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Smith and Wesson Model 29 8 3/8 barrel

penguinpenguin Member Posts: 596 ✭
in Ask the Experts
Is this a rare or fairly common barrel length?
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    rufe-snowrufe-snow Member Posts: 18,650 ✭✭✭
    They were little known and wanted, (heavy clunkers). Prior to the Dirty Harry movies, in the early 70's. After Clint Eastwood popularized then in these movies.  You couldn't get your hands on one, to save your soul. I remember stories, how guys were paying 3 times MSRP, just to get one. The craze tailed off over the years, (no matter about Dirty Harry, they were still heavy, useless clunkers). Unfortunately their still thousands floating around out their. This has depressed their current FMV. substantially. I believe Smith  more 8 3/8's 29's, than all other 8 3/8's revolvers put together.   
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    charliemeyer007charliemeyer007 Member Posts: 6,579 ✭✭✭
    It's a lot easier to do good shooting with a longer tube.  If you only shoot at 10 yards, its no help.  I had a 629 6", I gave it away because I couldn't get threw a box of shells without my hand bleeding. I can do 500 rounds with the 10 5/8 barreled 29's.  Yes I swapped the grips and it made zero difference.  
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    truthfultruthful Member Posts: 1,984 ✭✭✭✭
    A long ways from useless. My 8 3/8 629 (same thing but stainless) was a Cracker Jack for open-sight long range handgun silhouette. Had to replace the factory wood target sights with rubber because the checkering was too sharp and hurt a lot.  But too much gun for most people these days.
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    toad67toad67 Member Posts: 13,019 ✭✭✭✭
    truthful said:
    A long ways from useless. My 8 3/8 629 (same thing but stainless) was a Cracker Jack for open-sight long range handgun silhouette. Had to replace the factory wood target sights with rubber because the checkering was too sharp and hurt a lot.  But too much gun for most people these days.
    Wood target sights huh?? Must have been one of the first one's made... >:)
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    PA ShootistPA Shootist Member Posts: 689 ✭✭✭
    Had a 7-1/2" Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 Magnum for years, hunted with it.  Then an 8-3/8" bbl Smith Model 29, also hunted with it.  When aging eyes and iron sights posed a difficulty , got a Ruger Super Redhawk with scope.  All fine for whitetails in heavy cover, hardly useless handguns, I think, but certainly not for everyday carry.  Shoulder holsters for long Smith & also Super Redhawk.
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    brier-49brier-49 Member Posts: 7,035 ✭✭✭✭
    I used mine shooting silhouettes out to 200 meters , very accurate .I put Hogue grips on it , made a lot of difference.

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