629 classic vs mountain gun

D

Diggers

New member
Hey everyone, about a year ago I bought a 4 inch 629. I wanted a mountain gun but no one in any of the shops around here (San Diego) seemed to know what I was talking about when I brought the topic up. So I got the 4 inch 629. THEN yesterday I see in the S&W catalog, first thing under the .44's THE MOUNTAIN GUN. ARGH!!
But then I got to looking at it and realized that there was not much different between the 2. OK, the barrel of course. But what else?? The weight is only 2 oz different (how much does a .44 mag round weigh? :) )
Has any one shot these 2 guns together? Is there any real difference??

Thanks
DIGGER DAVE
 
Actually you're discussing 3 different models. The standard 629, the Mountain Gun with the thin pencil barrel, and the 629 Classic, which has a 5 or 6.5 full lugged barrel. Yes there is a difference in recoil. With standard loads the classic is much more manageable. The standard is a beast to me, but manageable. The Mountain Gun (my favorite) is a joy to carry and a great platform for Special loads. With full power loads it's pretty rough. I carry mine more than shoot so I choose it over the others. OTOH there is nothing in the gun world as good looking as a S.S. S&W full lugged revolver.
 
Hey Diggers, don't worry about it, you got the better gun IMHO. As you accurately point out, the Mountain Gun has a narrow profile barrel and weighs a whopping 2 oz. less. That two ounces is going to shift the balance to the rear of the gun which is not where I like to have it, especially in a hard-kicking round like the 44 Mag. And 2 oz. is not, over the course of a day of hiking in the mountains (if you actually use it for that) going to make or break you in the least. As you point out, that's probably the weight of 1 1/2 cartridges for the gun. Just leave that watermelon and case of beer out of your backpack instead.

Smith has made (not sure if they still do, but have seen them in shops quite recently) a scandium version of the 629.....not sure of the model designation of those, and my brother-in-law has one and it's absolutely brutal to shoot. My 4" 500 S&W Mag isn't nearly as bad. Nice to carry though, weights something like 24 oz. empty.
 
The only difference between the 629 and the Mountain Gun is the 629 has the standard, half lug barrel and the MG has the tapered profile barrel.

I think Robert Allison was spot on. The 2 oz saved with the MG won't be felt carrying all day, but I think the shift in balance would make the MG rougher to shoot.

I can (and do) carry my 4" 629 all day, and have no problem putting 100 rounds of full house magnums downrange in a single session.

I'd say the 4" 629 is the most versatile handgun I own (I do handload for it).
 
Having carted both all day, there is a difference.

if you dont shoot your 44 a lot, but carry it more, get the Mountain Gun or even better, the 329. I shoot my Mountain gun 1x per year so recoil doent bother me., as long as I can whine about it while I do it.

WildlightisgoodAlaska
 
The mountain gun will have more recoil due to the lack of a full underlug barrel that the classic sports. Not a huge amount more, but it is noticable. Other than that, they are essentially identical.
 
Jeffro

I've got to disagree with you on this one. The classic with even the 5" tube is a very shootable revolver, even with full loads. The standard 4" 629 is still a handful and the MountainGun is a lot more in the felt recoil than either. There is a difference.
 
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