I am looking at a SW 329PD

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Warren

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I am near the bottom of the learning curve when it comes to the practical applications of firearms. So I may (ha! will!) sound a bit ignorant. I apologize in advance. And, I must say I am a bit intimidated by you folks.


I have been lurking about these threads for a few days and have been looking at different handguns for a while. I think I have it narrowed it down to the SW 329PD.

I understand that SW has an excellent customer service dept, and their weapons are generally of high quality. I hope your experiences back that up.

I have back and neck problems so I need my carry gun to be as light as possible but I want the power of the .44 Mag in case there is a goblin outbreak.

I'm willing to pay extra for the lightness, so that is not a problem.

What kind of holster is good for concealing such a large weapon? I have checked out a few sites including one for an in the pants type pouch. The brand names are Thunderwear and Smartcarry. Anyone here carry a large frame wheeler in such a holster?

Could I, if I had a need to, hunt with this gun? I am not a hunter and have no plans to go hunting but I am looking to squeeze some extra utility out of my purchase.

Lastly, I have seen 329s for sale online for a lot less than retail. Do people buy guns online? I mean how do you know the gun exists? Have any of you done so? I would like to save money if possible but not if there is a risk I'm going to get screwed.


Thank you for your replies,

I_A_H_T_L.
 
I can answer some of your questions, but probably not all. First, while I sympathize with your neck and back situation (I sometimes temporarily have the same problem), I am pretty sure that you have no idea of what you are getting into with a 329PD. If I am mistaken, I am sure you will understand that my concern is well-intentioned, and accept my apology. Having said that, I recommend that you get your hands on a .44 Mag Mountain Gun and fire it with .44 Mag loads. You may not like it. Remember, however, that the Mountain Gun is MUCH heavier than a 329 PD, hence recoils MUCH less than a 329PD with the same ammo.

The 329PD may be an excellent gun for .44 Special only, if you can handle the recoil with .44 Special! If that is the case, a 325PD would also be a good gun, and has a lot more factory ammo available (assuming that it doesn't recoil so much that the unfired bullets back out of the cases before it's their turn to get fired, a problem you might also have with the 329PD & Specials).

There are plenty of steel J frames that weigh no more than a 329PD and fire adequate .38 Special ammo.

I didn't care for Thunderwear even for a 642, although I know others who think it's great. This is very much a function of body shape and clothing style, as are most holster choices. I'm not sure exactly how your neck and back situation affect you, although your choice of weight reduction in the weapon is obviously the best and first step. It may be that your physical and sartorial situation will permit a shoulder holster. That is often a VERY comfortable way to carry, is reasonable accessible while driving, and is by far the safest and most convenient for Type II pit stops.

If belt carry is an option, J. W. O'Rourke at www.gun-holsters.com makes some fine pancake holsters, and can accommodate high sights if you let him him know about them.

If body carry becomes unbearable, you can get an Eagle soft attache case that will carry an autoloader or a 4" K-frame round-butt or a 2.5" anything in a VERY accessible hidden pocket. The main issue here is how you'll be maintaining control of your attache case. I used mine every day for five years while working a 9-to-5 and had no problems, but I was able to lock it in my desk at work.

A .44 Mag is certainly sufficient for hunting, although I would be very impressed if you could fire accurately with a 329PD, at least after the first shot. Not saying it can't be done - there are plenty of folks reading this who can, but it is not to be expected. BTW, .44 Mag is not considered by everyone to be a proper defensive cartridge. Unless you are careful with bullet selection, you will likely have an overpenetrative round. Another reason to stick with .44 Special or .45 ACP.

Hope this has been of some help. Body shape and condition, carry circumstances, and reaction to recoil are all individual, so your own experimentation, hopefully with borrowed guns and holsters, will tell you more than any internet posting can. However, perhaps we can at least point you in the right direction.

Others will have to answer about buying over the net, since I haven't done so.

P. S. It might be relevant to note that what used to be often recommended for a first handgun, if not a .22 revolver, was a .357 Mag medium-weight (K-frame) revolver in .357, with the intention of practicing with .38 Special 148gr wadcutters or 158gr round nose lead, and using the appropriate ammo available in .357 Mag for defense or hunting (probably two quite different cartridges). That may still be a good choice, depending on what you find you can comfortably carry.
 
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Since you are at the bottom of your learning curve I suggest you first go out and actually fire an all steel (meaning heavy) .44mag to get an idea of just what one feels like. They are not good learning tools.
I don't mean to discount anyone, but it sounds as if you don't really know what you are getting into. Fire the cartridge first then determine if you want a fly weight revolver in that caliber. The recoil in the light M329PD will go up drastically.
The power of a .44mag is certainly not needed to deal with the 2 legged vermin prowling the streets.
 
To control goblin breakouts you need to be able to hit the goblins. Light, short barrel .44 mag revolvers are typically for expert shooters only. I wouldn't consider one for CCW, and I don't know many people who would be proficient enough to be able to make quick shots beyond a few yards and actually hit something. .45ACP, .38sp+p, or maybe .44sp would be better choices for a less experience person to carry. I'd recommend .45acp or .38sp because the ammo is everywhere. I usually either carry around my S&W Model 10 or my 1911, and I don't feel undergunned.

Short barrel .44mags aren't the most practical guns, and I definately wouldn't want it to be my only gun. .44mag is useful as a dangerous game sidearm. And for that purpose, you'd want a longer barrel. (for more velocity, to break their bones) A 3" 629 is a fine gun, don't get me wrong. But it's not a gun to learn on. You'd most likely develop a flinch that would take lots of practice to get rid of. Get a .22LR that is similar to the gun you want, shoot that until you're confident taking shots with it. Then go for your next gun. Carrying a gun is a great responsibility, and if you aren't damn sure you're proficient with any one gun, then you should either find something else to carry around, or work on your skills. I've been shooting for a decade and I still wouldn't want to be carrying around a short barrel .44 mag as my CCW. .45 ACP (for goblins) does the job for me just as well, and the recoil (and therefore effort necessary to re-aim) is miniscule in comparison.

Everybody has a different taste in guns, though. So, go find a range where you can rent the gun and see what happens. If you can get tight groups dead on at 25 feet or so, and recover quickly enough between shots, while remaining accurate, then that's all that matters. One that thing to remember: Learning how to shoot with a lightweight .44 mag is a painful and expensive process.

Good luck.
 
Dear I_Am_Here_To_Learn!!

First, welcome to THR and please, please, please, do not feel intimidated. You have chosen your screen name well - it really fits all of us. Now, as to your questions:

If you have never fired a 44 magnum you ought to do that before you buy one - particularly the SW 329PD!!! The 44 magnum has significant recoil in general and, in particular, the recoil from the 329PD can be fierce. I have fired one and do not look forward to doing it again. 44 magnum revolvers also will chamber and fire 44 Special rounds. These are IMHO excellent self defense rounds and present much less recoil to the shooter.

44 magnum revolvers are often used for hunting. I have taken deer with mine but, once again, the 329PD would not be my choice for a hunting gun.

There are a lot of good holster makers from which go choose. One I recommend is FIST http://www.fist-inc.com/. They will make any kind of holster you want with good quality at a reasonable price.

One last bit of advice if you will permit me. The noise from a 44 mag is formidable. Always wear hearing protection when shooting no matter what gun you are shooting. Protect your hearing:)
 
Like others have mentioned, the .44 Magnum, in general, and the M329PD, in particular, are not the best choices for inexperienced shooters. There are many other rounds for which S&W chambers revolvers that are more suitable for self-defense and for learning to shoot without spending a fortune on ammo. In addition, the sound pressure level of a .44 Magnum in an enclosed space is something that is quite punishing to the ears. Short-barreled .44 Magnums tend to really cause a commotion on indoor ranges.

My personal favorite for a light-weight full-size revolver is the M625-10 made by S&W's Performance Center. It is not inexpensive, but it is very light, and it holds six rounds of .45 ACP. I carry mine in a Sparks VM-2 that was made for the four-inch M610.

But all of this talk of equipment is premature. The best place to start is with a good training class. As is often said, it is the "nut behind the butt" that makes the difference. Training is the best thing you can get. Find a class locally or pay for one of the nationally known names. But get training before you buy a gun.
 
Use the search feature, there are a number of existing threads on this model.

(I have a Lew Horton 3" PC 329PD; pachmyr decelerator grips in a FIST #1 IWB holster - love it.)
 
Welcome.

I have to say :( that I can hardly think of a worse handgun to start with. Even steel revolvers in the 40-48 oz range can be a handful with .44 Mag full-house loads. The aluminum-titanium 296 is not really a beginner's handgun, and it chambers only .44 Special. The 329PD is going to be basically the same.

That's assuming that you are, in fact, a beginner with handguns. If not, then hopefully you have enough experience to navigate the weight/power continuum.

I will say that I see a shocking number of scandium-titanium .357 S&W revolvers for sale, used, fired less than six times. The 329 could definitely put you in the same place...
 
OK, I was curious about it...

hi,
yesterday I tried the beast.
SW 329PD 4" with 200 grain Fiocchi semi-jacketted HPs. (about 1000 fpe of energy). The wooden grip on it (who the heck designed it???)

It was an astonishing experience. The gun IS controllable, but the pain is similar to someone hitting your hand with a police baton each time you pull the trigger.

Despite its combat-only sights it is very accurate. I was able to print 1,2 inch 3rd group from 25 meters (more than 25 yds). I was not capable to shoot 5 consecutive shots, sorry.

From 8-10 meters I tried quick follow-up DA-shots, It was possible (to hit the IPSC-target), but very painful. The DA-pull is not up to SW-standards.

I shoot only 20 rounds, but it was enough for me.

So it is definiately not for beginners. Not even for most advanced users.

But it is far from my worst hadgun-recoil experience (that was a wooden gripped .454 Casull FA).
 
It was an astonishing experience. The gun IS controllable, but the pain is similar to someone hitting your hand with a police baton each time you pull the trigger.
Click to expand...

That pretty much sums up my shooting experience with it too.
This gun can be double-tapped but you'll swear it kills on both ends.
Stick with 44 specials in this one.
 
Lets get one thing straight--I am NOT a recoil-wussy. I'm a relatively big fellow with a couple decades of experience with firearms. I've fired other S&W Ti & Sc revolvers & come to the conclusion that they are pushing the envelope WRT physics/shootability.

If you can't fire the 329 before you buy, perhaps you can rent & fire a S&W mod 60 or 640 in .357mag. Rent & fire it and realize that the felt recoil is LESS than that generated by a full-sized, steel 629 firing hot .44mag.

The best I can describe firing some of these super-light magnums is like somebody whacking your hand with a baseball bat. It is whatever the opposite of fun is.

If you need 2 or 4 legged protection and are new to shooting:
1. Find a buddy to teach you to shoot
2. Barring that, take a beginners shooting class
3. Take a CCW class of some sort
4. All-steel .357mag is a good first centerfire handgun. Better yet, buy a .22 target revolver.
5. Practice a lot...A .22 revo will help you do that.

Good luck, and welcome.
 
A 329 might be light but...
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I would suggest that you look for a nice J frame 38 or a 2" K frame Mod 10 or 15. If you do not know much about revolvers than learn with a 22 and 38.
 
To Model 520 Fan

Thank you for the reply.


There are plenty of steel J frames that weigh no more than a 329PD and fire adequate .38 Special ammo.
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I was looking at them before and they did look good. I have heard it said that if you are going to have a defense handgun you want the number after the decimal point to be a 4. So then that may not be the best advice for someone in my physical condition?

In the past I have fired a range rental .357 it was a S&W with a 4 in barrel though I do not remember what the make up of the rounds were. It was fine in the recoil dept. Though my wife prefered the .38 loads. Next time I have both money and free time I will head down there and fire a .44 and see what that is like. Though I doubt they have any Airweight guns.

A shoulder holster would be great but on my job I would look odd wearing a jacket esp with as hot as it gets here. or one of those vest things. I forget the brand but it looks like a photog's vest but it conceals your gun. There are some cargo style pants I have seen where the gun rides strapped to your leg and you reach it through the pocket. Too pricey though. I mean one pair fine but enough for a week? Sheesh.
 
to Chip Dixon

That 325PD does look good but would there be a recoil problem with such a short barrel and light weight? The .45 is a little wider but not loaded as hot as a .44 mag correct? They also have an 8 shot version which looks cool.
 
to JNewell

I am not an absolute beginner, I have gone shooting on several occassions but except for one time, where my wife and I took a CCW (our financial condition at the time precluded us from paying the gov. fees and buying proper arms) class that we did some shooting for with rentals, I was always the tag-along so I shot whatever someone else brought.

Thanks,

I. Learn.
 
to jfruser

Yeah, my mom has a .22 revo but I forget what brand. Break-top with an 8 round cylinder. It would be over 40 years old now. I did fire it once when I went as a tag-along. I put about 50 through it but I put it aside because I wanted to fire the other fellows bigger, badder weapons.

Ha, forgot all about it. I wonder if I ask nice if she'll send it to me.

Thank you.
 
That 325PD does look good but would there be a recoil problem with such a short barrel and light weight?
Click to expand...

Nope. The 325 is a pussycat compared to a 329.

325pd_r.jpg

I've got close to 1k rounds through mine, and it's really very fun to shoot. Quite accurate too!!

Joe
 
A .22 revolver you could get for free? Run with it, baby!

.22LR ammo is cheapcheapcheap. You can do a LOT of shooting for $10.

If your mom's .22 is in safe condition, it would make a good trainer.

As to buying firearms on a budget, a used S&W revo can usually be had for a reasonable amount. A steel, blued revolver in .38spl or .357mag is no longer considered "sexy," so can be picked up for less than $300 in some places.

There ought to be a primer posted here or at 1911forums.com about what to look for in a used revolver.

As to big-bore revolvers, I love them, too: .44spl, .45ACP, .45colt, .44mag, .41mag. Taurus makes some concealable big-bore revos in steel, alum, & Ti.

Your mom's .22, a used S&W .38spl/.357 K/L frame for centerfire training & home defense, and then a .40-something compact Taurus/S&W revo for when you've got some training under your belt. All can be had used and relatively cheaply...for less than the price of one S&W 329PD.

Oh, and don't feel like a wussy shooting a .22 at the range. I always follow up a session with my "serious" handguns with some rounds through my .22 Ruger. It shows me if I started to devlop a flinch or other bad habits and kind of helps to wind down from the high-intensity pistols. I can cancentrat on technique rather than controlling recoil. Besides, I can't afford to sling huge amounts of .45ACP & .357mag downrange.

Last, a decent air pistol for use in the basement/garage/etc. (with a quality pellet trap & backstop) is a fine training tool & can be had at Wal-mart. Just be sure to get one with a decent trigger.

Good luck & uderstand that what I/we say isn't Gospel, just what our experiences have taught us.
 
What you buy really depends on on a combination of what you want it to do well and what you can do with it. As Jfruser says, the Sc/Ti guns really push the envelope and maybe (to mix metaphors) cross the line. Unless you are shooting bullseyes, one shot is never enough with a handgun. Or, to put it a little more accurately, one shot should never be counted on to do the job...whatever the caliber.

Like Jrfuser, I am not a recoil whimp, and I've been shooting since the 60s. The 11 ounce .38 Specials are ok but not enjoyable. The comparable .357s are in my opinion too much for the physical platform in light of the requirement for multiple, rapid, accurate fire.

You might consider a 642? The 124 gr +P Gold Dot loads are quite good performers even without a "4" in the right parts of the label. These are available new in the low $300s. They weigh only 15 ounces and are very concealable. Shot with .38 target loads, you can fire them all day with pleasure, which is important, because if you can't you won't practice. Might be a very good first choice? Something to think about, at any rate. You could do a lot worse (and spend a lot more money, or both!).
 
Break-top with an 8 round cylinder. It would be over 40 years old now
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Sounds like an Iver Johnson to me. In the 1960s there were two models as I recall. One was called the Viking the name of the other escapes me at the moment. One of them had automatic extraction and the other didn't.

Either should be a good plinking gun to learn on.
 
to JNewell

My local shop has a 642 that they are selling for 399. It felt good and was very light. I liked it. They also had a Taurus M 605 for 300 it too felt great.
 
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