[sombunya]

A while back I asked about shooting 300 gr. lead in my 6" 629-5. 1190 fps producing about 950 ft/lbs of energy. No signs of over pressure, no barrel leading, half of the empties fall right out. Responses ranged from "don't keep doing it" to "I've shot those kinds of loads for years".

My question is, will shooting 240 jacketed at 1400 fps, 1050 ft/lbs of energy beat up my gun sooner?

Edit: I know shot start pressure, powder burning rate etc. affect things. Just looking for a general answer.

 

[Danny Reid]

Short answer, yes it will. Is there a magic number as to round count with that load before you start having issues? Not really.

Off the top of my head I can't recall which generations of 29s/629s were made with the endurance packages, but I am pretty sure your 629-5 falls into that category. Main issue you run into with S&W 44s that have been shot a lot is timing. As long as the guns' timing remains positive I wouldn't worry excessively about it.

 

[DonD]

I think the 1400 fps load you mention is about as far as is prudent for those guns. When you start using things like Buffalo Bore +P .44 Mags I think you're really into the realm of very rapid wear, perhaps even worse.

Leave those to guns like Ruger Super Redhawks and Freedom Arms beefy SA revolvers. Don

 

[fastbolt]

That's kind of like asking whether putting miles on rubber tires will eventually wear them out. Some wear longer than others.

I don't keep all the dates and revisions in my head (who could, with S&W's virtually constant revisions? ), but if I remember right, the Endurance Package changes were introduced in the stainless models with the introduction of the 629-4 Classic (I have one). I also have an early production Redhawk .44MAG, BTW.

Back before I went to a S&W revolver armorer class, I relied upon the head armorer at my agency to maintain my S&W revolvers (he did S&W and Colt, and looked down his nose at Rugers ). He had to replace the original hammer & trigger in my 629-4, which I'd bought LNIB from another cop (who wasn't a Magnum revolver enthusiast), because of a SA push-off problem that couldn't be adjusted because of the tolerances present in the factory parts. (The "Golden Days" of S&W )

Once that problem was corrected, and having had the 629 MagNaPorted & bead-blasted at some point (mea culpa for my younger age and interest in "cosmetic surgery" back then), I put a fair number of both factory and some heavy handloads through it. The second time the armorer had to adjust the carry-up (timing, if you'd prefer), he suggested I consider saving the heavy handloads for the Ruger and stick to factory Magnum loads through on the 629-4. I only run the occasional stout 315gr loads through the 629 anymore.

I'm no longer an avid reloader, either, so I don't expect to wear out the 629.

 

[Canoe2]

The endurance upgrades started at the end of the 629-2 run (-2e). The -3s and above have all the key upgrades.

I suppose shooting heavier loads will always beat up a gun sooner. I guess the question will be at what rate and whether that is relevant to your usage. 240@1400 is a fairly classic heavy, but not excessive, load. Your gun shouldn't have an issue with those if loaded in spec.

Previously, i was more sceptical about the strength of the Smiths. But I recently came across a fella hell bent on seeing how far he can push his new 629 classic. He is not shooting nuclear loads, but a high volume of full or close-to-full saami spec loads, similar to what you are looking at. He is above the 12K mark. He has had to tighten screws inside and out and a set of factory grips broke, but nothing catastrophic and still going. Granted there is some batch variability - I've seen pics of shattered guns after a few hundred rounds either due to bad metallurgy (or bad reloads) - but that is far more than i would every shoot out of a 44, so I am no longer concerned about how much punishment the Smith will take.

 

[sombunya]

Nice answers here.

I don't shoot much factory ammo and decided to cut back the charges on the 300 gr lead load listed from 17 to 16 grains of AA #9 when shooting my Smith. I'll chrono them and see if they slowed down a bit. Should still be satisfying to shoot.

 

[gatorboy]

I noticed the newest generation -8 has an extra, large screw in front of hammer, under rear sight. Maybe they beefed them up some more? Mine are older and I don't shoot them like I did my first. S&W tightened it back up and I sold it to my brother for $300. I knew he wouldn't shoot it. That was a decade ago and he still has never fired it once.

 

[WeeWilly]

As you likely know, unless you are exceeding SAAMI pressures, the wear has very little to do with the pressures you are pushing. You can pick powder and bullet combinations that go right up to SAAMI max pressures, yet yield very mild recoil (and wear).

It is all about the free recoil. Heavy bullets loaded to higher velocities are going to wear your gun out far faster than shooting more sedate loads.

My personal opinion is I ran my Model 29 below full house and mostly closer to 44 Special velocities (because it ain't just the gun that takes the wear). If I really wanted to push the magnum envelope, I would buy a Ruger.

 

[Berto]

I have a 629-5, which has all of the endurance upgrades. I haven't seen any significant wear over very the approx 2k I have in it- which is 99% full powered factory ammo.
Granted, it's a 3" gun and I'm not really keen on seeing what 300gr/1300fps feels like in this gun. I like the notion that the gun is 'strong enough', but honestly it's miserable to shoot with stuff like that and I have a SBH for such things. I'm convinced that the 629 is plenty strong enough for anything I'll shoot thru it for however long in my lifetime.
My understanding was the issue mostly concerned earlier pre-E guns being used with heavy ammo in silhouette games.

 

[rds95991]

For very heavy 44 mag loads, I usually fall back to my Ruger Redhawk and Vaqueros.

 

[Borg Warner]

Nice answers here.

I don't shoot much factory ammo and decided to cut back the charges on the 300 gr lead load listed from 17 to 16 grains of AA #9 when shooting my Smith. I'll chrono them and see if they slowed down a bit. Should still be satisfying to shoot.

I think that's probably a good idea since 1190 is a little high for a 300 grain bullet.

And as far as 1400 fps 240 grain loads you might want to be more careful approaching velocities that high as well. Always start low and work your way up.

I'd suggest that you get a copy of the Loadbooks USA "44 Remington Magnum" Reloading Manual Which will give you load data from every major published source all in one manual for one caliber.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1012856849/loadbooks-usa-44-remington-magnum-reloading-manual

And then, never just pick a load at random that you think sounds nice, but go with a starting load and gradually work your way up to max or just below max. Some load data will also give pressure data and any load that develops more velocity with less pressure is good.

AA9 is an excellent powder for the 44 magnum.

Smith and Wessons, even with the endurance package, are not as strong as Ruger Blackhawks, Redhawks or Super Redhawks. Smith and Wessons will last a lot longer shooting moderate loads. and even "Moderate" 44 magnum loads are plenty powerful for defensive and hunting purposes.

 

[gunsmoke92]

The 629 is a great firearm, and running normal power levels in it won't be an issue. If you want to push the envelope with hotter loads and heavy bullets, as WeeWilly said above, buy yourself a Ruger.

 

[Danny Reid]

For 29s and 629s I've owned over the years, I've always stuck with the 240gr@1200fps rule. Realizing that's on the lighter side of what the 44 Magnum can do, I never felt like I was beating any of my guns up unnecessarily. And some of those I had well north of 10,000 rounds through.

Rugers are stronger, but truthfully 29s and 629s are strong enough for a lifetime of shooting for most of us.

 

[ctxcummins]

As much as I love my 629-4, my hot .44 shooting is done with either my Redhawk or Marlin.

 

[sombunya]

My buddy gave me a few boxes of various brands of 44 Mag. Seems some of the factory 240 jacketed was up close to 1400 fps, I can't remember exactly though. I have some 300 gr. PROLOAD that was running about 1150 fps.

I don't load any 240 gr stuff but if I did I would consider keeping them at 1200-1300 fps.

I'm not looking to set any speed records with these. I've done that before and paid the price. I appreciate everyone's opinions.

 

[Wyoming]

Based on my experience it will wear out sometime. All mechanical things will wear if used long enough.

Your revolver is not going to fall apart in to tiny pieces but will start to spit from the cylinder gap. I had a four inch S&W 29 that when you held the trigger with the hammer all the way to check timing you could wave the cylinder way past what you think would work. It shot fine. Had a eight in S&W 29 that would spray debris back into my face after a few thousand rounds of 44 magnum. This was in the days of 22 grains of 2400 and 240 grains bullets.

Even tough I load 240 JHP with maximum charge of Win 296 by the thousand and put them in a Dillon Broder Shift bag I haven't broke a 44 magnum revolver in decades. The reasons are I have many for 44 Magnum guns to spread around, I now shoot more 44 Special and reduced 44 Magnums and Smith revolvers are way better made today.

My advice is life is too short. If you want to shoot heavy reloads and it makes you happy then do so. Let us know what the round count is when it goes out of time. When it does send it back to Smith & Wesson and they will make it good again.

BTW the old S&W 29s would go about 3000 rounds average with magnum loads before they needed to be serviced. Most people never came close to that count.