Strength of a S&W 629-1 .44 Mag?

[GunAdmirer]

I just bought a S&W 629-1 with 6" barrel .44 magnum from a friend. It is in like new condition.

How strong is this model? Strong enough to digest full powered .44 magnum loads? (factory or book loads, nothing nuclear)

It has a great single action trigger and seems to be very accurate.

 

[Walkalong]

Normal loads won't hurt it.

 

[Oro]

Strong enough to digest full powered .44 magnum loads? (factory or book loads, nothing nuclear)

That is what she was built for. I have one that is as tight as a drum after all the years.

 

[GunAdmirer]

Sometimes loads are specified for Ruger and Freedom Arm revolvers.

Some S&W medium frame .357s aren't recommended for extensive .357 use. So people mainly shoot .38 or .38+p in them.

Just wonderered if the 629 can digest full powered loads without coming loose. Thanks for the replies.

 

[Ben Shepherd]

That dash-1 thing means it's early enough that it doesn't have a lot of upgrades/improvements that a -3 or -4 would have if I understand the S&W numbering system correctly....

So while it was designed and built to shoot 44 magnum loads, I don't know if I'd use it for a thousands of rounds workhorse without expecting it to need a tune up once in a while.

 

[harmonic]

I owned a 629-1 and fired mostly midrange loads. My favorite load was a 240 grain SWC ahead of 7.0 grains Unique. I fired very few full-charge loads. I never fired factory loads.

The gun still noticeably loosened up after only a thousand or so rounds. By that I mean, I cocked the hammer, while holding the hammer with my thumb I would depress the trigger, lower the hammer while keeping the trigger depressed. While still keeping the trigger depressed I would try to rotate the cylinder back and forth.

While it never went "out of time," it definitely had wiggle. Unlike when I first bought it (cause then there was zero "wiggle").

My guess is that a steady diet of full charge loads will hasten the 629s need for gunsmithing.

One other thing I have discovered. Constant double action work is hard on the gun. The cylinder is pretty massive. When the cylinder rotates fast during double action work, the only thing that stops it is the little cylinder stop lever which pops up out of the frame into the cylinder stop notch (in the cylinder). After a lot of double action work, the notch enlarges and the stop lever gets battered. This can cause the gun to go out of time.

 

[mec]

The smith generally came out of the box with zero cylinder play-in fact one or two chambers would lock up a bit tighter than the others. Firing a box or two would even things out and eventually a bit of side play would develop. This is not a bad thing and some excellent gunsmiths/custom builders say it can contribute to accuracy as it lets the bullets align with the barrel as they enter the forcing cone.

The 629-1 is pre- enhancement package and more prone to loosen up, develop endshake and timing issues than the newer revolvers. My own practice with a pair of 29-2s is to shoot 240-250 grain bullets at 1000-1100 fps and go no higher. I had one of the revovlers re-timed. I had bought it used and it had manor carry-up shortfall and significant end shake. A few years ago, this was a simple procedure for the S&W factory though it is important to note that they will replace any parts they consider out of spec with MIM components.
Years ago, Massad Ayoob did a lot of shooting with 4" 29s. His practice was to keep spares so that he could rotate them between trips to his gunsmith for re-timing. My understanding of the process (which may be wrong) is that they replace the hand and re-align the frame by placing it in a jig and smacking it back into register with a babbit hammer.
The best reason for having one of the old N frames is that they are outrageously accurate and easy to shoot with moderate loads.The curren ones are the same if you can live with the evolutionary changes in design and execution.

 

[Ben Shepherd]

Question-

Would not using mid-range powders with the more gradual pressure curve enhance the number of rounds between tune-ups over using fast powders with a quick pressure spike?

 

[mec]

that would make sense but I don't know.
I use Unique out of long habit and because it performs well.

 

[Drail]

It will handle any SAAMI load safely but a heavy diet of heavy loads will accelerate wear and tear. If you want to shoot lots of heavy loads look at the Ruger lineup. A great many silhouette shooters have beat Model 29s to death over the years.

 

[hardluk1]

If loading for the max ,buy the rugers as some of the 29 have had enoght frame flex with heavy hot loads to backup the cylinder when fired . Checkout the latest issue of shooting times with a model 29 on the cover.

 

[GunAdmirer]

Right now this 629-1 locks up as tight as a bank vault. No cylinder side to side play. I doubt it has seen much more than a few boxes of ammo. I handload and want to treat it right.

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

They are strong enough, but a steady diet of full house magnums will take it's toll. I think the original loads were somewhat hotter than today's fodder.

 

[mec]

In the 60s, Keith complained about several high pressure factory loads. The Nosler jacked bullet was getting 1600 fps and sticky on extraction. Current handloading manual loads are considerably milder than they were for several decades. though they are still heavy enough to strain an n frame.

 

[moooose102]

So while it was designed and built to shoot 44 magnum loads, I don't know if I'd use it for a thousands of rounds workhorse without expecting it to need a tune up once in a while.

excuse me for being ignorant, but what the heck is a "tune-up" on a revolver?

 

[ArmedBear]

This one didn't even HAVE a model number...

 

[Deer Hunter]

Your wallet will break before your S&W.

 

[hardluk1]

For the guys that think theregualar 29 is all that in the 44 world ,if you load to a major power that the rugers da's will hold the 29's won't with out some reall problems . No bs just fact, read the story. If shooting most any factory load except for some of those heavier 300gr hot loads your good to go or hand loading hot.

 

[Oro]

Sometimes loads are specified for Ruger and Freedom Arm revolvers.

This is usually because of bullet length and fitting in the cylinder, not the strength of the cylinder. We called Buffalo Bore, for example, and asked. This was the answer we got. There are others, that are clearly not within SAAMI spec, and that is used at your peril everywhere, and not what the OP is asking about.

The gun still noticeably loosened up after only a thousand or so rounds. By that I mean, I cocked the hammer, while holding the hammer with my thumb I would depress the trigger, lower the hammer while keeping the trigger depressed. While still keeping the trigger depressed I would try to rotate the cylinder back and forth.

While it never went "out of time," it definitely had wiggle. Unlike when I first bought it (cause then there was zero "wiggle").

This is normal. I have a .45 Colt N frame that was made in 1916. It has seen A LOT of rounds in the last 91 years, many hot. It has never been re-worked to my knowledge or the prior owner, and while you can get a little play side-to-side out of it and the bolt notches are peened on the sides, this does not necessarily effect timing or is it "excessive" wear.

The 629-1 if in good shape to start will last you a long, long time.

Your wallet will break before your S&W.

Well said.

 

[JohnKSa]

There's a reason that S&W came up with the -2E upgrades to the model. The "E" stands for endurance, by the way.

 

[GunAdmirer]

There is an excellent past article in Handloader magazine about this issue. The author gives a history of the 629 and recommends low, medium and full loads for it within SAAMI spec. You can search for it online. Answered my question.

 

[BCRider]

Since the 629 series of stainless models came out only after a long history of earlier 29 blued guns I would suggest that S&W learned a lot along the way and that any of the early stainless models will last as long as any .44 magnum gun will be capable of lasting. So shoot away and don't worry about it for at least a few thousand rounds.

And being an earlier model thanks to the -1 designation you've avoided any possible issues with the MIM parts of the newer versions.

If you have not done so already treat your new 629 to a Wolff spring kit. I've got a couple of S&W's that I treated to these kits and the improvement was light years ahead of the paltry cost of the kit. For the spring that goes into the hammer blocker go with the softest one and even then cut off a coil and a half. Just be ready to clean out the action if you notice it getting sticky after a year or more. The lightness of the new double action pull and the lightness of the single action thanks to the Wolff kit will astound you.

 

[Action_Can_Do]

Keep in mind that the 629, 629-1, and 629-2 do not have the endurance package that was added later on. For quite some time, a lot of shooters were having there 29's and 629's shoot loose rather quickly (1500 rounds or so is what I've heard ) and S&W's policy was to claim there was nothing wrong with the guns. Then, despite there being nothing wrong with the guns, they began modifying the gun to increase it's endurance. Then, finding the modifications insufficient, they continued to work on the guns through several model designations. Of coarse there was nothing wrong with the guns. Shoot through the gun whatever you want. My 30 year old 629 shoots nothing but 44 specials. I use my Super Redhawk for the heavy stuff.

 

[CSA 357]

I had a 629-1 i shot alot of hot loads out of it didnt hold up good , it got out of timing, i dont hot rod my 629 no dash, they are good guns, i dont like shooting the hot 44 magnum as much as i once did, i shoot a 240 cast bullet over 8.0 gr of unique, and my gun has stayed tight as the day i bought it csa

 

[devildog66]

I had also heard that the 300 gr loads from the likes of Buffalo Bore were too long for the cylinder of the SW versus being too stout. I do stick with nothing more that the 240 grain loads for my 29-3. Because even if the gun doesn't get loose then I do get a couple of rattles!