I'd spent a few years hunting down a fairly priced 4" Nickel 29 in high condition. Years I say. It took me almost 15 years of S&W shooting to really embrace the N-frame, I'd always liked the K and L, even embraced a pair of J's in there.
Several years ago I traded into a nice original 2nd Model Hand Ejector in .45 Colt. Learned to love it. Followed rapidly were a 4" 28, a 3.5" 27, and a Lew Horton 3" 629. A few other odd ones. Bear country was a few weekends a year, and that was a great excuse for something in addition to the 629 - it was just too nice to carry, ya' know?
The 4" 29 struck me as so beautiful and utilitarian, I had to have one. And in nickel; I didn't have a nickel N frame and seriously needed one. Finally this spring I ran across one locally in a shop I hit once in a while, very fairly priced. In better condition and cheaper than most any online and with no transfer and shipping hassles. Yeah!
In fact, I'd so anticpated this gun, I bought the 4" El Paso Tom Threeperson leather for it two years ago or more. Yep, sometimes I buy the leather for a new gun LONG before I even get the gun... (color me committed, I guess).
I do admit to loving the hammer; I'm a fan of the old wide spur 1911 type hammer on my 1911's. Even retro-fitted one of my Series '70s with it, and some others. But I do love the smooth combat trigger, or if serrated something of narrow or moderate width. The wide target trigger on these makes them much less than, well, target-friendly. But I still loves this gun. A pair of smooth target grips will make it more magnum-friendly, but I love the look of the originals on it; I'd only swap them for a period correct pair of smooth targets.
Several years ago I traded into a nice original 2nd Model Hand Ejector in .45 Colt. Learned to love it. Followed rapidly were a 4" 28, a 3.5" 27, and a Lew Horton 3" 629. A few other odd ones. Bear country was a few weekends a year, and that was a great excuse for something in addition to the 629 - it was just too nice to carry, ya' know?
The 4" 29 struck me as so beautiful and utilitarian, I had to have one. And in nickel; I didn't have a nickel N frame and seriously needed one. Finally this spring I ran across one locally in a shop I hit once in a while, very fairly priced. In better condition and cheaper than most any online and with no transfer and shipping hassles. Yeah!In fact, I'd so anticpated this gun, I bought the 4" El Paso Tom Threeperson leather for it two years ago or more. Yep, sometimes I buy the leather for a new gun LONG before I even get the gun... (color me committed, I guess).
I do admit to loving the hammer; I'm a fan of the old wide spur 1911 type hammer on my 1911's. Even retro-fitted one of my Series '70s with it, and some others. But I do love the smooth combat trigger, or if serrated something of narrow or moderate width. The wide target trigger on these makes them much less than, well, target-friendly. But I still loves this gun. A pair of smooth target grips will make it more magnum-friendly, but I love the look of the originals on it; I'd only swap them for a period correct pair of smooth targets.
