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Smith & Wesson 329 (Scandium 44 Mag)

easygo6
Has any reader had personal experience firing this weapon? Prefer to speak with someone who has had target (as opposed to leisure plinking) and defensive (quick reaction) shooting experience.

Defensive use would be against bear during back packing trips.

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Comments

8 comments

Date Votes
  • trusta45
    I have fired this exact gun.It is very light for a .44 mag and you pay for it.Both in price and punishment.It kicks almost like a .454 Casull.It was accurate though but I think I personally feel more comfortable with a heavier gun for fast recovery shots.Its light,its powerful,it carries easy but its hard to fire with any kind of rapid accuracy.Maybe porting the barrel would help or maybe a really hot .44 special load.
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  • easygo6
    You responded to the issues that were my concern. The weight ensures you are more likely to have it with you everywhere you go. But my concern is the ability to endure regular practice sessions of full power loads (for me to endure, not the gun). I am thinking more along the lines of a 629 'Mountain Gun'. It has a fluted cylinder, 4 inch barrel witha special light contour. These are also relatively light and would not pound a bad flinch into my handgun shooting.

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  • Boomerang
    I have this gun, and I like it for packing. What is your basic need for this gun?

    Boomer

    "Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as it is by the obstacles which one has overcome while trying to succeed"

    NRA Life Member
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  • rsnyder55
    I carry a S&W Backpacker when hiking. It has a 3" barrel and round butt. It is very easy to carry on a belt holster.
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  • rayl380
    I've owned a S&W Model 629 Mountain Gun and I've fired the Scandium model - the Mountain Gun was very unpleasant to shoot but the Scandium was just short of unmanageable with full power loads. I currently carry a S&W 3" Backpacker in bear country - shot one cylinder's worth through it at the range to make sure it functioned and I won't shoot it again except in case of emergency. Unless you're an exceptional individual you won't enjoy shooting any of these three varieties with full power loads.
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  • Warbirds
    I have a 629 mountain gun and with 280 grain speer gold dots' it is quite a handful, but I've shot it enough to be fast and accurate with it, for the reasons you are concerned with. I'd go with the wieght of the 629, although it's not exactly user friendly. I have no shooting exp. with the 329, but I do own a 386pd (2'' .357 scandium frame) and it has more recoil than my 629. As others said, it to right there on the line of being manageable.

    R/

    Dave


    How different the world would be if we could consult the veteran instead of the politician. - Henry Miller
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  • ndbilly
    Ditto the experiences with the Backpacker. Quite manageable and pleasant with hard cast bullets (200-240 gr.) up to about 950 fps. Gets very unwieldy with full house loads. Weird, too, since the M29 with only one more inch of barrel is OK with factory stuff. Can't imagine the flip from the scandium model.
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  • richbug
    The most painful firearm I have ever shot. I fired 1 cylinder full of Remington 180gr yellow box ammo. the last round hurt 2x as bad as the first. I would not hesitate to carry one for your intended use, it just isn't a plinker unless you were to use some light 44 special ammo.

    My border collie is smarter than your honor student.
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