S&W 929 Review and thoughts

[BallisticianX]

I reading all these responses there are a lot of good points. I stated in my review I understand some "tweaking" is always necesary to a gun if your a serious shooter with define preferences. But to pay extra for advertised upgrades and not get them is a point that can not be contested. Don't tell me its a fitted action if it is not, don't proclaim its a better barrel when you can't even crown it, and don't charge me more for all the addressed details that are NOT ADDRESSED! Its one thing to tweak and a complete other to repair!

[seanc]

I reading all these responses there are a lot of good points. I stated in my review I understand some "tweaking" is always necesary to a gun if your a serious shooter with define preferences. But to pay extra for advertised upgrades and not get them is a point that can not be contested. Don't tell me its a fitted action if it is not, don't proclaim its a better barrel when you can't even crown it, and don't charge me more for all the addressed details that are NOT ADDRESSED! Its one thing to tweak and a complete other to repair!

I couldn't agree more man.

How are the ranges looking in watervliet? buried?

[BallisticianX]

I reading all these responses there are a lot of good points. I stated in my review I understand some "tweaking" is always necesary to a gun if your a serious shooter with define preferences. But to pay extra for advertised upgrades and not get them is a point that can not be contested. Don't tell me its a fitted action if it is not, don't proclaim its a better barrel when you can't even crown it, and don't charge me more for all the addressed details that are NOT ADDRESSED! Its one thing to tweak and a complete other to repair!

I couldn't agree more man.

How are the ranges looking in watervliet? buried?

I have to assume they are. I haven't been there since the last USPSA match back in November. I am not a member there so I can not give an accurate assessment. Though I am sure they are in the same condition as my club here in Saugerties, NY......snowed in lol.

[underlug]

I asked for this gun to be made on the Smith and Wesson Forum wish list and The Firing Line 15 or so years ago. The titanium cylinder seems to be a pia to me and I never considered the variation in 9mm brass. Coupled with Smith's production issues I see why Jerry got out of town and will let the braver, more technical people sort out the problems.

[azfred]

does anyone know if smith and wesson is addressing any of the issues we have complained about on the latest production runs?

[Ty Hamby]

As someone (private VIP tour) who has stood inside the Performance Center within the walls of the Smith and Wesson Factory Springfield, MA. would be surprised. The PC is little on performance, and zero on "Center" It is a 30x60 caged area just outside the tool and die factory. It is heavy in parts bins and only a few guys mostly doing repair work inside. The 929 and other 1911PC guns are PC in name only. I saw mostly old stuff lying around. Nothing new being PC-ed. They call certain parts PC and install them on the production line and call it "Performance Center".

Sorry so many expected more.

929 is still on my must have list.

[Guest]

As an FYI Hinterland Outfitters has 929s in stock now.

[BallisticianX]

THe PC started out small as it was an untested new venture. But in the last few years the demand for PC products has grown immensely. Mostly in part to aggressive marketing and the initial quality and extras you did get. So with the heightened demand they have expanded PC operations and product lines. This has established there stance in the market and often it allows the quality and attention to detail to drop off to increase production while riding a reputation. This is my estimation of why these problems are occurring. I had a phone conference with Tony Meile and another gentleman at S&W to convey my findings and find out what is being done to correct these shortfalls. I was just told that the PC models should not be having these issues and the usual "we have not had any known complaints regarding my problems" So it is unsure if they feel a need to change anything at this time. As long as sales are up, consideration for change is not a concern. Consumer frustration leading to declined sales is the only way to prompt change....time will tell!

[Gregg K]

I was just told that the PC models should not be having these issues and the usual "we have not had any known complaints regarding my problems" So it is unsure if they feel a need to change anything at this time. As long as sales are up, consideration for change is not a concern. Consumer frustration leading to declined sales is the only way to prompt change....time will tell!

It would not be the first time that S&W claimed to not know about something. When the barrel of my model 66 cracked and fell off they said that they never heard of such a thing when in fact they had replaced or traded out all the guns at a penitentiary for the exact same problem. It all comes down to dollars in the end and there just aren't many people like us that really use these guns so we are just a tiny piece of the big picture of their gun sales. They are still the best kit guns that we can buy for the game.

[BallisticianX]

They are still the best kit guns that we can buy for the game.

Absolutely....no denying that.

[Carmoney]

Gregg makes a good point--there's only a tiny handful of us that knows the difference. Most of the PC buying public is clueless when it comes to the stuff we competition guys care about.

[BallisticianX]

Gregg makes a good point--there's only a tiny handful of us that knows the difference. Most of the PC buying public is clueless when it comes to the stuff we competition guys care about.

It is a very valid point. To add to that very few of the gun buying public are aware of the details that make the difference in accuracy. SO simple things that should be expected like a quality crown go unnoticed to the untrained eye and therefore accepted.

[johnson184]

Has anyone posted a positive review of a 929 yet?

[Carmoney]

I just had my friend's 929 opened up last weekend, and I thought it was nice and smooth inside, and well-fitted. I only shot factory ammo through it, but moonclips dropped right in and extracted fine.

[ktm400]

Has anyone posted a positive review of a 929 yet?

I absolutely love my 929. It's now the most accurate handgun I own. It's now very smooth with about a 5-5.5# trigger pull. With any new to market gun, you must work the kinks out. Remember, this really is a gun meant for competition and as competition shooters we like to make the gun more suited to our needs. So my 929 has had a trigger job, new sights, barrel slugged, 6 different loads tested and chronoed, and I replaced the grips. IMO, any revolver out of the factory, if used for competitive shooting, will require "enhancing".

From S&W's POV, they must make a gun which is safe and which will fire any factory ammo. The gun must appeal to the a wide market segment which will buy the gun for more than the cost to make it (profit margin).

[Tom Freeman]

Has anyone posted a positive review of a 929 yet?

I am very happy with both of mine.

No issues with ammo or accuracy.

[1911Prof]

My 929 is my favorite gun to shoot, insignificant recoil and the sight radius helps with my sloppy sight picture. I have had no problems with ejection but I am only using Winchester range brass. I was a little disappointed that a performance center gun was kind of rough out of the box, but mine slicked up nicely. I went with the Apex hammer and it is right around 6 lbs in DA

[bkfranklin22]

well not the things I wanted to hear since I just bought one. comes in friday

[BallisticianX]

My gun was same as OP's, bascially very rough.

Everything with OP's plus the forcing cone needed to be recut, crane face needed to be true'd up, hammer nose bushing was not flush with blast shield, all chambers needed reaming, etc...

Basically, for you 1000 bucks you get assembled parts that need to be fit/finished to be correct.

My 929 thankfully did not need crane trueing and the throats (chambers) were all uniform. As far as the firing pin bushing on the 929 according to smith is supposed to protrude past the blast shield face a bit, he gave me the spec but I don't recall it. I am not fond of that design. It beats the primer pocket and web inwards with every firing. After 2-3 reloads the primers seat like its military brass with the crimp left un-swagged. With slower powders (l use WSF) at a meek 120 -125 pf brass should be reloadable 4-5 times easy. Thanks to that bushing design 2-3 is about it before it results in half seated primers binding up the press etc. Another thing is the barrel diameter varies on these guns. .3565"-.3575" is the acceptable range for S&W quality control as it is made to the specs of .357 or 38 barrels. It is not a specific bored barrel for 9mm or it would be the standard of .355"-.3555". SO bullet diameter is going to need attention. Also the Cylinder throats are dead on at .357" again the .357 and .38 spec. I make and shoot Lead cast bullets coated with Hi-Tek for my 929. So with a .357" cylinder throat you can't exceed that diameter or you will get bullet shearing. To no surprise I found a .357" sized bullet gave me the best accuracy and least leading. I also found a 135 gr bullet is the magic number for this gun. It is just heavy enough to be very accurate utilizing the fast 1-10" twist, just heavy enough to utilize slower powders and lighter than a 147 to reduce chamber pressure a little as higher chamber pressures are the culprit to cases binding. The 135 and 3.8-3.9 gr of WSF is the best load I tested and it is my go to without any worries. SO as you can understand using fast powders in the 929 will bind cases. And as a foot note for all other 9mm guns titegroup is not the powder to use if you shoot alot of lead pills (hi-tek coated or not) Titegroup works well and is my favorite accuracy powders for coated lead and plated in both .38spcl. &.45acp and works outstanding. For some ungodly reason, beit the heat characteristics in a small case maybe, Titegroup under lead bullets in the 9mm results in leading and wierd things happening. Now put it behind a plated or jacketed pill in 9mm and its very accurate and comfortable to shoot in my auto's...thought I would mention it.

Edited August 20, 2015 by BallisticianX

[Forrest Halley]

Titegroup made me decide to be a weakhand reloader one hot summer day. With 98 degree temperatures and nd nonshade handy for my ammo...life was brutal strong hand reloading. Cylinder got very hot on field course.

[BallisticianX]

No doubt titegroup is a hot powder. I used to use it exclusively in my 38 loads with Berry 158 gr. And your right my cylinder on some long field courses got mighty hot. I also used it in my 45 loads in my 1911 for USPSA and one day I was at my club running the plate rack on a 90 degree day and after about 7 successive runs my slide locked up to the frame. Got so hot it expanded the frame and had to wait 10 mins before it free'd up.

[QualityGuru]

I recently purchased a S&W 929.  The trigger was not smooth as I would expect from other Performance Center pistols.  I purchased from Cabelas so they will not let you dry fire it.  The sight at the front has a kink on it.  Interesting enough I saw the 44 Mag PC revolver at my LGS when I went to test out my new revolver and likewise the sight at the front had a small gauge on it.  The crown is non existent.  Oh and the worst of it is that I used a bore sighter to zero at 15 yards, but the POI is off to the left by 3 to 4 inches at 10 yards.  This is the first and absolutely last new S&W firearm that I will ever purchase.  I got suckered by the PC brand which in my option is branding only and lacking any real quality.  It’s now 2020 and it looks like it’s the same old lack of QC that has not been well implemented at S&W.

[PatJones]

I recently purchased a S&W 929.  The trigger was not smooth as I would expect from other Performance Center pistols.  I purchased from Cabelas so they will not let you dry fire it.  The sight at the front has a kink on it.  Interesting enough I saw the 44 Mag PC revolver at my LGS when I went to test out my new revolver and likewise the sight at the front had a small gauge on it.  The crown is non existent.  Oh and the worst of it is that I used a bore sighter to zero at 15 yards, but the POI is off to the left by 3 to 4 inches at 10 yards.  This is the first and absolutely last new S&W firearm that I will ever purchase.  I got suckered by the PC brand which in my option is branding only and lacking any real quality.  It’s now 2020 and it looks like it’s the same old lack of QC that has not been well implemented at S&W.

First post. You setup an account to come here with this? Please troll somewhere else.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[MikeyScuba]

He’s not selling anything and he’s not wrong about s&w’s quality issues either.  I bought our 929’s with the assumption they were essentially bare frames that needed work.

 

my first s&w was a brand new 41 that sent rounds tumbling down range, wood grips where each half was a different tone and a case that wouldn’t close.  Thankfully the gunsmith my wife was helping out at the time got it wholesale for us and he was a cranky old coot to boot .  Got a new gun in 3 days!

[QualityGuru]

Well that is fine howdy you do by calling me a Troll for expressing an opinion.  By definition the a troll is a person who starts quarrels or upsets people on the forum to distract and sow discord by posting inflammatory and off topic messages.  I came to see if other people had experienced any quality issues with the S&W 929, so I believe that I am correct in what I posted and did not want to start an argument.

 

It's foolish to argue with the ignorant so I will not debate with name callers (cowards).  As for everyone else, look for yourselves and see if the quality at S&W has improved or gotten better.  The internals also had small amounts of surface rust on them, so I cleaned it with One-Shot.  Probably should have taken a picture of it.

 

Looking for advice (other than from someone who has a lot to say, but says very little of anything important), if I should send the revolver to Smith & Wesson or just have a gunsmith look at it and have them smooth out the trigger.  I was also curios if anyone has had the TK Custom Ultimate Master Action Tuning Job performed on their 929 revolver.

Edited January 16, 2020 by QualityGuru