Been looking and doing research on them. I would shoot .44 Specials as I don't want to beat my hands to death with full house .44 Magnums.
Anyone have experience with them? I read the thread about the 4 inch model.
Thanks in advance.
Been looking and doing research on them. I would shoot .44 Specials as I don't want to beat my hands to death with full house .44 Magnums.
Anyone have experience with them? I read the thread about the 4 inch model.
Thanks in advance.
Be Aware-Stay Safe. Gunfighting Is A Thinking Man's Game. So We Might Want To Bring Thinking Back Into It.
Won't try to talk you out of purchasing one. I own a 4" 2015 mfg and a 2.75" 2021 mfg. Great handguns! My 4 inch will shoot right beside a Pre 29 5" Smith and it packs like an L frame because it is one.
The 2.75" 69 is everything and more than the ill fated Smith 696. I had a 696 but the forcing cone was razor thin and I was afraid to shoot anything beyond factory level 44 Spl loads in it. My 69s have been engineered for the Magnum cartridge and I shoot a 200gr XTP at 1080fps out of my 2.75" and the same round does 1119 out of my 4".
I have VZ grips on mine but many prefer the Hogue X Frame grip for Smith and Wesson on the 69s. Padded backstrap to mitigate recoil forces.
Best part of owning Model 69s is the fact they are L frames and not only lighter but smaller overall than an N frame.
The 69s will shoot full house 44 Magnums longer than you care to hang on to it. I just have settled on the load above for me. Brian Pearce had a very informative write up on the 69 in Handloader a while back.
Go for it you will like it!!!
Have both barrel lengths since they first came out. Have been using the 2.75" mostly for the last couple of yrs. Have a pair and a spare. Guns handle recoil better than one would expect, especially with the Hogue Tamers. Shoot mine a couple of times a week.
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2 3/4" w/Modified Hogue Tamers (rounded butt and removed finger groves).
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50 yd group rested on range bag - verified on differnt day:
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Pick the load that works best for your intended use from mild .44 specials to heavy botique loads
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Here are some chrono results
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Three rounds at 5 Long paces from muzzle and 68 deg F. Larger sample could change the results a bit. Largest ES was 42 fps.
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Larger sample could change the results a bit. Largest ES was 42 fps.
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240gr Commercial Cast SWCBB coated 5.0gr WST deep seated and crimped over fr dr band - 697fps
240gr Commercial cast SWCBB coated 17.5gr 2400 deep seated crimped over fr dr band - 1,100 fps
240gr Zero JSP 9.0gr H Universal – 930 fps (muzzle Labradar)
225gr Barnes XFB with 18.1 gr A#9 avg (1,214 fps (muzzle vel from Labradar)
240gr Cutting Edge Flat Point Mono – 22.6 H110 1,218 fps (1,247 fr 2.5” 329 Alaska Backpacker)
240gr Zero JSP with 24.0gr H110 avg 1,126 fps
240gr JHP Fed Factory avg 1,125 fps (bought at an estate sale “44a 1981 production” – 1,375 fps from 7 ½” RSBH)
260gr WFNGC w/23.0gr H110 avg 1,125 fps
265gr CSWCGC (Lyman Thompson) with 17.5gr A2400 (Deep Seat – crimped over front drive band) 1,119 fps avg
265gr SWCGC (429244) 23.5gr H110, seated and crimped in crimp grove in Mag cases ---------- 1,162 fps.
310gr FNGCDC (Lee) with 20.0gr H110 avg 1,100 fps
325gr WLNGC (BTB) with 22.0gr H110 avg 1,104 fps
I Was curious, so I bought some 305gr Buffalo Bore and Underwood ammo – here are chrono results.
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Buffalo Bore, 305 LBT LFN HC rated 1,325 fps
Underwood, 305 LFNGC Plated (HiTech?) rated 1,325 fps
LabRadar muzzle velocity at 33 deg F
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S&W M69 2.75" ===> BB 1,195 fps ===> Under 1,147fps
S&W M69 4.25" ===> BB 1,276 fps ===> Under 1,248 fps
Ruger SRH 7.5" ===> BB 1,395 fps ===> Under 1,315 fps
My most used load is the 240/265gr 17.5 2400.
Paul
Last edited by paul105; 09-25-2022 at 09:44 PM.
Don't do it! It will get you kilt on the street! Send me the address of where it is located, including phone number of the seller, and I will do all I can do to protect you further!Originally Posted by MDFA
Talk me out of a Smith & Wesson 2.75 Model 69
No, you don't need one! Not until I get mine anyway... I have a Marlin 1894 in .44 that needs a companion.
I’d get a .357/.38 special over a .44 Special: more ammo choices, and greater availability of ammo. .44 special seems to have a muzzle enters of around 300-350 ft/lbs in commonly available commercial loads, and you get very close to that in +P .38 special. If you’re just punching horses in paper, .38 special will be very easy on the hands, but you can bounce up to .357 to shoot moose.
Www.ballistics101.com has plenty of charts for various calibers/brands of ammo.
I have 4 - .357s and my 3 inch GP100 in .44 Special is my favorite by far. I have loads from 540fps powder puffs that is way easier to shoot than .38s all the way up to Elmer Keith's load, a 255 at 1250 for killin T-rex. I have loaded the same range with the .357s but they have more muzzle blast and flash and will never be able to drive a 255 grain bullet to 1000fps (this is my happy spot).
Even sticking to factory loads you can still have a broad range in ammo, low pressure cowboy loads to Buffalo Bores rhino rollers. CCI has a 200gr Gold Dot at 920fps that I use for my on asphalt carry load.
Having M69 would open the options even further and in my case, give me a second firearm that can shoot the . 44 magnums which I doubt that I would load to magnum levels anyway.
All this "talking you out of it" is talking ME into it, damn it.
Too bad sooo sad. I'm jones'in for one myself if I was to get another .44 having owned 3 N frames over the years. Gorgeous revolver and I generally don't like SS guns. I must have 1000 empty .44 cases packed away.
“Remember, being healthy is basically just dying as slowly as possible,” Ricky Gervais
I have thought of getting one, myself.
If we have to march off into the next world, let us walk there on the bodies of our enemies.
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