I'm after a woods carry gun and the G29 seems to fit the bill. Light(ish), compact, plenty of firepower and oompf. Give me the skinny, good, bad or indifferent. Cheers!

If that's what you want, by all means. Get some extra barrels too, like 40 cal, and 357 sig.

It’s been my main carry piece for probably 6 months now. Before that it was 23 and or 27. I actually prefer the dimensions ofnthe 29 and with a pinky extension on the mag baseplate it’s a joy to shoot and not at all what I expected even with buffalo
Bore and underwood ammo.

i guess i am a candy@$$... i have had several and could never grip them well enough with two hands to not have to readjust my grip after every three rounds. they are torquey beasts. lots of fun to shoot. more fun in my opinion than the G20. But given the control issues mine eventually went down the road. they are fat little porkers. as mentioned above the pinky extension is a big help. i would not hesitate to pick up another if one caught my fancy. for now my 10mm urge is resolved with a Delta Elite.

I carried one for years but switched to a 19. The 29 is a great gun.

Thanks fellas. The local indoor range has both the 29 and 20 available to rent, so I'm planning on shooting each side by side to compare. Looking forward to doing the research!

Go with the G20. Here's why. The G29's shorter barrel doesn't allow the 10mm to reach full potential. Shooting DT's 200gr. JHP I get 1089fps and 527ft-lbs. energy. Not bad for a compact gun; however, compared to a G23 and Speer 165gr. Gold Dots, which produces 1114fps and 454 ft-lbs energy - it's not that great. There's definitely a notable gap between the two, but not significant enough for me, plus the G23 holds three more rounds and is slimmer and easier to carry than the G29. The same DT 200gr. JHP out of a G20 with a 5.5" barrel produces 1218fps and 659 ft-lbs. of energy. With my reloads I can get over 700ft-lbs of energy out of the 5.5" G20. That's a HUGE difference (to me) compared to the G29. To me, the G29 is awkward to hold and produces energy similar to a typical duty caliber.

Concealment generally isn't an issue with a woods gun, so go with the larger G20, getter a better grip, more rounds, and more power.

Informative post, much appreciated, I'll take your thoughts into consideration.

I do a fair amount of trail running and I feel that concealment is a priority, not No.1 but up there. Portability is also a priority, hence my hesitance to just jump on the G20. My plan is to carry whatever I choose in an HPG Runners Kit Bag. I'll get a better feel for how each shoots when I get to the range this week. IF I go with the 29, the plan is to get a mag extension, 2 more rounds plus a better grip, win-win, then just use a regular G20 mag as a backup. Regardless of which I choose, hardcast will be my carry ammo and I'll take as much energy as I can get. If I didn't have to compromise somewhere, I'd just carry a 12 ga. and be done with it!

Im probably just stupid but my M20 came with a 4.6 inch barrel. How did yours come with a 5.5".. Did I get ripped off?

It's a custom Jarvis aftermarket barrel.

Interesting about the Glock 29 200 grain velocities, as I've chronographed 40 S&W Double Tap 200 grain WFNs at a little over 1000 fps in a factory Glock 23; they functioned well and shot great. I like this setup, as a barrel and mag swap gets one into cheap 9mm ammo, swapping back and loading up with the 200s for big nasty stuff.

I've had a G20 for years. I bought a G29 to have a smaller gun. I shoot the G29 just as accurately, can use 10 or 15 round mags in it if necessary, and give up 50 fps. I get the advertised 1300, (actually 1315 fps in my stock 4.6" barreled G20), with DoubleTap 200 gr hardcast. The G29 is 1250 fps, exactly as advertised by DT.

I have a bit of a different take. I have well over twenty handguns. If I could only keep one of them, for all uses--ranging from concealed urban carry to a woods defense gun, to a hunting gun--I think I would keep my G29 and reluctantly let everything else go.

On the other hand, I loved my G20, when I first got it before the G40 was available. I put a 6” bbl on it for defense on two Alasakan hunts. But, if I had to let one handgun go, it would be my G20.

My G29, G40, and DW Bruin can do anything the G20 can do, only better IMO.

My G29 has gotten up to 700 ft-lbs with Underwood ammo. For the two cartridges for which I have chronoed both the G20 and the G29, the G20 gets 50-100 fps more with its 0.8” longer barrel.

Concealability is an issue for me even in the backwoods because, for example, in VA, you cannot carry open in the national forest unless you have a firearm with which you are hunting legally.

In my G29, I get:
UW 155gr XTP: 1,426 fps; 700 ft-lbs
BB 180gr JHP: 1,252 fps; 627 ft-lbs
Fed. 180gr JSP: 1,205 fps; 580 ft-lbs
DT 200gr HC: 1,081 fps; 519 ft-lbs

In my G20, I get:
BB 180gr JHP: 1,301 fps; 677 ft-lbs
DT 200gr HC: 1,183 fps; 622 ft-lbs

In my G40, I get:
UW 155gr XTP: 1,588 fps; 868 ft-lbs
BB 180gr JHP: 1,378 fps; 759 ft-lbs
Fed. 180gr JSP: 1,352 fps; 731 ft-lbs
DT 200gr HC: 1,226 fps; 668 ft-lbs

The G29 loaded weighs 32 ounces; is compact enough to be easily concealable; has a 3.8” bbl; can fling a 200 gr HC at about 1,100 fps (likely faster with the UW version, but I have not chronoed that) and a 155gr bullet at over 1,400 fps. It’s hard to beat that as an all-around package that is concealable and fairly powerful—and always shoots when you pull the trigger.

Obviously, I’m not getting far less velocity out of the DT 200gr HC that JMR40 is getting in the G29. But I get 50 more fps out of the UW 220gr HC out of my longer 10mms than I do with the DT 200gr HC.

Long, short and medium. Who cares. Same old thing with pick any caliber. Barrel length affects all of them. Same old argument between the 4, 6, 7.5 inch 44 mag. Most are smart enough to know a 4 inch 44 Mag isnt as powerful as a 7.5 inch 44 Mag with the same ammo.
What new?

Somebody convince me that I should give a crap about velocity variances in handguns with 1" difference in barrel length!

Right. Who would ever want to spend their only firearm allowance on one of several 10mm pistols without knowing anything more than "4 inch 44 Mag isnt as powerful as a 7.5 inch 44 Mag with the same ammo."

Basically, that's enough to decide on any firearm purchase.

The point I was making is unless a person is totally dereft of knowledge or has been sitting in the pumpkin patch too long he or she knows that a shorter barrel handgun has less velocity than a longer barrel one with the same ammo on the average.
But people bring that up like it is a revelation in the shooting world.
News flash the shorter barrel of the Glock M29 renders it a has been and a ne're do well in power placement.
Wonder where my Smith M69 2.75 rates then? Suitable for mice and ground squirrels?

Show me the game you have killed with all your newby knowledge. Likely nothing. I have several kills with my 10mm. You are a talker.

What are you talking about? Explain yourself.

Well, this post took a turn. Any cycling issues with the heavy loads using the factory spring or would I need to upgrade?

If I rember correctly didn't some dude on a snowmobile shoot that moose with a Glock 29. More than likely would of had the same results with a G23 and heavies.

Has anyone ever chronoed the Buffalo Bore heavy 40 S&W ammo from a 4 inch gun?
Id say it would be great.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCvJe6QEWNQ

I like Hickok45's videos. He is pretty transparant in his shooting showing misses and bobbles. Not like some that show the target before shooting and then no more.

Having bought and sold several copies of all the guns mentioned, I would not myself re-buy a glock 29. Its just not enough more (to me in my opinion) to justify its girth than a G23 and good loads. For a woods gun, my personal take is more accurate might be more better. Why not look at a 1911 style 10mm, unless you just don't want to spend that money, (would not buy the Filipino gun unless I needed a book end)

What is a good load in 40 S&W?

...having just sold both my G20 and G29...my felings exactly..

That said I did buy one of them there Filipio guns...and it has run 100% and is just as accurate as the 1911s I spent 2 to 3 times as much for...

Bought the RAI Combat Commander size gun...ramped bull/bushingless barrel, VZ grips, Novak adjustable rear sight and FO front sight...zero play in the slide to frame..

...all I can say is that it works...a lot better than the Gs did for me...

Bob

I looked at the Ruger 1911 in 10mm. Nice gun with a good reputation, but, as I stated in an earlier post, concealment and portability are high on the priority list. The 1911's are just too big and heavy for what I want. I mostly want the gun to go with me when trail running in the mountains as well as hiking and hunting. Some concessions will need to be made to cover all my intended uses. I shot both the 20 and 29 today, 50 rounds each. I did slightly better with the 20 accuracy wise, but not enough better to justify the added bulk and weight. With a mag extension, the 29 ought to be more controllable and comfortable to shoot. Will do some more research on the heavy 40 cal loads and go from there. Thanks for all the input!

Where do you live OP? If you don’t live around grizzly bears, why carry anything bigger than a standard duty caliber? Ive had to shoot aggressive dogs and put down livestock. Didn’t use anything special. Just a Glock 22 and 165 and 180 gr Gold Dots. I now carry an M&P40 2.0 and an M&P40C 2.0. The Compact 2.0 would be a great option.

I'm in Washington, wet side. The seed of this inquiry was an up close and personal encounter with a black bear. All ended well but got me to thinking "what if?". I've got a G43 that normally goes with me but felt way under gunned.

I’m also from western WA and I'd be more worried about tweekers and weirdos. Instead of raw power, I would be more focused on how quickly and accurately can you deliver rounds on target. That generally means standard caliber, full-size or mid-size. A Glock 19 or 23 would fit th bill nicely.

I'm in Washington, wet side. The seed of this inquiry was an up close and personal encounter with a black bear. All ended well but got me to thinking "what if?". I've got a G43 that normally goes with me but felt way under gunned. [/quo


Phil Shoemaker killed that charging Grizzly with his 9MM Smith loaded with Buffalo Bore 147 grain hardcast. That M43 should be enough.

Whatever cranks your tractor: I have had both a Smith 1066 and a G29 and G20. It's hard to beat a compact 10mm. If I had to pick a 40 caliber for grizzlies would be a 416 Rigby. Personally, I'd rather not have my pistol found embedded in bear dung. For two legged aggressive vermin as in self-defense it would be my G20 loaded with 180's at 1190fps. In the meantime for daily use it's a G23 Gen 4 with 357 OEM barrel. Looking for another G29 as we speak.

Feeling undergunned and being undergunned are distinct concepts, although lack of confidence in a jam can end up getting you hurt. While now I mostly carry a Glock 26, loaded with Buffalo Bore 147 grain +P Outdoorsman rounds, I would not hesitate to go in the black bear woods with a Glock 43 loaded with the same rounds. In fact, I have carried a Glock 43 loaded with Buffalo Bore in black bear country while traveling on vacation. I do practice a lot with the 26, and I also put in some quality time with the 43 before I take it anywhere.

My wife has more trail miles on her resume’ than anyone I know, having run, paced and crewed in numerous ultradistance mountain races, and a 10-15 mile hike through the big woods (complete with pictures on return of fresh black bear tracks) is a fairly regular occurrence. I would never hear the end of it if I told ya’ll what she is carrying right now. Of course, back in the day, she would compete unarmed.

Running into a grizzly where he lives would mean that one got away from the zoo.