Smith & Wesson Model 29

[scubadown]

Is there an on line resource to find the manufacture date of a Smith & Wesson Model 29-3 with a serial number AHHXXXX?


Thanks

One more question. Is it ok to dry fire a Smith & Wesson Model 29-3. Just a few times while inspecting a potential purchase? How about many time after purchase to get use to a new handgun?

Thanks again.

 

[WNC Seabee]

Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson puts it at 1985.

 

[scubadown]

Thanks WNC Seabee.

Tom

 

[scubadown]

One more question

One more question. Is it ok to dry fire a Smith & Wesson Model 29-3. Just a few times while inspecting a potential purchase? How about many time after purchase to get use to a new handgun?

Thanks again.

 

[Oro]

Dry fire it all you want. Most modern centerfire handguns cannot be damaged from dry firing. This is in the manual, by the way. Specifically, S&W says this gun and similar are OK to dry fire. Do it about 80% of the time to manage your trigger control. Do it weekly to manage your trigger action and keep away any flinching. Basically, never hesitate to pick up the gun and practice keeping your sight picture stable while pulling the trigger. Do it daily if you really want to shoot well.

 

[scubadown]

Thanks ORO, I was hoping you guys would say that as I love to develop familiarity by handling and dry firing. Now, tonight I will inspect the gun using the info listed here and see if it passes muster.

Thanks again

 

[scubadown]

What a beautiful gun

Thanks for the help here. I bought the S&W 29. It is one beautiful gun and the trigger has the cleanest break I have ever felt.

 

[easyrider604]

Pictures?

 

[scubadown]

Hope to shoot it this weekend

 

[Duke of Doubt]

My nickel 29-3 has probably the best trigger I've ever encountered on a gun (I was sold when I dry-fired it). With Hogue monogrip, recoil is very manageable, though with the 5 7/8 inch barrel, it does tend to flip a bit.

 

[whatnickname]

Dry fire?

Well all things in moderation. Here's the issue with dry firing a vintage S&W revolver. The piece was made to be fired with live ammo. To an extent, the primer in the case acts as a sort of a cushion for the firing pin that is mounted on the nose of the hammer. You will notice that the firing pins pivots slightly (vertically) in the hammer nose...its suppose to do that...they designed it that way. It doesn't hurt one to dry fire it once in a while but to do it frequently will eventually peen or upset the hole in the firing pin bushing that's press fit into the breach-face of the frame. On top of that you're slamming the side of the firing pin down on the edge of the bushing hole when you dry fire one. Dry fire a lot on an empty chamber and something's going to break! Firing pin bushings are a fairly easy thing to replace...firing pins are something I try to avoid having to replace. If you're going to dry fire your Smith, place some dummy or inert rounds in the chambers of the cylinder to cushion the firing pin. You'll be glad you did. And for pete sakes...please don't "cowboy" a vintage Smith that looks as nice as yours does. Slam the cylinder shut or snapping the revolver quickly to the right to close an open cylinder is just plain dumb and a sure-fired way to spring the yoke out of alignment...the guys that do this are the same ones that scream: "Lock and load" on the firing range...It's "load and lock" at every match I ever shot!

 

[scubadown]

What the the hardened metal button at the bottom rear of the cylinder hole on the LHS?

 

[Duke of Doubt]

Cylinder guide piton. It has other names.

 

[scubadown]

So would dry firing with spent cartridges be OK?

 

[whatnickname]

dry firingt spent rounds?

Yes this would do fine but you will pretty quickly reach the point where the primers will deform so badly that it may be hard to get the cylinder into battery. Buy some training rounds with spring loaded primer plates. Take care of your revolver and it will last you a life time!

 

[DickM]

Cylinder guide piton. It has other names.

Frame lug or cylinder lug also. In earlier Smiths it's a separate piece staked into a hole in the frame (as in your photo). Current design has it incorporated as part of the frame.

 

[Oro]

Frame lug

This is indeed the most common name for it. It holds the cylinder in when opened.

Dry Firing is fine w/o ammo in it. The manuals sometimes explicitly state it - older ones I have do. It is not to be done in rimfire guns, but S&W centerfire revovlers are OK.

 

[scubadown]

It is curious, there seems to be real difference of opinion on whether it is OK to dry fire the S&W with the firing pin on the hammer. From my research on the internet forums it seems to be about a 50/50 split on whether is OK or not. I don't really understand how the firing pin could hit the small hole in the recoil pad if there was no round in the chamber.

 

[whatnickname]

Scubadown

Go back to my original post. The firing pin pivots vertically in the hammer nose. Drop the hammer on an empty chamber and the firing pin rattles up and down and smacks in to the hole edge in the firing pin bushing...there's nothing to stop it from doing so...like a primer in a shell casing for example. Do yourself a favor and get some snap caps.

Here is the stock number for the item you want at Brownells:

187-000-009
Fits .44 Mag., 6 pack $19.98

Give Brownells a call: 800-741-0015

If you would like to go for prolonged drying firing on empty chambers you will eventually have need to the following URL: http://www.gunpartscorp.com/

They will be glad to sell you firing pin bushings and firing pins...Brownells will sell you the tools you will need to install them! This stuff is going to cost way more than six snap caps.

 

[madcratebuilder]

I always go by what the manufacturer recommends, they are the ones that engineered to gun, and they are the ones that warranty the gun. If there was any possibility of damage from dry firing they would say that.
That said, there is nothing wrong with using snap caps. Do what YOU feel most comfortable with.

BTW, beautiful revolver.

 

[David E]

Spent casings won't do much past the SECOND strike to cushion anything other than your conscience.

Dryfiring a Model 29 isn't a big deal, but to insure maximum peace of mind, get the snap caps that have been suggested.

HOWEVER......be very, very, very careful each time you dryfire.

1) NEVER have live ammo in the same room.

2) Inspect EACH snap-cap to make sure it is, indeed, a snap-cap.

3) NEVER point the gun at a wall that can be penetrated by a fired round.

4) NEVER dryfire "one last time" once you are done. People have died that way. When you're done, you're DONE. If you load the gun when you have finished dryfiring, say to yourself ALOUD, "GUN IS LOADED" and put it away immediately.

.

 

[scubadown]

whatnickname - thanks, I think I understand. My firing pin seems very tight in the vertical direction. I have ordered 6 snap caps.

 

[whatnickname]

Tight Firing Pin / Dry firing

If your firing pin is excessively tight there's a good chance that you have some dirt, powder residue or other debris behind it. It's suppose to pivot up and down fairly freely. I suggest you hose it out with some gunscrubber, let it dry out and then place a little light oil between the nose of the hammer and the back of the firing pin.

Just for the record, I never said that dry firing on empty chambers was harmful per se. Excessive dry firing is going to lead to excessive wear. As far as Smith & Wesson is concerned it's a matter of degree. To be sure you can dry fire a Smith on empty chambers with no ill effects. I had a friend once that was fond of two things...Gunslick grease and dry firing. In his world a good way to get a trigger job was to fill the inside of his Smith with Gunslick and sit in front of the TV every night while he dry fired, hour after hour, night after night. I'm not sure the Gunslick ever did accomplish it's intended purpose but that's another story. What I am sure of is that the hole in the firing pin bushing wasn't round any more...it was oval shaped with the edges protruding significantly. As far as Smith & Wesson was concerned this was not a breakage problem, it was normal wear and tear which they never warranted against. S&W really didn't care that this guy wallowed out the firing bushing on his revolver. However, he reached a point where he cared. BTW...His revolver eventually got out of time. All that dry firing also caused the pawl or hand to wear faster than it would have otherwise.

 

[whatnickname]

Tight Firing Pin / Dry firing

David E,
You're right on the spent primer issue...they will not work very long and will cushion very little after just a few snaps.

 

[scubadown]

I shot my 44 today and I have a question: When I first started shooting at about 15 yards I was hitting the target way to the left. I notice that the windage was set way over the the right, so I centered it. That made it worse so I cranked it back way over to the right even more and it started coming on to the target. It is hitting right on now but the rear sight is way to the right. It seems consistent and accurate but there is something going on. I guess the barrel is not exactly aligned with the sights. I moved the target out to 30 yards and it seems to be right on but I ran out of bullets before I could confirm this. I love the way it shoots but am concerned about the alignment. Worried for nothing?