S&W Model 29 Classic

[Swamprat1052]

For a guy who has shot rifles exclusively for the last 25 years or so I have sure added to the short guns in my safe lately. Today a S&W Model 29 Classic topped off with a Leupold (I think 2x) scope followed me home. It has a 6 or 61/2" barrel and thats about all I know about it. Except that it shoots real good. A friend of mine had it and when he put the scope on it, I sighted it in for him. I opened my big mouth and told him if he ever decided to part with it I wanted it. The rest is history. The pistol is like new, the scope has some light scratches from mounting but its in good shape too. I guess I'll leave the scope on it, I have a 45 Long Colt I can use when I dont want to fool with the scope. Besides the rear sight is gone now. I guess I can replace it if I ever want to.

I need some suggestions on molds and loads if you guys can help me out.

Swamprat

[shotman]

i have 629 and 2 of my buddys do too ours are all the 8 3/8s but all of us like the Lee tl430-240 I cast and use the Lee tl with moly added seems to keep the leading down on the hot loads. One guy likes the Keith GC, like the Lyman 429244 for hunting I like a jacket on my hunt load shotman

[StrawHat]

A classic gun deserves the classic load.

Lyman 429421 over a healthy dose of 2400 powder was the favorite load of several gunwriters.

[9.3X62AL]

The S&W rear sight is easily replaced, if the mood strikes you. Millett makes a pretty good aftermarket item for that application, too.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

There are many combinations of bullets and powders possible and many folks have worked them out successfully so there are a lot of recommendations to go with. I have an 8&3/8 and a 6 " and use an H&G # 503 mold. It drops 250 grain bullets; there are several molds of the "Keith profile" on the market that are similar-produced by Lyman, RCBS and Saeco. All work really well. I use 9 grains of IMR 4756 for shorter ranges and 18 grains of IMR 4227 for 50 yards and over. Thats really a "Keith loading" for the 44 special and its not exactly soft. If you want or need more power then you can go as high as 22-23 grains of the 4227 and that is "impressive". Be sure and use a good lube. Good shooting. LLS

[ra_balke]

For what it is worth, I read an article one time from a well known gun writer who said he had shot game with heavy 44 mag loads, ( 1300 fps ) then he went to strong 44 special type loads, ( 1000 fps ) and he could not tell the difference in stopping power.

Were it me, and if I could handle the heavy recoil, I would go with the classic 44 mag load of Elmer keith 22 gr 2400 and a 250 flat nose cast.

If I were shy about recoil, I would go with 8.0 gr unique, and the same bullet for about 1000 fps.

[StrawHat]

For what it is worth, I read an article one time from a well known gun writer who said he had shot game with heavy 44 mag loads, ( 1300 fps ) then he went to strong 44 special type loads, ( 1000 fps ) and he could not tell the difference in stopping power.

Were it me, and if I could handle the heavy recoil, I would go with the classic 44 mag load of Elmer keith 22 gr 2400 and a 250 flat nose cast.

If I were shy about recoil, I would go with 8.0 gr unique, and the same bullet for about 1000 fps.


I don't have the source handy but I recall that the 22 grain load has been pressure tested and found to be beyond SAAMI specs.

21 grains is what Skeeter used and the heavy 44 Special loads are respectable also.

[MakeMineA10mm]

For what it is worth, I read an article one time from a well known gun writer who said he had shot game with heavy 44 mag loads, ( 1300 fps ) then he went to strong 44 special type loads, ( 1000 fps ) and he could not tell the difference in stopping power.

Were it me, and if I could handle the heavy recoil, I would go with the classic 44 mag load of Elmer keith 22 gr 2400 and a 250 flat nose cast.

If I were shy about recoil, I would go with 8.0 gr unique, and the same bullet for about 1000 fps.

John Taffin in his "Book of the 44" (many of the articles from which are posted on his website) indicated that he shot a critter with a medium-soft cast hollow-point Keith SWC in a 44 Special, and that the boolit went clear through the boilerroom of the critter, including at least one shoulder, and kept on going. Complete penetration with a medium-soft cast HP SWC in a 44 SPECIAL load!!

I've also read others who have used 44 Special loads to take deer, when it was all they had, and the deer needed shooting...

Keep in mind that the 44 Henry RF was considered a good deer cartridge in the 1860s and 1870s! That's a 220gr RNFP at 1150fps from a rifle/carbine.

I've never done this, as I've always used Magnum loads in the field, because I felt that I needed a load that could handle the worst case scenario (like a shot at the rear end of a deer that had previously been wounded). Doesn't mean the lighter loads wouldn't work, though... I may be re-thinking my position. :Fire:

[lathesmith]

I seem to recall an article on this subject by Linebaugh, I believe. The gist of this was that a 250+- gr slug @ around 1000fps killed just as well as the same slug at higher velocity, say, 1400fps. Of course, the difference in recoil is huge--not to mention wear and tear on the shooter and guns. I believe he further went on to say the only benefit to the higher velocity slug in the field was it gave one a few extra yards of range--not really a big deal for most of us once-a-year hunters. Definitely something to think about, especially for those of us who are not particularly fond of getting beat up by unnecessarily punishing loads.
lathesmith

[shotman]

the 22gr 2400 is a HOT load the 629 will take it but i wouldn't put a lot in one i like those unique 10grs they go bang and kill the clay targets[on the ground before someone asks] shotman

[enfieldphile]

Bought this 29 Classic New-in-Box in 1995. 5 inch barrel.
Seaco 200 grain Truncated Cone over 9 grains of Herco.

Nope, 'taint 'fer sale, not never!

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q228/ultramag44/000_0005.jpg

[Thumbcocker]

I believe that with the new formula for 2400 the manuals list somewhere around 20.0 as a max load. I have found that 18.5 of new 2400 will shoot through a deer at any reasonable range with a 429421 solid or hp. I loaded some solids and hp's for a friend to try in his SBH hunter model with 18.5 of 2400. His target was a coulter from a planter at about 40 yards. The boolits shot clean through and kept on going. The hp's just tore a bigger hole.

The hp over 22.0 of IMR 4227 did a number on a hog for me but I honestly couldn't see that much difference between it and the 18.5 of 2400.

I would be leery of the 21 or 22 grain loads with the new 2400. FWIW I never use magnum primers.

[MakeMineA10mm]

Bought this 29 Classic New-in-Box in 1995. 5 inch barrel.
Seaco 200 grain Truncated Cone over 9 grains of Herco.

Nope, 'taint 'fer sale, not never!

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q228/ultramag44/000_0005.jpg


Very nice. I have one just like it, except that it's stainless...




Speaking of CLASSIC S&W 29s, there is a thread at the smith & wesson forums asking S&W (or maybe a big distributor with some pull, like Lew Horton's) to come out with true classic 29:

FRAME:
Classic five screw configuration,
No Internal Lock,
Endurance Package (radius stud pkg., etc.),
Older traditional-style cylinder release,
TT/TH (No MIM!), (& while we're at it, how about these being case hardened for finish?)
Firing Pin On The Hammer (which means the old-style lock-work).

CYLINDER/YOKE:
A large detent third lock on the yoke,
Cylinder throats to .430" +.001" -.0000",
Full-length cylinder that is recessed for case rims. (going for the pinned-and-recessed look)

BARREL:
FIVE Inch,
Full-bull Magnum-style with tapered ejector rod housing and NO UNDERLUG,
Pinned to receiver, (again, part of the pinned & recessed)
A "Taylor Throat" or at least a highly polished 11 degree throat,
Broach-rifled barrel (instead of the EDM),
Interchangeable front sight with Keith-style multiple gold-bar inletted blade.

GRIP & STOCKS:
Square-Butt grip (frame),
Original-style Coke-bottle wood grips,
(and, for quantity shooting/carrying - square-butt version of the Hogue 500 Magnum rubber grips included).

FINISH:
High-polish deep Bluing, like on the REGISTERED magnums.
For the stainless version - highly polished "bright" stainless to look somewhat like Nickle finish?) - Or they could do a melonite finish to make it black stainless...


Someone on the thread over there said if you order at least 200 of them, S&W will do it, but that was with more standard-production parts... Of course, S&W has caved to demand and brought out a few models lately with no internal trigger lock, which means they still can make the old-style lockwork parts again.

I bet if Lew Horton ordered 5000-10,000 of them (maybe 5000 in each finish?), S&W would make them and they'd sell fast. They just need to make them at a reasonable price, so that they can be sold at dealers for around $800 or a little less.

[Down South]

I believe that with the new formula for 2400 the manuals list somewhere around 20.0 as a max load. I have found that 18.5 of new 2400 will shoot through a deer at any reasonable range with a 429421 solid or hp. I loaded some solids and hp's for a friend to try in his SBH hunter model with 18.5 of 2400. His target was a coulter from a planter at about 40 yards. The boolits shot clean through and kept on going. The hp's just tore a bigger hole.

The hp over 22.0 of IMR 4227 did a number on a hog for me but I honestly couldn't see that much difference between it and the 18.5 of 2400.

I would be leery of the 21 or 22 grain loads with the new 2400. FWIW I never use magnum primers.

Yup, you are correct. The Lyman 49th edition list 20.6 Gr of 2400 for the 429421 boolit (Max Load). Starting load is 18.5 Gr of 2400. Both of those loads are with standard CCI primers.

BTW, the 29 Classic is one nice piece. I just recently bought a 629 classic.

[9.3X62AL]

Gorgeous revolvers, guys.

Elmer Keith is quoted as saying "1200 FPS is all you need" using his #429421 boolit in the N-frames, and I have always thought the load to be a good match to the S&W N-frame revolver. The full-tilt 240s at 1400 FPS are just a bridge too far for me in the N-frames, esp. that 4" critter that recoils straight back into the thumb/forefinger web. The terminal ballistics would indicate about 20% more downrange venison creation potential than the old '73 x 44-40 in the safe that has grassed deer in three figures since 1897.

The Ruger Redhawk has spoiled me rotten, with its heft soaking up most of what makes the 44 so daunting to new shooters. Marie shoots full-tilt loads out of the Redhawk, and can run 50-60 of them before saying "Enough". She's a real trooper. The 1200 FPS/429421 loads in the 'Hawk are all-day loads, and I usually run out the 200 rounds I keep loaded on a given range day. Pure pleasure.