Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Choosing a 44

Choice... ? How about "Choice C", as the road unconsidered."
My specimen (not for sale), reflecting a sweet spot early Model 29, the "pre N Frame" as "pre Dirty Harry" Sn S148xxx vintage Model 29. (My 'catch' of some long decades ago as "unfired". Dried factory lube as yet "patina". Bowing to all the postulations here are great. But "vintage Smith" is somehow "special"!

Just my take!
Good Luck!
John

Good advice as well. I have a 4" and a 6 1/2" P&R'd M629 no dash. Great guns.

I have several smith's and a 6" new model anaconda I bought used. I think the Anaconda had had an action job as it has the best trigger of any revolver I own (which includes a performance center smith that had an action job).

Obviously, budget matters; but if not seriously limited and if choosing for hunting, I'd handle both the Anaconda and the s&w hunters (both magnum and stealth) if you can. Then I'd go with whichever felt best... and I'd probably plan on having a really good action job done on whichever one I bought. It might seem superfluous at the time; but you'll appreciate it as long as you have the gun and your son will after you pass it on.

Another vote for the smith and Wesson 629. A pre-lock mountain gun is a great .44

I've got a pre-lock Mountain Gun, but in .45 ACP. .45 ACP can be loaded to be about the equal of what most people shoot in their .44 Magnum Mountain Guns, i.e., toned down .44 Magnum, or hot .44 Special. 185 grain .45 ACP bullets, for example, can be pushed past 1,100 fps safely in an N-Frame revolver (20,000 psi). Their .45 ACP cylinders are rated to 30,000 psi, and the 625 Mountain Gun's frames are rated to 40,000 psi.

For safety's sake, however, if you own a .45 ACP auto pistol, you should only load the above pressures in .45 Auto Rim cases, so as to avoid inadvertently loading them into an auto pistol.

Of the given choices, I agree with Hawkeye, as the older ones have the pinned barrel. The new ones have the screwed on barrel and I’ve seen more barrels clocked a few degrees off than I’ve seen properly aligned.

If you choose to go with new, ensure you are satisfied with the barrel orientation. S&W actually has a tolerance of so many degrees off top dead center that they consider within standards and not requiring correction.

I have had the S&W Mountain gun and a few Ruger SBH. I prefer the Rugers. Shooting a 44mag double action isn't some thing one does regularly. Also the Smith gouged my hand web between finger and thumb in about 6 rounds and I had it ported,

Go with the 629 and invest in an inexpensive reloading outfit to feed it. You won’t always need full power loads and practice ammo will be much cheaper loading your own.

after seeing a twisted frame S.W. 44 mag. 629 and i do own 2 - 629 S.W. and reading on the site Buffalo bullet ammo company ,i am done buying any S.W. revolvers anymore ,i will buy only Colt ,Ruger or maybe a couple of others.i also talked on the phone with a ammo manufacture about revolvers he no longer used S.W. revolvers either. i did last summer 2023 buy a Ruger Redhawk 44 Mag. for my son`s birthday 4 inch barrel so he can use the high pressure hard lead bear bullets he also got from me.

Of the two choices I’d probably go with the Smith. Truth is I believe very few people shoot their 44’s enough to wear them out. I assume that your son doesn’t already have a 44 that gets carried regularly or semi-regularly. It should serve him well.

I have always owned P & R Smith & Wessons, M/29-2 and M/629 no dash have been my choice. My current S & W is a 4" M/629 no dash which has been Magna-ported. For practice and plinking my go to load for years has been 7.5gr. of Unique with a 200gr. RNFP bullet, occasionally increase the charge to 9.0gr.

Son is an Army captain. They keep him a fairly steady supply of arms. He has a safe full of guns but I have never seen a 44 in it

629-4

FFS, get the Colt. Buy once, cry once.

629

I have a Ruger Super Blackhawk 7.5" in 44 Mag. I'd trade it for a nice 629 6" or 8 3/8" in a hot minute.

I have both the original Colt Anaconda and several S&W’s. I have a performance Center 629 and a 29-2 pre 82 with a pinned barrel and recessed cylinder. I love the Performance Center 629 from a fit/finish/trigger feel. If I were to look at getting a 44 and would weigh heavily on the fact that it will be passed down the family line, I’d get a pre lock model 29 in the barrel length you love. I lean 4”.

Out of the two choices I’d go with the smith. I would also take a hard look at the ruger 44’s.

Do right by him, get the S&W. It's a true classic, attractive and is everything a revolver should be, a colt just doesn't have it.

One other point I read long ago that is even more true today... If you can afford enough ammo to wear out a modern revolver, you can also afford to fix or replace it.