Radagast, can I ask you about three guns?
My very first gun:
S&W 44 Magnum M29-2, 6" barrel, S/N #N7421**, bought new around 1984?
second gun:
S&W 44 Magnum M29-3, 10 5/8" barrel, S/N ADY06**, bought from a friend a bit later
Also,
S&W 357 Model 19-3, 2 1/2" barrel, S/N #6K600**, bought used from a co-worker a few years later
Explanation - "Dirty Harry" burned the impression of what a gun should look like into my mind, and I wanted either a Colt Python, or one of Harry's guns. A fellow who had a small gunshop in Michigan sold it to me, and later installed an optical sight, which I now wish I hadn't bought, as it made shooting more difficult by magnifying all my hand tremors or whatever they're called. A friend at work who was very into shooting sold me his Silhouette gun, along with all his reloading gear, and then a Model 41 which I won't ask about here. When the guys at my job found out how much I enjoyed shooting, one of them sold me the little 357, which is a lovely gun, but the hardest of all three for me to shoot with. I would still be using the Model 29 right now, but 38 Special loads feel better to me than 44 Special. I know, I'm a wimp.