I carry mine loaded with 44 Special for self defense. Hunting sidearm in the field I reload 44 mag 240 grain H110. Nice gun, I only had to initially send mine back to Smith for tool chatter in the bore. That seems to happen a lot in stainless bores. Everything perfect now. Just purchased a Diamond Leather shoulder harness for it. Love it!!
The stainless-steel plate in the top strap can be replaced when worn. It is held in place by the screw that holds in the rear adjustable sight at the front. I use the Hogue X-frame grip on my model 329PD too.
Great review. Agree with all of your points except the crane is PVD coated stainless steel. I have a couple 329PDs, one purchased a week ago, the other about 12 years ago. I was lucky as both were/are flawless from the factory. Lucky I guess since so many quality issues seem to be plaguing S&W. Purchased a 329 Nightguard new about 8 years ago and the firing pin was too short. I read later that was a known issue with 329 Nightguards new from the factory. I've been extremely happy with the older 329PD. Carried that 329PD for many years hunting, hiking, CCW with no problems. Except for hunting, have carried/shot .44 Spl almost exclusively. Titanium cylinder appears to have held up great with only slight hint of locking bolt ring showing. I keep the cylinder exterior with a light coating of oil to reduce wear on it. Black frame/barrel finish has held up very well with no visible holster wear. I've always used a Galco Outdoorsman DAO126 leather holster and very happy with fit and quality. Fits any 4" 29/329/629 perfectly. I have not fired the new 329PD yet, but SADA action is very nice, external finish, lock-up, bore/cylinder interiors appear perfect. Accuracy is on par with my 4" 629. Can't really tell any practical difference in group size. I recommend everyone shoot 44 Spl in these guns. It is easy on both the gun and shooter and can handle 99% of the chores most people would use this revolver for. Those that really need/want this gun for dangerous game protection should rest easy as it fires the heavy 44 Rem Mag just fine if necessary. I also have a couple of 340PDs in 357 Mag. They've also both held up very well in both appearance and function over the last 10 years mostly shooting 38 Spl and the occasional 357 Mag. My take on S&W's 3xxPD series guns is that they are very durable and high quality. Anyone thinking about acquiring one of these primarily because of their low weight should do so. You'll be glad you did so. And don't worry about the money. You're going to make more!
I have sent as a last step all my S&W big bores to Cylinder and Slide. They take each gun they get to work on completely apart first and check everything out for proper functioning and replace anything so when they do the work they are doing the gun is proven functionally proper. I highly recommend them as every gun they work on is awarded their lifetime warranty.
The finish is an anodized black and the finish on the titanium is a clear finish. Once the finish on the titanium is worn out it will get pitted and eroded on the face of the cylinder with loads of bullets at very high speed. That is why I changed mine to a stainless-steel cylinder S&W model.
I am old-school but I definitely have to say I love the look of that gun I have the 629 mountain gun and I believe that it weighs 36 ounces it was the latest 44 mag in its day Never had a problem. I love that gun as well
I love this model 329PD and had mine quad-ported by Mag-Na-Port and changed the titanium cylinder out for a model 629 stainless steel identical model. MNP also Electrical Discharge Machined or EDM'ed a vertical line in the face of the V notch of the rear adjustable sight and put white in the line. Oh, and MNP polished the MIM trigger and hammer to set it off. And I put a grip from the 500 X-frame model by Hogue made for recoil absorbing. Like the one in this video.
@@Actual-user The porting costs are posted on-line at Mag-na-port.com and it is worth it. They take monthly payments if you find your budget necessary economically.
@@plagueleadstodeath YES!!! It makes it much more pleasant to shoot as does the X-frame Hogue rubber grips with a sorbethane padded area for the web of your grip.
That has to be a handful. I have a 37 oz 629 pc with the 2.625 inch barrel, and a 14 oz 357 magnum (360 pd) I wonder how much different they are in terms of recoil to this. I want one so bad.
Sent mine back for a new barrel because of tool chatter in the bore lans right after I purchased it years ago. This seems to be common with stainless barrels.
I carry mine in a leather holster, and the finish wears down to a raw silver color on several places. I have fixed this with Aluminum black solution, but it just wears down again. I have the same problem with my 325 PD, the 45 ACP version of the gun. I do however like these guns for carry, the finish wear being a minor issue in my mind.
They don’t for the most part HKS definitely fit better than Safari land but I actually did a video on speed loaders where I used my 329 PD as an example if you want to get a better idea of how well they fit
@Slim Cowboy Does the 329pd kick more or the Model 69 combat? I know recoil impulses are different with each gun, I'm just curious of your overall impressions of each.
I have a Glock 30 in 45 ACP already. I don’t have any wheel guns! So. I’m seriously wanting one of these! The price nowadays is high though. Around $1,280 online.
Holy shit I can't believe they can't get the engraving right or the mechanical components to mesh. I just bought a used S&W M 29-2 circa 1978 and it is like a Swiss clockwork.
Slim, where did you get your mic from? NY_Outcast?? Every time I watch a video I have to crank the volume to the max on YT and the computer in order to hear you.
I’ve had three different Smith and Wesson revolver‘s have factory defects each video I do discussing them has a bunch of comments of people sharing their experiences with factory defects Smith and Wesson used to be known for quality now they just cut corners for cost
Great content but please check your audio levels. Your vocals were quiet and the intro music was really loud in comparison. I'm about to watch to the end. Thanks for making this. Cheers!
@@SlimCowboy if you use premiere pro you can try slapping a very aggressive compression ratio in a compression audio effect on the overall video and process it again.
Smith and wession is in Massachusetts. So they cant fire trash employees, and are forced to have EO quotas to protect themselves from frivolous legislation and lawsuits. That has always been their issue with quality control the writing on the side of the gun the person put it in the laser engraver without putting it incorrectly I guarantee that person is not the best employee the fit finish assembly people that work there want to work in that part of the factory because it pays more and if you have 10 openings some of those openings are required in Massachusetts to go to certain people these people are probably not the if you will best choices for this.
Good video. You just saved me $1000. Thank you! I've seen too many stories like this on Smith and Wesson. I'd really like this model, but I can't trust them.
Brandonjames1911 For the most part yeah they’ve talked about partially re-opening sections of the state somebody told me that they ranked all the states and we got an F for overall condition
500 S&W grips work nicely. .44 Specials are sweet in this piece.
I carry mine loaded with 44 Special for self defense. Hunting sidearm in the field I reload 44 mag 240 grain H110. Nice gun, I only had to initially send mine back to Smith for tool chatter in the bore. That seems to happen a lot in stainless bores. Everything perfect now. Just purchased a Diamond Leather shoulder harness for it. Love it!!
The stainless-steel plate in the top strap can be replaced when worn. It is held in place by the screw that holds in the rear adjustable sight at the front. I use the Hogue X-frame grip on my model 329PD too.
I’m not a big fan of rubber grips but they really do change the entire feel of the gun
It is an anodized finish. Anodized finishes are used on aluminum and the frame is scandium infused aluminum.
This is a great gun! I’ve had mine for years. Love it!! 44 special for self defense and 44 mag for hunting side arm.
It's sad that a company like S&W would let the quality of their products go down the drain. If it ain't broke don't fix it
Trigger and hammer are also steel MIM parts as are internals needed to function the action.
Great review. Agree with all of your points except the crane is PVD coated stainless steel. I have a couple 329PDs, one purchased a week ago, the other about 12 years ago. I was lucky as both were/are flawless from the factory. Lucky I guess since so many quality issues seem to be plaguing S&W. Purchased a 329 Nightguard new about 8 years ago and the firing pin was too short. I read later that was a known issue with 329 Nightguards new from the factory. I've been extremely happy with the older 329PD. Carried that 329PD for many years hunting, hiking, CCW with no problems. Except for hunting, have carried/shot .44 Spl almost exclusively. Titanium cylinder appears to have held up great with only slight hint of locking bolt ring showing. I keep the cylinder exterior with a light coating of oil to reduce wear on it. Black frame/barrel finish has held up very well with no visible holster wear. I've always used a Galco Outdoorsman DAO126 leather holster and very happy with fit and quality. Fits any 4" 29/329/629 perfectly. I have not fired the new 329PD yet, but SADA action is very nice, external finish, lock-up, bore/cylinder interiors appear perfect. Accuracy is on par with my 4" 629. Can't really tell any practical difference in group size. I recommend everyone shoot 44 Spl in these guns. It is easy on both the gun and shooter and can handle 99% of the chores most people would use this revolver for. Those that really need/want this gun for dangerous game protection should rest easy as it fires the heavy 44 Rem Mag just fine if necessary. I also have a couple of 340PDs in 357 Mag. They've also both held up very well in both appearance and function over the last 10 years mostly shooting 38 Spl and the occasional 357 Mag. My take on S&W's 3xxPD series guns is that they are very durable and high quality. Anyone thinking about acquiring one of these primarily because of their low weight should do so. You'll be glad you did so. And don't worry about the money. You're going to make more!
I have sent as a last step all my S&W big bores to Cylinder and Slide. They take each gun they get to work on completely apart first and check everything out for proper functioning and replace anything so when they do the work they are doing the gun is proven functionally proper. I highly recommend them as every gun they work on is awarded their lifetime warranty.
The finish is an anodized black and the finish on the titanium is a clear finish. Once the finish on the titanium is worn out it will get pitted and eroded on the face of the cylinder with loads of bullets at very high speed. That is why I changed mine to a stainless-steel cylinder S&W model.
Good to know I might have to look out for that
Excellent review! Thanks very much!
I am old-school but I definitely have to say I love the look of that gun I have the 629 mountain gun and I believe that it weighs 36 ounces it was the latest 44 mag in its day Never had a problem. I love that gun as well
.44 special would shoot nice through this.
Yep, that’s what I load mine with (44 special Speer Gold Dot) for self defense. I load 44 mag as side arm for hunting.
I love this model 329PD and had mine quad-ported by Mag-Na-Port and changed the titanium cylinder out for a model 629 stainless steel identical model. MNP also Electrical Discharge Machined or EDM'ed a vertical line in the face of the V notch of the rear adjustable sight and put white in the line. Oh, and MNP polished the MIM trigger and hammer to set it off. And I put a grip from the 500 X-frame model by Hogue made for recoil absorbing. Like the one in this video.
Did the porting help make it more manageable?
@@Actual-user The porting costs are posted on-line at Mag-na-port.com and it is worth it. They take monthly payments if you find your budget necessary economically.
@@plagueleadstodeath YES!!! It makes it much more pleasant to shoot as does the X-frame Hogue rubber grips with a sorbethane padded area for the web of your grip.
@@Actual-user $167 was what I paid. And worth twice that much to me.
@@plagueleadstodeath Yes along with the model 500 S&W Hogue recoil absorbing grip.
does it make noise when you shake it mine does and can't figure out what is making that sound
That may be the transfer bar
That has to be a handful. I have a 37 oz 629 pc with the 2.625 inch barrel, and a 14 oz 357 magnum (360 pd) I wonder how much different they are in terms of recoil to this. I want one so bad.
Sent mine back for a new barrel because of tool chatter in the bore lans right after I purchased it years ago. This seems to be common with stainless barrels.
I carry mine in a leather holster, and the finish wears down to a raw silver color on several places. I have fixed this with Aluminum black solution, but it just wears down again. I have the same problem with my 325 PD, the 45 ACP version of the gun. I do however like these guns for carry, the finish wear being a minor issue in my mind.
Do the Hogue tamer grips block out speedloaders? The Hogue Grips on my GP100 did, and it made them a dealbreaker
They don’t for the most part HKS definitely fit better than Safari land but I actually did a video on speed loaders where I used my 329 PD as an example if you want to get a better idea of how well they fit
@Slim Cowboy Does the 329pd kick more or the Model 69 combat? I know recoil impulses are different with each gun, I'm just curious of your overall impressions of each.
Honestly I think that model 69 kicks slightly harder
I have a Glock 30 in 45 ACP already. I don’t have any wheel guns! So. I’m seriously wanting one of these! The price nowadays is high though. Around $1,280 online.
where did you get the GREEN Hogue grip? the one i bought from SmithWesson directly was black...and expensive. i really like the green version
eBay They’re discontinued
Does your 329PD have a hammer block safety?
Holy shit I can't believe they can't get the engraving right or the mechanical components to mesh. I just bought a used S&W M 29-2 circa 1978 and it is like a Swiss clockwork.
Thanks for the review. I saw how pretty this was at the gun store and then I held it and it felt like a toy compared to the steel SW 44 classic
Nice find with the O.D. Tamers. This package looks fantastic.
Thanks
Slim, where did you get your mic from? NY_Outcast?? Every time I watch a video I have to crank the volume to the max on YT and the computer in order to hear you.
The volume is far too low.
Pretty good review.
Sounds like your gun had problems, but not the norm, and S & W still leads the market in revolvers---this one particularly.
I’ve had three different Smith and Wesson revolver‘s have factory defects each video I do discussing them has a bunch of comments of people sharing their experiences with factory defects Smith and Wesson used to be known for quality now they just cut corners for cost
Nice quality review. Thanks.
Great content but please check your audio levels. Your vocals were quiet and the intro music was really loud in comparison. I'm about to watch to the end. Thanks for making this. Cheers!
RandomChannelName It’s something I’m trying to work on audio has been an issue for a while Background noise and such
@@SlimCowboy if you use premiere pro you can try slapping a very aggressive compression ratio in a compression audio effect on the overall video and process it again.
Smith and wession is in Massachusetts. So they cant fire trash employees, and are forced to have EO quotas to protect themselves from frivolous legislation and lawsuits. That has always been their issue with quality control the writing on the side of the gun the person put it in the laser engraver without putting it incorrectly I guarantee that person is not the best employee the fit finish assembly people that work there want to work in that part of the factory because it pays more and if you have 10 openings some of those openings are required in Massachusetts to go to certain people these people are probably not the if you will best choices for this.
DUDE! What's up with that OD green tamer grip? How'd you find that?
eBay
Good video. You just saved me $1000. Thank you! I've seen too many stories like this on Smith and Wesson. I'd really like this model, but I can't trust them.
Meh, I’d still rather have the heavier weight when shooting .44 Mag.
Besides, in an Alaskan Chest Rig, the weight isn’t bothersome.
Hold up wait a minute let me put my 2 cents in it
Is that a Lego Boba Fett and C3-PO ? 1967 Corvette? Pop Rocks? And Microtech Bounty Hunter?
Great eye. Think you nailed them all.
ADRIAN......
I figured all Stallone jokes are acceptable
Slim rambo! Are you still on lockdown?
Brandonjames1911 For the most part yeah they’ve talked about partially re-opening sections of the state somebody told me that they ranked all the states and we got an F for overall condition
That palm feels good after six rounds of recoil.
volume is low