Ruger Redhawk vs S&W 329PD vs S&W 629 / 29 for Hiking Gun 4in barrel

[4Freedom]

Hi, I am now pondering on which type of outdoor hiking gun, black bear defense gun I want to purchase.

I have now been able to limit the list to the following guns:
1. Ruger Redhawk 4"
2. S&W 329PD 4"
3. S&W 629 4"
4. S&W 29 4"

Well, there are ups and downs to each gun, many trade-offs and its driving me nuts thinking of what will be the most suitable. The upside of the Ruger is that I think it be the best for black bear defense. It is known for its durability and I can use the hottest 300gr+ loads in this gun. On the other hand, the disadvantage is I hear its a bit awkward and bulky on the grip and weighs a ton. I hear the S&W 329PD is real nice, because its very lightweight .44Mag, but I have heard horror stories of the recoil. I am new to the shooting any type of 44mag and not sure how I would handle such a light gun and really don't think I would be accurate with it, but then again, I have never shot it and have no way of shooting this gun, since nobody has it around here. The downsides of th 629/29, is the internal lock they have, which I find to be very disconcerting, especially firing a heavy round that may accidently trigger the lock in life and death scenario.

So, I have presented the ups and downs. I want a gun that I will be carrying around the bush and can conceal in a shoulder, chest or IWB holster. I would need it to be adequate up to black bears.

Shotguns, Elephant guns, rifles of any kind are out, since I cannot carry them where I am going, so please don't suggest them. Also, I am not fond of ultra feather light 2.5 in barrel .454 guns, so don't suggest any of these either.

From the guns I listed, which woudl you choose for my situaiton? Tell me the goods and bad. I will sum up the answers and go with God. I am thinking I wil lget the Redhawk, since I think its the cheapest around; but they are not easy to find in 4", although I have found one place that has one for under $700. What are people's thoughts of 329PD and 629? Are the internal locks as horrible as they say? Can they legally and physically be removed?

 

[MCgunner]

I prefer my Blackhawk in .45 Colt, but I'm thinkin' the 629 Mountain Gun is lighter than the Redhawk by a good bit, would be lighter on the hip. It's about 40 ounces which is about the weight of my 4 5/8" Ruger Blackhawk. The Redhawk is a beast, heavier even in the 4" version, I'm thinkin'. It's a strong to the max revolver, though. No bad choices here that I can see, though IMHO, I'd rather carry a medium frame 4" .357 Magnum while hiking or even, perhaps, a SP101 in 3" or a M60, the 5" adjustable sight version. Weight means a lot on a long hike and .357 is plenty as long as there's no griz around. I've been all over New Mexico hiking with a .357 magnum. Never had to use it on a bear, but I've killed deer and hog with 'em and they're plenty of caliber for such an animal with a good load properly placed. That .44 ain't gonna do much if you can't make the shot with it and the .357 is easier to shoot.

BTW, do a search, there are in excess of 240,524,304,237,179,380,237 (where I stopped counting) black bear/hiking gun threads.

 

[ArmedBear]

I had the same question.

The answer for me was a 629 Mountain Gun (4" tapered barrel, just under 40 oz. unloaded).


The guns you mentioned:

1. Great hand cannon. I like them. Too heavy and bulky for comfortable belt carry while hiking. I'll probably get a 7.5" Super Redhawk one day, when I see a good deal, but for a 4" carry gun, the Ruger DAs are, as my mother-in-law says, a bit much.

2. Easiest thing to carry, not fun to shoot. Good-looking, more expensive than any of the others by a good amount. Probably the best gun just to carry, if you already have a 29/629 don't plan to shoot the 329 for practice or amusement. I don't think I'd put hundreds of hot handloads through it, either, and expect the gun to hold together like a Redhawk.

3. (Thinking of my Mountain Gun): splits the difference between #1 and #2 nicely. Light and sleek enough to carry, heavy and durable enough for a "shooter" too. The downer? I bought mine for $699 on sale at Cabela's a couple months ago (with a coupon and some Cabela's Club points I actually paid less than for a used one). Now they're $799 on sale.

4. I don't consider an expensive polished blue gun to be a viable option. High-maintenance. Miles of carry in a holster in a dusty environment adds up to a gun that looks like crap and loses resale value fast. If it's a damp environment, or you sweat on it, it will rust easily. I wouldn't want to bring a full cleaning kit with gun oil, backpacking or something.

I only have one blued S&W, and that's an old 4" tapered barrel square butt Model 10 I found for a good price. I replaced the old rubber grips on it with original-style checkered wood ones I ordered from S&W, and I got it as an affordable classic to shoot for fun, not to carry. Kind of Indiana Jones looking, with the original grips, since it's pretty much the same as the hand ejectors made from 1899 on. Frivolous, really, though I will also use it to teach my wife to shoot DA well. There's a gorgeous 29 Classic in a local pawn shop, but I got the Mountain Gun instead; it's just a much more practical outdoor carry gun.

 

[TexasRifleman]

I have a 329PD and it's been to Alaska a couple times on fishing trips.

It's great for this role because it's so light. Incredibly light for it's size.

Now, actually shooting it is another story. It's pretty painful with Magnum loads.

However, shooting Specials it's a real sweetheart. I started reloading .44 Special again just because of this gun. Really nice shooter with Specials.

It's a range favorite since I started using Specials in it.

 

[ArmedBear]

Now that I have the 629, I've sometimes been contemplating a 329 (should I find a grand under a rock or something).

I wouldn't necessarily want it to be the only .44 I own, just like I probably wouldn't want the Airweight in my pocket to be the only .38.

 

[dairycreek]

I have now been able to limit the list to the following guns:
1. Ruger Redhawk 4"
2. S&W 329PD 4"
3. S&W 629 4"
4. S&W 29 4"

I own and shoot three of the four revos in the OP's list.

Of the four I have had a lot of trouble with the internal lock system of the 329PD. The gun is both light and accurate and is an excellent choice for woods/trail carry. Yes, it has a lot of recoil but in an all or nothing situation that won't matter much.

I have had the internal lock system on this revo fail three times. Since it was purchased NIB S&W has been okay about reapairing it under warrant and has, each time, footed the bill for shipping.

But that doggone lock system just gives me much trouble.

In conscience, I can't recommend that revo based purely on my personal experience. My choice would be (and is) the Ruger. FWIW

 

[ArmedBear]

I'm not sure about the ultralight .44 revolvers and locks. Sounds like the rumors are true.

However, I haven't had any trouble with the Mountain Gun or the Airweight (.38+P though). I have lock and no-lock Smiths, and I'm not too worried about the lock in the steel guns or the lower-powered calibers.

The lock can come in handy if I need to "disable" the revolver in a National Park.

 

[22-rimfire]

329PD. No fun to shoot. But the purpose is defense. Most concealable of the bunch due to weight.

You actually think you can comfortably conceal a Model 29?

Think shoulder holster unconcealed.

 

[ArmedBear]

You actually think you can comfortably conceal a Model 29?

You'll need a good, supportive holster for the 29 or the 329. Loaded, the 329 still weighs 2 lbs. The 629 MG weighs about 2 3/4 lbs. loaded.

 

[Ben Shepherd]

I prefer the redhawk. The big reason is maintenance in the field. If the redhawk gets dumped in the mud or the drink, it's very simple to deal with.

 

[22-rimfire]

I believe Guns of Alaska has a really nice shoulder rig for that will fit all of the large frame revolvers you mentioned.

I would probably carry a 4" M57 Smith Mountain Gun in 41 mag or 3" GP100 (357 mag) if that is any help to you. I have heard of lock issues in the light high recoil Smith revolvers. Guess you need to keep the key with you.

I like the factory grips that come with the 4" Redhawks and stainless is lower maintenance. Sounds like you will get the Ruger, so you have to be convinced to alter that pre-disposition. The Ruger will be fine. I have a 5.5" Redhawk. It is an okay gun. But a 357 mag would be all you need. My 3" GP100 would work very well and be much easier to carry in the field. You make too much of black bear attacks regardless if you had one that appeared to follow you.

 

[TexasRifleman]

I'm not sure about the ultralight .44 revolvers and locks. Sounds like the rumors are true.

It's pretty easy to disable the lock. I have never had lock issues but I have read about them often enough that I disabled the one on my 329.

 

[KBintheSLC]

Of the choices, the 329 might fit the bill for a lightweight hiker. Just make sure you practice with it using full power loads. They can be a bit of a shocker in a gun that light.

 

[David E]

If you only shoot .44 Special or equivalent loads thru a .44 Magnum, then why not carry a 1911 in .45 acp?

That's one consideration I have when choosing an outdoors gun: does it have more power than the 5" 1911 .45 acp? If not, then why not pack the easier to carry 1911 ?

(unless, of course, less power would be just fine)

I would not carry a 329 for anything serious.

To address the OP's question, I echo the endorsement for the 4" 629 Mountain Revolver. Mine has a ported barrel which I suppose helps a bit, but even without the porting, it's still possible to actually attain a decent skill level thru practice. Something you couldn't do with a 329 using full loads.

 

[Oro]

There is a lot of good thoughts here. Disabling the lock is not hard, whether you have the 329 flyweight or even a 29 or a 629. I would do this regardless of which gun I bought. I also agree a .45acp is acceptable unless you live in BIG black bear or grizzly territory.

I went through this decision two years ago. Like ArmedBear above, I spend time (some, not every day) in deep woods in grizzly habitat. I have averaged seeing/encountering 1-2 bears/year the last three years. So I take it seriously.

Like him, I went with the S&W, though for "packability" I went with a 3" and round butt 629. A 4" 29/629 would be my next choice, and actually what I was shopping for until I found the 3" variants. If I were you and had that shopping list, I'd get a pre-lock 29 in 4". Much better looking (blue is, to me), and relatively easy to carry. Blue is OK if the field carry in only occasional weekends and not in an a) Southern swamp in summer or b) the PNW woods in winter - else the stainless 629 is a better bet in those environments. I went 629 because of b), but a blue steel 4" 29 is on my list of "must own."

You can shoot full power .44magnum 300gr loads in even a 3" S&W. Just don't shoot things over SAAMI spec. The reason it won't handle larger grain bullets is cylinder length, not strength (I called Buffalo Bore and asked - people see that caution on their web site and assume it has to do with strength. They said it's because of size - it pays not to make assumptions). I do not think putting their 340gr. +p+ in a smaller S&W is wise - those are overpressure. I am talking about loading a 340gr. bullet in a .44mag case up to SAAMI spec.

Unless in BIG black areas or grizzly country, I will also carry a 4" S&W .357 with 180gr. loads, or a .45acp Colt 1911, depending upon relative wildlife populations. I find using a "GI" style M3 "Tanker" holster works really well on the shoulder. You can buy original ones on Feebay, inexpensive repros from China (least favorite option), or nicely crafter custom ones from El Paso Saddlery and other custom makers. They look good, work well for open carry.

 

[ArmedBear]

If you only shoot .44 Special or equivalent loads thru a .44 Magnum, then why not carry a 1911 in .45 acp?

...or an XD45. Then you don't even have to carry a spare magazine, and it's a lot easier to deal with than ANY revolver if you dump it in the mud (and you won't feel so bad about it, either).

 

[Sam1911]

You actually think you can comfortably conceal a Model 29?

Hmm... never tried a 29. But I do comfortably carry a 4" 629 concealed quite often. (Right now, actually.) Wonder if the blued steel makes it harder to carry... LOL!

Either OWB in a Shado Bruce Nelson style leather rig or IWB in a Kydex "Miurage" from Hoffners.

Good belt, good holster -- no problem.

-Sam

 

[4Freedom]

This is a very tough choice. Perhaps people are right and the Ruger Redhawk would be too much of a brick to carry around the mountains with me. The S&W Mountain Gun sounds nice, but I am yet to see anyone sell this gun, has it been discontinued? I am considering maybe to go the S&W 629 route, since it is a lighter gun and people boast of its superior craftsmanship. Of course, being in bear country, I will only carry hot loads, so I hope the S&W can handle this. Of course, I wouldn't do my daily plinking with hot loads, but I want the most powerful load I can handle for a black bear.

I see someone selling a used (he claims almost mint) 629-4 without the internal lock for $660 with shipping included. Does anyone think its a good deal? I am not sure if the older S&W models are inferior or superior to the new ones. I was reading that the older models have problems with certain screws needing tightening after heavy shooting. Not sure what that was all aobut, but seems they have some flaws in their construction. Anyhow, is the S&W 629 pretty simliiar to the Mountain gun? I don't see much a difference except a couple ounces of weight.

Also, can anyone tell me if it is legal to remove the internal lock? Someone told me before that if you have to use your gun in self-defense (against 2 legged predators), that if they see the gun has been manipulated that you can get in a lot of bad trouble. I am not sure if this is true or not, but I don't want to get in trouble, so I need to know the facts. Would buying a new gun with an internal lock not be a big deal with the S&W 629? For the most part, do these locks not present a real issue with this type of gun?

Does getting a used, pre-lock 629-4 sound like a better idea?

 

[ArmedBear]

I am yet to see anyone sell this gun, has it been discontinued?

It's not a general-issue gun right now. It comes and geso. Right now, Cabela's has the "Outfitter Series", which is a Mountain Gun with an additional log engraving on it.

As I said, the bummer is that it just went to $799. OTOH it is on sale for Memorial Day. After that, it's going to be $879 I believe.

 

[Stainz]

Below, for size comparison, are my .500 Magnum gripped 4" 629, Service Boot equipped 296, and OEM boot gripped 642:



Below are the 4" 629 in a belt holster - and the 296 in a Robert Mika pocket holster - which fits ~75% of my britches' front pocket.



If I wanted the ultimate protection - that 629 would be on my hip - with some real .44 Magnums, not the 200gr Gold Dot .44 Specials shown in the HKS #29 speedloader, which happens to be my 296's only diet. If I couldn't have belt carry, that 296 would be in my pocket (HKS #CA44 speedloader shown - with GA Arms 200gr GDJHPs.). It's even gone to church with me (Hey, this is Alabama!).

Get the 4" 629 - it'll be cheaper - and a lot more utilitarian than a 329 - or the currently available .44 Special L-frame, the 396NG. I wouldn't pocket carry the 396NG - that hammer might 'catch' on something. The 296 has a use!

Stainz

 

[Confederate]

Don't worry about the internal locks on the 629. I'd go for that in 4-inch because 1) it's a bit lighter, 2) has a better double action, 3) the grip is closer to the cylinder making the recoil push the hand back rather than up. Actually, I can't swear about #2 because my 629 is the pinned and counterbored model. It has a 6-inch barrel and has the nicest D/A trigger I've ever seen on a .44 mag.

.

 

[David E]

It's not illegal to remove the S&W lock.

The comment you heard was if you used that gun in a defensive shooting, the prosecutor could point out that:

Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, the defendant didn't think the gun was deadly enough, oh no, not him. The factory made the gun as safe as they could, but you see, he toiled and tinkered with it in the depths of his darkened basement removing the safety device to make the gun more deadly. It's this kind of wanton disregard for safety that means he murdered the armed drug dealer who was shooting at the defendant first for no reason!"

 

[Gordon]

I got rid of my 329 pretty quick not because of recoil but because of crummy workmanship and I didn't trust it. I trust my prelock Mountain revolver and 39 oz is about the lightest .44 you want to shoot with 300-325 grain bullets that are bear effective. If I had a SRH Alaskan it would be .454, but then I have a Linebaugh 4 1/2" Bisley!

 

[ECVMatt]

Well you can't get something for nothing...The light weight .44 are not fun to shoot and would not be a good starting point for a beginner. The larger .44's are more difficult to carry, but shoot much better.

I am biased here and I will state that up front. I like the Redhawk series. My first handgun was a Ruger Redhawk that I got when I was about 13 or so (I am 40 now). I have shot many thousands of rounds through that gun and never had one issue. The more I use it the better it gets. I recently bought a 4" Redhawk and instantly fell in love. I carry it on the belt in a El Paso Saddlery Three Persons holster. It is no big deal to carry it all day. I am looking at a couple of the chest style rigs for my next AK trip.

This one looks great:

http://www.haugenhandgunleather.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=Model20

I am a bit weary of the Smiths because I have seen a few of them go a stray. I do like Smith revolvers though. I would suggest trying the different revolvers and see what fits you best. Both the Redhawk and the 629 are winners, so you really can't go wrong with either.

Pick a steel gun, shoot it as much as possible, and enjoy.

Matt

I also saw a few guys using these in AK. They worked really well..

http://www.alaskasportsmanproducts.com/

I believe that Grizzly Tough makes a good one too.

 

[Oro]

629-4 without the internal lock for $660

Yes, as to model type/variation the "-4" would be an excellent one to buy. It was the last of the "classic" Smith's, with the firing pin on the hammer, cylinder stop pinned not CNC'd, and pre-lock and MIM hammer. It does have the late-80s "enhancements" to handle super-hot loads. I do not view that as "must have," but it's nicer to have it than to not have it. This would be the 1994-1997 generations, I think.

This is the last "generation" of S&W guns I routinely will look at (there are interesting newer ones, this is just the "end" of the old days).

As to price, I'd like to be about $550 OTD myself, but that would take some shopping. Searching completed/sold auctions for 4" models at Gunbroker finds four 4" models recently running from $500 to $650 - average of all about $600 (before shipping and transfer). Using the "completed auction" in the smart search area of GB is a useful tool. Looks like the guy last week who got the $500 one did very well. Note his sale was via "buy it now" and it was only up 27 hours. Prices are cooling now and I would not jump on something right now because I "had to have it." I think gun prices will be a little lower going forward now.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=128505102

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=125018005

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=129084986

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=125820558

Good luck, 629's are good, solid, nice handling working guns.