coosbaycreep
Member
I'm looking at getting another S&W .44 mag very soon most likely, but had several questions first.
I already have an older 6.5" 29-2 with a trigger/action job or whatever, and it's probaby the nicest shooting gun I've ever shot. However, I've really been wanting one with a 4" barrel, and I want one I can shoot a little hotter loads in without wearing it out quite as fast. The hottest loads I've shot it through is 240gr hornadys. I mainly just shoot some lower power 240gr FMJ though, and I also shot some 210gr winchester silvertips and 210gr speer gold dots through it yesterday that shot pretty good in it.
I really like the looks of the new two tone performance center guns, but I don't think they make one like what I want with a 4" barrel, and they cost enough that it will make it more difficult for me to get one of the other guns I've really been wanting lately too, which is much more likely to be banned soon than a revolver.
As far as the P.C. guns, I like the looks of the black frame with a stainless cylinder, especially the unfluted cylinder. I've asked about having the 29 I already own getting a stainless cylinder and shorter barrel put on it on THR before, and was told it'd be a waste of money, which I agree with after looking at the costs involved.
I've seen 329PDs that look the way I want, but they were a snub nose. They also make a 4" that I've seen with an unfluted cylinder, but the whole gun is stainless (629P.C.?), and it doesn't look as wicked without the black frame. The Stealth Hunter is a good looking gun that's made in the color scheme that I want, but it's even bigger than the gun I already have. I know they also make some of the 8-shot .357s with a 4" barrel and black frame with stainless cylinder, but it's in the wrong caliber, and they have an ugly compensator thing on the end.
Does anyone know if S&W makes a gun like what I want with a 4" barrel?
Cost is another big issue. If I get a new smith, it's probably going to cost me $900-$1200. That's a whole lot of money for me. On the other hand, I seen a real nice looking 629-3 with a 4" barrel at a pawn shop for $549 the other day. Whether or not it's still there right now, I don't know, but that'd leave me a lot of extra money to buy ammo and put towards the semi-auto .308 I've been wanting.
I don't shoot a lot, and when I do shoot, it's usually just at cans and stuff on BLM land. I don't need anything super accurate for competition or anything like that. Any normal functioning S&W is going to be far more accurate than I am, but how much of a difference is there accuracy wise between a new PC smith and an older one like a 629-3?
I know all smiths are weaker than Rugers (and buying a ruger isn't an option, they're ugly and it's not what I want), but is there much of a difference between new S&Ws and old S&Ws as far as durability and the ability to handle hotter loads go? I'm not planning on shooting any P+ loads through whatever I get, but it'd be nice to be able to shoot the hottest standard pressure loads and not be concerned with damaging the gun.
The internal locks are ugly on the new guns obviously, but that's not enough to keep me from buying used instead of new either.
If I buy used, is there a certain dash model (-3,-4, etc) that's best to look for for what I want? (Which is basically just reliability and accuracy).
Other than the fact that I like the more modern looks of the newer PC smiths over the older regular 29/629s, are the new guns worth almost twice what I could buy a nice, used .44 for?
I'd rather have a good shooting 4" for under $600 even if it meant it didn't look as "cool" as I'd like it too, if there's not much difference in durability/reliability compared to the newer guns at twice the cost, so I'd appreciate advice from those of you who have shot both the new and older S&Ws.
Also, I'm not concerned with collector's value or resale. I know a new gun will almost always lose value when you go to sell it, where as a used one doesn't lose as much. I plan on keeping whatever I get for life most likely, and I plan on shooting it (as much as I can afford or my tendonitis can handle) and occasionally carrying it, so I'm not concerned with what holster wear or lots of rounds will do to the resale.
thanks
I already have an older 6.5" 29-2 with a trigger/action job or whatever, and it's probaby the nicest shooting gun I've ever shot. However, I've really been wanting one with a 4" barrel, and I want one I can shoot a little hotter loads in without wearing it out quite as fast. The hottest loads I've shot it through is 240gr hornadys. I mainly just shoot some lower power 240gr FMJ though, and I also shot some 210gr winchester silvertips and 210gr speer gold dots through it yesterday that shot pretty good in it.
I really like the looks of the new two tone performance center guns, but I don't think they make one like what I want with a 4" barrel, and they cost enough that it will make it more difficult for me to get one of the other guns I've really been wanting lately too, which is much more likely to be banned soon than a revolver.
As far as the P.C. guns, I like the looks of the black frame with a stainless cylinder, especially the unfluted cylinder. I've asked about having the 29 I already own getting a stainless cylinder and shorter barrel put on it on THR before, and was told it'd be a waste of money, which I agree with after looking at the costs involved.
I've seen 329PDs that look the way I want, but they were a snub nose. They also make a 4" that I've seen with an unfluted cylinder, but the whole gun is stainless (629P.C.?), and it doesn't look as wicked without the black frame. The Stealth Hunter is a good looking gun that's made in the color scheme that I want, but it's even bigger than the gun I already have. I know they also make some of the 8-shot .357s with a 4" barrel and black frame with stainless cylinder, but it's in the wrong caliber, and they have an ugly compensator thing on the end.
Does anyone know if S&W makes a gun like what I want with a 4" barrel?
Cost is another big issue. If I get a new smith, it's probably going to cost me $900-$1200. That's a whole lot of money for me. On the other hand, I seen a real nice looking 629-3 with a 4" barrel at a pawn shop for $549 the other day. Whether or not it's still there right now, I don't know, but that'd leave me a lot of extra money to buy ammo and put towards the semi-auto .308 I've been wanting.
I don't shoot a lot, and when I do shoot, it's usually just at cans and stuff on BLM land. I don't need anything super accurate for competition or anything like that. Any normal functioning S&W is going to be far more accurate than I am, but how much of a difference is there accuracy wise between a new PC smith and an older one like a 629-3?
I know all smiths are weaker than Rugers (and buying a ruger isn't an option, they're ugly and it's not what I want), but is there much of a difference between new S&Ws and old S&Ws as far as durability and the ability to handle hotter loads go? I'm not planning on shooting any P+ loads through whatever I get, but it'd be nice to be able to shoot the hottest standard pressure loads and not be concerned with damaging the gun.
The internal locks are ugly on the new guns obviously, but that's not enough to keep me from buying used instead of new either.
If I buy used, is there a certain dash model (-3,-4, etc) that's best to look for for what I want? (Which is basically just reliability and accuracy).
Other than the fact that I like the more modern looks of the newer PC smiths over the older regular 29/629s, are the new guns worth almost twice what I could buy a nice, used .44 for?
I'd rather have a good shooting 4" for under $600 even if it meant it didn't look as "cool" as I'd like it too, if there's not much difference in durability/reliability compared to the newer guns at twice the cost, so I'd appreciate advice from those of you who have shot both the new and older S&Ws.
Also, I'm not concerned with collector's value or resale. I know a new gun will almost always lose value when you go to sell it, where as a used one doesn't lose as much. I plan on keeping whatever I get for life most likely, and I plan on shooting it (as much as I can afford or my tendonitis can handle) and occasionally carrying it, so I'm not concerned with what holster wear or lots of rounds will do to the resale.
thanks
