629 accuracy

jimaw2 · July 31, 2010, 04:29 PM

I have a 4" 629-6 that I bought used. I've tried several factory loads and handloads that range from very light to near max loads with 240 gr cast and jacketet bullets. Accuracy is disappointing. The lightest and heaviest loads group the best which is 2 1/2 to 3" at the very best. I have several other pistols and revolvers that shoot much tighter and consistantly than this Smith. Has anyone had any experience with the Smith custom shop? Their prices seem reasonable enough. I would just hate to spend more $ on this gun and still not have it shoot. Any thoughts?

mxreloader · July 31, 2010, 04:32 PM

my dad had a problem with his 629 also..he sent it off to S&w and it seems to be accurate at 30yds

stevieboy · July 31, 2010, 06:03 PM

What's the distance you're shooting from and how are you shooting? From a bench? Off hand? Single action? Double action? Have you asked anyone else to try the gun? I'm asking these questions because all of them address variables that can affect perceived accuracy. 2" at 25 yards is pretty good for any handgun so, if you're getting 2 1/2 to 3" at that distance, my thought is that you're getting pretty close to optimum accuracy and your groups may be affected by variables that can easily introduce 1/2 to 1" of variation from "perfect." In other words, 2 1/2 to 3" might not be all that bad at 25 yards.

I'm a big fan of 4" revolvers. I own a couple of N-frame 4", a 27-3 and a 625. On a good day, shooting offhand, I can get groups of 2 1/2 - 3" at 25 yards. I also have a lot of days when I can't. But, I know, it ain't the gun, it's me.

jimaw2 · July 31, 2010, 06:20 PM

I shoot in a very stable seated position (no bench). 25 yds is where I check my group size. i've shot over 1000 rounds out of this particular revolver (single action) and just can't see why this smith with its excellent trigger is not shooting as tight as a pietta 1858 remington with a 45 conversion cyl, a 4" gp100 or a m19-3 under equal conditions.

bearone2 · July 31, 2010, 06:23 PM

you asked now i ask you, "2 1/2-3" at 25 yds", sa or da or offhand/benchrest?

MrBorland · July 31, 2010, 08:22 PM

Could be tight cylinder throats. Wouldn't hurt to slug the barrel, too. And how's the crown? Is the barrel leaded?

jimaw2 · August 1, 2010, 12:25 AM

Crown and barrel ok. I'll check the chambers, never heard of a smith with tight chambers but its worth a look, thanks

T. O'Heir · August 1, 2010, 12:42 AM

"...best which is 2 1/2 to 3"..." I'm with stevieboy. 2 1/2 to 3 at 25 yards with a stock revolver ain't bad. Trigger job been done?
How experienced are you with a .44 Mag?

jimaw2 · August 1, 2010, 01:06 AM

The 2 1/2" are an absolute best. Most 6 shot groups will spread out to 4" or sometimes more. I've had several 44's. As I mentioned the best 2 loads were a near max load and a "light" special load (6 gr Unique) so recoil is a non-issue.

hardluk1 · August 1, 2010, 07:48 AM

Did i miss someyhing here . Seating in a chair and shooting at 25 yards,right. NO bench?? Bench the gun and see what it will do under the best off conditions useing a standard 240gr magnum factory loads. Use a sand bag, rifle rest ,some thing to support the gun to check it . Then after printing several groups deside if it needs some help or if the extra weight is causing your groups to run a bit larger than your normal. Under the best conditions and a good shooter it should shoot under 2" at 25 yards.

MrBorland · August 1, 2010, 07:48 AM

Quote:

never heard of a smith with tight chambers but its worth a look

Tight throats, not necessarily chambers. A tight throat will swage the bullet undersized relative to the bore, so the bullet goes rattling on down the bore. If cast bullets are used, you might also note some (or a lot of) leading of the bore.

IIRC, some of the 25s, in particular, were renowned for their tight throats. Some gunsmiths feel that while throat-to-throat variability on Smiths is fine, they are sometimes tight relative to the bore.

At any rate, as you indicated, it's worth a look. Keep in mind that proper throat dimensions are really to the bore, so it'd be best to slug both the throats and barrel.

SwampYankee · August 1, 2010, 08:14 AM

I have a Model 25 that has throats so wide that .452 bullets just fall right through. Maybe someone opened them up, its a used gun so I do not know its history. Someone did hack the hammer sear notch almost all the way off- giving it a horrible case of push off. S&W charged me $100 to fix that mess.

treg · August 1, 2010, 08:41 AM

Have you tried tuning your handloads to the gun?

Ozzieman · August 1, 2010, 08:45 AM

I’m with SwampYankee on this one.
Have you tried any different bullets? The best accuracy out of my 29’s has been with lead and I get them at .430.
I have a 28 that was drilled out to 44 special and a 3 inch Douglas barrel was mounted on the gun. It’s the most accurate N frame gun that I have ever owned.
A long time ago I borrowed a ransom rest from a gun smith friend and spent a weekend working up loads for that gun. The best that I was able to get was a little under 1 ½ inch groups.
My 25 with factory cowboy loads I was never able to get better than 6 inches but with handloads with proper sized bullets I got it down to 2 inches.
My question to you is just what kind of groups are you trying for? If you’re really trying for competition level accuracy then you need to work on more than just sending it to S&W for tuning.
I would spend the money and get a ransom rest so that you can work on the actual mechanical accuracy of the gun first by working up the best load for that gun and this includes bullet selection and load.
Personally if this is a carry gun or just a plinking gun you’re doing quite well holding those groups at 25 yards. I have a 3 inch non fluted 629 that off hand on sand bags I have never done better than 3 inches at 15 yards.
I also have a 6 inch 624 (44 special) that I would never have believed the horrible groups it shoots with the same loads that I worked up of all my other 44 specials. I picked it up last year and haven’t had the chance to work up loads for it so I don’t know if it’s the gun or ammo at fault. Also I had others that shoot much better than I do shoot the gun and they all are surprised at the 624’s 6 inch groups.
You can get some different diameter bullets at Penn bullets that I have found to be very accurate
http://www.pennbullets.com/44/44200rnfpbb.html

http://www.ransomrest.com/

Stainz · August 1, 2010, 04:04 PM

Are you shooting hotter loads than you are accustomed to? Seriously, a little flinch can translate to a wider spread. The 4" is pretty light at the muzzle - are your largest spreads vertical or horizontal?

You bought it used - could the rifling be leaded? A Lewis Lead Remover (Brownell's) is a great aid for that.

Try it from sandbags on a bench. My 4" & 6" 629-6's, current manufacture, are super - with my loads, from wimpy Russians to ho-hum Specials to my Nancy-boy Magnums (I had a .454 SRH for years - got the 'blaster' desires out of my system!).

If it might be the loads are hotter than you are accustomed to, consider ordering some X-frame Hogue .460/.500 Magnum monogrips from S&W Accessories (~$37 + s/h). Their padding the backstrap helps... I even shoot 'real' Magnums with them on my 629's!! Below is my 4" 629-6 with them on... great improvement. Also shown - my 296 with wood service boots - much worse! The right grips help.

Finally - check the rear sight to insure it it's front screw is tight - and the blade isn't loose from someone trying to take the blade off & on - the nut is staked and needs to be replaced when removed. Good luck!

Stainz

PS The reloads shown are GA Arms 200gr Gold Dots in .44 Special.

jimaw2 · August 1, 2010, 05:56 PM

Thanks again to all who replied. I appreciate the feed back. I found the chamber throats are tighter than my other revolvers and will let you know what happens when that is corrected..............

escard · August 3, 2010, 12:33 AM

Years ago I checked my S&W # 29-2 w/6,5" with 15 different handloads for accuracy (lead bullets, jacketed bullets, powders from Norma, Vihtavuori, IMR and Alliant): only one single loading (swaged SWC driven to fast) grouped over 2 inches (+50 mm) at a shooting-distance of 25 meters, the best 5 loadings grouped smaller than an inch!
If it is not possible to group one of the factory fodder better than 2,5-3" shot benchrested, your revolver should be checked by S&W......
By the way, the most accurate loading (17 mm/0,67" for five shots) was: 240grs Speer JSP/19,1 R-123/cci-350/Norma brass/heavy crimped....
I for myself never did this load under 2 inches shooting offhand.......

jimaw2 · August 5, 2010, 12:38 AM

Thanks again for the feed back. I got a chance to try it again after reaming the throats to the correct size. The cast loads showed little improvement but one of my handloads with a 240gr jacketed managed a 1 1/4 three shot group, 25yds from a very solid seated position, no bench. After all that I decided to get rid of it anyway as most of my shooting is with light cast loads. Sure would be nice to be able to "test drive" a firearm before purchase!

Ozzieman · August 5, 2010, 06:07 PM

check the rear sight to insure it it's front screw is tight

Good one Stainz!
Had the same thing happen to me with a Colt Gold cup. The roller pin that holds the front of the rear sight in the gun and allows vertical adjustment fell out while I was shooting. Went from 3 inch groups to 3 feet at 15 yards.

July 31, 2010, 04:29 PM	#1
jimaw2 Member Join Date: October 2, 2008 Location: n california Posts: 83	629 accuracy I have a 4" 629-6 that I bought used. I've tried several factory loads and handloads that range from very light to near max loads with 240 gr cast and jacketet bullets. Accuracy is disappointing. The lightest and heaviest loads group the best which is 2 1/2 to 3" at the very best. I have several other pistols and revolvers that shoot much tighter and consistantly than this Smith. Has anyone had any experience with the Smith custom shop? Their prices seem reasonable enough. I would just hate to spend more $ on this gun and still not have it shoot. Any thoughts?

July 31, 2010, 06:23 PM	#5
bearone2 Senior Member Join Date: July 11, 2010 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 279	you asked now i ask you, "2 1/2-3" at 25 yds", sa or da or offhand/benchrest? __________________ "may the force be with you"

August 1, 2010, 12:42 AM	#8
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	"...best which is 2 1/2 to 3"..." I'm with stevieboy. 2 1/2 to 3 at 25 yards with a stock revolver ain't bad. Trigger job been done? How experienced are you with a .44 Mag? __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

August 1, 2010, 08:41 AM	#13
treg Senior Member Join Date: November 26, 2006 Posts: 1,102	Have you tried tuning your handloads to the gun? __________________ .44 Special: For those who get it, no explanation is necessary. For those who don't, no explanation is possible.

August 1, 2010, 08:45 AM	#14
Ozzieman Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2004 Location: Northern Indiana Posts: 6,117	I’m with SwampYankee on this one. Have you tried any different bullets? The best accuracy out of my 29’s has been with lead and I get them at .430. I have a 28 that was drilled out to 44 special and a 3 inch Douglas barrel was mounted on the gun. It’s the most accurate N frame gun that I have ever owned. A long time ago I borrowed a ransom rest from a gun smith friend and spent a weekend working up loads for that gun. The best that I was able to get was a little under 1 ½ inch groups. My 25 with factory cowboy loads I was never able to get better than 6 inches but with handloads with proper sized bullets I got it down to 2 inches. My question to you is just what kind of groups are you trying for? If you’re really trying for competition level accuracy then you need to work on more than just sending it to S&W for tuning. I would spend the money and get a ransom rest so that you can work on the actual mechanical accuracy of the gun first by working up the best load for that gun and this includes bullet selection and load. Personally if this is a carry gun or just a plinking gun you’re doing quite well holding those groups at 25 yards. I have a 3 inch non fluted 629 that off hand on sand bags I have never done better than 3 inches at 15 yards. I also have a 6 inch 624 (44 special) that I would never have believed the horrible groups it shoots with the same loads that I worked up of all my other 44 specials. I picked it up last year and haven’t had the chance to work up loads for it so I don’t know if it’s the gun or ammo at fault. Also I had others that shoot much better than I do shoot the gun and they all are surprised at the 624’s 6 inch groups. You can get some different diameter bullets at Penn bullets that I have found to be very accurate http://www.pennbullets.com/44/44200rnfpbb.html http://www.ransomrest.com/ Last edited by Ozzieman; August 3, 2010 at 06:40 PM.

July 31, 2010, 04:32 PM	#2
mxreloader Senior Member Join Date: April 25, 2010 Location: crosslanes wv Posts: 155	my dad had a problem with his 629 also..he sent it off to S&w and it seems to be accurate at 30yds

July 31, 2010, 06:03 PM	#3
stevieboy Senior Member Join Date: March 14, 2008 Posts: 1,695	What's the distance you're shooting from and how are you shooting? From a bench? Off hand? Single action? Double action? Have you asked anyone else to try the gun? I'm asking these questions because all of them address variables that can affect perceived accuracy. 2" at 25 yards is pretty good for any handgun so, if you're getting 2 1/2 to 3" at that distance, my thought is that you're getting pretty close to optimum accuracy and your groups may be affected by variables that can easily introduce 1/2 to 1" of variation from "perfect." In other words, 2 1/2 to 3" might not be all that bad at 25 yards. I'm a big fan of 4" revolvers. I own a couple of N-frame 4", a 27-3 and a 625. On a good day, shooting offhand, I can get groups of 2 1/2 - 3" at 25 yards. I also have a lot of days when I can't. But, I know, it ain't the gun, it's me.

July 31, 2010, 06:20 PM	#4
jimaw2 Member Join Date: October 2, 2008 Location: n california Posts: 83	I shoot in a very stable seated position (no bench). 25 yds is where I check my group size. i've shot over 1000 rounds out of this particular revolver (single action) and just can't see why this smith with its excellent trigger is not shooting as tight as a pietta 1858 remington with a 45 conversion cyl, a 4" gp100 or a m19-3 under equal conditions.

July 31, 2010, 08:22 PM	#6
MrBorland Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2007 Location: NC Posts: 2,614	Could be tight cylinder throats. Wouldn't hurt to slug the barrel, too. And how's the crown? Is the barrel leaded?

August 1, 2010, 12:25 AM	#7
jimaw2 Member Join Date: October 2, 2008 Location: n california Posts: 83	Crown and barrel ok. I'll check the chambers, never heard of a smith with tight chambers but its worth a look, thanks

August 1, 2010, 01:06 AM	#9
jimaw2 Member Join Date: October 2, 2008 Location: n california Posts: 83	The 2 1/2" are an absolute best. Most 6 shot groups will spread out to 4" or sometimes more. I've had several 44's. As I mentioned the best 2 loads were a near max load and a "light" special load (6 gr Unique) so recoil is a non-issue.

August 1, 2010, 07:48 AM	#10
hardluk1 Junior member Join Date: March 27, 2009 Posts: 600	Did i miss someyhing here . Seating in a chair and shooting at 25 yards,right. NO bench?? Bench the gun and see what it will do under the best off conditions useing a standard 240gr magnum factory loads. Use a sand bag, rifle rest ,some thing to support the gun to check it . Then after printing several groups deside if it needs some help or if the extra weight is causing your groups to run a bit larger than your normal. Under the best conditions and a good shooter it should shoot under 2" at 25 yards.

August 1, 2010, 08:14 AM	#12
SwampYankee Registration in progress Join Date: November 1, 2008 Location: I can be found on a number of other forums. Posts: 1,333	I have a Model 25 that has throats so wide that .452 bullets just fall right through. Maybe someone opened them up, its a used gun so I do not know its history. Someone did hack the hammer sear notch almost all the way off- giving it a horrible case of push off. S&W charged me $100 to fix that mess.

August 1, 2010, 04:04 PM	#15
Stainz Senior Member Join Date: May 13, 2007 Location: Alabama Posts: 749	Are you shooting hotter loads than you are accustomed to? Seriously, a little flinch can translate to a wider spread. The 4" is pretty light at the muzzle - are your largest spreads vertical or horizontal? You bought it used - could the rifling be leaded? A Lewis Lead Remover (Brownell's) is a great aid for that. Try it from sandbags on a bench. My 4" & 6" 629-6's, current manufacture, are super - with my loads, from wimpy Russians to ho-hum Specials to my Nancy-boy Magnums (I had a .454 SRH for years - got the 'blaster' desires out of my system!). If it might be the loads are hotter than you are accustomed to, consider ordering some X-frame Hogue .460/.500 Magnum monogrips from S&W Accessories (~$37 + s/h). Their padding the backstrap helps... I even shoot 'real' Magnums with them on my 629's!! Below is my 4" 629-6 with them on... great improvement. Also shown - my 296 with wood service boots - much worse! The right grips help. Finally - check the rear sight to insure it it's front screw is tight - and the blade isn't loose from someone trying to take the blade off & on - the nut is staked and needs to be replaced when removed. Good luck! Stainz PS The reloads shown are GA Arms 200gr Gold Dots in .44 Special.

August 1, 2010, 05:56 PM	#16
jimaw2 Member Join Date: October 2, 2008 Location: n california Posts: 83	Thanks again to all who replied. I appreciate the feed back. I found the chamber throats are tighter than my other revolvers and will let you know what happens when that is corrected..............

August 3, 2010, 12:33 AM	#17
escard Member Join Date: April 20, 2010 Posts: 44	Years ago I checked my S&W # 29-2 w/6,5" with 15 different handloads for accuracy (lead bullets, jacketed bullets, powders from Norma, Vihtavuori, IMR and Alliant): only one single loading (swaged SWC driven to fast) grouped over 2 inches (+50 mm) at a shooting-distance of 25 meters, the best 5 loadings grouped smaller than an inch! If it is not possible to group one of the factory fodder better than 2,5-3" shot benchrested, your revolver should be checked by S&W...... By the way, the most accurate loading (17 mm/0,67" for five shots) was: 240grs Speer JSP/19,1 R-123/cci-350/Norma brass/heavy crimped.... I for myself never did this load under 2 inches shooting offhand.......

August 5, 2010, 12:38 AM	#18
jimaw2 Member Join Date: October 2, 2008 Location: n california Posts: 83	Thanks again for the feed back. I got a chance to try it again after reaming the throats to the correct size. The cast loads showed little improvement but one of my handloads with a 240gr jacketed managed a 1 1/4 three shot group, 25yds from a very solid seated position, no bench. After all that I decided to get rid of it anyway as most of my shooting is with light cast loads. Sure would be nice to be able to "test drive" a firearm before purchase!

August 5, 2010, 06:07 PM	#19
Ozzieman Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2004 Location: Northern Indiana Posts: 6,117	check the rear sight to insure it it's front screw is tight Good one Stainz! Had the same thing happen to me with a Colt Gold cup. The roller pin that holds the front of the rear sight in the gun and allows vertical adjustment fell out while I was shooting. Went from 3 inch groups to 3 feet at 15 yards.