Smith & Wesson Model 629 Mountain Revolver .44 Magnum

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Smith & Wesson Model 629

The Smith & Wesson Model 29 is a six-shot, double-action revolver chambered for the .44 Magnum cartridge and manufactured by the United States company Smith & Wesson.

The Model 29 was offered with 3, 4, 5, 6, 6 1⁄2, 8 3⁄8 and 10 5⁄8 inches (76, 102, 127, 152, 165, 213 and 270 mm) barrels as standard models. Other barrel lengths were available either by special order from Smith & Wesson’s Custom Shop or custom built by gunsmiths. The 5 inches (130 mm) barreled variant had a full length underlug. Finish options available included a highly polished blued or nickel-plated surface.

At the time of its introduction the Model 29 was the most powerful production handgun, although it was later overtaken by handguns chambered for the even larger .454 Casull and .50 Action Express cartridges. It was made famous worldwide by association with the fictional character “Dirty Harry” Callahan.

The Model 29 will chamber and fire .44 Special cartridges, as the .44 Magnum was developed from the .44 Special. The Magnum case is slightly longer to prevent magnum rounds from being chambered and fired in handguns chambered for the .44 Special.

Elmer Keith’s achievements in maximizing the power and performance of the .44 Special was the inspiration and driving force behind the introduction of the .44 Magnum by Smith & Wesson. His intention for the new round was for it to be used in sidearms for hunters of large, dangerous game, rather than for self-defense, though with today’s specialty cartridges, it can be a good defensive round.

S&W’s production of a large N-frame revolver in .44 Magnum began in 1955; the Model 29 designation was applied in 1957.

At the time of its introduction, the Model 29 was the most powerful production handgun. There were a number of custom calibers that were more powerful, as in the old Howdah pistols of the 19th century.

It remained primarily the province of handgun enthusiasts, some law enforcement personnel and hunters until 1971, when Clint Eastwood made it famous as “the most powerful handgun in the world” in the movie Dirty Harry. After the movie’s release, retailers had trouble keeping the Model 29 in stock.

In the late 1990s, Smith & Wesson discontinued production of many models of revolvers, including the ‘basic’ Model 29; since then, at various times, the model, in limited or ‘custom’ configurations, has been manufactured in as many as 10 evolutions.

The Mountain Gun was introduced in 1989 as a lightweight version of the Model 29 designed to be “carried often and shot little”. The barrel profile is a reprise of the original design. Early version 29-4 backpacker with 2.5″ barrel, (Very rare).

A Smith & Wesson Model 629 with a 3 inches (76 mm) barrel called the “Trail Boss” was produced for the distributor, RSR.