coosbaycreep
Member
This is the 29 I just got from my dad today for $300 and a taurus .44 special. The gun was originally mine. My dad gave it to me for my birthday or something about 5 years ago, and then last year I gave it and some other guns back to him.
I absolutely love this gun. I haven't shot anything that was even remotely as nice as this thing. (To be honest, most of the guns I've shot were crap). Not only that, but I'm a die hard mall ninja, and have an obsession with the Dirty Harry movies.
Anyway, as much as I like this gun, I want one with a 4" barrel instead. I'm thinking real seriously about trying to trade this one for a factory 4". Just in case I can't find someone willing to trade, would it be possible to have the barrel cut down to 4" on mine? If so, what would that cost me, how much would it affect accuracy, etc.? BTW, I'm not concerned with any decrease in resale value, as I plan on keeping this gun or whatever 29 I trade it for until I'm pushing up daisies.
What's my gun worth anyway? All the shops and gun shows I've checked the past few months had them from $500 all the way up to over $800, with $600-$650 being about the average. Mine is a 29-2, and supposedly has had the action worked over or a trigger job or something. It shoots good, I don't think there's any excessive play in the cylinder or anything like that, and the blueing looks good except for a few small spots on the very edge of the barrel. It has pachmyr grips on it, but also came with some wood grips (not sure if they're factory, because there's no emblem on them). It also came in a non-original box.
Are the 4" ones worth more or less than the 6 1/2"?
How much more reliable are the newer models compared to my 29-2?
If I end up trading mine for a different model, is there a certain model that's better (as in durable)? How interchangeable are parts on the later models? Most of the newer ones I see are all 629s, and I really want the regular 29 for the blue frame.
Whether I keep mine or get a 4", I have a vision for how I want it to look. I really like the looks of some of the newer S&W performance center revolvers with the two tone finish and stainless steel cylinders on blue frames. I'd like to eventually get some stainless parts and put on my gun (cylinder, sights, the little button thingie that opens the cylinder, etc.). Do the cylinders and other parts off the 629 exchange with the 29? Can the cylinder and other stuff like that be changed out by an amateur, or does it need to be done by a gunsmith? If it requires a gunsmith, what would that cost?
How about unfluted cylinders, is there an unfluted stainless cylinder available for the 29? I see the Lew Horton 3" guns on gunbroker and stuff with the unfluted cylinder, but I don't know if it's possible to buy those cylinders.
I plan on eventually getting some spiffy hardwood grips for it too. Is there any other manufacturers other than Hogue who make some nice grips for my gun? Some of the Hogue grips are really nice looking, and wouldn't bother me to have on my gun at all, but at the same time, they seem to be pretty common, and I'd rather have something more unusual if it didn't cost a whole lot more.
How about sights? This gun is already more accurate than I'll ever be, and I'll probably never even carry it in a holster, but since I'm going for a "combat" theme, is there any good night sights or anything for these guns?
Since accuracy and trigger pull already surpasses my extremely low standards and abilities, is there anything else that I can/should do to my gun to make it better?
Also, if you have already tricked out your revolver, I wouldn't mind seeing pics.
Thanks.
