Make: Smith & Wesson
Model: 29-3, The .44 Magnum
Serial Number: AEU6901
Year of Manufacture: Ca. 1984 / Modern
Caliber: .44 Magnum
Action Type: 6-Shot, Double Action / Single Action, Swing-Out, Fluted Cylinder Revolver
Barrel Length: 4"
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a serrated ramp blade with a red insert fixed to a ramped base integral to the barrel rib. The rear sight is a flat top, square notched and white outlined leaf in a base that is micrometer click adjustable for windage and elevation.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are checkered walnut target stocks with an extractor relief cut and S&W medallions. There are no cracks. The checkering is crisp and the peaks are sharp. There is no notable handling wear. Overall, the grips are in about Excellent condition.
Type of Finish: Nickel
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore. In this writer's opinion the bore rates 10/10.
Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 99% of its metal finish and displays very little signs of operation. The turn line is thin and faint. The markings are clear. Overall, this revolver is in about Excellent - Like New condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this handgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This revolver comes with its factory box blue fitted interior, cleaning tools, owners manual, and paperwork.
Our Assessment: The Smith & Wesson Model 29 stands among the defining American revolvers of the 20th century, descended from the large-frame .44 Special revolvers favored by Elmer Keith and other experimenters whose heavy handloads helped drive development of the .44 Magnum cartridge. Smith & Wesson introduced its .44 Magnum revolver in 1955-1956, and the gun became the Model 29 after the company's adoption of numerical model designations. Its already formidable reputation exploded after the Model 29's appearance in Dirty Harry in 1971, transforming what had largely been a specialist's hunting and sporting revolver into an American firearms icon. The 29-3 engineering change arrived in 1982, eliminating the traditional pinned barrel and recessed cylinder as Smith & Wesson transitioned the N-frame Magnum to more modern production methods.
This Model 29-3 is a particularly handsome 4" factory-nickel example, retaining about 99% of its original finish with little indication of use beyond a thin, faint cylinder turn line. The walnut target stocks remain in Excellent condition, the bore rates 10/10, and the action functions correctly. The compact 4" barrel gives the large N-frame .44 Magnum the classic proportions associated with some of the model's most desirable working configurations, while the nickel finish gives this example a distinctly different presentation from the more commonly encountered blued guns. Accompanied by its factory box with fitted blue interior, cleaning tools, manual, and paperwork, this is an exceptionally well-preserved package representing Smith & Wesson's flagship Magnum during the final years of traditional factory nickel production.
