Smith Wesson 629 Classic 44 Magnum 5 Inch – Superb Full Lug Revolver

Description

The Smith Wesson 629 Classic 44 Magnum 5 Inch is The Smith Wesson 629 Classic 44 Magnum 5 Inch is the dressed-up version of the stainless 44 Magnum, and the differences are not cosmetic. Classic models wear a full underlug barrel, a chamfered charge hole cylinder, an interchangeable front sight and a fully adjustable rear, on the same large N-frame that has carried heavy magnum loads for seventy years.

The five inch barrel is the length most experienced revolver shooters end up preferring once they stop arguing about it. It is long enough to give useful velocity and a workable sight radius, short enough to still ride on a belt or in a chest rig without feeling like a rifle, and the full lug puts weight exactly where it does the most good, out front, under the bore, where it fights muzzle rise instead of just adding heft.

Smith Wesson 629 Classic 44 Magnum 5 Inch Smith Wesson 629 Classic 44 Magnum 5 Inch Full Lug Barrel And Sight System

The full underlug is the visual signature of the Classic line and the reason the Smith Wesson 629 Classic 44 Magnum 5 Inch handles heavy loads more calmly than a tapered-barrel gun of the same length. That extra steel sits low and forward, which lowers the axis the muzzle wants to pivot around and slows the flip enough that the front sight comes back down into the notch noticeably faster. It also makes the gun heavier, and that cuts both ways.

On a bench or in a two-handed hold it steadies everything. On a long walk it is a constant presence on your belt, and shooters who prioritize carry weight should look at a tapered barrel model instead.

The sight package on the Smith Wesson 629 Classic 44 Magnum 5 Inch deserves mention because it is genuinely useful rather than decorative. The rear sight is fully adjustable for windage and elevation, so you can zero for the load you actually hunt with instead of holding over and hoping. The front sight is interchangeable, which means you can swap the factory red ramp for a fiber optic or a plain black blade depending on whether you shoot in timber, on paper, or in bright open country.

Chamfered charge holes on the cylinder are a small touch that speeds reloads, because cartridge rims find the chambers instead of catching on the edges. None of this makes the gun shoot for you, but it removes several small frustrations that add up over a long session.

Smith Wesson 629 Classic 44 Magnum 5 Inch Recoil, Ammunition And Honest Expectations

Full-power 44 Magnum is a serious recoil impulse no matter what it comes out of, and the weight of the Smith Wesson 629 Classic 44 Magnum 5 Inch softens it without erasing it. Expect a firm push and real muzzle rise with 240 grain loads, and expect your groups to open up after twenty or thirty rounds of that regardless of how tough you are.

Most owners settle into a sensible pattern: 44 Special or mid-range magnum handloads for practice, full-power ammunition for zeroing and for the field. The revolver fires 44 Special with no modification at all, and those loads are mild enough to shoot a hundred rounds in an afternoon without developing a flinch.

A few honest cautions apply to the Smith Wesson 629 Classic 44 Magnum 5 Inch as they do to any big bore wheelgun. Heavy recoil can pull poorly crimped bullets forward out of the case mouths of the rounds still in the cylinder, which locks the gun up until you clear it, so buy ammunition with a proper roll crimp. The 44 Magnum cartridge is expensive and supply on store shelves is inconsistent, so budget accordingly or plan to handload.

The internal lock in the frame is a point of debate among revolver owners; it functions as designed but some shooters prefer models without it. And the double action pull is heavy from the factory, as a magnum trigger should be, smoothing out over the first several hundred rounds rather than out of the box.

Smith Wesson 629 Classic 44 Magnum 5 Inch Specifications

• Manufacturer part number: 163636
• UPC: 022188636369
• Caliber: 44 Magnum, also fires 44 Special
• Capacity: 6 rounds
• Barrel: 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

Shoppers weighing the Smith Wesson 629 Classic 44 Magnum 5 Inch against other options, and shoppers cross-shopping the Smith Wesson 629 Classic against other big-bore wheelguns usually come down to two questions: how much weight they want out front, and whether they need adjustable sights. As a 44 Magnum Full Lug Revolver this one answers both in the same direction, adding steel under the barrel and a target-grade sight package rather than trimming ounces. If you want a Stainless N Frame Revolver that you can shoot comfortably at the bench and still carry into the field, the five inch full lug sits at the sensible middle of that range.

Why Buyers Choose the Smith Wesson 629 Classic 44 Magnum 5 Inch

Buy the Smith Wesson 629 Classic 44 Magnum 5 Inch if you want the best-balanced barrel length in the 44 Magnum line and you value the full lug, the adjustable sights and the interchangeable front blade enough to pay for them. Five inches is the length that shoots well on paper, carries acceptably in the field and still delivers useful velocity from heavy loads. Stainless steel means you can holster it in wet country, wipe it down at the end of the day and not worry about what the humidity did to it.

Skip it if you want a concealed carry revolver, because this is a large, heavy handgun that does not hide. Skip it if you are buying your first handgun on the strength of the 44 Magnum name, and shoot one before you commit. Skip it if a lighter tapered barrel model would serve you better on long walks, since the full lug is a real weight penalty when the gun is on your hip all day.

Who Should Buy The Smith Wesson 629 Classic 44 Magnum 5 Inch

The Smith Wesson 629 Classic 44 Magnum 5 Inch suits This revolver suits handgun hunters, trail and backcountry carriers, serious revolver shooters who want a range gun with proper sights, and collectors who want a representative example of the Smith Wesson N-frame Classic line. It is a poor fit for new shooters, for anyone sensitive to heavy recoil, and for anyone who cannot comfortably absorb the cost of feeding a magnum. 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.

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