By R.K. Campbell | Contributing Editor
The granddaddy of all heavy duty double action revolvers is the Smith & Wesson Model 29.
The good old 29 is heavy enough for hard use but light enough for packing daily. This makes it one desirable revolver. And while it is no longer the most powerful handgun in the world when it comes to all around defense and medium game hunting, it cannot be bested. Let’s look hard at the modern stainless 629 Classic the best and latest version of the original Model 29.
Smith & Wesson’s original big bore hand ejector in .44 Special was regarded as among the finest handguns of the day. The strengthened Triple Lock was another nicely made revolver. The 1917, chambered in .45 ACP, is still in use in the hands of hard bitten revolver shooters and has been revived in the Classic line. The 1950 .44 Special, a superbly finished and accurate target sighted revolver, led to the Model 29 .44 Magnum. Therein lies part of the appeal and the downfall of the Model 29.
The Model 29 is basically a Model 1950 with a longer cylinder to accommodate the .44 Magnum cartridge. That makes it a manageable size for carry. On the other hand heavy .44 Magnum loads batter the gun. Fortunately the new, improved 629 .44 Magnum is a stronger gun than the original.
The stainless steel 629 Classic features a barrel underlug for balance and strength. I like the slightly muzzle-heavy feel. Think of an oversized L frame revolver. My example is sometimes a little hard to find, the five-inch version. I don’t think there is a better balanced revolver. The .44 Magnum was once the world’s most powerful handgun. It remains the most practical of heavy big bore Magnums, because the more powerful .454 Casull is pretty difficult for all but the most dedicated to control. The .460 S&W demands an X framed handgun.
The .44 Magnum is about all that many of us may properly handle. A .44 Special option provides a sensible sub-load for informal shooting and targets. The .44 Special hits hard as a personal defense round, and the big frame Smith & Wesson is practically docile firing the shorter .44 Special loading. When I laud the .44 Special I am not talking about under-loaded target loads but full-power loads that maximize the Special’s potential. The target loads are very accurate and useful- just not for personal defense.
I have considerable experience with the big frame Smiths from the .38-44 Outdoorsman to the Highway Patrolman and several Model 29s. I knocked the target hammer and sights off of a Model 29 I carried a while in police work while exiting a cruiser door. The Model 29 was tough enough for most uses until silhouette competition at very longer ranges became popular. Bullets weighing 300 grains, driven by heavy powder charges, took a toll on the Model 29 and the first 629s. It wasn’t unusual for a cylinder to rotate backwards in recoil. The result was dropping the hammer on a fired cartridge!
I believe that a combination of action work lowering contact points and too heavy loads were part of the problem. Elmer Keith, a key developer of the .44 Magnum, once mentioned he fired perhaps five hundred full power Magnums a year in his revolver. Hard cast bullets and slow burning powder were not hard on the Model 29. Silhouette shooters might fire that many loads in a single month! Smith & Wesson made detail changes and the result was one of the strongest and most durable revolvers of all time. Quite a feat for a handgun built on what is basically a .44 Special frame.
The 629 Classic features fully adjustable rear sights, which allow you to zero loads using bullets from 160 to 300 grains. The front post is a ramp with an orange insert. Sight picture definition is good. The top strap is drilled and tapped for alternate mounts.
My preference in a hard use revolver is D&L Sports heavy duty fixed sights. Once zeroed they will not be broken and offer an excellent sight picture. I prefer the heavy barrel lug of the 629 Classic to the standard 629. Modern CNC machinery has resulted in the tightest barrel throats and consistent forcing cones in Smith & Wesson history. Accuracy is superb in these revolvers.
Special Loads
My .44 Magnum has fired about 20 rounds of .44 Special for every Magnum. The .44 Special is a joy to handload. For serious use such as hunting and personal defense there are few calibers more useful than the .44 Special. Elmer Keith, the Dean of American Handgunners, developed the original flat nose semi wadcutter bullet. With a long nose and sharp cutting shoulder, the Keith SWC offers good penetration and cuts a wound channel far more efficiently than a round nose bullet. The design allows more of the bullet to ride outside the cartridge case and allows more velocity for less pressure. The hard cast – not lead!- Buffalo Bore .44 Special factory load shoves a 255-grain SWC at 1,090 fps in my five inch Smith. The load is accurate to at least 100 yards and hits hard.
A Buffalo Bore 190-grain SWC/Hollow Point using a softer alloy bullet breaks just over 1,100 fps. This load is more controllable in double action pairs than the 255 grain load. This is a very good all-around defense load for the great outdoors home defense or concealed carry. If big bears lived in area I might consider the 255-grain load. For my use, carried under the winter coat in a shoulder holster when hiking and exploring, the five inch Model 629 Classic and the Buffalo Bore hollow point are ideal combinations.
The elephant in the room with the .44 Magnum is recoil. With the .44 Special recoil is manageable even with heavy loads. Moving to the .44 Manum things get hairy. The .44 Magnum generates a lot of push and gee whiz. Just the same the Smith’s hand filling and hand saving rubber grips give a bit in recoil and offer a decent imitation of a recoil pad. I don’t fire a box of Magnums for fun in an afternoon but sighting in chores and long range stunts are pleasant enough. In the game field the .44 Magnum is a poleaxe. I have never witnessed anything die so quickly over my front sight as a 280 pound hog hit by a .44 Magnum. Thin skinned game are in danger to at least 100 yards. The .44 Magnum hits hard and makes a clean hole through and through. Meat damage isn’t severe- you can eat right up to the bullet hole.
The .44 Magnum is a versatile and reliable revolver, accurate, controllable for defense use with .44 Special loads, and a real game getter. This is among the finest go anywhere do anything revolvers in the world.
Load bearing gear
The DeSantis Yukon is a heavy duty chest holster for hunting and emergency use. The holster is easily adjustable and may be worn under a coat or over winter gear. The safety strap is very secure. The last thing you need is a revolver with loose motion in the holster or which falls out when hiking climbing or hunting. The Yukon is a perfect fit for the Smith 629 Classic. The holster features six cartridge loops, a handy means of carry spare ammunition. There is also a designed speed loader pouch. This is a well designed holster for rugged use.
Accuracy results Five shot groups, 25 yards, from a solid rest.
.44 Special
Winchester 246 grain RNL 780 fps 1.0 in.
Buffalo Bore 255 grain SWC 1.4 in.
Buffalo Bore 190 grain SWC 2.0 in.
Buffalo Bore 180 grain JHP 1.9 in.
.44 Magnum
Hornady 240 grain XTP 1.75 in.
Hornady 300 grain XTP (handload) 1.5 in.
Smith-Wesson.com
Buffalobore.com
Desantisholster.com
