I found TREASURE! Bargain Model 29-2 !

[Mytmousemalibu]

So my wonderful local indoor range that is our USPSA home range, Range54 in Wichita Ks, had a sweetheart in the used rack! Ill preface this with the fact that im a S&W fan and I especially appreciate the older classics. They had some serious bait in the case for a Smith fan today. A 6" barreled Model 29-2, target sights, Pachmyer grips. A lovely pinned & recessed with hammer nose pin. Large serrated trigger. It has some blueing damage, nothing to serious, just a little character! It appears to be very lightly used, no flame cut in the top strap and everything is tight but very smooth. Would you believe it if I told you it I adopted it for $500 !

Don't call the police on me but I think that qualifies as theft!

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[Mitch]

I agree lol Good for you hope it shoots well for you.I found one last week 29-2 8 in they wanted $1200 ouch!!.

[Moleman-]

Did you get the 6" or the 8-3/8" in the pics? Either way I'd of bought it too.

[Mytmousemalibu]

I'm still in disbelief I stumbled upon that lovely blued beauty for that price! I think id be really kicking myself if I didn't rescue it! I wasn't looking for an M29 but im a softy for P&R classics. What ive been wanting is a clean Model 27. The .38 Special & .357 are two of my favorite cartridges. I have 5 revos in those two cartridges currently. This 29-2 us my only .44cal. Still happy to give it a home!

[Mytmousemalibu]

Did you get the 6" or the 8-3/8" in the pics? Either way I'd of bought it too.

Its the same gun in both pics. I was thinking it was a 6" but it wasn't listed on the tag and I didn't measure it, maybe it is an 8-3/8?

[Moleman-]

The ejector shroud lug is slightly less than half the length of the barrel sticking out of the frame on a 6". On a 8-3/8" the lug is a little over 1/3 the length of the barrel sticking out of the frame. I've got a 629-2 and a 29-3 with the 8-3/8" barrels. They shoot great and are easy to hit with. Been my favorite deer hunting pistols for almost 30 years now. You'll love it!

[Mytmousemalibu]

The ejector shroud lug is slightly less than half the length of the barrel sticking out of the frame on a 6". On a 8-3/8" the lug is a little over 1/3 the length of the barrel sticking out of the frame. I've got a 629-2 and a 29-3 with the 8-3/8" barrels. They shoot great and are easy to hit with. Been my favorite deer hunting pistols for almost 30 years now. You'll love it!

Okay, so she is a 8-3/8 then! Im not that good at judging that kind of suff sometimes and I was rushed since I'm a range officer and I had to get the match underway. I didn't bring it home tonight either. The range closes at 9pm and we were way late finishing tonight and they were all shut down minus us finishing tonight so I paid a deposit to hold it till I can come in for it. Hopefully tomorrow!

[Moleman-]

Congrats again! Starting a rebuild on my 29 right now. New complete cylinder assembly, cylinder stop, hand and the barrel is going to be set back. Was tempted to get a 27 barrel and cylinder for it and make it a 357. But I think I'll keep saving up for a nice 27.

[Mytmousemalibu]

Time to order some dies and boolit moulds, brass, etc!

[LIMPINGJ]

Let us know it shoots.

[BigAlofPa.]

Wow great deal congrats! My son bought me a 25-5 about a year ago from our LGS. 800.00 The LGS claimed it was new, It came in a display. Said it been in his warehouse for sometime. They came across it and put on the sales floor. I love it. I can hut steel at 100 yards with it.
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[jonp]

No, I don't believe you adopted that for $500 :shock:

What a great deal!

[HP9MM]

It has a pinned front sight. Is that original? My 1975, 29-2 with 6 1/2 inch barrel doesn't have that.

[Poygan]

Perhaps it is an earlier 29-2 with an S prefix serial number? I checked several 29-2s and they didn't have a pinned front sight.

[swheeler]

Did you wear a mask?[smilie=w:

[GBertolet]

I am surprised that the 29-2 in the photo, has a patridge front sight. I thought that they all had red ramps. My 29-2 red ramp is not pinned, but rather a part of the barrel.

[Mytmousemalibu]

It is at home safe! I didn't even wear a mask!

It is indeed an 8-3/8 barrel and it definitely is a pinned patridge front blade. It was owned by a silhouette shooter so that all fits the picture. I put a few cylinders full downrange and it shoots quite well in my unsteady hands. Point of aim/impact was off a bit but thats not surprising considering its former life. I went packing light so i didn't bother trying to zero it yet. The serial range puts this one in a 1979-1980 range of production. Its a lovely older Smith, happy to adopt it!

[Petander]

Congrats!

How is the forcing cone? I'm still sort of shopping one clean looking 29 that has a pretty worn cone... silhouette shooters around here have used heavy N110 loads and the cones show it.

[jonp]

Did you wear a mask?[smilie=w:

Yeah, thats what I thought. He should be ashamed robbing people like that then bragging about it. [smilie=w:

Any top strap cutting?

[RJM52]

That was a great price...

As to the front sight blade, I have several Model 57s that were made between 1964 and 1980. Guns made between 1964 and 1968/9 area have the sight base and blade pined to barrel with two pins. From 1969 to 1980 the base was machined as part of the barrel and the blade pinned to the sight base. In mid-1980 they changed to a one piece front sight that is machined with the barrel....drop the gun, break the sight and there is a problem. I had two 1980 vintage Model 57s. The lower serial number has a pined on front blade. The later one has a one piece front sight.

One can usually tell if the front blade is original from the factory or not by the polishing of the pins.

Have a great time with that one...

My bet would be that if you check the serial number that will be a 70s vintage gun...I have a 57 just like it and it is a great shooter.

Bob

[Shawlerbrook]

Hope you bought a lottery ticket on the way home. Great gun, great deal !

[Mytmousemalibu]

Its apparently 79-80 production which I was surprised by, I figured it was older but a 600000 to 700000 SN range is it according to the Standard Catalog.

Top strap is not bad, it had a little line in it but not bad at all. The bore is absolutely mint, nice and bright. The forcing cone is in great condition too. The muzzle crown is 100% perfect. Its not being abused at all or been getting a hot supper if at all, its been pretty well cared for. The worst damage on the gun is some scratches through the bluing on the left side of the barrel, less than a pencil eraser size like it accidentally contacted something on accident once. It has a few other small blemishes and a line through the bluing from some other stocks at some point. I wish that wasn't the case because its such a pretty gun and that gorgeous hot blue like this gun wears aims straight at my heart. I absolutely love the lustrous, deep glossy blued finishes.

I'll be looking forward to putting some Altamont "coke bottle" stocks on it if they get some in-stock soon. If they don't then maybe a set of Herrett's or some Nill's. I really love the Nill Griffe stippled wood target stocks but they don't come cheap!

[Mytmousemalibu]

So a question for my fellow Model 29 owners out there...
What are your favorite boolits (moulds) for your 29? Boolits that your gun really loves?

I don't have anything for 44cal casting so I have a problem to solve!

Not looking to rotate the earth here. I'll probably load some serious medicine pills but more than anything else I want accuracy and probably a design that works well as a meat-getter would be nice!

[Mr_Sheesh]

Lyman #429421 or the like in the past; I might try out a TCFP boolit though :)

[GBertolet]

Lyman 429244 Gas check mold #1, and 429421 as #2, both sized to .431.

[Mytmousemalibu]

Ill have a look at those. Any experience with full wadcutters in 44cal?

I do have a friend that may have some 44cal H&G stuff too. I really love the old Hensley & Gibbs moulds, can't beat'em!

[Mr_Sheesh]

I never bought a WC mold, so no experience here with WCs in 44 Mag, should do well though.

[6thtexas]

Might want to check your cylinder throats. My 29-2 has .4335"-.434" throats. All the bullets for it get sized .433' and it shoots great. I have been running Accurate 43-233H, 43-230G, and NOE 432-277-K molds. All shoot well. I had an RCBS 44-250K that only turned out bullets about .430-.431. They shot Ok if cast really soft but the .433 bullets shoot much better.

[Hickok]

Might want to check your cylinder throats. My 29-2 has .4335"-.434" throats. All the bullets for it get sized .433' and it shoots great. I have been running Accurate 43-233H, 43-230G, and NOE 432-277-K molds. All shoot well. I had an RCBS 44-250K that only turned out bullets about .430-.431. They shot Ok if cast really soft but the .433 bullets shoot much better.I agree. I have an older Model 29 with .433" chambers. Have to cast them large and size them like you do.

Bought a newer S&W 629 and it had chamber throats of .428". I sent the cylinder to Doug, here on the Cast Boolit site, and he reamed them out, and it shoots cast beautifully.

[Lloyd Smale]

yup you sure stole that one.