Smith Wesson Model 29 Classic 44 Magnum – Superb Blued Revolver

Description

The Smith Wesson Model 29 Classic 44 Magnum is the most famous revolver ever made. The Model 29 in 44 Magnum with a long blued barrel and walnut grips is the gun that made the cartridge a household name, and this Classics version brings it back exactly as people remember it.

Smith Wesson Model 29 Classic 44 Magnum The Most Powerful Handgun Reputation

Smith and Wesson introduced the Model 29 in 1955 chambered for the new 44 Remington Magnum, and for nearly two decades it was a specialist gun known mainly to handgun hunters. Then a film happened, and demand exceeded supply for years. The reputation was earned before the fame, which is why it survived it.

Forty four Magnum is a serious cartridge. It 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. It is also the reason the Smith Wesson Model 29 Classic 44 Magnum is built on the large N-frame: anything smaller would be unpleasant to the point of being unusable.

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.

Barrel, Finish and Grips

Six and a half inches is the classic Model 29 length and the one most associated with the model. It gives 44 Magnum room to reach the velocity it was designed for, adds sight radius for precision, and puts weight out front where it steadies the hold and tames recoil.

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 44 Magnum

With 44 Special this is a surprisingly gentle revolver. N-frame weight, a long barrel 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 shoot 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 44 Magnum Specifications

• Manufacturer part number: 150145
• UPC: 022188129915
• Caliber: 44 Magnum, also fires 44 Special
• Capacity: 6 rounds
• Barrel: 6.5 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 44 Magnum

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 hunting revolver.

Full-power 44 Magnum recoils hard, and there is no way around that. Even on a six and a half inch N-frame it demands a firm grip and deliberate practice, and shooters new to the cartridge should build up to it 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 44 Magnum suits handgun hunters, revolver enthusiasts and collectors: shooters who want the classic 44 Magnum without hunting for a good used example, anyone hunting deer or hogs with a handgun, and buyers who appreciate a blued steel revolver with wood grips.

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