Smith & Wesson Model 29

[whatnickname]

Sight Alingment

Relax...Our physical dimensions, eyesight, the way we hold a handgun and the way we stand can make a significant difference in the point of impact. That my friend is why they make adjustable sights. If you pulled all of my handguns out of the safe, you would see that most of my sights are cranked way over to the right. This has nothing to do with the handgun. It has to do with me. One of the most important aspects of handgun shooting is the way you place your finger on the trigger. Done correctly only the pad on the tip of your finger should contact the trigger. This way when you pull the trigger you have more of a tendency to pull the trigger straight back. If your finger contacts the trigger around the first knuckle then you have more of a tendency to pull the handgun to the right if you are right handed and visa versa for south paws. This is not a constant. All individuals are different. The pressure you place on a handgun with your thumb can also make a difference in the point of impact. I'll bet you a nickle you're flinching with that .44 too. Here's the test for that: Leave two or three empties in alternate chambers. Drop a couple of live rounds into the other empty chambers. Give the cylinder a good spin and close the cylinder without looking. Now proceed with firing. Watch what you do to the revolver when the hammer falls on an empty chamber! Shooting done correctly, should almost be a surprise to you when the gun goes of...well sort of anyway. The point is that you need to learn not to anticipate the recoil of the handgun...and that .44 has plenty of recoil!We are all different my friend. Crank your sights over and enjoy your handgun! Work on the placement of you trigger finger, sight picture and proper breathing. Breathing goes like this: Take a big breath and let it all out. Acquiure your sight picture. Take another breath and let about half of it out and start to squeeze the trigger. If you can't squeeze the trigger with your finger then squeeze with you entire hand until you hear the bang! If you want to talk rather than e-mail. I will be glad to answer any of your questions at the following number: 405-627-4297

Gene

 

[whatnickname]

sight alignment

That my friend is why they make adjustable sights. If you pulled all of my handguns out of the safe, you would see that most of my sights are cranked way over to the right. This has nothing to do with the handgun. It has to do with me. One of the most important aspects of handgun shooting is the way you place your finger on the trigger. Done correctly only the pad on the tip of your finger should contact the trigger. This way when you pull the trigger you have more of a tendency to pull the trigger straight back. If your finger contacts the trigger around the first knuckle then you have more of a tendency to pull the handgun to the right if you are right handed and visa versa for south paws. This is not a constant. All individuals are different. The pressure you place on a handgun with your thumb can also make a difference in the point of impact. I'll bet you a nickle you're flinching with that .44 too. Here's the test for that: Leave two or three empties in alternate chambers. Drop a couple of live rounds into the other empty chambers. Give the cylinder a good spin and close the cylinder without looking. Now proceed with firing. Watch what you do to the revolver when the hammer falls on an empty chamber! Shooting done correctly, it should almost be a surprise to you when the gun goes of...well sort of anyway. The point is that you need to learn not to anticipate the recoil of the handgun...and that .44 has plenty of recoil!We are all different my friend. Crank your sights over and enjoy your handgun! Work on the placement of you trigger finger, sight picture and proper breathing. Breathing goes like this: Take a big breath and let it all out. Acquiure your sight picture. Take another breath and let about half of it out and start to squeeze the trigger. If you can't squeeze the trigger with your finger then squeeze with you entire hand until you hear the bang!

 

[Black Dime]

What Whatnickname said. Ruger also touts the first generation Vaquero as a tank in disguise.
I have two that Cody Conagher aka Don Jones built. I dry fire a lot and I was confident that it was ok. I broke three transfer bars before I had a local smith weld up the hammer and do away with the need for a transfer bar.
I do not dry fire my nickle 6 1/2 M29. Well, once in a while I snap it to refresh my mind how awesome that single action trigger is.

 

[scubadown]

whatnickname

Thanks for the tips. I am going to really try that finger placement trick. I think that may be one of my issues.

 

[whatnickname]

You're welcome

Give me a call if you need to.

 

[danefraz]

Dry fire, Snap Caps, and Reduced Loads

All,

Good information is in this thread! Thanks for posting.

I've read S&W's website also that says it's ok to dry fire (first and foremost make sure the thing is unloaded and pointed in a safe direction). (Their dry fire comments are in their FAQ section).

I also agree that excessive dryfiring will lead to unnecessary wear, somewhere.

Personally, I prefer 'light loads' for practice. But that requires 'range time' or time in the field or hills or where ever. Most of us can't do this in our back yards.

Back when I was younger and enamored with the 'world's most powerful', I had to load and shoot every round as if it were needed to penetrate plate armor. It's hard not to develop a 'natural' flinch when you're trying to duck a mallet that's about to square off with your noggin. Especially when you feel the 'click', see the smoke and you know it's coming. It's the same for any firearm.

Many of my loads included the 300g Hornady XTP or some other 300g JHP over Hercules 2400. I always felt that these were 'sweet rollers' as they didn't boom to clunk your forehead, but they simply rolled in your hands (I did shoot a few single handed without problems - in a effort to pull my own dirty harry moments at some tin cans, melons or something similar).

I now keep a few 'party favors' loaded, for instance if I decide to go fishing where the north american saber toothed, grizzley clawed mamoth frequents the same haunts, or if the Zombies decide to attack me.

HOWEVER, my best increases in handling my model 29s was getting smart, buying a bunch of lead 240g SWC "Keiths" and loading them light. I use Alliant's "UNIQUE" powder - not because it's 'clean' (it's a little smoky) but because it's cheap and it's been around for like 100 years or so and I don't mind using a little solvent at the bench when I'm done.

Alliant has a reasonable recipe here: http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloaders/recipedetail.aspx?gtypeid=1&weight=240&shellid=33&bulletid=52

What's light? I am pushing them (chronied) at an average of about 725 fps or so. Not much whallop there, but it is easy to learn the trigger without having to worry about denting your forehead. It also allows you to manage your 'flinch' reflex. And they make pretty round holes in the paper targets. And at about a nickel a pop for powder, it doesn't kill my pocket book (give or take, I get 1100 to 1200 rounds from a pound of powder - which runs about $20). I think for the primers and cast bullets I might be up to 20 cents each. I can't count my brass prep time, but that takes me about an hour per hundred - and it beats watching 'dancing with the stars.'

I used a combination of shooting off a bean bag (or pillow rest) and two handed and then single handed. The bean bag / pillow rest allow you to focus on breathing and trigger pull while giving you some feel for the firearm.

Do not ignore shooting with your non-dominate hand (for most of us righties, that's the left). Also use your non-dominate eye. I think you'll be surprised how well you can do, because you have to stop and 'think' about what you're doing, focus on breathing, holding and your squeeze... Do it often enough and it becomes second nature like the other (I haven't gotten there yet with either hand after years of trying).

Like most else here, It's simply my humble opinion and what works for me...

Regards and Happy Shooting
-d