.44 Mag with 2" barrel?

The 'Snubby' form in .44 Magnum, represents a concession for avoiding over-penetraiton in SD contexts, since the shorter Barrel length shaves off a few FPS.


( Just kidding...but, prolly does help a little...)

Sounds like fun though!

I have a Ruger Alaskan 44 mag which is a 2.5" snub, it's a fun little shooter and it's sheer heft and weight soaks up a lot of the recoil. The short barrel I assume would make it easier and quicker to draw in a last resort situation.

Many people only use these snubbys with .44 special ammo, since dedicated .44 special revolvers are hard to come by.

But I can't, for the life of me, think I'd ever want to carry a 2" hand cannon.

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My sentiments exactly until I walked into the LGS one day and saw this 2 1/2 performance center 629 sitting in the display case. I didn't buy it immediately. I thought about it overnight, as in obsession, and went back the following day. It isn't my ccw for sure and all I can say is it is fun to shoot.

I love my 3" 629. It's pretty handy for an N-frame. That said, 2" is getting short enough to look disproportionate on the large frame guns.

The 625/627 snubs are really goofy:

Years ago, I shot a custom Model 29 that a fellow had the barrel cut back to 2 1/2 inches, magnaported, then had the "N" grip cut off and a "K" grip welded on, tuned the trigger, refinished the whole thing of couse. It looked factory done. I didn't shoot it but a few times, and I have no idea what kind of ammo he had loaded, but it was a sweet shooter.

My girlfriend wants a 29-5 with a 2.5" barrel only if certain grips are used. She does like some 3" models with the right grips, the guns have to be "pretty." Fair to say the gun would be a dedicated .44 special but there are worst calibers to have for SD/HD. I just hope she never has to use it but the thing would probably put an awful fright in the BD in front of the barrel.

That said it's better than a pointy stick.

No, the 4" 629MG is the shortest and lightest .44Mag I would ever have any use for. If the few ounces of weight over a shorter or lighter model are a bother, I need to exercise more.

I like the 'packable' nature of the 44 mag snub. 44 mag is an incredibly versatile round for reloaders. I can go from 180-320grainers, from 800-1200 fps. Not sure the super heavies would be much fun, but a 250g Keith pushed to 950-1000 fps from a snub should be easy on the shooter and hell on the recipient (at least in AZ). I'll say that 4" would be my preference for a DA revolver, but I'd be happy to buy a 2" if the wallet would allow.

I agree. Pretty useless to me.
But "if you build it, they will come" I guess.

A snubnose barrel does nothing to make an N-Frame any easier to carry CCW, or otherwise.

It's the big cylinder you still have to deal with.
A 4" actually doesn't want to swap ends and fall out of the holster.

rc

The 2" barreled 629 probably was a 2.5" one.

629-5

MachIVshooter said:

The 625/627 snubs are really goofy:

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A modern-day pepperbox revolver, essentially?

Cocked & Locked said:

The 2" barreled 629 probably was a 2.5" one.

629-5

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Camfour gun?

I bought one with the express purpose of putting a 4" barrel on it, so I could have a 4" fixed sight gun. Then between putting C&S sights on a mountain gun, and the value of the 2 1/2" 629 going up, it sits in my safe, unused......

I'm still tempted to convert it though...

Camfour Dists.

Camfour gun?

I bought one with the express purpose of putting a 4" barrel on it, so I could have a 4" fixed sight gun. Then between putting C&S sights on a mountain gun, and the value of the 2 1/2" 629 going up, it sits in my safe, unused......

I'm still tempted to convert it though...

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Yes, you are 100% correct...a Camfour gun made in year 2000. Came with Hogue rubber grips, supposedly only 300 made but I don't have a S&W factory letter on the gun so I can't confirm that number.

Cocked & Locked said:

Yes, you are 100% correct...a Camfour gun made in year 2000. Came with Hogue rubber grips, supposedly only 300 made but I don't have a S&W factory letter on the gun so I can't confirm that number.

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That's my understanding as well, 300. I have a 4" Mountain Gun barrel I was going to have reprofiled to a pencil barrel with a dovetailed from sight and then put it on the 629. If I can get a stainless cylinder fitted to a 4" 329 with C&S sights, that might end up being the lighter weight (but not too light...), 4" fixed sight .44 magnum I've always wanted, and I'll leave the 629 2.5" alone.

Elmer...I have been told each of the 300 Camfour 629-5 guns was numbered. Mine is numbered inside the crane area and under the grip with 013.

I have a friend in Maine that was considering doing the same thing to one of his Camfour guns as you thought about...he has two. Last conversation, I think he decided to keep them as they are.

Same gun, different pose and Spegel grips.

Only makes sense as bear defense and as a conversation piece.

You can carry around a Walker Colt if you want.

Wouldn't be my first choice for urban carry.

Only makes sense as bear defense and as a conversation piece.

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Some guys just like snubs because of the smaller, more comfortable portability, and those guys would have a point. Two of the ideas behind a 2" snub are concealability and portability. I'd say it's a very subjective thing, CCW preference. The thing to keep in mind, though, is that the question in the OP involves two different issues that I think should be judged seperately:

1. Snub or no snub?
If a guy (hypothetical pro-gun guy) prefers a snub for carrying, he'll choose one. (the merits can be debated all day.)

2. Since this guy has already chosen to carry a snub, what caliber should it be then?
He likes 44 mag, since it has a lot of power, so he chooses it for his snub revolver's caliber.

I know the merging of those two choices creates many sub issues, some touched upon above, but I think some guys just like a snub barrel, and also like 44 mag, and get both in the same gun -- like the one in the OP.

Cocked & Locked said:

Elmer...I have been told each of the 300 Camfour 629-5 guns was numbered. Mine is numbered inside the crane area and under the grip with 013.

I have a friend in Maine that was considering doing the same thing to one of his Camfour guns as you thought about...he has two. Last conversation, I think he decided to keep them as they are.

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Interesting. I think I remember there being a number on mine now that you mention it. I'll need to look and see.

What do you figure they're worth today? Hard to value when there's so few.

I recently put this 3 inch barrel on my 29-2 and am very well pleased with the results. It's a pleasure to shoot with 8gr of Universal behind a 240gr SWC. Factory ammo is quite a handfull.

Cocked & Locked said:

Elmer...I have been told each of the 300 Camfour 629-5 guns was numbered. Mine is numbered inside the crane area and under the grip with 013.

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Just looked. Mine's 006.

Just looked. Mine's 006.

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That's nice! 007 would be a good one to have (I guess.)

As to the value its hard to say. I've never seen one for sale other than mine when I bought it. Not saying it was/is worth it but I was seriously offered $1,000 green dollars for it two years ago...still have it, wisely or not.