Pawnshop 29-3

A

ATCDoktor

New member
I was out haunting some of our local pawn shops yesterday and found this Smith & Wesson model 29-3 rat holed in the back corner of the handgun display case in the last shop I visited.





I asked to take a look at it and the shop manager immediately pointed out that there was something wrong with the grips (it was wearing its factory hogue's in the shop) and they were flopping around on the grip frame like the broken handle on an outhouse door.

I was eyeballing the gun pretty hard when the manger blurted out that reference the problem with the grips he was willing to "deal" on the gun.

Smelling blood in the water (and seeing how the gun was marked near $700.00) I started tearing the gun apart condition wise (pointing out every little scratch, muzzle wear and spot of scale) and by the time the game was done I walked out the door with it for $550.00.

I got the gun home and determined that the factory Hogues retaining clip had been installed incorrectly and damaged to a point that they could not be used and replaced them with a set of pachmeyers I found out in the garage.

The gun is extremely tight and appears to have been carried a bit and shot some but not abusively so.

The single action trigger pull is a crisp 2 pounds and the adjustable front sight works as it should.

Accuracy wise it shoots extremely well and with my standard plinking load of 7.5 grains of unique and 240 grain SWC's it grouped right at 2 inches at 20 yards.

I also ran some hunting loads through it using 240 grain JSP's and a top end charge of winchester 296 through it and it acquitted itself quite well with that load.

The grip problem notwithstanding, I feel I didn't get stung too bad on the price.

My personal feelings are that any day you can get a serviceable pre lock N frame in the 500 dollar range is a pretty good day.

Coworker dropping the hammer on a magnum handload:

 
It is a silhouette front sight. The blade sits on a "bar" that is hinged behind the "wheel". The wheel has four "posts" representing four different elevation settings. Perhaps someone else can explain this better. A photo showing the sight from the top would help as well.

I was unaware S&W made a full lug 6", non-fluted cylinder 29-3 silhouette model.
 
Nice find , would like to know more about the front sight
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The front sight was a factory offering that is set up to allow for the shooter to set different points of impact with a single rear sight setting.

If you look closely at the front sight there's a "wheel" installed in the base and there's a cutout on the left side of the base that will display a number.

On top of the front sight base there are 4 numbered Allen screws that correspond to 4 detents in the wheel.

Those Allen screws (when threaded in and out) cause the front sight to move up and down allowing you to adjust your elevation according to which detent you have selected.

It was marketed towards target and silhouette shooters (usually in the longer barreled barreled revolvers) and hunters.

The unfluted cylinder was a factory offering as well in this specific configuration.


I was unaware S&W made a full lug 6", non-fluted cylinder 29-3 silhouette mode
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.

Neither was I till I started scratching around on the internet and it appears that they are somewhat common.

Here's a link to pic of one like mine:
https://images.search.yahoo.com/ima...q8tl&.crumb=z0psYl5Lu0J&fr=iphone&fr2=piv-web
 
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I've seen 686 L frames with that adjustable front sight but never a 29. I think that you got a heck of a deal!!
 
Did you check for end shake? If it was used in silhouette competition it could have seen many top top end loads. With an empty cylinder pull the trigger and holding the trigger back see if the cylinder moves front to back with your fingers. End shake can be fixed and should be before it affects the timing. It may be just fine but you should check.
 
Did you check for end shake?
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Yes.

It appears to be as tight as the day it left the factory.

There is nothing out of the ordinary with respect to either rotational lock up or movement of the cylinder forward or aft with the hammer at rest or fully cocked.

It appears to have been carried more than it was shot and while it has been shot some (more than a little); it appears, not abusively so.
 
I was unaware S&W made a full lug 6", non-fluted cylinder 29-3 silhouette model.
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It's a 29-3 Classic Hunter. Product number 101230. It was from Lew Horton distributors. S&W made 5000 of them in 1987.

Jim
 
It's a 29-3 Classic Hunter. Product number 101230. It was from Lew Horton distributors. S&W made 5000 of them in 1987.
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Thanks Jim, I appreciate the info.

I'm embarrassed to say that for as many Smith & Wessons that I have, I am woefully ignorant of a great deal of info that's associated with them (especially my full lugged Model 29's).

Here's my most recent purchase along side my full lugged model 29-5 (purchased several years ago). The 29-5 came out of a lot guns purchased from my local Sherrifs office (evidence guns). My LGS bought the lot and I picked up the 29-5 for a song:



Here's another full lugged N frame that I picked up used here for in my local area. It's a 629-3 "Classic" with a 5" barrel:



This particular 44 magnum (the 629-3) is possibly the most accurate 44 magnum I have ever fired.
 
Now that is an interesting find and congrats on the good price. I also would of picked it up at that price. I love the older target trigger and hammer and smooth cylinder looks, now.......about thoes rubber grips. Lol
 
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