How tough are the *&* 629s?

G

glock glockler

New member
I have a Super RedHawk and it's a fine gun, but I'm starting to get a hankering for a 629. It fit my hand great and the double action trigger was smooth as butter compared to the Ruger, but how tough are they? I know they will nevver be as tough as a Ruger but can they stand up to scores of hot hunting loads?

Thanks
 
629 durability

A few years ago, I had a nice old nickel 4" 29. Yes I know it's not a 629, but it's basically the same gun if you're talking about those made before the 'durability package'. I killed several deer with it using 240/250s over about five years, and I shot it a lot, so it was by no means new- but it was still pretty tight. I got the hankerin to try heavy bullets, so I bought a big batch of Hunter's Supply 300 grain LBTs, which I loaded over 22.5 grains of W296. This is a shade above 'book' but is a common load and is used regularly by those with super & standard redhawks w/o problems. It is typical of what you'd call a 'hot hunting load'.

Beat my 29 ragged in 500 rounds. Cylinder developed endshake, lock-up loosened, and it began spitting. Too much for the old S&W.

If you can be happy with a moderate amount of magnum loads using 240-250 grain bullets, the old 29's will last a good long while- but they are NOT a Redhawk. The new DX 29-629s may be a tad better. But if you load the 300+ grain bullets at 1300+ fps, you're going to batter a nice revolver in several hundred rounds. Keep that big Ruger if you want to shoot the really heavy stuff. I have found the standard Redhawk (5.5" .44) to be an ideal compromise of portability & brute strength.

Good shootin' & good luck.
 
Smiths are fine if you restrict yourself to bullets not much heavier than 240 grains. Basically, the gun was designed around the 240 grain loading. Heavier bullets and/or charges that exceed the factory 240 gr load will batter the Smith. The Ruger SRH can be pushed further, but I am sure it has a limit as well.
 
Smith & Wesson 629-5 .44 magnum "Classic" is suppose
to have the "beefed up" part's, thus making it stand up
to stout loads longer.:cool: :D :)

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
 
The durability enhancements began with the 629-3, unless you count the rare 629-2E.

Visit the *&*forum for more model number and spelling information.

Regards.
 
RogerC - I'm glad to see your comment. No offense to others - but I am tired of seeing " *&* ". My understanding is that the average, worker-bee Smith & Wesson employee had absolutely nothing to do with the "infamous agreement" crap. All of these folks boycotting S&W and using this " *&* " crap are just playing into the anti's hands. And, bad business for S&W no doubt causes hardships on their hardworking, working-class employees. I can't wait until I can get back to the US and continue to add to my collection of S&W's. Hopefully the " *&* " g**fballs won't have driven them out of business by then.
 
The boycotters have already failed. It's a lost cause. It's time for those guys to give it up. I think the *&* crap has turned into nothing more than a form of pouting. Some of the boycotters love to chime in, and tell us how new Smiths are junk. That is their way of keeping their cause alive. Don't believe it. It's pure BS.

Smith and Wesson is on the upswing. They survived the "boycott". There are still some quality control issues, but things are getting better all the time.

I looked at a long barreled 629 last week that was as smooth as anything I've seen in a long time. Fit and finish was excellent.

You can't really compare a 629 to a Super Redhawk. While the SRH is a good gun, it is a MONSTER in size compared to the Smith. It's primary use is as a hunting tool. The later 629's are as tough as they need to be. Unless you start playing around with hot handloads, I doubt you'd ever wear one out.
 
Greeting's All,

As I have stated in the past, I own a 1999 production Smith
& Wesson 629-5 "Classic" with a 5" tube. As Roger C has
pointed out, the QUALITY is unbelieveable; fit and
finish are perfect, and its double action is buttery smooth
straight from the factory. Take note, this is not a
performance center enhanced firearm; nor is it even a
DX model.

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
 

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Oh, yeah.

I was looking at a new one, with its MA-compliant trigger pull and MIM parts, and thinking "How could any idiot think a five-screw is better than this gem?". :rolleyes:

Next you'll be telling me that pre-Series 70 1911's have nothing on the fine 1991A1...
 
Ah yes, the Queen speaks!!

Give up. Smith and Wesson WILL SURVIVE.

Yeah, go ahead, tell me how much BETTER a Taurus is than a Smith.

Give me a break.

Mike, it's your turn now.

Sam?
 
When you make an "assumption"...

Ah yes, the Queen speaks!!
Click to expand...

Bitter? Personal axe to grind?

Give up. Smith and Wesson WILL SURVIVE.
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Never said they wouldn't; hope they do. Just not as impressed with their new stuff when there're scads and scads of real ones available on the used market. If I want a cheaply made gun with MIM parts and the possibility of needing trigger work out of the box, I'll buy a Taurus. I'd never steer the customer away from the more expensive *&*; if they want to pay 100% more money for maybe 50% more gun (less in the case of the small-frame ones), that's their business. I've been in the gun business a long time, and always took my responsibility to stay away from brand loyalty and gun shop commando mythology and to present the weapons objectively to the customer and let them make their decision; I handled many guns every day over many, many years. There has been a decline in quality over that time; to insist otherwise is nonsense. Does that make the new ones "junk"? No, but they sure don't make 'em like they used to, which is why for my personal purchases, I buy older ones. On the net, where I'm not on the clock and not bound by an ethical duty to keep my personal opinions and preferences out of my statements, then that's what you'll get.

Yeah, go ahead, tell me how much BETTER a Taurus is than a Smith.
Click to expand...

Only in the J-frame-sized guns. That's all I've ever said. You seem to have my role in this all mapped out without ever actually reading what I've typed

Give me a break.
Click to expand...

You claim to be a gynecologist in your profile. I would never attempt to question your knowledge of female reproductive anatomy, despite owning some myself, as you have made its study your business and livelihood for many years and see a broad spectrum of it every day.

Conversely, you may own some revolvers... ;)

I'm sure you have a high opinion of "self-diagnosers" and folks who come to you with a knowledge of medicine derived from a mix of their great-aunt Edna's anecdotes and reruns of "ER".
 
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...well, as the earlier posters have noted, the S&W 29/629 will hold up okay to a moderate diet of factory-equivalent MAGNUM loads...more, IF the gun has the "Endurance Package"...for what it's worth, the longer the barrel on the particular specimen, the HEAVIER the gun is ( "Full-lugged" barrel vs. standard contour), the more "punishment" that particular revo can enure w/o "disassembling" itself...at least, THEORETICALLY speaking...
...as for the petty infighting (catfighting-?), let me quote that famous philosopher, Rodney King..."Can't we all just get along???"....mikey357
 
Tamara - I am amused by your comment about someone owning "some revolvers". It sounds to me like, somehow, you consider yourself more qualified to comment on S&W's than someone else. I guess I missed, somewhere - somehow, your qualifications as an S&W revolver expert. I don't claim to be an expert - but I've owned and fired S&W revolvers for 32 years now (Model 28 - June, 1970). I hesitate to mention the # of S&W revolvers I own - but its more than 10 or 15. But, I won't claim or imply to be an expert I find it quite amusing when (at least thats how I have interpreted your comments) you try to come across as the guru-ette of revolver quality - particularly S&W's. I've certainly been wrong before - but the ownership of a computer, a few handguns for a coupla years, and access to a DSL line, an expert does not one make.
 
I guess when...

...you un-box and function check (timing, lockup, sideplate fit, trigger weight/smoothness) five or ten new ones a week for eight years, plus deal with trade-ins, service tickets, et al, you start to form your own opinions on quality trends. Call it a quirk.

I don't tell my mechanic how to fix my car, nor my physician how to cure my ills, but apparently working with guns for a living gives me no special insights over the casual hobbyist who drops by the shop every other week. If you want to believe that a new 627 is the equal in fit, finish and feel of a Registered Magnum or a P&R Model 27, be my guest, no skin off my back.

I'm not claiming to be "the best there is" or something; heck, C.R. Sam's probably forgotten more about 'em than I'll ever know, but I know what I've seen over the years I've been shooting, over the spread of guns I've owned, and over the years I've sold 'em. The number of guns from *&* that come out of the box with less-than-stellar quality has gone up over that time, not down, and that's based simply on what I've seen.
 
Oh Lord!

Civil unrest on TFL, I can't believe it!:( :eek: :D

Best Wishes To All,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member


PS: I have got to sign off right now, in order to go to work.
Please, no duke'in it out without a referee!:D

I'll check back in on the status of the bout a little later.
 
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