I have a 3 screw 44 cut down to 4-5/8" (20+ years) My standard load is 20.5gr. 2400, 255 hard Keith GC, norma brass. I am looking hard at the Smith-Talo 3". I like the looks and DA might come in handy if fending off with my free hand (bear, dog, whatever).
Will the Smith hold up to this level and occasional heavier? I want one but I've always heard you can't run the 29 as hard as a Ruger SA .
Thanks, Scott

You are correct..the Smith will not take the pounding of heavy loads like the Ruger SA's. In addition, I have had to pound out the brass from Smith cylinders that had Ruger level loads in them. Live and learn.

Your load is right a maximum for a 44 mag. That said, the new Smith and wessons have the 'endurance package' upgrades that were started with the -3 version.
I would have no problems using that load and shooting the gun.
My -2 version is starting to show problems from firing heavy loads with the cylinder unlocking and rotating backwards to the just fired cylinder. However, I bought the gun in 1978 and have fired only 240, 265 and 300 grain full power loads in it for almost 35 years. Its my most shot handgun also!
It can be fixed with a trip to the gunsmith and some new springs and maybe a part or two.
The new one, with the upgrades will last longer!

I have a 3-inch Model 29 Lew Horton, but I limit it to lighter loads for all of the aforementioned reasons. If it will spend its time living on your hip, and you don't feed it a steady diet of heavies, you can get away with heavier loads.

Well, the 3" Talo guns have MOST of the 1989-90 Endurance Package upgrades, but they don't have the weight that came along with the full underlug barrels that were a very important part of that upgrade.

I would personally consider the load you mention to be absolute maximum in that gun, but service life also does depend upon how much you intend to shoot it. Some people will shoot 100 rounds a year, others may shoot that much every weekend of the year. At best, I would use the load you suggest only on very rare occasions.

My personal 3" Talo will receive only 240's @ 850 fps for general use and no more than 16-17 gr. 2400 with 240's for very occasional use. My personal palm, shoulder, and elbow will be much happier than yours with your load ... and I shoot a lot.

Whitworth, I really admired your grips on your #29. If you don't mind what wood are they and who made them?

quote:

Originally posted by swampshooter:
Whitworth, I really admired your grips on your #29. If you don't mind what wood are they and who made them?

They are factory grips that came on the Lew Hortons. I really like them too!

I believe that those factory grips were goncalo alves.

quote:

Originally posted by Scott Leonard:
I have a 3 screw 44 cut down to 4-5/8" (20+ years) My standard load is 20.5gr. 2400, 255 hard Keith GC, norma brass. I am looking hard at the Smith-Talo 3". I like the looks and DA might come in handy if fending off with my free hand (bear, dog, whatever).
Will the Smith hold up to this level and occasional heavier? I want one but I've always heard you can't run the 29 as hard as a Ruger SA .
Thanks, Scott

The S&W will run just fine with SAAMI-spec loads (and your load looks to be within spec). The Ruger allows one-toothed, 2-digit IQ pistol masters to over-load and get away with it longer.

So don't do stuff like "loading till the brass sticks" - use a load manual. And powders like Enforcer, H110/296, LilGun will get you more velocity at less pressure.

Thsnks all for the info on the 29.
The Smith Talo looks (to me) to be an ideal hip gun. As the majority of my firearms are pre CNC, I wanted some current info on the quality of the newer Smiths.
A friend bought the first .500 ltwt. Smith he could get. It was sloppy loose after 2 cyl's of factory. Smith WANTED that one back.
Another picked out a Colt trooper (reissue, late 80's?) in .357, out of 6 available, by the test target. He couldn't hit a 5 gal. bucket at 10 yards w/factory. It had NO rifling. NONE. Total smoothebore. Colt damn near shit themselves trying to get that one.
As for the well intentioned comments....
I aint no FNG.
I been called "backwoods", but I still have all my teef.
Trashed my shoulder decades ago, so my limit is now often less than Sammy's. That 20.5 load is probably gonna drop to 19.5 as the last time I dropped a hammer on it, it did feel a bit....snappy.
Some of the stuff I put together in the 70's had downright stupid recoil.
"Too young old, too late smart."
,
Scott