model 20 vs model 629
- Thread starter youngun
- Start date
Don Mallard
New member
Youngun----------I had to kinda 'read -between- the lines' and I think you mean md 29 ........if so........
the md 29 is a N frame Smith and Wesson revolver which is chambered for 44special/44 magnum------either blue or nickle plated.
The 629 is the same physical --but in stainless steel.
It is powerful enough to 'blow' a man's head clean off with one shot, too!
I mean you could wipe out all the crime from the Seattle Dome to the lobby of the Sheridan Hotel in Tampa, Fla if you were a good enough shot with one of em'! I swear it is true!!!!!!
Don Mallard
the md 29 is a N frame Smith and Wesson revolver which is chambered for 44special/44 magnum------either blue or nickle plated.
The 629 is the same physical --but in stainless steel.
It is powerful enough to 'blow' a man's head clean off with one shot, too!
I mean you could wipe out all the crime from the Seattle Dome to the lobby of the Sheridan Hotel in Tampa, Fla if you were a good enough shot with one of em'! I swear it is true!!!!!!
Don Mallard
Mike Irwin
Staff
I think you called that one right, Don.
The Model 20 was the postwar .38/44 Heavy Duty.
An N-frame to be sure, but still a far cry from a .44 Mag.
"I mean you could wipe out all the crime from the Seattle Dome to the lobby of the Sheridan Hotel in Tampa, Fla if you were a good enough shot with one of em'! I swear it is true!!!!!!"
How many times do we have to tell you that the reports of Laser Cast coming out with the "MiniNuke 300-gr. MIRV projectile" are simply not true?
The Model 20 was the postwar .38/44 Heavy Duty.
An N-frame to be sure, but still a far cry from a .44 Mag.
"I mean you could wipe out all the crime from the Seattle Dome to the lobby of the Sheridan Hotel in Tampa, Fla if you were a good enough shot with one of em'! I swear it is true!!!!!!"
How many times do we have to tell you that the reports of Laser Cast coming out with the "MiniNuke 300-gr. MIRV projectile" are simply not true?
duh
Yeah, guys, I meant to type "29."
That 9 and 0 are really close on my keyboard.
Must be out of spec.
So, it's simply that the ones blue and the other's stainless?
Can you still get 29's?
Are there 29's that are not pinned and recessed?
Do they all have the same trigger action?
What's with the number after - 2 or 3 for instance?
Did they chamber any in .45 Long Colt?
(I love saying "Long" in front of "Colt!")
Are the 4 inchers impossible to shoot?
They look and feel awesome.
The gun store insists I keep bullets out of the cylinder.
PC BS!
"C'mon, pardner! Lemme far off a cupla rownts! See how sh'shots!"
Lastly, there's this "target " trigger an/or hammer, I forget which.
How's that different from the whatever - standard, I guess - ?
Yeah, guys, I meant to type "29."
That 9 and 0 are really close on my keyboard.
Must be out of spec.
So, it's simply that the ones blue and the other's stainless?
Can you still get 29's?
Are there 29's that are not pinned and recessed?
Do they all have the same trigger action?
What's with the number after - 2 or 3 for instance?
Did they chamber any in .45 Long Colt?
(I love saying "Long" in front of "Colt!")
Are the 4 inchers impossible to shoot?
They look and feel awesome.
The gun store insists I keep bullets out of the cylinder.
PC BS!
"C'mon, pardner! Lemme far off a cupla rownts! See how sh'shots!"
Lastly, there's this "target " trigger an/or hammer, I forget which.
How's that different from the whatever - standard, I guess - ?
Mike Irwin
Staff
One's blue and one's stainless? Yes. Essentially.
Can you still get 29s?] New from the factory? I don't think so. I think S&W dropped the last of its blued guns a couple of years ago.
Are there 29's that are not pinned and recessed? Yes. Pinning and recessing was dropped around 1982/83, depending on the model and how many P&R units were in storage.
Do they all have the same trigger action? The same design, yes. All S&W revolvers share essentially the same mechanical action, with a few differences for the J-frames (such as a coil spring instead of a leaf spring mainspring).
What's with the number after - 2 or 3 for instance? That's called a manufacturing change or engineering change. That means that some aspect of the revolver's design was altered through some sort of change, usually something to make the manufacturing process easier.
For example, the Model 29 was born in 1957 with the introduction of model numbers.
The Model 29-1 came in 1960 when the thread pitch on the extractor rod went from right to left hand.
The 29-2 came in 1961 when the screw in front of the trigger guard was eliminated, changing the gun from a "5-screw" to a "4-screw."
The list goes on.
Did they chamber any in .45 Long Colt? There weren't any model 29s chambered in .45 LC, but there were several different variations of .45 LC chambered in the N-frame revolver. The N-frame is S&W's largest and strongest, hence its use for the .44 Mag.
Are the 4 inchers impossible to shoot? Depends on the ammo, really. To someone unused to the recoil, full tilt & boogie loads in the Model 29 can be quite the eye-opening experience, especially with the factory wood grips.
Target trigger/hammer... That usually means a wider, grooved trigger blade and a wider hammer spur.
Can you still get 29s?] New from the factory? I don't think so. I think S&W dropped the last of its blued guns a couple of years ago.
Are there 29's that are not pinned and recessed? Yes. Pinning and recessing was dropped around 1982/83, depending on the model and how many P&R units were in storage.
Do they all have the same trigger action? The same design, yes. All S&W revolvers share essentially the same mechanical action, with a few differences for the J-frames (such as a coil spring instead of a leaf spring mainspring).
What's with the number after - 2 or 3 for instance? That's called a manufacturing change or engineering change. That means that some aspect of the revolver's design was altered through some sort of change, usually something to make the manufacturing process easier.
For example, the Model 29 was born in 1957 with the introduction of model numbers.
The Model 29-1 came in 1960 when the thread pitch on the extractor rod went from right to left hand.
The 29-2 came in 1961 when the screw in front of the trigger guard was eliminated, changing the gun from a "5-screw" to a "4-screw."
The list goes on.
Did they chamber any in .45 Long Colt? There weren't any model 29s chambered in .45 LC, but there were several different variations of .45 LC chambered in the N-frame revolver. The N-frame is S&W's largest and strongest, hence its use for the .44 Mag.
Are the 4 inchers impossible to shoot? Depends on the ammo, really. To someone unused to the recoil, full tilt & boogie loads in the Model 29 can be quite the eye-opening experience, especially with the factory wood grips.
Target trigger/hammer... That usually means a wider, grooved trigger blade and a wider hammer spur.
Thanks a heap Mike.
"the list goes on..."
I'm all ears!
What's the 29-3?
I think that's the only other one I've seen.
One more Q and I'll shut it.
Do any of the 29's have full underlug?
OK, I lied, two more still, what's 3T stand for?
I'm gathering target trigger, hammer and something else.
And finally, what's the benefit of unfluted cylinder?
-besides the way-cool factor.
Thanks again for the expl.
Very helpful.
"the list goes on..."
I'm all ears!
What's the 29-3?
I think that's the only other one I've seen.
One more Q and I'll shut it.
Do any of the 29's have full underlug?
OK, I lied, two more still, what's 3T stand for?
I'm gathering target trigger, hammer and something else.
And finally, what's the benefit of unfluted cylinder?
-besides the way-cool factor.
Thanks again for the expl.
Very helpful.
29-3......1982 engineering change, eliminated the cylinder counter bore.
4" 29 is nice shooter. fair amount of muzzle flip with full boogie loads but comes right back for accurate rapid fire. I am small with small hands so on the big N frames I use the smallest grip I can get, and then thin em out some more.
3-Ts...Target trigger, hammer n sights.
29...no full underlug.
Sam
4" 29 is nice shooter. fair amount of muzzle flip with full boogie loads but comes right back for accurate rapid fire. I am small with small hands so on the big N frames I use the smallest grip I can get, and then thin em out some more.
3-Ts...Target trigger, hammer n sights.
29...no full underlug.
Sam
Don Mallard
New member
Youngun-------
Here is a suggestion for you.
Don't worry too much about the numbers codes and so on.
If you would--buy a 4"-29.
If it has the wide trigger- have a competent machine shop mill it down so it is the same width as the 'trigger-body'---leave it grooved.
Have a good action job done on it as well.
Don't concern yourself too much about it's former 'life' because that model and the Ruger SBH -in 44- which has been shot with the small wood panels(which Bill calls 'grips')-----whew---you can just about bet that neither one has been shot 'too' much!
It is just plain difficult to shoot a 29 or SBH----UNLESS you put some good Hogue monogrips on either................
Then forget even shooting 44 mag ammo in it.
Buy a good strong reload outfit and start to load some mild 44 special ammo for your good gun.
You will really enjoy your 29-629-whatever.............
If you start your 'magnum-career' with 44 mag ammo then you can be assured you will not have fun shooting it.
Does all that sink in with you?
The 44 magnum can-and has- killed ever animal which did once live in North America.
The round is for very limited shooting sessions.
The 44 special loads are a dream to shoot on the other hand.
Elmer Kieth is the one who killed all the Dinosours many centuries ago with his hopped up triple-lock 44!
My son is 22. He is full of himself and wants the most powerful of everything ---for now.
He doesn't listen to me some of the time afterall 'I' knew all there was to know about everything when I was 22.............
Don Mallard
Here is a suggestion for you.
Don't worry too much about the numbers codes and so on.
If you would--buy a 4"-29.
If it has the wide trigger- have a competent machine shop mill it down so it is the same width as the 'trigger-body'---leave it grooved.
Have a good action job done on it as well.
Don't concern yourself too much about it's former 'life' because that model and the Ruger SBH -in 44- which has been shot with the small wood panels(which Bill calls 'grips')-----whew---you can just about bet that neither one has been shot 'too' much!
It is just plain difficult to shoot a 29 or SBH----UNLESS you put some good Hogue monogrips on either................
Then forget even shooting 44 mag ammo in it.
Buy a good strong reload outfit and start to load some mild 44 special ammo for your good gun.
You will really enjoy your 29-629-whatever.............
If you start your 'magnum-career' with 44 mag ammo then you can be assured you will not have fun shooting it.
Does all that sink in with you?
The 44 magnum can-and has- killed ever animal which did once live in North America.
The round is for very limited shooting sessions.
The 44 special loads are a dream to shoot on the other hand.
Elmer Kieth is the one who killed all the Dinosours many centuries ago with his hopped up triple-lock 44!
My son is 22. He is full of himself and wants the most powerful of everything ---for now.
He doesn't listen to me some of the time afterall 'I' knew all there was to know about everything when I was 22.............
Don Mallard
Mike Irwin
Staff
In addition to the engineering changes listed above...
29-3 - Dropping of the pinned & recessed features in 1982.
29-4 - Change in the cylinder yoke retention system and the installation of integral scope mounts on the 8 3/8" guns in 1988.
29-5 - Changes to the cylinder stop notch and bolt block in 1990.
29-6 - Change in standard grips to Hogues, all guns drilled & tapped for scope mounting (under the rear sight), and a change in the shape of the extractor star in 1994.
That's the last change my book has.
Unfluted cylinder has two benefits. It's somewhat stronger, and it's easier to engrave with pretty scenes.
As for the full underlug barrel, a number of Model 29 variants have come with that type of barrel, mostly special order or commemorative guns.
The one that springs immediately to mind is one of the series entitled "12 Revolvers," and individually titled "The Attack."
Not all that many were made, as the series didn't garner the kind of interest that S&W was hoping for.
I disagree with Don on one thing..
"leave it grooved."
With a couple of exceptions, all of my S&W revolvers have had the trigger grooves ground down.
S&W for some ungodly reason puts freaking knife edges on their grooved triggers. A short shooting session with magnum level ammo can leave your finger literally sliced open in places.
The alternative is to fill the grooves with some type of epoxy material that can be removed.
Shoot it first, to see if you like the grooves. If you don't, though, don't hesitate to grind them off.
29-3 - Dropping of the pinned & recessed features in 1982.
29-4 - Change in the cylinder yoke retention system and the installation of integral scope mounts on the 8 3/8" guns in 1988.
29-5 - Changes to the cylinder stop notch and bolt block in 1990.
29-6 - Change in standard grips to Hogues, all guns drilled & tapped for scope mounting (under the rear sight), and a change in the shape of the extractor star in 1994.
That's the last change my book has.
Unfluted cylinder has two benefits. It's somewhat stronger, and it's easier to engrave with pretty scenes.
As for the full underlug barrel, a number of Model 29 variants have come with that type of barrel, mostly special order or commemorative guns.
The one that springs immediately to mind is one of the series entitled "12 Revolvers," and individually titled "The Attack."
Not all that many were made, as the series didn't garner the kind of interest that S&W was hoping for.
I disagree with Don on one thing..
"leave it grooved."
With a couple of exceptions, all of my S&W revolvers have had the trigger grooves ground down.
S&W for some ungodly reason puts freaking knife edges on their grooved triggers. A short shooting session with magnum level ammo can leave your finger literally sliced open in places.
The alternative is to fill the grooves with some type of epoxy material that can be removed.
Shoot it first, to see if you like the grooves. If you don't, though, don't hesitate to grind them off.
Greeting's Poster's,
When stainless steel was first introduced back
in 1965 by Smith & Wesson in their famed model
60 Chief's Special; I didn't care for it very
much. It was dull looking, lacked the luster
of the deep blued model 36, or the brightness
of a nickel 36. But, as time as worn on the
"stainless attraction" finally settled in on
me. Besides, the vintage S&W model 60 that I
own; there's also a Smith & Wesson model 629-5
in the stable, as well. What a beautiful and
slick piece, with a 5" fully lugged barrel. I
just wish S&W hadn't decided to "round butt"
everything. My 629-5, is by far the slickest
out-of-the-box weapon ever purchased, in the
Smith & Wesson line; including lot's of K-frames.
Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
When stainless steel was first introduced back
in 1965 by Smith & Wesson in their famed model
60 Chief's Special; I didn't care for it very
much. It was dull looking, lacked the luster
of the deep blued model 36, or the brightness
of a nickel 36. But, as time as worn on the
"stainless attraction" finally settled in on
me. Besides, the vintage S&W model 60 that I
own; there's also a Smith & Wesson model 629-5
in the stable, as well. What a beautiful and
slick piece, with a 5" fully lugged barrel. I
just wish S&W hadn't decided to "round butt"
everything. My 629-5, is by far the slickest
out-of-the-box weapon ever purchased, in the
Smith & Wesson line; including lot's of K-frames.
Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member