Smith Wesson Model 629 44 Magnum 4 Inch – Superb Stainless Revolver

Description

The Smith Wesson Model 629 44 Magnum 4 Inch is the stainless Model 29. The 629 is the same N-frame 44 Magnum that made the cartridge famous, built in stainless steel instead of blued carbon steel, and for a gun that actually goes into the field that is the more practical choice.

Smith Wesson Model 629 44 Magnum 4 Inch Why Stainless Matters on a Field Gun

A blued revolver is beautiful and it demands attention. Sweat, rain, humidity and a day in a wet holster will mark blued carbon steel in a way that is permanent if neglected. Stainless shrugs all of it off, which is why the Smith Wesson Model 629 44 Magnum 4 Inch is the version guides, hunters and outdoorsmen tend to carry.

That is not a small distinction. A revolver bought to live in a chest rig on a hunt or a pack on a river trip will see conditions a safe queen never does, and stainless removes an entire category of worry.

Everything else is the Model 29 that has been the definitive large-frame magnum since 1955: an N-frame, six rounds, adjustable sights and a smooth double action pull.

The Cartridge and the Four Inch Barrel

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 N-frame is the reason a cartridge this powerful is shootable at all: weight absorbs recoil.

Four inches is the practical length. It holsters, it balances in the hand rather than hanging out front, and it gives up less velocity than people expect. For a revolver that will actually be carried rather than only displayed, it is the better choice than a longer barrel.

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.

Adjustable sights let you zero precisely for whichever load you settle on, and 44 Special and 44 Magnum print noticeably apart at 25 yards from the same gun.

Carrying and Shooting the Smith Wesson Model 629 44 Magnum 4 Inch

For field use a chest holster is worth considering over a belt. It keeps the revolver accessible while wearing a pack, clear of a hip belt, and out of the way when you sit or kneel, which is why most serious backcountry users of large revolvers end up with one.

With 44 Special the Smith Wesson Model 629 44 Magnum 4 Inch is a surprisingly gentle revolver. N-frame weight means 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.

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

The Smith Wesson Model 629 44 Magnum 4 Inch is stainless, which is corrosion resistant rather than corrosion proof. A wipe with an oiled cloth after a day in the field takes thirty seconds and prevents the surface staining that sweat and weather eventually produce, particularly around the cylinder and the recoil shield.

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. On a field gun that check is worth making every time you clean it.

Smith Wesson Model 629 44 Magnum 4 Inch Specifications

• Manufacturer part number: 163603
• UPC: 022188636031
• Caliber: 44 Magnum, also fires 44 Special
• Capacity: 6 rounds
• Barrel: 4 inches
• Frame: stainless steel N-frame
• Sights: adjustable
• Grips: synthetic
• Action: double action and single action

Why Buyers Choose the Smith Wesson Model 629 44 Magnum 4 Inch

For a working field revolver stainless is simply the sensible material. It handles neglect, weather and sweat in a way blued steel does not, and it does so without giving up anything mechanically.

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.

Synthetic grips are more practical than wood on a field gun. They shrug off rain, solvent and rough handling, and they hold texture indefinitely. If you want wood later, N-frame grips are widely available aftermarket.

Who Should Buy It

The Smith Wesson Model 629 44 Magnum 4 Inch suits hunters, guides and outdoorsmen: anyone who needs a serious magnum that will live in the field, handgun hunters after deer or hogs, and shooters who want a 44 Magnum they can actually carry.

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