Smith Wesson 629 Classic 44 Mag 6.5 Inch – Superb Hunting Revolver

Description

The Smith Wesson 629 Classic 44 Mag 6.5 Inch is The Smith Wesson 629 Classic 44 Mag 6.5 Inch is the longest barrel in the standard Classic line, and it exists for one reason: to get everything the 44 Magnum cartridge has to give.

Six and a half inches of full lug barrel burns more powder before the bullet leaves, stretches the sight radius further than any other length in the family, and hangs enough weight forward to hold the muzzle steady through a careful shot at a deer or a hog. This is a hunting revolver first and a range revolver second. It is not a carry gun, and pretending otherwise leads to a heavy handgun living in a drawer.

Smith Wesson 629 Classic 44 Mag 6.5 Inch Smith Wesson 629 Classic 44 Mag 6.5 Inch Barrel, Sights And Field Use

The extra barrel on the Smith Wesson 629 Classic 44 Mag 6.5 Inch buys real velocity with heavy loads, generally on the order of one hundred to two hundred feet per second over a four inch gun depending on the powder and bullet. For a paper target that is meaningless. For a hunter putting a 240 or 300 grain bullet through the shoulders of an animal at fifty yards, it is the difference between comfortable margin and hoping.

The full underlug adds steel low and forward, which does two useful things. It lowers the pivot point the muzzle rises around, so flip is slower and more predictable. It also gives you a heavier gun to hold still, and anyone who has tried to shoot a light revolver offhand knows how much that matters.

The sights are the other half of the story. A fully adjustable rear lets you zero for the exact hunting load you have chosen instead of guessing at holdover. The interchangeable front sight means you can fit a fiber optic for low light in the timber or a plain black post for precise work on paper. Chamfered charge holes speed reloads by guiding cartridge rims into the chambers rather than letting them catch on the edges.

Smith Wesson 629 Classic 44 Mag 6.5 Inch Recoil, Ammunition And Honest Limits

Weight helps, but the Smith Wesson 629 Classic 44 Mag 6.5 Inch still recoils hard with full-power ammunition. The push is heavy rather than sharp, which most shooters find easier to manage than a lightweight magnum, and the muzzle rise is slow enough that you can watch it. Even so, twenty or thirty rounds of heavy loads will tire your hands and open your groups, and there is no virtue in pretending otherwise.

Most owners shoot 44 Special or mid-range loads for practice and save full-power ammunition for zeroing and hunting. The revolver fires 44 Special with no modification, and those loads are mild enough to shoot all afternoon without building a flinch.

Two practical cautions. Heavy recoil can pull poorly crimped bullets forward out of the cases still in the cylinder, which binds the gun until you clear it, so buy ammunition with a proper roll crimp. And 44 Magnum ammunition is expensive and inconsistently stocked, so plan on buying ahead or handloading if you intend to shoot much.

A note on carry: this is a large handgun. A chest rig or a purpose-built field holster works. A pancake holster under a jacket does not. The internal lock in the frame is also a point some revolver owners dislike, and it is worth knowing about before you buy rather than after.

Smith Wesson 629 Classic 44 Mag 6.5 Inch Specifications

• Manufacturer part number: 163638
• UPC: 022188636383
• Caliber: 44 Magnum, also fires 44 Special
• Capacity: 6 rounds
• Barrel: 6.5 inches, full underlug
• Frame: stainless steel N-frame
• Sights: fully adjustable rear, interchangeable front
• Cylinder: chamfered charge holes
• Action: double action and single action
• Finish: satin stainless

Buyers cross-shopping the Smith Wesson 629 Classic against other big-bore options usually decide on weight and sight package. As a 44 Magnum Full Lug Revolver this one commits fully to the heavy end, trading carry comfort for steadiness and velocity. If a Stainless N Frame Revolver that shoots well from a rest and rides in a chest holster is what you want, the six and a half inch barrel is the one to take.

Why Buyers Choose the Smith Wesson 629 Classic 44 Mag 6.5 Inch

Buy the Smith Wesson 629 Classic 44 Mag 6.5 Inch if you hunt with a handgun, shoot at longer distances, or simply want the most performance the 44 Magnum cartridge can deliver from a factory revolver. The long sight radius makes precise shooting easier than any shorter barrel in the line, and the stainless finish shrugs off wet weather that would worry a blued gun.

Skip it if you want something you can carry concealed, because this revolver is long, heavy and obvious. Skip it if you are new to handguns and buying on the cartridge name alone. And skip it if the extra weight on a long walk matters more to you than the extra velocity, in which case the five inch or four inch versions serve better.

Who Should Buy The Smith Wesson 629 Classic 44 Mag 6.5 Inch

The Smith Wesson 629 Classic 44 Mag 6.5 Inch suits This revolver suits handgun hunters, silhouette and long-range revolver shooters, backcountry carriers who use a chest rig, and collectors of the Smith Wesson N-frame line. It is a poor fit for first-time buyers, for shooters sensitive to recoil, and for anyone whose budget will not absorb the cost of magnum ammunition. All firearm sales ship to a licensed FFL dealer for transfer, and barrel length, capacity and configuration rules vary by state, so confirm your local law before ordering.

Learn more from Smith and Wesson, or browse the rest of our firearms selection.

Every firearm we list ships to your chosen FFL and is transferred there after a background check.