model 29 "

I didn't know they had stopped. The recent 44 Magnum revolvers bear very little resemblance to the originals but as far as I know they have been in continuous production.
 
Same here, I never heard their famous 29 in some fashion had ever been dropped from the lineup.
What makes you think it was?
 
I was of the understanding that for a while they only produced the stainless model 629 with special edition guns in the blued model 29 with the latest being in the Classic series.
 
I was in Cabelas and the guy showed me a brand new model 29 buled and it looked exactly like the one I had back in the 70's. What have they changed ?
 
Are you sure it was exact? Sure it didn't have a MIM hammer and trigger along with a internal lock feature on the left side of the frame? Not that these things bother me all that much. I have 1 and had another Model 14-8 from the classic series and both are as accurate as any center fire revolver I have shot.
 
The 70s would be Model 29-2s (1962-1981) with pinned barrels and recessed chambers. Around 1979 or so the 629 came out and it was identical to the 29-2 but in stainless. In 1982 the pinned barrels and recessed chambers were dropped.

I have two 29-2s in blue...


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Yea, if that lock was so 'necessary', why didn't S&W do a recall of all previous S&Ws and retro-fit?

BTW, I have the 629-1 .44

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As well as other N frames.

Love 'em!

Deaf
 
I didn't notice a lock or sheck the chambers to see if they were recessed or not. I'll have to look again.
 
I have a model 22 thunder ranch classic. 5th screw and the lock. It is a great gun none the less. Even with the mim parts. It shoots great looks great feels great. It's not a collectible, but it has the full warranty and parts are plentiful should I ever wear it out. The new 29 is less likely to go out of time than a 70s model and can handle a steady diet of full power loads as it has endurance package upgrades. It will cost you several hundred dollars less than a old 29 in lnib condition. Plus it has the lifetime warranties. If you like it get it and shoot the snot out of it.
 
I have a mod. 29 "classic" built circa 1990. It's a 29-5, blue, 5", no hillary hole, no pin, no recessed cylinders, idk about the mim parts. It does has the "endurance kit" upgrades as issued nib.
 
Oldscot, I've got a 629-5 Classic 6" from the early '90s, and I think they are among the finest revolvers ever made. Superbly accurate, great crisp and light trigger pulls, and like you mentioned, the strength upgrade over earlier iterations. I'd love to find a 5" model to go with it!

629-4bullets.jpg~original
 
As much as I hate the lock, I've come to accept it. Unfortunately, it's here to stay. That said, I just recently picked up a M29-10. The lock aside, it's a great gun.

m29.jpg
 
Black mamba - agree, my classic may not have some of the features that make collectors go all giggly but it has everything a shooter needs. Mine, like yours, is a joy to take out to the range.

I put a scope on it for a little while, and while I didn't particularly like the feel, it turned in some really tight groups.
 
IMO, the recessed cylinders serve no purpose other than to make the gap between the frame and cylinder smaller. Looks good, speaks to quality and craftsmanship but practically speaking you can argue that they're a potential detriment to function. It's harder to clean down in those recesses, so debris could prevent a cartridge from fully loading. The pro-recesses guys will say, just keep your gun clean, and they're right but we're talking theory here.
Also, if you can't see the cartridge rims, you have to open the cylinder to check. That doesn't bother me, but without the recesses you can see with a glance from the side if the revolver is loaded or not.
 
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