Flamethrower

T

Tamara

Moderator Emeritus
Picked up a real treat at the last gun show I went to; a 629-1 3" Magnaported gun. Had our gunsmith shim the cylinder to clean up a trace of endshake, drop in some reduced Wolff springs, and perform a quick trigger job. The trigger is great now, and after a trip to the range on Saturday to double check for accuracy and reliable primer ignition (a must after trigger jobs), I think I'll have a new wintertime carry gun using maybe Cor-Bon's 165gr JHP's...

629.jpg
 
Tamara,

Very nice revolver! Too bad it doesn't have much of a barrel. :(

Oh well, they say length isn't everything. :D

Bill
 
:)
Very nice young lady! Very nice.
One of my "someday I'll get to it" ideas is a 3" N-Frame 29 or 629 w/a shortened butt, bobbed hammer and fixed sights. I'd be real interested in a range report using the Cor Bon loads and how they are to shoot in a ported barrel of 3" or 4".

FWIW,
At one time(mid 70's?), I believe Federal made a very hot 180 gr .44mag load. I made the mistake of thinking it would be tamer than the 240 gr stuff in my Virginia Dragoon. It wasn't. The VD is a massive S/A revolver, and the lighter but way faster 180's were unpleasant to shoot it it, and just plain nasty in my 4" Model 29.

If you have any ammunition catalogs at the shop, you might want to look and see if Winchester still has their X44MP .44 Rem Mag 240 gr. lead offering. I have a handfull of them left over from way back when(1981?), that are simply outstanding in my 4" Model 29. Accurate and much milder recoil than the 180's and 240 JHP/JSP stuff, but still topping the 1000 FPS mark.
 
Tamara, I have a 4 incher, and it is a handful! I can imagine what a 3 incher is like! I bet it is a real rush. Have fun.:)
 
Really like those stocks!

My preferred factory load for a Lew Horton 3" 629 are the 210 grain Silvertips. Milder recoil and blast than most other factory loads.
 
And tell us what happened when you shot this thing at night??? Was everything purple dots that blocked your tunnel vision? Why would you want flames around you to blind you and identify you?

A fight is tough enough. IMHE & O, ported barrels are better left for the gun shop commandos and gun rag ads. Each to his own--maybe your eyes are not full of that purple stuff at night like mine.
 
I've never seen a .44 magnum with that short of a barrel. That thing is gonna be loud (short barrel + compensator), have lots of flash, and the recoil will be something fierce even with the compensator. Its a pretty gun, but I don't think it would be terribly fun to shoot with full power .44 magnum loads.
 
KSFreeman,

Having owned and fired both compensated and non-comped versions of many guns (G23's, Officer's-size 1911's, various sixguns) I find the "it'll blind you in the dark" thing to be a bit over-hyped. I've noticed that, unless using extremely low-flash loads, it's almost impossible to tell the difference in muzzleflash between ported and non-ported versions of a particular gun from behind the sights when fired at night. .45ACP out of a 3.75" tube, .40 out of a 4" barrel and big wheelgun calibers fired from 2.5" or 3" guns make such a large flash anyway, that the two little "antlers" of fire from the ports are lost against the background of the mushroom cloud erupting from the muzzle; only from the side (profile view, when someone else is shooting) are they really visible.

I'll take the reduction in muzzle-flip and split times.:)
 
With the 3 inch 29 (Lew Horton 84) I have, I agree with Bob C about the 210 Silvertips. I have to replace the wood grips with Pachmeyers when shooting full house 240's. Otherwise I would end up with a blood blister from skin being forced between the grip and the frame. Never had a problem dealing with the flash.
 
Congrats on the purchase! I was looking at a new version that looked almost exactly the same as that... was called a "Backpacker's Gun" or something similar. They wanted around $580 or so. Felt great and very portable for a mini nuclear reactor.

Let us know what you end up using for carry, both the load and holster.
 
We NEED a range report.

Like It?
Hate It?
Love It?

You said you were going to the range on Saturday, let us know:)
 
Tamara, maybe my eyes are just more sensitive. I've been told I'm a sensitive guy.

Fighting at nighting (or day) involves more than just shooting. Lots of moving, ducking, running, and jumping. You need to find the threat before you attempt to destroy it. You cannot do that while blinking away purple dots or blinded (see e.g. Ben Grogan). This is why in the Stone Ages instructors used to tell LEO students to close their eyes when shooting at night. (Really--yes, I know, cops and guns).

You are correct in saying the proper ammo makes all the difference. Intentionally carrying a "flamethrower" is best reserved for the gun shop commandos.
 
I'd wager to guess it'll be loaded with Magnums, if I know the lady at all. No point toting a big, heavy N-frame if you're going to stoke it with reduced loads. Besides, she already has a .44 Special, which is much lighter and a bit easier to tote.

That 629 doesn't have an exaggerated muzzle flash (although the gas pressure from each round did a nice job of blowing the empty brass on the ground away from the bench, clearing a nice semi-circle). But, boy, does that sucker thump. It's not so much muzzle rise, but rather a straight blow into the webbing between thumb and index finger. It starts to tingle after a few cylinders of Magnums, and those were not even deer stompers, just Magtechs. It is a blast to shoot (pun intended), a reasonably controllable high-powered hand cannon.
 
You obviously don't know Tamara... and *no* that isn't a comment on her size but rather her, ahem, "caliber." :D

And yes, I do think that a .44 Magnum snubbie is a SICK firearm. :eek:
 
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