Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns S&W 29-3 or Ruger SuperBlackhawk for .44mag handgun?

I have had a Blackhawk in the past and loved it. At the time I didnt reload and could not pay for the .44ammo, so I sold it.

Now I have a 29-3 S&W 4" and its a great gun. Nice fit/finish and great trigger. Just does not seem as accurate as my Blackhawk I had (the blackhawk had a 7.5" barrel). I have an offer to trade my 29-3 for a nearly new Blackhawk in Stainless and I'm thinking about the trade.

What are your opinions on Blackhawk vs. 29-3? Regardless of price, just personal opinion.

That's a tough one. Ruger Blackhawks are plentiful and Model 29's are getting harder to find. What caliber is the Blackhawk? Anything special about it?

For strictly hunting, I'd take the Blackhawk. For a backup hunting gun and self defense, I'd take the Model 29. But no way I'd do that trade without a bunch of boot coming my way.

I wouldn't make that trade. You'd be trading a nominal $600 gun (the S&W, which might be worth more depending on condition and because it is in the desirable 4" length) for, at best, a $400 gun on the used market (used SBH's are plentiful) and a new SBH goes for around $480-550 depending on how prices are in your region.

What I would do is keep your 'Smith, and buy a used SBH when you run across one for $250 or so. I saw a Bisley 44 Mag for $349 the other day. It was rough cosmetically, but solid mechanically and would have been an excellent truck gun.

I have both and the Model 29 has it all over the Ruger. Model 29 would be my pick

The Blackhawk is in .44 magnum. The blued SBH I had was $400, but I believe the stanless ones are worth ~$50 more from what I have seen.

Keep the Model 29.

That deal had Trade Regret written all over it. Even if you're perfectly happy with the Blackhawk I suspect a ghost will haunt your future. I've made that deal before...

Limp by with the M29 until you've got the cash for the Blackhawk.

As has been said, the Smith is simply the more expensive gun, regardless of which you like better. It would be a bad trade.

No way would I make that trade.



Travis

+1. Don't even think about it.

Only if he throws in a .44mag lever gun as well.

I contacted him as to why his trade value was so high and it appears the Blackhawk in question is a magna-port Blackhawk, but still valued lower than my 29 from what I am finding.

Generally speaking, modifications hurt the value of a gun rather than help it. Mods are too owner-specific. Magna porting, in this case, doesn't enhance the value.

Different tools for different jobs.

The shorter-barreled M29 is much more packable and versatile, so makes a great trail gun IMHO. The 7.5" Blackhawk is more of a pure hunting handgun.

You should buy and keep at least one of both.

The shorter barreled gun WILL be more difficult to shoot as well as the longer barreled one regardless of make. Particularly when you start stretching it out to 50 yards or more. If I were you I would just shoot the hell out of the Smith with less than magnum level loads until it met my needs from an "accuracy" standpoint. Then power up if needed and work on managing to the same groups. That said, a proper 250 gr .430" bullet will do a lot of critter damage at 1100 fps. I do not load any of my big bores to much over that velocity.

I just went thru this. I have 2 SBH .44s. One was a 7 1/2" blued and the other is a stainless 4 5/8ths .44. I traded the 7 1/2" for a NIB Model 29-3 with an 8 3/8" barrel. I use my .44s for hunting primarily. What got me to make the deal was thinking about my hunting technique. With a SA there is just too much hand movement when shooting (cocking the hammer) compared to a DA. I couldn't be happier with my trade. The Smith is in a league of it's own. Keep the Smith. That trade has regret written all over it.

Why not a Redhawk or Super Redhawk? It's a stronger gun than the S&W 29 and easier to keep a grip on than a Blackhawk.

I love the SBH but I wouldn't make that trade.

Don't beat yourself up. I have a Super Blackhawk that has shot loads that would shoot the Model 29 loose. I know that there are people who would argue that with me, but it is true. Standard pressure loads will keep a Model 29 shooting for years, but the Ruger is built like a tank.

Shoot often, shoot safely and share your sport

+1 on that. I too prefer the SBH but they resale for much lower than a Model 29. IMO the magnaporting just reduces the SBH's value even more.

I'd sell the Model 29 to someone else. With those proceeds you'll be able to buy a gently used SBH and still quite a bit of cash left over to put towards a reloading kit.