Thinking about trading for a new hunting gun

[WolfMacabre9]

I had my S&W 686 up for trade and an offer I got was for a S&W 329pd, it's a .44 mag...all great except I'm wary of it since it has a scandium frame... I'm worried about being able to shoot it accurately and if I'll actually be able to shoot it without killing my hands. With such a light frame and a powerful shot it's gotta be hard. I read around a little and seems that pain is a big issue in a gun like this. I was just hoping for some more opinions or personal experiences.

As Far as use, I typically only use my 686 as a side arm while hunting. It's got a 6" barrel and I don't like open carrying that much, so open carry while hunting is what I plan to do with the 329pd. It's got a 4" barrel though so I could potentially see it as a possible CCW.

I primarily just want to know if there is a high risk of inability to accurately shoot it, and high risk of sever pain after prolonged shooting (I do intend to practice with it at the range so I can shoot it).

It's also got rubber grips which should help, so... opinions?

[Armor Snail]

Is it a local trade? Maybe you can test drive it a the range and see for yourself.

[WolfMacabre9]

Thats what I wanted to do, but the guy only has about 20 rounds through it and doesn't want to add to it. And I'm not entirely sure how far the drive is. Maybe I'll see if I can find someone that has one and see if they will let me shoot it...

[puro]

sounds kind of sketchy if you can't even test fire a gun you're seriously interested in trading.

[lhowland.40]

Yeah I probably would have the same concerns as you with the frame. If test firing was out of the equation I probably wouldn't want to do the trade. I personally don't see why he would be so concerned with keeping the round count so low but doesn't seem right to me, it doesn't seem to me that it is a older, rarer S&W so why not shoot it??

[Brudog]

I've recently done extensive research on 4 inch 44 magnums. I needed a pistol to take with me on trips out west for grizzly protection. Here is what I discovered.

S&W steel frames are ok to handle most factory loads with MODERATE volume of shooting, practice and hunting. They have awesome actions and are fairly light even in an N frame.

S&W space age metals like the 329 PD are designed for ultra light carry for hikers and guides who carry a lot and shoot very little. Once again be careful of what loads you use. These models are infamous for the bullet creeping out of the case because the inertia is not absorbed by the mass of the gun and is transferred to the bullets which are slowly yanked from the case and cause the cylinder to jam with normal to heavy loads. Light loads are a must or 44 special if you want to shoot it a lot. You won't because it hurts.

I actually bought a 629 in a 6 inch and after reading and shooting it I decided to put it away since it was a limited edition and purchased a Ruger redhawk in 4 inch. This thing is the Hercules of revolvers. I recently ordered 340 gr. loads from Garrett Industries specifically made for this gun. All i can say is POWERHOUSE!!

You can shoot this thing all day long and twice on Sunday with normal factory loads and never have to worry about the gun shooting itself loose like a S&W can do over time. It is heavy at 49 oz empty but it is also easier to shoot because of the mass. Four inch magnum revolvers take a lot of practice. The extra 2 inches of a 6 inch makes a big difference in repeatability and keeping the muzzle down but you sacrifice portability when carrying it. I six in ch is great for hunting. The 4 inch is great for packing and hiking being used mainly for back woods protection. If I were to use it for hunting I would use my 6 inch 629 with normal loads. For Grizzly I needed a powerhouse and now I can practice and shoot the Ruger as much as I want without worrying about ruining the gun over time.

Also my advice would be to forget Taurus, Too many of then rotate backwards and lock up in heavy calibers. Just the concensus of my research of over 6 months of reading articles and talking to local owners of all these brands.

[Brudog]

Yeah I probably would have the same concerns as you with the frame. If test firing was out of the equation I probably wouldn't want to do the trade. I personally don't see why he would be so concerned with keeping the round count so low but doesn't seem right to me, it doesn't seem to me that it is a older, rarer S&W so why not shoot it??

Based on what I read these guns are not built to take a lot of punishing rounds. They are made for emergency back woods protection which are carried a lot and shot a little. He probably doesn't want to accelerate the self destruction of the gun. At least he should be offering you light loads to try it out.

[39flathead]

I've recently done extensive research on 4 inch 44 magnums. I needed a pistol to take with me on trips out west for grizzly protection. Here is what I discovered.

S&W steel frames are ok to handle most factory loads with MODERATE volume of shooting, practice and hunting. They have awesome actions and are fairly light even in an N frame.

S&W space age metals like the 329 PD are designed for ultra light carry for hikers and guides who carry a lot and shoot very little. Once again be careful of what loads you use. These models are infamous for the bullet creeping out of the case because the inertia is not absorbed by the mass of the gun and is transferred to the bullets which are slowly yanked from the case and cause the cylinder to jam with normal to heavy loads. Light loads are a must or 44 special if you want to shoot it a lot. You won't because it hurts.

I actually bought a 629 in a 6 inch and after reading and shooting it I decided to put it away since it was a limited edition and purchased a Ruger redhawk in 4 inch. This thing is the Hercules of revolvers. I recently ordered 340 gr. loads from Garrett Industries specifically made for this gun. All i can say is POWERHOUSE!!

You can shoot this thing all day long and twice on Sunday with normal factory loads and never have to worry about the gun shooting itself loose like a S&W can do over time. It is heavy at 49 oz empty but it is also easier to shoot because of the mass. Four inch magnum revolvers take a lot of practice. The extra 2 inches of a 6 inch makes a big difference in repeatability and keeping the muzzle down but you sacrifice portability when carrying it. I six in ch is great for hunting. The 4 inch is great for packing and hiking being used mainly for back woods protection. If I were to use it for hunting I would use my 6 inch 629 with normal loads. For Grizzly I needed a powerhouse and now I can practice and shoot the Ruger as much as I want without worrying about ruining the gun over time.

Also my advice would be to forget Taurus, Too many of then rotate backwards and lock up in heavy calibers. Just the concensus of my research of over 6 months of reading articles and talking to local owners of all these brands.

Umm, special edition 629?
Ok...
Got a pic?


And the Super Redhawk is the one considered to be the ultimate in strength, not the Redhawk.

Your Redhawk is no more "powerful" or "stronger" than the 629.

[39flathead]

To the OP,
the PD weights about 20ozs less than a comparable stainless 629.

The shorter barrel on the PD might limit your range.
I use a 629 and limit my hunting shots to 50/75 yards.

While I don't think it is the best choice for a hunting revolver, it would still be suitable IMO.

Also, most .44 mag rounds are have a pretty good roll crimp, so I wouldn't be to concerned about bullets getting pulled if you are going to use factory ammo.
If you reload or plan to, which is a very good idea if hunting to find an accurate load, just do a heavy crimp.
Problem, if any, solved.


Now lastly, let's get to the trade part.
If it's an even up trade, you are nuts IMO not to do it.
The PD has about a $250 higher wholesale cost than a 686.

As for the trying it out, if you plan on getting .44 anyway, just buy your own ammo.
Honestly, the guy might figure you are a tire kicker that just wants to shoot his $1000 Smith.

Hell, you could probably trade him, and then possibly trade again for a brand new 629 if you know a decent dealer.

That's an awesome deal for you, too good to pass up if it's an even one.

[Brudog]

Umm, special edition 629?
Ok...
Got a pic?


And the Super Redhawk is the one considered to be the ultimate in strength, not the Redhawk.

Your Redhawk is no more "powerful" or "stronger" than the 629.

Well,
Here we go another internet expert. Before I embarrass you with ACTUAL factual information you may want to retract your statement and confirm your facts. After 6 months of research and a lifetime of heavy handgun shooting I can say I have become fairly well informed on the following subject but I will post the facts below for your own education.

I have attached the pictures from my special edition S&W 629 as requested. It is an NRA Edition with a limited serial number run in high polished stainless.

I have also attached quotes from two different manufacturers web sites warning you about the use of the 44 mag +P+ ammo in specific firearms. Note it actually says the S&W 629 CAN NOT handle the excessive force or the length of the cartridge due to its shorter chamber length when compared to other revolvers of known superior strength.

This was from Buffalo Bore:
Heavy .44 Magnum +P+ Ammo - 340 gr. L.F.N. - G.C. (1,478 fps/M.E. 1,649 ft. lbs.) - 20 Round Box

NEW HEAVY 44 MAGNUM +P+

"This new load is designed ONLY for certain firearms. They are as follows; Ruger Red Hawk, Ruger Super Red Hawk, Ruger Super Blackhawk or Vaquero, Freedom Arms Model 83, Taurus Raging Bull, Colt Anaconda and Dan Wesson Revolvers. Suitable rifles include T/C Encore, "modified" Marlin 1894 (see next paragraph), Winchester 1894, any rifle with a falling block action and the Handi Rifle. We get hundreds of emails asking if this load can be fired in S&W revolvers or some firearm other than what is in the above list. The answer is NO. The above list is all inclusive. If some shooters continue to irresponsibly use this product, we may have to discontinue it and that would be unfortunate as it is our best selling 44 mag. load and it gives great performance for those that use it responsibly however, as is always the case, irresponsible use of any product ends up penalizing responsible users. It would also be wise to read our “Technical Article” on “Dangerous Pure Lead Cowboy Bullets”, before using this (ITEM 4D) product."

This is from Garrett Cartridges Inc.:
330-gr SuperHardCast Long-Hammerhead at 1400-fps from 7.5” barrel;
1275-fps from 4” barrel

RECOMMENDED FOR USE ONLY IN RUGER REDHAWK, SUPER REDHAWK, TAURUS RAGING BULL, DAN WESSON, AND CUSTOM SINGLE-ACTION LONG-CYLINDERED REVOLVERS BUILT BY HAMILTON BOWEN, GARY REEDER, AND JOHN GALLAGHER. THIS AMMO IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR USE IN ANY REVOLVER WITH A BARREL LENGTH OF LESS THAN 4-INCHES. THIS AMMO IS TOO LONG FOR USE IN RIFLES.

The only piece of accurate information is that the Super Redhawk was designed as an improvement over the Redhawk because it was specifically designed to be chambered for the 454 Casull round. It however does not meet the requirements the OP set forth in that he wanted a 4 inch revolver. The Super Redhawk only comes in 7.5 inch versions in 44 Mag.

If you need any other information I would be more than happy to save you the time I spent researching all this stuff and pass on what I have learned.