S&W 29-8 Mountain Gun in 44 MAG

[j.chappell]

I am fairly new to handguns. I have had a few for years but my knowledge is in long guns. I do not have a 44 of any kind and I came across an S&W 29-8 Mountain Gun in 44 MAG this evening. The gun appears to be in excellent condition with no real sign of use. I am thinking about getting it but do not know enough about values or usefulness to know if it is worth the asking price.

So could any of you out there tell me what a good price would be for the mentioned revolver in I'd honestly say 95%+ condition? Also if any of you have experience with this revolver as far as functioning and accuracy please tell me about it.

Any information would be appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

J.

 

[B.N.Real]

Everything I ever read has been positive.

I saw two in a gun case in Newingtion Va. for $550 each in stainless in almost new shape not two months ago.

If I had the money I'd have bought one of them.

Big revovlers that have a wide range of ammo and uses availible .

 

[Pappy John]

I bought mine when they first came out.....2002-2003? I can't remember exactly. I do remember paying right around $600 for it brand new. It was the first blued Mountain Gun I ever came across, and that's what attracted me to it. I must have 2000 rounds plus through it by now with zero malfunctions, mostly my own mild loads of a 240 gr bullet in front of 8.0 gr of Universal Clays giving 990 fps. Full house loads aren't that pleasant from a 4" pencil barreled gun. Just a few can make you think your hand HAS to be bleeding by now. It shoots as accurately as I can point it, and it's a great woods carry gun. I wasn't all that fond of the original Ahends grips, so I put on these Eagle Heritage stocks that duplicate the S&W '50s style Coke Bottle grips.

 

[j.chappell]

Thanks guys thats the kind of information that I was looking for. The one I'm looking at is only $439.00, I guess I should go grab it huh!

Pappy,

What are you using for field carry?

 

[Pappy John]

Either a Bianchi Cyclone dual position holster for quick hikes or this rig for all day in the woods. I can't remember the name of the gentleman who made it. It was sold through someone who posts over on the S&W Forum.

 

[j.chappell]

Thanks for the reply Pappy.

J.

 

[fourdogs]

I don't own one, but have some thoughts about it. What will be the intended use ? If you want a light carry and you are not recoil sensitive, the Mountain Gun is a good choice. If you want to shoot full house loads a lot, a heavier frame would be better.

 

[j.chappell]

I was thinking of a few things, I'll list them and maybe you guys can help me out. Like I said I have little knowledge in handguns.

1. Carry gun for the woods; that’s why I thought this lighter revolver with the 4" barrel would be nice

2. Sidearm for possible close range shots at our whitetail deer. I hunt primarily from a stand be it portable or fixed and have shots as close as 10-15 yards. I currently own a Ruger Blackhawk 5.5" in 45LC. Now don’t anyone rip my head of because I noted it as a LC. That’s how Ruger labeled it so that’s how I describe it. I have no interest in debating the long and short of Colt cartridges.

Anyway, I easily can put all 6 shots in the vitals of a cardboard silhouette target at 25 yards. I figured that this mountain gun could do the same.

3. I want a .44 Mag

 

[heyduke]

I sincerely don't consider myself "overly" recoil sensitive.

I've shot numerous "large" .44's with with and without scopes, and usually hit what I'm aiming at, even out to a decent distance.

I use to own a 629 mountain gun (4" barrel).

After the very first 6 rounds, that gun became no fun to shoot (I was also shooting some "stoudt" loads).

In my defense, anyone who I let shoot it (even guys who owned .44's for hunting) thought the same way about it not being to fun to shoot.

Heck, at dusk or dawn, if you shot that gun, the muzzle flash was a spectacular sight.

I'd seriously see if you could find a gun to shoot that was about the same size and weight, and see how you like it (put a good 50 rounds through it before you make your decision).

Notice how I said "I use to own a 629 mountain gun"?

For deer, I'm more than happy with a 10MM at short distances.

 

[j.chappell]

heyduke,

Thanks for the advice. I am not recoil sensitive in the least. I own what I consider heavy recoiling handguns, maybe I'm wrong because most of them are larger framed or of the single shot design but I do have a Ruger 454 that I don’t find to be too much.

It was too much for the Leupold Gilmore that I tried to mount on it when I first got it. The first shot shattered both lenses. Sent it back to Leupold, they sent a new one with an extra set of rings and instructions to use 4 rings. I had slots milled in my base for the extra rings. This time it made it to 4 rounds before it broke the tube at the adjustment towers. Sent it back, they replaced it again and the shop owner just gave me credit towards a Leupold 4x. Haven’t had issues to date. That handgun though is not a sidearm; it’s more like a "sideleg".

I don’t know anyone who has a mountain gun but I'll keep asking around. I was going to just go get it the other day but I changed my mind and decided to think about it for a while.

I have been going back and forth between getting that mountain gun and ordering a Super Blackhawk.

Any feedback on that guys?

J.

 

[Smaug]

j.chappell - Did you buy it yet? If not, read the sticky thread at the top of this forum about how to check out a revolver. It is possible (though not likely) for the revolver to look great cosmetically, but be all messed up mechanically.

 

[Magnum Wheel Man]

IMO, it really comes down to what you'll use it for... I generally look at revolvers as "offensive" or "defensive"... just for "S&G's" a 2" barreled revolver is typically defensive, & a 6" or longer barrel is typically offensive... I hunt with an offensive weapon, & self defend with a defensive weapon... I have a couple 4" barrels one being one of my most used ( of non defensive weapons ), that is a stainless GP-100 that around home, it is my woods carry gun... there is not a lot that I would have to worry about defending myself against in the woods here in southern MN... the 4" barrel is very versitile, & the 357 magnum is plenty of cartridge

my woods gun for use in areas known to have animals ( 2 legged or 4 legged ) that I may need to defend myself against, forces a switch to either my Dan Wesson full sized Compensated 44 Mag snubbie, or my Ruger Alaskan snubbie in 454 Casull

can you hunt with a 4" or a snubbie??? sure, but with the shorter sight radius, it's just not as practical... can you defend against bear attack with a long barrel... sure, but if the bear is on top of you, before you get the situation neutralized, it may be more difficult to get the longer barreled gun pointing into a vital area in such close contact...

as long as I've gone this far... ( & you mentioned the Blackhawk )... IMO, a single action is great for an offensive, or hunting weapon, but not so good as a defensive weapon... if that bear is on top of you, & chewing on your arm, the pain & shock may leave you trying to pull the trigger to no avail, as the single action won't fire without cocking 1st.... I was watching something on TV about bear attacks in Alaska, & one woman was mauled while in her tent, & while she had a 44 mag revolver, she was unable to fire the gun, during the attack, & after alot of mauling, someone from another tent was able to shoot it with a slug gun ( the bear still ran off )... but the gun they showed, ( may not have been the actual gun ??? ) was a 6" barreled single action 44 mag Blackhawk...

point being... for myself, the 4" barrel is a good compromise length... not really the best at anything but easier to carry than a 6" or 8" revolver, yet still able to take aimed fire at shorter distances... not my 1st choice if self defence or hunting is a primary concern... then I either use a single or double action 6" or 8" barrel for hunting, or a double action magnum caliber snubbie for personal defense in the woods... I have a lot of revolvers, but don't own a 4" barrel in any magnum caliber larger than a 357 ( though I have a pair of 45 Colt Montados that are 3+ inches... but those are "fun" guns, not working guns... which brings us back to it's really what you plan to use the gun for ???

 

[j.chappell]

Smaug,

Thanks for the advice. I did read that thread and I have checked the gun out front to back and top to bottom. It is a solid 95%+. The reason I rate it 95% and not 99-100 is becasue someone messed up the checkering on one side of the grip.

J.

 

[j.chappell]

Magnum Wheel Man,

Thank you for all of the information. I really dont see a need to defend myself here in our woods. So a SA may be more useful for me in basically a hunting situation. The one thing I was looking at though was ease and comfort of carry.

I am still torn. I feel like I should go with the Ruger SA in say 4 5/8" or 5.5" cause I think it is going to be better suited for what I intend to use it for. On the other hand I really like the look and feel of the Mountian gun.

I think I am going to read your post again and think more about it. I agree that the 4" inch is kind of an in between length, thats one of the reasons that I thought it may be a good compromise.

Or would I just be getting a revolver that really isnt any good for either chore.

Thanks again Magnum Wheel Man as I am limited in my handgun knowledge and need all the help I can get.

J.

 

[Magnum Wheel Man]

Just to condense... aside from my CCW guns, my 4" GP-100 is the gun I carry most, as it's stainless, it's always in my truck, & on my belt, any time I'm out bumming in the woods... ( so I wouldn't worry about a 4" 44 "that really isnt any good for either chore" ), for me, the 357 is big enough, & powerfull enough, ( & cheaper to shoot ) that I don't "need" a 4" - 44 mag... I carry it when I'm hunting with either a long gun, or one of my Contenders, but as a side arm, not a "hunting" gun...it being chambered in 44 Mag wouldn't offer "me" any advantage for hunting locally...

I certainly wouldn't critisize anyone carrying a 44 for the same purpose, I just never had the need for a 4" - 44 Mag, my 357 was big enough to fill that role... I look at logic for a working gun...

... if it's a fun gun... then no logic is needed... buy why you like most... I have several Blackhawks & love them all... & there is no bet here, that I may buy a Mountain Gun some day as a fun gun... as I get older, the semi autos have just lost all their appeal... so a Mountain Gun might be in my future as well... but it won't likely replace the 4" GP 100 as my main bumming around gun...

 

[j.chappell]

MW Man,

Thank you. I am still wondering and thinking.

J.

 

[crowbeaner]

I'd buy it at that price. A set of grips isn't that much more outlay. I had a 4 inch M29 with the standard barrel, and full house loads were a bit more than I liked. Maybe I was too used to my 4 inch M57. I've always liked the looks of the pencil barrel on "N" frame guns; reminds me of an M24 Model of 1950.

 

[j.chappell]

crowbeaner,

I do handload so I could taylor the loads to my liking. Also it is a reasonable price so if I dont like it I believe I could unload it easily. The looks and feel are the reasons I really like the gun.

I think I may just have to get the Mountian Gun and also a SA in say a 5.5" barrel and quit crying over which to get.

J.

 

[batmann]

Fine weapon, I have the same pistola in satinless and if you keep the loads normal the are not bad to shoot. If you are going to change grips anyway, go to S&W and the the X frame Hogue's. They will make a huge difference in handling recoil. As I remember, the 29 MG's came with 2 sets of grips. Ahern's and normal Hogue's, see if the current owner has them.

 

[Majic]

Like Pappy I got one when they first came out and the price was just under 600 bucks. I wasn't real impressed. I polished the action and changed the mainspring which improved the trigger greatly. The Ahrends and rubbers that came with it should be tossed in the trash IMO so I put a set of Combats on it. It shot pretty good although I didn't care for shooting a lot of full power loads in it. I got it because it was said to be the last blued N-frame made and well that tune changed in short order. So since it didn't really float my boat I traded it for a nice M25-5 which I didn't have. I personally don't care for them but they are decent revolvers and a lot of folks love em.