Smith Wesson Model 29 Classic 4 Inch – Superb Blued Revolver

Description

The Smith Wesson Model 29 Classic 4 Inch is the Model 29 in its most practical configuration: a four inch blued barrel on an N-frame, with checkered walnut grips. It is the most famous revolver ever made, in the length that actually gets carried and handled rather than only displayed.

Smith Wesson Model 29 Classic 4 Inch Why Four Inches

The six and a half inch Model 29 is the one people picture, but the four inch is the one shooters tend to keep. It holsters, it balances in the hand rather than hanging out front, and it gives up far less velocity than most people expect from a cartridge as energetic as 44 Magnum.

The Smith Wesson Model 29 Classic 4 Inch is still an N-frame, which is what makes a cartridge this powerful shootable at all. Weight absorbs recoil, and even at four inches there is enough mass in the frame and cylinder to keep full-power magnum loads firmly in the manageable range for a practised shooter.

It also chambers 44 Special, which is the practical answer to shooting a magnum a great deal. Mild 44 Special for practice and full-power 44 Magnum when it matters, from the same revolver, with no adjustment required.

Cartridge, Finish and Grips

Smith and Wesson introduced the Model 29 in 1955 chambered for the new 44 Remington Magnum. Forty four Magnum throws a heavy .429 inch bullet at high velocity and produces energy that puts it firmly in handgun hunting territory, effective on deer, hogs and black bear at sensible ranges.

The barrel and frame are blued carbon steel. Bluing is a traditional finish rather than a modern coating: it looks right on a revolver of this design, it develops character with use, and it requires more care against corrosion than stainless does. On a Classics revolver that trade is the entire point.

Grips are checkered walnut. Grip shape matters more on a revolver than on almost any other handgun, and it matters most of all on a magnum. The way the gun rolls under recoil is determined almost entirely by how the grip meets your palm.

Six rounds, adjustable sights, a smooth double action pull and the option of single action for a deliberate shot round out a revolver that is as capable in the field as it is desirable on a shelf.

Shooting the Smith Wesson Model 29 Classic 4 Inch

With 44 Special this is a surprisingly gentle revolver. N-frame weight and a well-shaped wooden grip mean recoil is mild, and it is an excellent way to build the double action skill the platform rewards without flinching your way through a box of magnums.

With full-power 44 Magnum it is a genuine handful, and that is the honest truth about the cartridge rather than a criticism of the gun. Grip pressure, a proper stance and gradual acclimation are what make it manageable. Shooters who do the work find they can shoot it accurately and quickly; shooters who skip it develop a flinch that follows them to every other gun they own.

Zeroing deserves attention. Forty four Special and 44 Magnum print noticeably apart at 25 yards from the same revolver, and the adjustable rear sight exists precisely so you can settle that. Pick the load you will actually hunt or carry with, zero for it, and note where the other lands.

Maintenance Notes

Bluing needs attention that stainless does not. Wipe the revolver down with an oiled cloth after handling, particularly after shooting or after a day in the field, and store it somewhere dry. Neglected bluing pits, and pitting on a gun like this is both permanent and avoidable.

Magnum ammunition fouls a revolver considerably more than 44 Special does. The ring of carbon that builds at the front of the chambers is what eventually prevents longer magnum cases from seating, so if you practise with Special, scrub the chambers properly rather than assuming a quick pass is enough.

Keep the cylinder face and forcing cone clean, and check that the ejector rod stays tight, as heavy magnum recoil can back it out and lock the cylinder closed at exactly the wrong moment. Walnut grips benefit from a light coat of an appropriate finish every year or two.

Smith Wesson Model 29 Classic 4 Inch Specifications

• Manufacturer part number: 150254
• UPC: 022188133059
• Caliber: 44 Magnum, also fires 44 Special
• Capacity: 6 rounds
• Barrel: 4 inches
• Finish: blued carbon steel
• Grips: checkered walnut
• Frame: N-frame
• Action: double action and single action
• Sights: adjustable

Why Buyers Choose the Smith Wesson Model 29 Classic 4 Inch

A blued steel N-frame in 44 Magnum with walnut grips is bought as much for what it is as for what it does. That is a perfectly good reason, and this one is also a genuinely capable field revolver.

Full-power 44 Magnum recoils hard, and a four inch barrel gives less weight out front to soften it than a longer one does. Shooters new to the cartridge should build up with 44 Special rather than starting with the heaviest loads on the shelf.

Bluing is not stainless. It resists corrosion far less well, and a blued revolver carried into the field will show neglect. A wipe with an oiled cloth after handling is not optional maintenance on a gun like this.

Who Should Buy It

The Smith Wesson Model 29 Classic 4 Inch suits handgun hunters, revolver enthusiasts and collectors: shooters who want a 44 Magnum they can actually carry, anyone hunting deer or hogs with a handgun, and buyers who appreciate a blued steel revolver with wood grips.

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

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