Model 29s Again

by
posted on May 17, 2012
wiley-clapp.jpg (3)

When I reminisced about Smith & Wesson's grand magnum—the Model 29—a heck of a lot of readers chimed in with their recollections and impressions. I wish I knew how many of these guns have made their way from Springfield and into the holsters, hands and, I guess, hearts of American shooters. Controversial at the time of its introduction, the .44 Mag. has enjoyed steady sales for over half a century. Lots of readers commented on their favorites and preferences seemed to be equally divided between 4- and 6-inch guns. Oddly enough, no one mentioned the special edition gun that has its own cult following.

I’m talking about the Mountain Gun. It started as an elegant variation on the basic, stainless-steel Model 629. Designed to be a light and easily carried .44 Mag. that was still heavy enough to be shootable, the Mountain Gun was introduced in the late 1980s. Called either the Mountain Revolver or Mountain Gun, it was a stainless 4-inch .44 Mag. revolver. Although the gun had several special features—like the special chamfered face on the cylinder—its main difference from other 629s was the barrel contour. The Mountain Gun was a return to the much-admired barrel of the 1950 Target series. That shape was gracefully tapered toward the muzzle, and incorporated a slim sighting rib on top and ejector rod shroud underneath, showing a return to the classic shape of days gone by. The first run of guns was 5,000 and Smith & Wesson was astounded at the instant popularity. As a practical matter, the gun made sense because it was lighter and more carryable than regular 629s. But the thing that really made the product a winner was the classic shape of the barrel. It was tapered with a fluted rib and short lug, making it look like a classic from the Golden Age of the 50s.

When S&W announced that there would only be 5,000 of them, they may have made a mistake. As special runs go, 5,000 is quite a lot. They could have sold more, but kept their promise. In time, they made runs of blue-steel Model 29 Mountain guns and they sold quite briskly. Eventually, the Mountain gun concept was applied to several other calibers. I have had review samples in .41 Mag., .45 Colt and .45 ACP, as well as the original .44 Mag. Most of the variations were made in both blue and stainless, but always with the four-inch barrel. I like the blue .41 Mag. a lot, but the .357 Mag version is hard to beat. Remember that S&W created the L frame guns to be perfect for the .357 cartridge. Fitted with a special scaled-down version of the Mountain Gun barrel, the L frame was an absolutely perfect .357 Magnum revolver for carrying.

Latest

Vincent Hancock
Vincent Hancock

Vincent Hancock: Most Decorated Men’s Skeet Olympian In History

American men’s skeet competitor Vincent Hancock made waves at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games as the first Olympic shooter to win four gold medals in the same individual event.

Review: Riton 5 Primal 15-45X 60 mm

The 5 Primal spotting scope is a compact, angled-viewing optic designed to be as condensed as possible.

HK Launches HK USA

Heckler & Koch announced it has launched HK USA, an expansion of its design, production and support facilities in the United States to better serve American enthusiasts.

Wringing Out The KelTec SUB2000 GEN3 Folding PCC

With a rotating fore-end assembly, Kellgren's latest SUB2000 positively advances the design yet retains the classic appeal of the brand's legendary pistol-caliber carbine.

The Armed Citizen® Nov. 4, 2024

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Suppressor Sales Setting Records

Nearly 2.2 million suppressors were purchased by law-abiding citizens from May 2021 through July 2024, according to figures compiled by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF).

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.