gun of the week

By Bob Walsh

The Gun of the Week this time around is the Smith and Wesson 629 snub-nose .44 magnum revolver.
 
This particular version is a 629-6 with a 2 7/8 “ barrel.  It is very similar to the Talo version but this one has an unfluted cylinder. It makes it a bit heavier and easier to shoot comfortably but of course a bit heavier and therefore harder to carry.  It is a heavy gun, weighing about 40 ounces. 
 
This particular gun is a series 6, meaning it has some MIM parts and has the much-hated lock.  Fortunately it is possible to buy an excellent quality plug assembly for these pistols that looks good and removes the lock without allowing crap to enter the weapon.  If I had occasion to actually carry this thing you can be very sure I would have that lock gone.  They can fail, have failed, and when they do they tie the gun up.  That is NOT what you want in a serious SD pistol.  It is a PR and lawyer accessory, not a serious, thoughtful addition to a serious self-defense weapon.  It also has the frame mounted firing pin rather than the traditional hammer nose firing pin. 
 
It is equipped with the excellent Smith and Wesson micro-adjustable sights, red front insert and white outline rear.  The barrel is just long enough to retain the standard factory front cylinder lock.  If they get much shorter than this they end up having a ball detent lock placed in the yoke. 
 
This is quite comfortable to shoot with reduced loads, especially outdoors.  It can get a tad unpleasant at an indoor range and in reduced lighting the muzzle flash is significant.    
 
This may be a bit much for people shooting, but if I spent a lot of time in the boonies where nasty four legged critters live I would have this, or one of its cousins, as my regular companion.

---