Your thoughts on a 3" 629
- Thread starter wpriest
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Tex1001
Member
A 44 magnum with a barrel shorter than 5" would have too much muzzle blast for me. My 44 magnums have 6.5" and 7.5" barrels. The 44 special option is there, but to me you have an overweight 44 special.
For 44 special carry, I have a 4" Charter Arms and a pair of 3" Taurus 431s.
That's my opinion. The important thing is, make yourself happy.
_______________________
I don't have Alzheimer's- My wife had me tested.
For 44 special carry, I have a 4" Charter Arms and a pair of 3" Taurus 431s.
That's my opinion. The important thing is, make yourself happy.
_______________________
I don't have Alzheimer's- My wife had me tested.
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one eye joe
US Veteran
THAT IS THE IMPORTANT THING, Tex1001, WE ALL NEED TO MAKE OURSELVES HAPPY......
YEARS AGO, THROUGH ERRORS IN JUDGEMENT, I SUCCUMBED TO LOW PRICES, AND ATTRACTIVE COSMETICS, AND PURCHASED 3 NEW TAURUS REVOLVERS. A YEAR LATER, I SOLD THEM ALL, FOR LESS THAN 1/2 OF WHAT I PAID FOR THEM.......
I WAS MUCH RELIEVED TO BE RID OF THEM, AND THAT'S HOW I MADE MYSELF HAPPY.........
uncleted327
Member
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I've had the 3" 629 Deluxe on my short list for years, almost went with the new snubby 69, but I just snagged the 629 off Buds for $685, couldn't pass it up at that price.
The shoulder rig is a Galco Miami Classic and the stocks are factory Combats. Although the stocks are pretty meaty, recoil is brutal with anything stronger than .44 Specials. YMMV
What grips are those? I really like that look
I have two Model 29 snubbies, one ported, one not. They are a LOT of fun to shoot, especially at an indoor range right next to somebody you don't like. Enjoy.
TheHobbyist
Member
I've owned so many 3" barrels I almost feel bad...OK maybe not.
I have a permit (CCL/CCW) and routinely carry a 629 3" Lew Horton. I am fortunate to have a few of these...
It is a great gun and with practice magnum loads are doable. I should note I am a bigger fella with a strong grip. I wouldn't think this is something for a 'green horn' to pick up and run with successfully. As far as skill level, you should be a bit 'long in the tooth'.
Now, I am looking for a 3" Lew Horton 29 with combat grips for a safe queen. I liked the blued a lot but the stainless is great for days on the farm.
I have a permit (CCL/CCW) and routinely carry a 629 3" Lew Horton. I am fortunate to have a few of these...
It is a great gun and with practice magnum loads are doable. I should note I am a bigger fella with a strong grip. I wouldn't think this is something for a 'green horn' to pick up and run with successfully. As far as skill level, you should be a bit 'long in the tooth'.
Now, I am looking for a 3" Lew Horton 29 with combat grips for a safe queen. I liked the blued a lot but the stainless is great for days on the farm.
StakeOut
US Veteran
The 3" 629-4 Backpacker is a fine shooting revolver from 7yds out to 15yds that I normally shoot indoors with reduced loads in 44mag cases but a bit hard to locate for those looking for one.
I have a 3" PC 629 which is double Magnaported and now carries beautiful Fishpaw checkered wooden grips which do not cover the backstrap but are a tad thicker than Pachmayr Compac Pros, which they more or less copy. These are the best grips for this gun,better than Hogue or Pachmayr, even.
My DeSantis pancake for 3" N frame has been my holster for this gun, although I am sure that O'Rourke would build you one at least as good if DeSantis is no longer doing that. Lobo Gun Leather is another source that I can recommend from personal experience.
In my recent experience (I am now 73), I don't really like .44 Magnum recoil as much as I do heavy .44 Special, meaning "Buy your .44 Mag ammo in 20-rd boxes."
My DeSantis pancake for 3" N frame has been my holster for this gun, although I am sure that O'Rourke would build you one at least as good if DeSantis is no longer doing that. Lobo Gun Leather is another source that I can recommend from personal experience.
In my recent experience (I am now 73), I don't really like .44 Magnum recoil as much as I do heavy .44 Special, meaning "Buy your .44 Mag ammo in 20-rd boxes."
My thought (that is what you asked for, right?) is that the .44 Magnum is wasted power in a 3" barrel. Even .44 Spl. is hobbled in a bbl. that short, but sometimes concealability is the determinant, more so than ballistic performance. When I CCW, it's usually a .38, and I'm a big guy, but I'm confident in my marksmanship (gulp). Just sayin'.
Larry
Larry
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HamHands
Member
I respect your opinion... And I'm a marksman too... But would you feel comfortable carrying your .38Special... CCW style for your "Woods-Gun?"
ETA: I'm a huge Vintage and Current Production "J" frame/M36 fan myself. I often carry one and sometimes two on an occasion or three for Street Carry... But in the woods a 3" M629 with a warm and fuzzy Full-House Mag that you are proficient with is way more capable than anything lesser when concealability is/can be an issue... I'm a fly under the radar kind of guy because I'm a big ol' boy too and get enough looks being a large built man... We have a family mountain home that nestles up to the Nantahala National Forest where we Kayak, Fish, Hike, etc... It's pretty yuppie (not my style), and the very thought of any kind of gun amidst these "Liberal Types" would result in multiple calls, cell phone pics, and videos of us to the local Sheriff's office if I were spotted... So the 3" 629 makes sense. And yes, we have an all too comfortable black bear(s) that use our house as it's own cedar plank scratching post as well as urinates upon my 15' Rubicon to show their presence etc... I love .38Special LSWCHP's for around town use though my friend!
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Those are Ahrends retro-combats, round to square butt conversions. Oil finished Cordia wood. The grips are very nice, although I would have preferred them just a little beefier (wider/thicker). Still, no complaints.
Ahrends Grips : Smith & Wesson Retro Grips
HamHands
Member
Awesome choice! .44Special in 200 grain flavor Gold Dot's are your friend for "Around Town" carry if you so desire to CCW it... I carry mine in an OWB holster with a Beltman Belt 50% of the time with Bianchi speed strips more and more these days. For Woods Loads Fiocchi, PRVI Partizan, and PMC have some great loads available in 300 grain flavors... Buffalo Bore has some quality loads too with hard cast offerings as well... I bought 5 different makes/manufacturers of both each in.44Special and .44Magnum to find my favorite preference load in each of the respective caliber/loads. I have to say that CCI/Speer, Fiocchi, PMC, Buffalo Bore, Underwood, Winchester, S&B, Hornady & Remington have all been great... none have disappointed. Just stay away from "Ultramax" is all I'm sayin'... It's up to you to find your revolver's favorite loading in .44Special/Magnum. YMMV...
Snapping Twig
Member
I believe in a 3" 629 so much that back in the day I kept missing the LH offerings, so I had the guys that made the 3" LH for S&W make one for me.
It's my constant companion in the woods.
It's Mag-Na-Ported and I have grips on it that fit my hand right, so I can lob 265g cast out of it all day long with 22g of W296 behind it.
It's my constant companion in the woods.
It's Mag-Na-Ported and I have grips on it that fit my hand right, so I can lob 265g cast out of it all day long with 22g of W296 behind it.
See what you have done-- Now I am going to have to buy the 629 3" for 675$ is saw at the show last week. 95%+, great trigger, but has the internal lock. I saw HamHands gun with repair and it looks nice. I thought I would last longer!! Be Safe,
^^^ I doubt that you will ever find another one at that price.
Don't worry about the lock. Much consternation over nothing.
Don't worry about the lock. Much consternation over nothing.
S&WsRsweet
Member
Well thought out set up I like that holster and gun.
The differences are the factory wood grips (which I didn't like at all) and most importantly it's the only 3" 44 mag S&W makes.
Thank you. Notice how there is plenty of protection for the rear sight and how the retaining strap can be fastened so it is completely out of the way.
I made a "belt slide" (OWB concealment) type of holster for it also, but I did not like how the gun carried with it, so I sold it.
Yes, I don't have them in front of me, but those look like my grips. My problem with them is they fill in the area behind the trigger guard a bit too much and push my hand down the grip a bit too far.
Gman82001, here are more (better) pictures of the grips on my gun...
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Abbynormal
Member
Got a .44 Mag Mountain Gun and don't wan't any
lighter .44 Mag with full load cartridges.
Buddy bought a 3" 629 and I haha'ed it until I shot mid-range
(+- 1000 fps) load in it and I was convinced. I could control
it accurately and the recoil and blast didn't take me out of my
concentration.
I'd still take the MG with 240 gr "warm" .44 Spl's though!
lighter .44 Mag with full load cartridges.
Buddy bought a 3" 629 and I haha'ed it until I shot mid-range
(+- 1000 fps) load in it and I was convinced. I could control
it accurately and the recoil and blast didn't take me out of my
concentration.
I'd still take the MG with 240 gr "warm" .44 Spl's though!
Those look great I've got huge hands and would like a big set of grips myself but those would probably work well
^^^ I also have extra large hands. As I stated earlier, I wish they were just a little thicker, but these grips git 'er done for me!
I agree completely. This is not a gun you would want to shoot all day with full-powered .44 Magnum level ammo. On the other hand, if you did need to shoot a cylinder full of them, doing so would not be a problem either.
