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I'm looking at buying one of two revolvers in .44 magnum. A 6 1/2" S&W 629 or a 7 1/2 " Super Redhawk. The S&W Performance Center has a huge list of options and it looks they'd even cook ya a steak while you're pistol is bein tweaked! I'm ok with that but Ruger doesn't have a performance center so what kind of work should typically be done on one of their revolvers to be used mainly for hunting? I expect a trigger job would be in order but I've read elsewhere not to have the mainspring replaced with a lighter one because it may cause misfires. What else could a typical gunsmith do to tweak the Super Redhawk for accuracy? Any info would be greatly appreciated, Good huntin! Sep | ||
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I replaced the hammer spring with a lighter Wolffe spring and it worked great throughout the summer. Come cool weather (Tennessee cool, NOT AK cool) and I started to get misfires. Changed back to factory spring and misfires cleared right up so Iit up so I left well enough alone. Sompe polishing of surfaces and change in lubricant may well have done the same thing. IF you go to changing springs in the trigger group, a word of caution . . . Wear safety glasses watch out for the something or another plunger. It is small and leaves at escape velocity. Mine left the scene and I would likely have never know it was missing except it bounced off of the ceiling and at least one wall. NEVER found it . . . Ordered one and nthen I knew why I did not find it . . . it is SMALL!! Don't limit your challenges . . . Challenge your limits | |||
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I'm a S&W man. To me there is nothing finer than a well tuned S&W revolver. That said, I will take the Ruger over the Smith anyday for hunting. The Ruger is built to withstand more field abuse than the more fragile Smith. The most fragile components, the yoke and crane, stand a much better chance of survival in the field under heavy use with the more bulkier Ruger than the Smith. To prep either one for hunting, I would recommend smoothing the action leaving the stock springs in place for reliability purposes. Polishing the chambers and beveling the chamber mouths to help guide and eject rounds would be a good thing to do. Recutting the forcing cone for a more uniform and less abrupt entry into the bore would help accuracy. I might consider replacing the stock sights for something a little easier to see. I would check the crown to make certain that each land and groove is clearly visible and undamaged. | |||
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My mother told me, "Everyone likes their own kids and their own dogs." I would like to add to that, "Everyone likes their own 44 mag." I have had an S&W 29-4 shooting 24 gr H110 with 240 gr JHP for 10 years in that revolver. It makes a big bang, hard recoil, and shoots more accurately than I can aim. | |||
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My conglomeration ncludes both an S&W 29 and a Ruger Redhawk (a T/C too) in .44 Mag. I would get the Redhawk for a hunting rig, for several reasons. 1. I have a big hand. The Smith puts my middle knuckle 'way too close to the back of the trigger guard. The result is that the triggerguard smacks it painfully each and every shot. For that reason, I much prefer the Ruger for frequent use, with a nice big Pachmayr or Hogue soft rubber grip. 2. Take a look at top strap thickness of the Smith and the Ruger, side-by-side. The Ruger strap is VERY much thicker. That equals more strength. Similar added strength is found throughout the gun. As mentioned above, that makes the Ruger the "Timex" of revlovers....takes a lickin' but keeps on tickin'. 3. Rugers have multiple strength aftermarket spring packages commonly available for them and they are dead simple to change. Depending on the primer brand you use in your loads, you may find a lighter tension spring to work just fine (or not), but it is easy to experiment with the package to find what you want. 4. Ruger front sights are a "slip-in-slip-out operation, and sight packages are also available. Ditto rear sights. So, you can try whatever floats your boat, with little effort. I personally opted for a gold bead front, shallow V rear for my hunting sights. Not that they would be the thing for others, but that they WERE easy to change. 5. I don't know about the current S & W's, but the Rugers can be ordered with standard Ruger scope rings, which fit into factory slots. Both work fine, and the Smith is definitely easier to carry, so long as you don't get the 8-3/8" monstrosity barrel on it, but for a hunting gun, the Ruger is hard to beat. My country gal's just a moonshiner's daughter, but I love her still. | |||
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I agree with malm, AC and tnekkcc all at the same time. How many S&W Model 29s did you ever see converted to 475 or 500 Linebaugh before the 500 S&W came out? Durability just wasn't there. For the casual shooter or the hunter who can come back another day and for pure esthetics, the Smith is the winner, though. "Experience" is the only class you take where the exam comes before the lesson. | |||
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Have the action tuned with the the factory springs left in place. I would also have the endfloat set to a minimum. Put on a Bowen Rough Country rear sight and go hunting. For you bang for the buck look into Bowen's standard issue package for the Redhawk. | |||
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For me, it would depend on the vintage of the Smith & Wesson. If it is a pre-lock, pre-MIM manufactured 29 --- it would be my pick. If it is one of the new ones-- I would buy the Ruger. By the way-- I am a S & W man too. | |||
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Thanks...I really appreciate the replies. I used to own a 6" S&W 629 Classic Hunter and with warm handloads it hurt my hand between my thumb and forefinger. I did a side by side comparison of both revolvers yesterday evening at a local gunshop and you're right...the Ruger is definitely beefier. I'll steer clear of changing out any springs. I'll take a good hard look at the sights as well as Bowen's website for modifications. The trigger job, polishing, beveling, and forcing cone recutting makes a lot of sense too. Can a gunsmith easily fix excessive cylinder gap and endshake? Thanks again, Good Huntin! Sep | |||
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Endshake yes, cylinder gap maybe. To close the gap you have to spin the barrel in a turn which would require modifying the length of the ejector rod on the Smith, and possibly lengthen the cut out to clear the Rugers ejector rod. Both are fairly straight forward jobs if one knows what he is doing. | |||
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There are always exceptions to any general statement, but unless you are going to be hunting big bears or similar, that is requiring the heaviest of heavy loads, I personally would go with the one which feels best. For me, that would undoubtedly be the Smith. Everyone talks about the "fragility" of the Smith and I certainly agree they are not built bullet or idiot proof but unless you personally are planning on shooting LOTS of heavy 300 grain, or very heavy lighter bullet loads, they will hold up for a lifetime of use. BUT the truth of the matter is, not one .44 mag Smith (or Ruger, for that matter) owner in 100 (and it might be more like one in 500) shoots enough of NORMALLY pressured heavy rounds to shoot a 29 loose. For every loose (6)29 you can find, I can buy a 100 used ones in near new condition. So......make my carry a Smith, I like the way they look, feel, and shoot better than most SuperRedhawks, throw in the difference in barrel length in your choice (6 1/2 are still fairly easy to use a hip holster on, 7 1/2 SRHs are not) and, again, for me, it is a no brainer. BTW, I'm not knocking Rugers, I own quite a few of them, just stating which I'd prefer to carry, hunt with of your selections. Had you said a SuperBlackhawk, it would have been a much tougher choice. xxxxxxxxxx When considering US based operations of guides/outfitters, check and see if they are NRA members. If not, why support someone who doesn't support us? Consider spending your money elsewhere. NEVER, EVER book a hunt with BLAIR WORLDWIDE HUNTING or JEFF BLAIR. I have come to understand that in hunting, the goal is not the goal but the process. | |||
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i've owned both the s&w 29 and ruger redhawks and got rid of the smith for pretty much these same reasons DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR | |||
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Thanks...I appreciate the inputs. Since I hunt and fish in bear country, I'll be carrying and shooting the heavy loads exclusively. The grip profile on the smith is just to narrow for my hand so I picked up a SRH last night. We'll see how she shoots. Good huntin! Sep | |||
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Send the gun to Hamilton Bowen and call or check his website for his recommended modifications. He is the best.  "When you play, play hard; when you work, don't play at all." Theodore Roosevelt | |||
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