I know that the 29-2 and back were pinned and recessed and from the 29-3 forward that the were not. but I have read that starting with the 29-3 that they started beefing up the insides making them more able to Handel the recoil. My questions are did the quality go up or down? Were the 29-3s and newer better made?
What about the $$$$ of 29-2 VS a 29-3 both in the same condition with a 6.5" barrel how much difference would one expect to pay for one over the other

Thanks

The "-3" change took place in 1983. The upgrades for endurance to handle wear and tear better (designated with an "E") didn't take place until 1988 thru 1990.

Designation changes had nothing to do with quality, per se. S&W's quality varied widely over the years depending on who was running the company. S&W has changed hands (ownership & management) many times, with the last several years of the Bangor Punta ownership days (1965 -1984) being the worst, in terms of quality control.

Values, if different between the two designations, would likely be based on subjective perceptions.

The -2 carries a premium as it is "pinned and recessed" and the fit and finish is generally better. The 29-3 is a better choice for shooting heavy loads, however.

I wasn't aware the 29-3 was offered in a 6.5", do you have one?

That barrel length was supposedly discontinued in 1979...replaced by the 6".

My son has one of each, but he likes the fit and finish of his -2 a little better..the -3 is a 6".

The 29-3E and the -4 have the new style yoke retention (yoke screw has the little ball that runs in the V of the new style yoke) engineering change. I've peened a few yoke buttons over the years getting the yoke endshake out. That's a good improvement since the yoke screw no longer rides on the inside of the yoke button and also eliminates the wear caused by idiots that insist on swapping screws without fitting them to the yoke

JB,
You are correct it is a 6"
It is not mine although I have been thinking about making it mine