappi]

I don't do round counting but my long gone and soon to be replaced 629 was shot a LOT. I remember bringing it and my 66 to a S&W tech clinic sponsored by a LGS and the S&W tech made a few tweaks that back then I paid little attention to.