S&W 629 Trail Boss by RSR

[dairycreek]

I recently received a flyer in the mail from S & W in which one of the guns they were touting was the so-called Trail Boss. It is a stainless, Magnaported 629 with the barrel cut back to 3". They offered three variations. One with a fluted cylinder, one unfluted, and a third with fluted cylinder but Altamont Wood Combat grips, and some other goodies as well. Looks kind of interesting. Anybody out there had any experience with this gun or, for that matter, any ideas or opinions about it? All welcome! Good shooting

 

[popeye]

I have one. Magna ported. Says Trail Boss on side plate. EXTREMELY loud. I think I'd buy a Mountain gun If I had to choose again.

 

[the blind lefty]

can you get one without magna-porting? i really don't like porting on short barrel handguns.

 

[Sundance]

A buddy of mine just bought a 629 Mountain Backpacker (I believe that is what it is called). Basically the same gun without the porting. His had smooth fingergroove wooden grips though. I am kinda thinking it had an unfluted cylinder too. OK so it is not basically the same gun, but it was a stainless 629 .44 Mag with a 3" barrel. S&W has made numerous uncataloged variations of the 629 for its various distributors such as Lew Horton, RSR, etc.

 

[Alaskee]

I purchased a S&W 629 v-comp with the 3 inch barrel and the unfluted cylinder (standard components for the gun) last Spring. As soon as I picked it up I knew that it was a quality firearm as it had been tweaked by the Performance Center and carries their seal. Even with the short barrel it is one of my most accurate shooters because of the tuning. Then a couple months later I saw the 3" Trail Boss in a gun shop for about $150 less than the V-comp. My first reaction was that I had spent more money than I needed to for the v-comp and should have just gotten the Trail Boss. I didn't fire the Trail Boss but after handling it I realized that the extra $150 spent for the v-comp was money well spent. Trigger feel and cylinder lockup were two of the quality differences between the guns. The v-comp also comes with the "V" compensator which extends the barrel end about 7/8 of an inch and a barrel crown protector that replaces the compensator as protection for the end of the bbl which extends the gun 1/2". So you have a choice of compensated or not. Just another opinion to further muddy the waters.

 

[Tamara]

The magnaporting really does assist in firing rapid strings of shots from a 3" .44 Mag, even in the dark. (yes, I've tried it; that pepper popper didn't stand a chance...)

 

[the blind lefty]

the reason i don't like porting on THIS short barrel revolver,is because i intend to use it for defensive purposes.i could possibly be in a"belly level"stance with the weapon, a technique i learned for close quarter gun fights. the porting presents a physical hazard under this unique circumstance.
i like porting in most other shooting scenarios.

 

[...]

you could use the porting to a tactical advantage when someone is on you by holding the gun about chest level and firing at a downward angle toward the attacker, this would actually spread the surface area of the huge blast of a 44 magnum snubbie and leave a giant cavity in the torso of the attacker, very few could make it through that

 

[scott v]

My first post,I have 629-5 rsr Trailboss it has the best trigger of all my handguns.That include my performace center 945-40 also its the most accurate.

 

[mrat]

Does anybody know about how much this Trail Boss goes for?

 

[riddleofsteel]

Contact distance shooting with almost any gun will cause gas damage. I can only imagine what damage the gas jet from a 44 Mag would to to any animal or human at contact distance. Kinda like a plasma pistol.

 

[scott v]

Mrat,I think I paid around 550.00 new Three or four years ago.
It will be the last gun to go if I have any thing to say about it.
Every time I take a new gun out to shoot I take the trailboss.
It wins every time.Did I say I like my trailboss.
ps-I use ear plugs and ear muffs.

 

[the blind lefty]

since we've decided the porting could be used as a plasma torpedo, do you agree the unfluted cylinder will prevent gun snatcher from getting a better hold do to lack of surface grooves?-
is the Trail Boss the perfect gun? hell,half the battle is that it's a revolver!
i know... i'm shutin' up.

 

[pinetree]

My classic 4" 629 is my best handgun. I'd love to have a smaller 44mag for carry. Maybe 3" 5 shot...

 

[Skip-2]

You can always use 44 Specials

I love these "little" 44s. I can't understand all the fuss about the porting. Revolvers are naturally ported in front of the cylinder anyway (and that's a lot closer to your nose).
Here's my 5 shot, 44 Special.

 

[scott v]

Skip-2,the 200 grain flying ashtray's is a great self defence round
and they shoot really nice.Plus they don't jam like some types of guns.This is somebody with a lot of that other type of gun.