629 S&W Mountain Gun owners. Love/hate?

S

Sir William

New member
OK. I am considering a 629 4" Mountain Gun. I would appreciate hearing from owners. My major issue is the fit and finish/polish. The few I have seen pass the check out except for the finish/polish. The one I held today was definitely better finish/polish on the cylinder than the rest of the revolver. The cylinder window had no finish polishing at all. Is that the way they are or did S&W let this one out the door without final QC? What is a fair price? I have been quoted $698.00 plus fees and taxes. I was told that if I wanted a red insert or Hi-Viz front sight and RWO rear sight that it would be a aftermarket gunsmith installation. What grips do you prefer?
 
Sir William, sorry I don't have more specific answers to your question, but I just put a used, pre-lock .44mag Mountain Gun on layaway yesterday. I didn't have any qualms about the finish - seemed fine to me. It has the factory grips, which seem OK for now; I'll be able to say more when I get it. It had factory sights - no Hi-Viz or anything like that. Total price was $400.00.

Anyway, bump on this topic: I also would like to hear about people's experience with this revolver.
 
I got mine in 1995 from, I believe the first or second batch- the ones that went to stocking dealers. It came with rubber grips and I specified the altamount grips they put on the dx series when I had it decorated. It now wears the combat grips often featured on performance center guns. With all three grip options, I find it easier to shoot good and consistent groups than with other 4" 29s. This may be a feature of the individual gun and it does have an optimum action.

I carry it in a kramer thomas perfectionist which is quite comfortable for me.
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Sir Will

The cylinder window had no finish polishing at all. Is that the way they are or did S&W let this one out the door without final QC?
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My 629mg came like that so I would guess it's just the way SW is making them now. My 629mg is LNIB and has seen less than 100 rounds, has the original Hogue Rubbers and I have Eagle checker and Eagle smooth woodies.

The price sounds right. I was just about to post mine for auction. If you're interested send me a pm and I'll quote you a special price...
 
Thanks Bullrock. I appreciate that offer. I am wanting to lay one away for a birthday in February. I plan a full house, old school, reworking and parts replacement. The project will involve replacing the MIM and rubber pieces and parts, possible engraving, high relief acorns and oak leaves, some gold plating, fire blued screws, diamond round butt large S&W emblems in gold and a Partridge ivory bead front sight with RWO rear. Full action polish/modification and a little more cylinder bevel. A long term project revolver.
 
I love my 629 MG. The finish on mine was a little ruff when I bought a few, five I think, years ago. IIRC I paid $500 out the door for it. I put a high-vis orange front sight on it and a set of Ahrends grips. I also bead pasted it to give it a nice soft matt finish.

I don’t know what the going price is now but $700 sounds a little high. Then again all gun prices are sounding high now days.

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The window in the frame has never had much of a polish, even the blued models. Only the exterior of the frame is polished to remove the machining marks. The window on the stainless models are just left in it's raw beadblasted state except for maybe the high gloss models.
You do know that replacing the MIM parts means custom making of parts? It would be easier and cheaper to find a MG's tapered barrel and installing it on an older M629 and do the mods you want.
 
I own the 625 Mountain gun. It came, as you described, in a flat-ish finish; almost dull grey.
A few nights of TV and a tube of Flitz helped that....

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I Thought I'd like to have sumthin a bit more beefier, and found this 629 Ranger. It's 1 of 3,:D
It got Flitzed too, but I left the cylinder matte for the contrast.

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my 629MG has about a thousand rounds of 44 mag thru it and maybe 3000 rounds of mild 44 specials.

The thousand rounds of Mags were early on, well maybe 950 of them were very early. the other 50 were last year. I find that a full house, 300 gr 44 mag load HURTS in this gun on the range. but for it's intended purpose it would go off with hardly any felt recoil....if something wants to be eating me, I will not feel the gun going bang. The 44 specials are 210 grain leads at about 950-1000 fps. they feel like popgun rounds when compared to the mags.

mine was lightly used, but for a gun to wear while scrambling on rocks while fishing or camping out or whatever, scratches that are already there make less painfull if I get somemore.
 
"I find that a full house, 300 gr 44 mag load HURTS in this gun on the range...."

Found the same thing. Hurts to the extent of drawing blood. It's those narrow-topped grips that the gun experts foisted off on us before they all went over to semi-autos. I generally stick with 250 grain keiths at 1,000-1100fps and sometimes, the corbon 165 defense loads as top loads but I really enjoy .44 special level loads most of all.
 
Yes, the loads can be a bit stiff.

I load 300 and 325gr. leads in my 45colt MG to 1000fps.....It can be a bit of an ouch at times......that's why I leave the rubber Hogues on it.:o
 
IMHO.. the 44 mountain gun is THE perfect size for a .44 mag in the 180-260gr class. Many people find the recoil objectionable, and I can understand that, and wouldn't argue the point with anyone who felt that way.
I had no idea the prices had gone that high. Good grief. Dare I say they're not worth it? (and I love my MG)
 
Too Much Mark-up?

Jerry's list the 629 MG at $519.95 + shipping ...$700 would put the dealer's fee in the 30% range: kinda high for this neck o' the woods. What % is the norm elsewhere?
 
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