S&W model 629-1 info

idigg · August 7, 2017, 09:14 AM

Hi folks. I happily received a 44 mag from my grandfather this past weekend. i dont know a whole lot about them, but ive looked around a fair bit and im learning. im pretty certain this has the non-recessed cylinder, and a non pinned barrel. im not sure if either of those things are desirable or not. but im pretty sure it doesnt really matter that much for my uses. and its not like im ever parting with this gun.

http://i.imgur.com/dkDQUK2.jpg

so my questions... im not sure if that is the original grip? it has the s&w logo inlay in it, but i found in a box of gun parts that he had, a hogue grip package for the same frame style gun.. labeled rubber moulded... with another wood grip in it... s&w inlay.. ill get a picture of it up soon, but its a checkered grip similar to this... so im not sure if he, or my uncle, did some playing around with the grips.

next question.. ive seen that the higher number dash models were made more robust to handle hotter loads... im planning on hunting deer with this gun. id like a reasonably aggressive deer load for it, but i dont want to tax the gun too hard. is there some sort of guideline or rule that i should follow when selecting my ammo? i cant imagine needing more than a cylinder or 2 to sight it in and get comfortable with the ammo... and then for range trips and such id just use some pretty basic rounds.

anything else you can tell me about the gun would be great.

first and foremost though... ive got to figure out how to get that trigger lock off of there!

thanks!

Master Blaster · August 7, 2017, 11:33 AM

It is either a -1 or a -2 as it has the standard size cylinder bolt notches (-3 and the endurance package lengthened the notches) and is not a Pinned and recessed model no dash 629. As far as the lock goes if it is a Master lock trigger lock, you can get the number of the cylinder off the lock and ask them to sell or send a key for it. Otherwise carefully drilling the lock cylinder out may be your best bet. Did grandpa have a key ring or a range bag, or sock drawer where he may have kept the key?

idigg · August 7, 2017, 11:53 AM

Quote:

It is either a -1 or a -2

as stated in the title, it is a -1... no recessed cylinder, and not pinned.

i just wasnt sure what all that meant in the real world.

the key is definitely long gone. my uncle who died a couple years back had the gun and was the one who put the lock on it. but i have a few options. from what ive seen on youtube, they are pretty easy to remove with just a flat tip screwdriver. but if not, ive been thinking about getting a locksmith kit to learn that trade anyways.

good point about the masterlock # though. that will be the easiest assuming the flat tip doesnt do it.

**44 AMP** · August 7, 2017, 12:04 PM

based on the large picture...

Quote:

im not sure if that is the original grip?

Only if your grandfather ordered it from S&W that way. The standard grip for that gun was the checkered one (shown on the 4" in your smaller pic).

Smooth S&W grips were an option that could be ordered when ordering the gun AND they were also sold separately for a long time. Grandpa most likely bought a set after firing the first cylinder of magnum ammo!

The checkered grips are NOT comfortable for most of us to shoot with full house loads. Think cheese grater..and yes they can actually tear your skin under the right conditions.

Quote:

ive seen that the higher number dash models were made more robust to handle hotter loads...

No.. that's not quite correct. The dash number indicates a design change. SOME of the design changes were done to enhance durability (service life) with standard factory ammo. They were NOT done to allow, hotter loads, (and, they don't).

The gun in your pic does not have a pinned barrel. It most likely does not have recessed chambers (easy to tell if you can open the cylinder). S&W dropped both features at the same time, BUT continued to use existing parts to assemble guns until all the older ones were used up. And this happened at different times with different model guns. It is possible to find some models with pinned barrels and non-recessed chambers, and recessed chambers in a non-pinned gun.

Quote:

im planning on hunting deer with this gun. id like a reasonably aggressive deer load for it, but i dont want to tax the gun too hard. is there some sort of guideline or rule that i should follow when selecting my ammo?

The standard 240gr JHP/JSP factory load (or the 240gr SWC hardcast) are "plenty aggressive" when it comes to deer. Despite the number of people recommending the 300gr loads, today, they simply aren't needed for deer. regular factory 240s rarely fail to shoot completely through deer. And even the 180s often do.

It sounds like you are not an experienced .44 Magnum shooter. If not, you will find the .44 Mag to be a real ...experience. They DO kick, and the S&W .44Mag delivers a lot of "felt recoil". This is why many people replaced the stock factory checkered grips with smooth ones, and often rubber.

Quote:

first and foremost though... ive got to figure out how to get that trigger lock off of there!

Grandpa didn't have a KEY????

If you inherited the gun, my condolences on your loss. There was a key, obviously, it may be on Grandpa's key ring. See if you can get the key.

Otherwise, its time to see a locksmith.

I have my father's M29-2, essentially an earlier version of your 629 in blued steel. Its not the gun some newer, bigger .44 mag revolvers are, and it doesn't need to be.

Standard factory 240gr "full house" loads will kill any deer that ever walked, and have killed many much bigger, tougher animals as well.

There are lower power level loads in .44 mag cases. Check your ammo carefully to get what is best suited for your needs and desires.

Enjoy!

idigg · August 7, 2017, 01:12 PM

thanks for the response. grandpa is still alive and kickin. but at 91 his memory isnt all that great. my uncle had inherited the gun for a bit, but then 2 years ago, he died. no one is sure where the lock even came from. i suspect my uncle put it on there, or my grandfather did when he got it back from him... but we have looked all over, and cant find the key. based on a lot of the youtube vids, they seem pretty easy to remove with just a screwdriver. or i might buy a locksmith kit. i think i have quite a few options. we will just have to see. i havent gotten it from the FFL yet.

ive actually shot quite a bit of 44. my boss has one, and i shot this very gun back when he first bought it back in 92ish? im not even sure when he did buy it, but i remember shooting it when i was pretty young. i can agree with the "real..... experience" comment. they are a blast. im going to play around with the 2 grips i have. i prefer the look of the original, but im a function over form guy... ill have to find somewhere that has a few different grips to try out before im ready to start dropping $80 on numerous grips. i really like the look of the hogue wood finger groove round bottomed ones, but i feel like they might not work with my smaller hands.

im fine with sticking with 240s... based on what was in the cabinet, my grandfather used 180s that my dad was loading for him. i just wanted to make sure i wasnt shooting anything too heavy for the gun to handle. so stay away from the +p loads? even for the occasional use?

many thanks for your responses! loving picking up knowledge about this thing right now!

i also got a pre-ww2 browning a5 that im going to need to learn about, but thats going to basically be a safe queen as i dont do a lot of small game or skeet.

and i got an odd looking 22lr... s&w model 622. should be a perfect plinker and porcupine exterminator.

larryf1952 · August 7, 2017, 03:30 PM

Congrats on inheriting your .44. I also own a 629-1, albeit in the 6" barrel length. I bought my gun around 1995, from a dealer who was a personal friend. It had been stolen in a pawn shop break in, and he was able to get his hands on it when it was finally released from police evidence. Luckily, it was in like new shape.

The stocks in the pic are not the original set that came with the gun. I think that the gun originally came with stocks that did not have the cylinder cut out. At the time, I also had a Smith 25-2 that I was thinking about selling. It had nicer looking stocks on it, so I swapped the stocks between the 2 before I sold the 25. My hands are long and slender, so I'm one of those rare guys that loves the look and feel of the Smith wooden target stocks.

I've always reloaded my own .44 ammo. I've shot 240's in it, but, I finally settled on the 200/210 grain JHP's. I load them to 1400fps. Not max, but still pretty stout. The 629 handles them just fine.

mete · August 7, 2017, 04:06 PM

My 29 was made in the late '70s , 6.5 " barrel. Put Pacmyer grips on and they are still there. Fit my hands well and soak up a bit of recoil. The best way to deal with recoil is to bend your elbows a bit , then when you fire the elbows bend more like shock absorbers ! the grips shouldn't move in your hands.
Don't get into the 'hot load' thing it's hard on the gun and you .Usually bad for the gun and with the poor ballistic shape it will slow down quickly so at long range you get no benefit. With hunting and metallic silhouette I quickly became to appreciate the 44mag cartridge and M29. With iron sights I can take a deer at 50-60 yds easily with one shot. I no longer reload but there are many factory loads available and have settled on the all copper Barnes 225 gr ! Practice ! Lots of fun , venison and learning lots about a fine cartridge !

straightshooterjake · August 7, 2017, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by idigg

im fine with sticking with 240s... based on what was in the cabinet, my grandfather used 180s that my dad was loading for him. i just wanted to make sure i wasnt shooting anything too heavy for the gun to handle. so stay away from the +p loads? even for the occasional use?

I would strongly discourage firing any +P 44 magnum loads in a model 629.

Let me expand on the above point a bit. The model 629 is a robust revolver that was made to handle 44 magnum loads. You should fire 44 magnums without concern, but you should be aware that maximum loads will increase the wear on the pistol over time.

However, +P designates loads which are over maximum and which are beyond the specification that your revolver was designed for. There is no standard for +P in 44 magnum, so you don't know exactly how high the pressure is. I am not aware of any commericially made +P 44 magnum, but there definitely handloading recipes for 44 magnums rounds that are over SAAMI specs. Generally, these extra hot 44 magnum loads are intended for certain Ruger revolvers and for some rifles. The model 629 was not designed for these loads, and I would not recommend firing them even occasionally.

I would also encourage you to keep in mind that standard 44 magnum loads have more than enough power for deer if you put them where you mean to. On the internet I hear about lots of expert pistol shooters who have more than enough accuracy to ethically harvest game at substantial distances with a pistol. However, when I see large caliber magnums at the range, I very rarely see this accuracy demonstrated. I do not mean this comment as a criticism, but rather as an encouragement. If you practice with full load (but not overload) 44 magnums until you have good control, then you should carry those loads with confidence.

idigg · August 8, 2017, 08:26 AM

thanks for the responses everyone. It sounds like the +p loads are not recommended, nor are they necessary, so consider that case closed. ill probably go with something in the 200-240 range. im thinking ill start with a box of 200s. and if i find myself accurate with them, ill see how i do with the 240s.

as for the grip, i plan on tossing the original back on there just to see how i like it. if not, ill go back to what is on there now.

cant wait to go pick this thing up!!!

joed · August 9, 2017, 08:15 PM

I have both a 29-2 and 629-1. My first was the 629. I still remember what the gunsmith told me in regards to both these guns. "They were designed for 240 gr bullets. Use of 300 gr bullets will shorten the life considerably".

I've followed that rule in the years that I've owned them and have never had a problem.

idigg · August 15, 2017, 08:47 AM

well, i picked up the gun from the FFL... ive got to say, these trigger locks are worthless for anything but some minor safety with only very young children. i followed this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKfYCCEH0Y4

and had the lock off in about a minute. if i had to do it again, i could probably do it in 15 seconds. if i wasnt worried about scratching the gun, i could probably do it in 5 seconds. so dont rely on these things for any real amount of security, including in house teenagers..

in any event. its mine now. time to get some ammo and get some trigger time in! funny how much bigger this sucker is than all the other pistols.

August 7, 2017, 09:14 AM	#1
idigg Member Join Date: September 3, 2015 Posts: 40	S&W model 629-1 info Hi folks. I happily received a 44 mag from my grandfather this past weekend. i dont know a whole lot about them, but ive looked around a fair bit and im learning. im pretty certain this has the non-recessed cylinder, and a non pinned barrel. im not sure if either of those things are desirable or not. but im pretty sure it doesnt really matter that much for my uses. and its not like im ever parting with this gun. http://i.imgur.com/dkDQUK2.jpg so my questions... im not sure if that is the original grip? it has the s&w logo inlay in it, but i found in a box of gun parts that he had, a hogue grip package for the same frame style gun.. labeled rubber moulded... with another wood grip in it... s&w inlay.. ill get a picture of it up soon, but its a checkered grip similar to this... so im not sure if he, or my uncle, did some playing around with the grips. next question.. ive seen that the higher number dash models were made more robust to handle hotter loads... im planning on hunting deer with this gun. id like a reasonably aggressive deer load for it, but i dont want to tax the gun too hard. is there some sort of guideline or rule that i should follow when selecting my ammo? i cant imagine needing more than a cylinder or 2 to sight it in and get comfortable with the ammo... and then for range trips and such id just use some pretty basic rounds. anything else you can tell me about the gun would be great. first and foremost though... ive got to figure out how to get that trigger lock off of there! thanks!

August 7, 2017, 04:06 PM	#7
mete Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2004 Location: NY State Posts: 6,575	My 29 was made in the late '70s , 6.5 " barrel. Put Pacmyer grips on and they are still there. Fit my hands well and soak up a bit of recoil. The best way to deal with recoil is to bend your elbows a bit , then when you fire the elbows bend more like shock absorbers ! the grips shouldn't move in your hands. Don't get into the 'hot load' thing it's hard on the gun and you .Usually bad for the gun and with the poor ballistic shape it will slow down quickly so at long range you get no benefit. With hunting and metallic silhouette I quickly became to appreciate the 44mag cartridge and M29. With iron sights I can take a deer at 50-60 yds easily with one shot. I no longer reload but there are many factory loads available and have settled on the all copper Barnes 225 gr ! Practice ! Lots of fun , venison and learning lots about a fine cartridge ! __________________ And Watson , bring your revolver !

August 9, 2017, 08:15 PM	#10
joed Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 2014 Posts: 442	I have both a 29-2 and 629-1. My first was the 629. I still remember what the gunsmith told me in regards to both these guns. "They were designed for 240 gr bullets. Use of 300 gr bullets will shorten the life considerably". I've followed that rule in the years that I've owned them and have never had a problem. __________________ The 6 gun was once as common as the cellphone is today, and just as annoying when it went off in the theater.

August 7, 2017, 11:33 AM	#2
Master Blaster Senior Member Join Date: October 11, 1999 Location: One of the original 13 Colonies Posts: 2,281	It is either a -1 or a -2 as it has the standard size cylinder bolt notches (-3 and the endurance package lengthened the notches) and is not a Pinned and recessed model no dash 629. As far as the lock goes if it is a Master lock trigger lock, you can get the number of the cylinder off the lock and ask them to sell or send a key for it. Otherwise carefully drilling the lock cylinder out may be your best bet. Did grandpa have a key ring or a range bag, or sock drawer where he may have kept the key?

August 7, 2017, 01:12 PM	#5
idigg Member Join Date: September 3, 2015 Posts: 40	thanks for the response. grandpa is still alive and kickin. but at 91 his memory isnt all that great. my uncle had inherited the gun for a bit, but then 2 years ago, he died. no one is sure where the lock even came from. i suspect my uncle put it on there, or my grandfather did when he got it back from him... but we have looked all over, and cant find the key. based on a lot of the youtube vids, they seem pretty easy to remove with just a screwdriver. or i might buy a locksmith kit. i think i have quite a few options. we will just have to see. i havent gotten it from the FFL yet. ive actually shot quite a bit of 44. my boss has one, and i shot this very gun back when he first bought it back in 92ish? im not even sure when he did buy it, but i remember shooting it when i was pretty young. i can agree with the "real..... experience" comment. they are a blast. im going to play around with the 2 grips i have. i prefer the look of the original, but im a function over form guy... ill have to find somewhere that has a few different grips to try out before im ready to start dropping $80 on numerous grips. i really like the look of the hogue wood finger groove round bottomed ones, but i feel like they might not work with my smaller hands. im fine with sticking with 240s... based on what was in the cabinet, my grandfather used 180s that my dad was loading for him. i just wanted to make sure i wasnt shooting anything too heavy for the gun to handle. so stay away from the +p loads? even for the occasional use? many thanks for your responses! loving picking up knowledge about this thing right now! i also got a pre-ww2 browning a5 that im going to need to learn about, but thats going to basically be a safe queen as i dont do a lot of small game or skeet. and i got an odd looking 22lr... s&w model 622. should be a perfect plinker and porcupine exterminator.

August 7, 2017, 03:30 PM	#6
larryf1952 Senior Member Join Date: July 17, 2004 Location: KCMO Posts: 615	Congrats on inheriting your .44. I also own a 629-1, albeit in the 6" barrel length. I bought my gun around 1995, from a dealer who was a personal friend. It had been stolen in a pawn shop break in, and he was able to get his hands on it when it was finally released from police evidence. Luckily, it was in like new shape. The stocks in the pic are not the original set that came with the gun. I think that the gun originally came with stocks that did not have the cylinder cut out. At the time, I also had a Smith 25-2 that I was thinking about selling. It had nicer looking stocks on it, so I swapped the stocks between the 2 before I sold the 25. My hands are long and slender, so I'm one of those rare guys that loves the look and feel of the Smith wooden target stocks. I've always reloaded my own .44 ammo. I've shot 240's in it, but, I finally settled on the 200/210 grain JHP's. I load them to 1400fps. Not max, but still pretty stout. The 629 handles them just fine.

August 8, 2017, 08:26 AM	#9
idigg Member Join Date: September 3, 2015 Posts: 40	thanks for the responses everyone. It sounds like the +p loads are not recommended, nor are they necessary, so consider that case closed. ill probably go with something in the 200-240 range. im thinking ill start with a box of 200s. and if i find myself accurate with them, ill see how i do with the 240s. as for the grip, i plan on tossing the original back on there just to see how i like it. if not, ill go back to what is on there now. cant wait to go pick this thing up!!!

August 15, 2017, 08:47 AM	#11
idigg Member Join Date: September 3, 2015 Posts: 40	well, i picked up the gun from the FFL... ive got to say, these trigger locks are worthless for anything but some minor safety with only very young children. i followed this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKfYCCEH0Y4 and had the lock off in about a minute. if i had to do it again, i could probably do it in 15 seconds. if i wasnt worried about scratching the gun, i could probably do it in 5 seconds. so dont rely on these things for any real amount of security, including in house teenagers.. in any event. its mine now. time to get some ammo and get some trigger time in! funny how much bigger this sucker is than all the other pistols.