SMITH & WESSON - Model 629 Classic 44 Magnum 6.5” BBL 6RD SS/Black

I have owned a .44 Magnum for well over 65 years. I shot loose a M29, but my 629 appears to be stronger. I am a retired Professor of Plasma physics and Quantum ElectroDynamics, a badly broken up Marine Colonel and much more. Been reloading since 6 years old and know interior, exterior and terminal ballistics extremely well, having done quite extensive first hand testing of everything. The recoil of the .44 Magnum is, to me, rather mild, even with very heavy loads and 300 grain bullets. If my then 51 lb, 6 year old daughter could shoot this revolver extremely accurately, anyone can. While I shoot it with one hand, she needed both hands. I now carry a 460 S&W Magnum (45XVR) when my wife and I go hiking or hunting in bear country, she, at 5'0", 95 lbs, always wears the .44 S&W Magnum and is very skilled in its use. As for cost of ammunition, practice with 45 Colt with your own cast bullets made from free used tire weights with added tin and antimony, cost is about 1 cent.

I was thrilled this gun was in stock a couple weeks ago - I've always wanted a .44 magnum and the 6.5" 629 is proportionately perfect in my opinion. I'm a police officer, and my department issued backup weapon was a S&W model 640 .357 for years, until we recently switched to the Glock 17 (primary) and Glock 26 (backup), but had never shot a .44 magnum. I shot this gun for the first time this weekend, and was very pleasantly surprised. First, it's a S&W revolver, so it ran perfectly. The gun is a handful, literally, as you would expect, and packs quite the wallop. However, firing .357 mag rounds out of my model 640 stung much worse than this 629 - I'm sure it has to do with power to weight ratio of both weapons. It is very accurate, and a ton of fun to shoot. Big, heavy, loud, beautiful, and I smile every time I pull the trigger. The only downside, which has nothing to do with the gun, is the $2+ going down range every time you pull the trigger - it's expensive to shoot! Overall, fantastic gun and I have zero complaints - love it! I'm planning to shoot a whitetail with it this fall.

I like this weapon. I recently purchased it from Brownells to replace a Taurus 44 that could not be repaired to shoot safely. This weapon is so superior in " Feel " and trigger pull to the other weapon as to be almost unbelievable. I did purchase the 6.5 inch barrel to improve my control. I was afraid, I might not have the "pointability" I wanted but figured it was a trade off. I discovered that the pointability was excellent, however. The version with the 4.3 barrel might be preferable, but it is a toss up.. I practice at a measured 25 yards. 2 handed grip and no rest. Once I got the hang of the weapon,and the sights adjusted, 5 out of 6 rounds are within the 8 ring or less. The weapon, of course, seems capable of better but I am not. That is single action. I have only tried double action a few times and then at shorter ranges. Results were not as good