What Model 29/629 handles heavy loads best?

[XMP]

I do a fair bit of hiking in grizzly county and like to carry a .44. I know Rugers may be better designed for heavy magnum loads, but I much prefer Smith & Wesson. I have a post-lock 629, but for aesthetic reasons I'd rather have a pre-lock 29.

So, within those parameters what Smith & Wesson will handle heavy loads (e.g., Buffalo Bore) consistently without failure or catastrophic wear. Can the early M29 take these sorts of loads consistently or are later ones better? Which provides the stronger frames carbon or stainless. Thanks for assisting me in my search.

 

[rcmodel]

The Model 29-4E introduced in 1987, & 29-4 introduced in 1988, and all later model 29's have the endurance package.

The Model 629E and Model 629-3 (1989) were the first stainless ones to have it.

Earlier models were not as well suited for a lot of heavy load shooting.

As far as strength, either Blue 29's or Stainless 629's are equally rated to handle any SAAMI spec .44 Magnum load.

rcmodel

 

[XMP]

Can I tell from the serial numbers when the endurance package was introduced?

 

[Confederate]

I asked a Smith & Wesson rep about that recently and he said that the so-called "endurance package" they added to these guns in 1990 had nothing to do with the heat treatment of the actual gun itself, but rather, the elements in the lockworks of the gun. This package was added beginning with the 29-5 and subsequent models, I think, and it was only added because people were loading their ammunition to ridiculous pressures that would cause previous versions of the gun to hiccup and move out of battery (that is, the cylinder notch would become unengaged).

In grizzly country, your best bet is to use good loads that penetrate, not expand. You want a good, stiff load, but you don't want something that blows the screws out of your sideplate. If you want to handload to that extent, you should buy a Ruger.

I love the old 29/629. I had one in nickel that was gorgeous, but nickel proved to be the wrong finish for such a powerful gun. Now I have a 629-1 I've never shot. It's pinned and recessed, and S&W was nice enough to replace the cheese grater grips that came with it with smooth grips at no charge. Don't know why they didn't just make them the default grips to begin with. The patterns only ripped your palm to pieces.

Anyway, get the old version and use reasonable loads where you can get multiple shots off. Use a good, hard cast bullet and shoot for the nose.

 

[XMP]

That's a beautiful gun. I didn't even know the 629 went back to the recessed cylinder days.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Virginian]

My all time second favorite Smith was a 629 Classic with a 6-1/2" barrel with the full underlug. I threw some decidely stout loads thru that gun and my feeling is the barrel underlgug greatly improved the character of the recoil, for me. A friend had a 4 or 5" version of the same gun, and I also liked the way it shot.
Before plunking down that kind of change I would find a range, dealer, or somebody that would let me try one. Years ago I went to a local gun store, undecided about a new gun. The guy suggested I buy a used one and try it, and he would buy it back, less $10, since I was going to be buying a gun from him. Well, I did that, and actually went thru 3 before deciding. I returned each one cleaner than when I had taken it out.
When my gun arrived he knocked the $30 off the price he had quoted me. I was not unhappy paying the money to get to try before buying, but obviously he knew something about good customer relations.
Oh the gun I got that time was a Smith 19. I was extremely happy with that gun for a long time.

 

[pinkymingeo]

Gotta agree with Confederate, though the War for Southern Independence had it's unfortunate outcome a long time ago. Handguns are pretty lousy for defense against human predators, much less a +500lb bear with an attitude. Grizzly bears have a very slow heart rate, and an organ shot is not going to stop a charge. Hit the central nervous system, break a shoulder or other large joint, or be a contributor to the worldwide biomass of bear poop. A 270 or 300 lead bullet at 1000-1100 fps should do the job as well as anything else without beating-up your gun.