Best 29?

[Matthew 25]

I want a 4" blued model 29. I know there are a lot of variations. Can you guys give me reasons why one is best or if there are legitimate differences? I think I want a 29-2, mostly for the beauty of recessed chambers.

Thanks

[9.3X62AL]

Take a set of pin gauges with you to examine any S&W Model 29 revolver. Variants made from the late 1970's through the late 1980's often have oversized chamber throats, on the order of .433"-.434". Not the end of the world, but you'll need to find a mould that casts large enough to fill those big throats, and commercial/mass-produced moulds (Lyman/Lee/RCBS) won't measure up. And an expander plug of similar size for case mouths that won't shrink your castings while seating boolits.

[376Steyr]

S&W made numerous changes to make the M29 more robust over the years. If you want to shoot "a lot" of "heavy" loads in a M29, this year's model would be your best bet. For endurance, the higher the number behind the dash, the better. If you are looking for the pinnacle of 20th century industrial art, the 29-2 is an excellent choice. It should last forever if you limit it to "moderate" loads.

[45-120-550 Sharps]

I have a brand new 4 inch 29-10, and it has very tight tolerances. the barrel slugged at .429, and the throats slugged at .430. The only thing that is a little off putting to some people is the key lock, but I can live with that. Its a very nice gun, and I don't think you could go wrong with one, new or old.

[looseprojectile]

a brand new eight and three eights inch 29-2. No box or papers. Cheap.

I also just bought a couple of speed loaders and intend to shoot bowling pins with it using somewhat reduced loads.
Ought to be a hoot.
After I wear it completely out it will still be worth twice as much as I paid for it.

I will be measuring the throats and slugging the bore to see what will work in it.

Ya just gotta love these old Smiths with pinned barrels and counter bored chambers.

Harry, please step aside.


Life is good

[FN in MT]

I want a 4" blued model 29. I know there are a lot of variations. Can you guys give me reasons why one is best or if there are legitimate differences? I think I want a 29-2, mostly for the beauty of recessed chambers.

Thanks

What do You wish to do with it? Shoot occasionally? Shoot it extensively? Or a safe queen.

If you are looking for an investment /safe queen. Look for a pristine pre model # gun or and early 29 or 29-1.

Want a Shooter? Then look for one of the later guns with the Enhancement package.

A lot of choices available...the proper reply depends on your requirements.

[9.3X62AL]

I have a brand new 4 inch 29-10, and it has very tight tolerances. the barrel slugged at .429, and the throats slugged at .430. The only thing that is a little off putting to some people is the key lock, but I can live with that. Its a very nice gun, and I don't think you could go wrong with one, new or old.

AH! This is good to hear, concerning the new variants and their critical cast boolit dimensions.

[Dutchman]

My 29-2 bought new in 1983 or so. Very accurate shot mostly with .44 Specials just like Dirty Harry said...

[Matthew 25]

FN... I think my "wants" and "needs" don't line up too well. I know a newer revo may have more accuracy potential and could be more durable. But I want recessed chambers. Oh, poor me. I think I'll go with the 29-2 and hope I can make it accurate.
No safe-queens allowed around here. Everything goes to the field eventually. This short 29 will likely trade off with the short SBH and spend a good bit of time in leather getting dirty and wet.
It will be fed a steady supply of moderate 240 swc if they shoot well.

[x101airborne]

Moderate 240's are what the 29 is just meant for. Use a 44 mag case and about 10 grains of Unique for 1100 fps. Far below max pressure, good accuracy and I have hit a hog with a 429421 at 100 yards on a luck shot. Complete penetration and dead hog in a short order.

[44man]

All of my old 29's back to 1956 seen a steady diet of the 429421 with 22 gr of 2400. Then to 24 gr of 296 at IHMSA with a 240. Never hurt a single one. Never wore one. I had 5 or 6, can't remember.
Only trouble is a boolit too heavy with too much recoil.
New ones? Don't know but seen a .500 S&W double, just springs and inertia. The gun sure had precision fit parts.
Just like any gun, there can be problems and it always comes down to what they do for you.
The hurt will be a company that makes you pay to fix their faults.

[jwp475]

I want a 4" blued model 29. I know there are a lot of variations. Can you guys give me reasons why one is best or if there are legitimate differences? I think I want a 29-2, mostly for the beauty of recessed chambers.

Thanks

I love M-29-2's. Personally I have never encountered a M=29-2 that wasn't built correct and accurate. I have 2 and highly recommend them

[looseprojectile]

my 29-2 and cylinder gap is .009" the throats are .4325" and the groove is .4285".

Serial # N427365 .

I will load some 44 special type loads in magnum cases with the Ranch Dog 265 grain .432"boolits and see how it does. [7 grains of Unique?].
I will lube some of them without gas checks and see what they do at twentyfive feet.

The game is to knock down the five bowling pins before your opponent does.
Eight or nine hundred FPS should do it.


Life is good

[Old School Big Bore]

I bought my 4" 29-2 'new plus six rounds' in the late '70s. At the time I was shooting an early NMSBH in IHMSA and was only hitting enough to be class 'B'. After one match, I reset a bank of turkeys and, using my silhouette load in the 29, took down the whole bank. It made me want to lay my Blackhawks 'over here' (tossing-over-shoulder gesture) and opened my eyes to: what a superb revo the 29 is, and, the capabilities of short barreled guns. I carried the 29 on duty for decades with the Speer 225 JSWCHP & 10.0/Unique (hunted with it too, killed the S TX trifecta with it one season), shot thousands of Lee 210 SWC same charge for the training understudy, and thousands more Lee 120 WC & 4.5/W231 at steel. Would've been thousands of Keiths too but our club dropped full-distance IHMSA for that sissy Hunter class. I only have a .430 sizer, and never had any poor-shooting or heavy-leading loads shooting mostly straight W/W. This past October I broke the elevation pivot pin on my match/carry M1911, so I dusted off the 29 & its leather & speedloaders, and have been carrying it again. Today I got to wondering and measured this gun's throats, and with the calipers it showed .4325, so probably more than that when I slug it tomorrow. So...send it to the S&W perf center for a new cylinder, or buy oversize molds & sizer, or just keep shooting it with the gear I have?

[9.3X62AL]

OSBB--you can try out some wider boolits if you're so inclined for grins & jollies, but based on your post's text I would say that you might be "turning wrenches on things not broken". You don't mention the diameters of the Lee castings used previously, but if accuracy was up to par and leading was absent......there isn't a thing going wrong that needs addressing.

[bhn22]

My 629-2 taught me to avoid N frames below the era of the 629-4. I'll never buy another 44 N frame that doesn't have the full Endurance Package. Another issue arose when I detail stripped it for cleaning. Poor machine work everywhere, including the yoke, trigger, and rebound slide. The tool marks inside the frame didn't bother me, except in the area of the rebound slide. And yes, it did have .434 throats, and a .430 barrel. It's gone now, but all in all, I don't want another one.

[oger]

My friends Bob Chow reworked 29-2. I consider it the finest revolver of any kind I have ever shot. (I'm first in line if it ever is up for sale)

[MtGun44]

IMO, current production or at least in the last 5 years or so. Many small redesigns
for the "durability" mods.

Bill

[kweidner]

As far as oversized throats, many of us have run into this. Most have an oversized mold or two. If one gets into a pinch and wants to try before you buy an oversize mold shoot us a PM. I am sure more fellows than myself will send you some bullets to try. Back to the Smith. Careful on the used market I have seen a many that were pure wore out. Some pin guages are in order as well as some feeler guages. I personally would go with the newer. Remember Smith will not honor warranty stuff prior to the buy out. I had a .357 that looked like the barrel gap was set on a friday after new years and they would do nothing about it. I ended up selling it and the buyer sent it to smith and paid to have it fixed.

[Clay M]

I like the 29 and 629 Classics made in the earily 90's. I like the extra weight and balance of the underlug,plus there were some improvements made with those models. I also have an older pinned and recessed 629 4" that I like as a side arm.