My Smith & Wesson phase.....

[Bob Wright]

 

It might come as a surprise to some that I went through a double action revolver phase.  In an attempt to learn all I could about the handgun, I tried the DA revolver for awhile.  One of my favorite .357 Magnum revolvers is the S&W Model 586, the Distinguished Combat Magnum.  The first I bought was a 4" model as soon as the model was announced.  I quickly put on a pair of S&W combat stocks:

 

 

I liked this gun so well I decided on a 6" companion to it:

 

 

These grips, incidentally, were on a K-22 that was in the shop.  I commented that they were handsome enough to buy the gun for those stocks.  I went back a few days later and the .22 had been sold, but the purchaser put rubber Pachmayrs on it and left those grips.  Asking price was $10 so i went home with these grips.  After a couple of weeks, I bought this gun to put them on.

 

I had gone through a few Model 29s and ha Smith & Wesson make me one up with a 5" full lug barrel.  This became my favorite .44 Magnum DA revolver:

 

 

This was my first Model 29 and was one of the early Model 29s.  I had many troubles with the gun and finally S&W told me to return it and they would install an "endurance package" to correct my problems.  While they had my gun there I asked them to fit a full lug barrel.  They told me they had just made an 8 3/8" full lug barrel and they put that on my gun.  This gun shot like a .30-30 rifle out to about 100 yards or so, but it was heavy and unwieldy, and I later had Ed Mason gunsmiths cut it back to 6":

 

 

After the surgery:

 

 

 

Been an interesting study for some sixty years or so.

 

Bob Wright

 

 

Edited October 12, 2017 by Bob Wright

[gregintenn]

The 5" model 29 is quite a rare bird!

[Garufa]

42 minutes ago, gregintenn said:

The 5" model 29 is quite a rare bird!

I had the pleasure of shooting one just like it a few months ago.  It also was a factory custom job and about the most perfect .44 Magnum.

[hipower]

Wow! That makes my current model 29 in 4" look wimpy.

[DWARREN123]

Great looking revolvers!

[ozo]

Ya, there was a time, seems like not too long ago, S&W's [and Colts] were not much more (cost) than a great solid Ruger.

We threw them around [trading, selling, etc.] like it would always remain as such. Glad I did keep the ones I did.

With Elmer loads, we have shot out a couple Smith's ....never a Ruger, whether by chance or whatever, but still reality.

My newer PC Smith's, like the XVR's, I doubt they will ever get shot loose.......but they are far more pricey than the older ones.

I pretty much keep the Pythons, Anacondas, and older large bore Smiths for collection anymore, and reserve the beautiful

bluing of the times to gaggle at. We shoot the big bore Rugers and XVRs without any worries. [and the MGM barrels for the Thompsons]

[Raoul]

Hopefully we've all gone through a revolver stage. I kept a half dozen or so myself.