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Thread: The perfect packing revolver. A quest.

  1. #1

    The perfect packing revolver. A quest.

    As an offshoot of the big bore outdoorsman's revolver thread, I figured I would start this to delve a bit more deeply into what makes a "perfect" wheelgun.

    For me, since I spend the majority of my free recreational time in the forests and deserts, I very much prefer to have a bore diameter of at least .4.

    I understand where people live and recreate, that some would feel fine with a
    357 or something smaller.

    I live in a county that while mostly high desert, has a large amount of national forest land. On that land is bear, moose, elk, antelope and other decent size animals.

    Further, I'm in the heart of cattle country. Often I hear (or more appropriately read on the net) about how a particular person does not need a big bore due to the fact that they don't have big bears where they live. Rarely mentioned is large domestic livestock.

    I've seen many more incidents of guys getting trampled, severely injured, etc by cattle and horses than by wild animals. An injured aggressive cow is nothing to be taken lightly.

    From experience working as a uniformed state trooper for a number of years, and dealing with loose stock, injured cattle and horses, I can say with conviction that sometimes they can be quite tough to put down. Often, much like vehicle struck deer and elk, they are still highly mobile and will come over the top of you if they think that you stand between them and escape.

    Deep penetration and precise application is usually the final/best course of action. I cannot even put a number on the animals put down with my duty gun of the time, a Glock .45.

    Though against policy, I ended up towards the end of my trooper time, carrying a .44 Magnum in my patrol bag, as a tool for such situations.

    Back to the topic of "perfect". I don't think that it can quite be obtained. I do think balance of shootability and ease in packing can be reached though.

    I'd love something along the lines of a 329 (due to weight), with a 5" barrel, with a rail for white lights, along with either CT laser grips or a unobtrusive RDO on top for quick acquisition and low light use.

    All too often stuff seems to happen in low light and this applies to dealing with big animals as well. A double action gun has merit over a single, in my opinion due to the fact you do not have to thumb cock the action to fire the weapon. Plus on a personal note, I am simply much much faster with a DA revolver.

    Porting???? I can see benefits and drawbacks.

    Comments?

  2. #2
    Have you thought about the new L-frame Model 69 from S&W? 5 shots of .44 Magnum with a 4 inch tube in the relatively easy to handle L-frame seems like a pretty rad idea.

  3. #3
    What Caleb said!

    I have the Model 69 and I dig it. I need to find a holster that has a hammer guard on it, because the MIM hammer checkering is SHARP. Aside from that, it packs easily, and is an absolute hoot with brisk .44 Specials, and low to mid velocity Magnums. With heavier .44 Magnums, I'll opt for my Redhawk.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  4. #4
    I would be very careful with the CT grips. I got a set for my 329, and fortunately decided to test them with .44 special. Two rounds of special did me, and I think if I had touched off my normal 329 loads, the Garrett Defender, I might be without the use of my right hand.

    I love the 329 for carrying, but as soon as you said shoot-ability, that ends that. At a minimum, a Mountain gun, and more likely a standard four inch 629 as a compromise between packing and shooting.

    Except that it is SA, this is my favorite packing/shooting revolver:

    Likes pretty much everything in every caliber.

  5. #5
    Hillbilly Elitist Malamute's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Northern Rockies
    I'm a long time fan of the 4" Smith 29 as a general purpose gun. If limited, it would be my choice. I do like the 24 quite a lot, the few ounces are noticable, and I like the lines of the tapered barrel a lot. If not up where the bears hang out, I tend to swap to the 24, and keep some Keith loads in a speed loader or two handy and 6 in my cartridge belt. Mostly it gets moderate loads. Some of the 250 gr/1000 fps are planned to duplicate what I carry in the 29 the most (when not where the bears live). Also planning on getting a lighter mold (Lyman 215 gr), just to reduce the carry load some, as well as planning for geezerhood a bit.

    I have a couple 4" 357 cal guns, but cant get really excited about them. Very nice guns, very nice to shoot with 38's for practice, but I dont like the muzzle blast when used with full power magnums. If I werent in the northern Rockies, I may bend a little and carry one out in the hills, but the 44 spl does anything the 357 can and can do more on large animals with the right loads. I'm thinking it (44 spl)should work OK as a defensive arm.

    I'm not at all shy about a single action revolver. They dont reload as quickly obviously, but as a general purpose outdoors and low population density defensive gun, I'm not overly worried. I shoot them well, better than I can a 1911 in the plate shoots and other things I've done. I generally have a rifle of some sort when in the hills also, a Winchester 94, Winchester 71, Browning 86 or scoped bolt action, depending on what I may bump in to.

  6. #6
    Member Hizzie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Texas
    Then pick up a 329. There are several red dot mounts that fit where the standard S&W rear sight fits. Crimson Trace still catalogs grips for the N frame. No rail and you're limited to 4" tube.
    Quote Originally Posted by caleb View Post
    Oh man, that's right. I forgot that some people feel like they need light SA triggers in DA guns instead of just learning to shoot the gun better. You can get a Redhawk DA trigger pull down to 10 lbs, and if you can't manage that you suck and should probably just practice more.
    *RS Regulate Affiliate*

  7. #7
    I prefer a Model 29 with a standard-weight barrel for this kind of thing. The Redhawk is too much of a good thing and the 329 isn't enough. My father gave me a pawnshop 29-2 many years ago, so I have that base covered. But if I had to start fresh, then I'd get a slightly newer no-lock model just like it but with the Endurance Package.


    Okie John

  8. #8
    The R in F.A.R.T RevolverRob's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Gotham Adjacent
    Well, there is the 325 Thunder Ranch in .45 ACP.

    But if power is what you're after, maybe one of these 629 hunters - http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/w...layErrorView_Y and chop the barrel back to the end of the ejector shroud?

    I'd put money on destroying a lot of optics on a 329 with full house magnums.

  9. #9
    Member JHC's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    North Georgia
    I think a Model 69 or GP 100 in .41 magnum would be more perfect. May S&W show such at SHOT?
    “Remember, being healthy is basically just dying as slowly as possible,” Ricky Gervais

  10. #10
    If it isn't .44/.45, I would say it is 10mm. And if it is 10mm, the perfect packing field revolver is a Glock 29, 1066 or 1911.
    Likes pretty much everything in every caliber.

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