"I know what you're thinking punk; did he fire six shots or only five... well seeing as this is an 1896 Bergman no.2, why don't we take a closer look at some of the interesting details of this particular model!"
Mine’s a 8-3/8” barrel. I load rifle powder in rounds and use them around dusk… the powder burning outside the barrel makes a huge and beautiful ball of flame.. really startles and impresses everyone at the range.
for a new reloader, .44 Rem Mag is THE best choice to learn. Straight walled and rimmed, AND forgiving wall thickness. You can load for a heavy revolver in 44 mag to the top (265 grain hard cast lead gas checks at 1550 fps) and test your wrists, or load with 180 grain lead at 1000 FPS and have almost NO recoil.....and still be at least as powerfull as a .45 ACP
i agree, i had a lot of fun experimenting various loads for that gun, at times i went to the range with a bunch of variuos cartridges with different loads and wrote down the data and impression... i felt more like a ballistic scientist than a shooter... fun times, sooner or later i will buy again (for the third time) a M29...
Exactly!! I like reloading. shooting a 240gr swc cast bullet, and about 10gr Alliant Unique powder. Extremely accurate, easy on the gun and your wrist, all-around great load..and it'll stop a baddie in his tracks!!
@@Maxtowers71 . .Nothing wrong with that Max! Very scientific, lots of knowledge acquired, and lotza fun, too!! That's how we learn about firearm ballistics!
Every time a 101 Dalmatians movie came out, there were a lot of people who would get a Dalmatian only to discover that they're not that easy a breed to own.
@Ross Outdoors One of my XC teammates in high school had one that had been a former fire dog. I can only guess she was a mascot only, because she was honestly dumb as a brick and kind of high maintenance.
What a gorgeous 5 screw pre 29. If Smith & Wesson revolvers were made like this today, they would probably rival the cost of the Manurhin or Korth. A true work of art built by craftsmen who were proud of their work.
The Duke of Super , I would't say so, but the cultural influence is a very interesting point in gun history. It shows that in order to not become a forgotten weapon, beside significant market share or substantial use in a modern military conflict, pop culture can do it's part. And I think that the model 29 is a very well chosen example of this point.
As a young rookie in the late 1970's, Louisville Police Sergeants could carry a .44 special. My rural department had some that carried .41 magnums besides the .357 magnum. I knew some Deputy Sheriff's that carried the Model 29, but they usually kept the box of Magnums in the car "for emergencies" and loaded with .44 specials.
"Boondock Saints"....I had several friends get one after that movie. I've had a .357 two tone Desert Eagle for years and it's one of my favorite range guns. Smooth and soft shooting.
it got alot of attention after the Guy Ritche film "Snatch"....with the character Bullet-tooth Tony calling it the "Desert Eagle POINT five-O" ...I know several people who bought one and had remorse after shooting it 2 or 3 times
Gun shop in my area has a DE in .50AE as a display piece. Thing is big, heavy, but so beautifully maintained. crisp trigger, smooth action, would be fun to fire off a few rounds.
I bought my Model 29 in 1986 and have loved it ever since. I carry it concealed easily in a shoulder holster. I also handload the 44 mag and have only bought 2 boxes of rounds, and have fired more than 10,000 rounds without failure. Thanks for everything you do on your channel.
A friend of mine owns one just like this, pinned and recessed and all. I was pleasantly surprised when I shot it a few years ago, the recoil was much more manageable than I'd heard and it was incredibly easy to shoot accurately, largely thanks to that incredible trigger. I enjoyed it a lot, it's probably in my top 3 fun guns. Maybe I'm just weird, though. I'm also the kind of guy who thinks Porsche 911s are incredibly confidence inspiring and easy to drive.
I must admit, I'm one of those who was influenced by the Dirty Harry movies to get interested in .44 Mag. Yeah, they are punishing to shoot, and even after many years of shooting them I still can't stand doing more than about 25 rounds at a session. However... there's just something about it that appeals. It's difficult to describe. But I love them. :-)
I owned a S&W Model 629 with a six and 1/2 inch barrel a few years back, I really never had any issues with the kick and always enjoyed shooting it at the range.
If memory serves, in the second movie (I think, the one with the dirty cops) the young police officers meet Harry at the range and ask "what load he carries in that 44". Harry answers "A light Special. With that load in this gun I get less recoil and more control than a 357 with wadcutters" (quoted from memory). That comment would kind of negate the whole "most powerful gun in the world" thing from the first movie though, if he was actually shooting 44 special through that model 29. Maybe I remember wrong, pretty sure though.
"But this is a 44 magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world.... or it would be if I had not loaded the thing with 44 special... and could have blown your head clean off.. if I had used magnum ammo, I mean, which I didn't. Anyway, it's still gonna hurt so you need to ask yourself a question: 'do I feel lucky', well do ya, punk?"
That was said during a police shooting competition. Typicly .357 shooters would use .38 spes with wadcutter bullets when paper is up for kill and 44 shooters would use .44 spes.
That’s what I remember him saying. As for the quote, he was telling the truth (at least according to the advertising of the era) about the gun. Whether or not it was loaded with magnums or specials, I personally would want the bad guys to think I was loaded for bear. Especially since he knew it was empty and the guy had a shotgun close.
I used my 6 1/2" model 29 in Bullseye club competitions while shooting 44 specials, my youngest son shot a 6" model 19 with 38 spc. In (25 yd) rapid fire you learn to thumb cock quickly and the long sight distance really helps my aim in the slow fire (50 yds). I can shoot magnum rounds but I learned long ago to limit my range time to one cylinder of magnum. All this Bullseye competition really set us both up for IDPA with revolvers of course.
I know a funny side story to the Dirty Harry madness that caused the whole rush for S&W Model 29's. As you said, they were hard to find at some points after those movies came out and they were pretty expensive revolvers. What some people ended up doing was seeing this nifty single-action revolver in the same caliber for a fair bit less money and it was more available. Many people resolved to at least get a revolver of the same caliber just to have it and it happened to boost sales of this single-action considerably as well. This single-action? It was none other than the Ruger Super Blackhawk. It turns out that those movies helped out Ruger a fair bit as well. As the proud owner of an older "big frame" .44 Vaquero, I can't complain. I don't know if it is a function of the wide grips, the frame shape, or what, but I find it fairly comfortable to shoot, even with standard factory 240 grain magnum loads. It makes a great partner with my .44 Marlin 94 and helped start my fascination with .44 caliber guns in general, with the old 44-40 being a particular favorite.
USSEnterpriseA1701 I've owned a couple of Ruger Super Blackhawks in 44mag. with 7 1/2" barrel and anyone whose ever seen them says "That's a Dirty Harry gun!" I have yet to see the resemblance other than both being revolvers.
I used a Super Blackhawk to one shot a Bison through the spine from about 50 yards. 250gr Keith on a huge charge of 296. Yes it is very effective if you put the practice time in.
I bought a lightly used SBH for $120 years ago. I’ve fired it a few times with full power loads. My hand hurts after a couple cylinders worth. .44 special or hand loaded magnum target loads are much more user friendly. I like my gun and have a nice western rig for it.
My favourite line in all the Dirty Harry movies is in the original: 'If a naked man is chasing a woman through an alley with a butcher knife and a hard-on I figure he isn't out collecting for the Red Cross.' Lol!
You know what makes me really sick to my stomach? Burly Detective: What? Harry Callahan: Is watching you stuff your face with those hot dogs. Nobody, I mean NOBODY puts ketchup on a hot dog.
"showing up for sale again with a mostly full box of ammo" -- I can remember seeing mostly full boxes of .500 S&W on a local dealer's random junk table. For, I'm sure, the same reason.
I recently inherited one, along with a bunch of ammo. While you definitely know when it goes off, it isn't as much as I thought it would be. It isn't a light revolver, which takes up a lot of the recoil. I have a light weight .357 that actually gives me a sharper twist on the wrist. When the Dirty Harry movies were made I think most people were more familiar with the .38 special and its recoil, which by comparison the .44 mag is a beast.
Americans are massively media-driven, there is no doubt about that. Our media Stars such as Clint Eastwood and Ian McCollum have us wanting to buy things left and right. ;-)
Mambo Dave Every one is media driven. All knowledge is faith based. Unless we varrifiy what we hear or read first hand, all information is just another religion. The pen is truly mightier than the sword.
Alex Moore You are right,, and that is what I used to think too. But the media can make people think and do things that they would not do at the point of a gun. A person does not have to look very far to see examples of that.
@Ellis Dee ....Shotgun News...which is now Firearms News ...was even better...amazing what you could find for sale in there!....remember my wife telling me how she spotted the garbage guys... with the truck parked...all sitting around reading the copies I had discarded......
@@allenmax8995 :- These magazines also started my serious knife collecting, because of their "knife corner" sections...I even ordered a couple of knives from advertisers in the magazines.
I bought my first 44 when I was 19 that was in 79 and have been hooked every since. Elmer was to cartridges as John M. Browning was to guns. Two geniuses. And yes I do shoot the 44 regularly and I do reload very hot.
@@Caterpillarjon old women being killed and all this crime and you know what make me sick? Seeing you put ketchup on that hot dog. Or something like that lol. Everytime I see someone do that it reminds me of that scene.
Guns with sales surges after being in film or TV: Python -- Walking Dead Beretta 92 -- Die Hard Bren Ten -- Miami Vice AutoMag -- Dirty Harry (and later Death Wish) What other ones can you think of?
Ian is the first gun RUclipsr I see that takes the cultural factor in consideration. That's one of the reasons why Forgotten Weapons is the best gun channel. Greetings from Brazil.
After the movie 'Sudden Impact' came out, the demand for the Auto-Mag in .44 magnum caliber went up, even though they were out of production by that time. A good friend of mine had bought one when they were in production and he sold it at a premium price during that time.
I have one with a 4 inch barrel. I've only fired magnum rounds out of it a handful of times and it's not very pleasant but with 44 specials it shoots beautifully and is incredibly accurate even with the 4 in barrel.
Ian, you are very talented at what you do. I love hearing your passion for these machines, and you always speak so eloquently. Thank you for sharing with us.
I purchased a couple of 8 3/8" barreled 629s back in the mid 80's. One has the large wooden target grips. The other came with factory barrel mounted scope rings and finger grooved wooden combat grips. Great revolvers for hunting and silhouette shooting.
Great video Ian!.....but, not to be that guy (i'm gonna) the gun in Death Wish 3 is not an automag. It looks very similar but its a Wildey Hunter in .475 Wildey magnum. it has a pretty neat adjustable gas system. It's almost a forgotten weapon in its own right as the owner has had health and business problems but apparently they are winding up again for another run this year.
I love my 44. I actually bought one used after running into Clint Eastwood in Carmel many years ago. Recoil is stout but not too bad. Also, you can always shoot 44 special through them or load a lower power 44 round yourself. (I don't as it does not bother me much) If you really want to hurt yourself with a 44 magnum, consider buying a Smith and Wesson 329PD, pretty much the best hiking/backup hunting gun due to its light weight. Recoil on that is like getting hit full force in the palm with a baseball bat.
The sound of the blast when Clint Eastwood shot it was dubbed for the movie. That wasn't the natural sound of the gun. His gunfire had a somewhat screeching blare that echoed, whereas the natural sound of the fire is just like a loader version of a regular pistol.
My dad ended up carrying a Model 29 while he was stationed in South Vietnam in '68, and his was a blued 4 inch. He found his in a black market in Phu Bi (I'm guessing on the spelling), and picked it up with a leather belt and holster, box of 50 hollow points, and the revolver itself for $125. He was a OH-6A Co-Pilot for the 101st Airborne Division, and he actually carried the weapon, and he told me of one instance where he actually had to use it. Just because of that one time, my dad was a fan of .44 Magnums until the day he passed away.
My dad had one 8 8/4 barrel- made the mistake of trying to one hand it. But once I got the hang of it, the most accurate handgun Ive ever fired on single action.
This was another fantastic video, as usual. Going in depth on something so familiar, and such a movie icon, is something I hope you'll be doing more often. Thanks a lot for outstanding and informative content, as usual.
l337pwnage Actually it was the second movie with the vigilante traffic cops on Moto Guzzie motorcycles, it was called “Magnum Force” from 1973. They had the Colt Pythons, which needs no introduction. Good Day to You!
I definitely see what Ian is saying about the M29 and people buying for the Dirty Harry love. I have a 8 3/8ths model 29-2 and love it. Recoil can be hefty, but manageable
I have a S&W model 29 "4 inch barrel, and I LOVE SHOOTING IT. It is very fun. I am of big stature so I absorb the recoil fine. Also, I can fire up 10 rounds before I tire. I use it for my carry conceal and can hide it fine, but again, I am 6:1 and heavy set. I knew about this gun from the movie, but I bought it because a few friends of mine had model 29's and said they were dependable and will incapacitate a perp.
I am 62 now. I was a youngster when Dirty Harry came out. The sidearm I fell for was the Colt Python. After I came home from the Military I put a badge on. First civilian piece was a model 15 S&W. Outstanding weapon. Bought a Colt Python in 1982. It was an awesome duty/ combat sidearm for a revolver. Always wanted a model 57 S&W.
Another good example of movie based fire arms is Han Solo's DL44 blaster pistol from Star Wars. Which is based off the Mauser C96. I don't think you saw people buying up C96s in the late 1970s but still made the gun even more famous and recognizable then it was.
A small correction, the AutoMag was in Sudden Impact, another Dirty Harry movie, not a Death Wish movie. The a .476 Wildey was in one of the Death Wish movies.
A friend of mine bought one and he probably still has it. It has a 6-1/2" barrel and it is in the Royal blue finish that S&W once used. I found that it was fun to shoot. You must use ear protection while doing this. It is very accurate and in the Weaver stance it is easily controllable.
The .44 Magnum cartridge can be hand loaded to 3/4 magnum load, such as 12 grains of Blue Dot powder, designed for magnum revolvers and shotguns. This 3/4 magnum load is still quite powerful, but not that much kick. Comfortable, and fun to shoot. The .44 Special cartridge has a light kick in a 6-1/2 barrel Model 29. When I hand loaded a 240 grain slug with a light .44 Special load, about 725 to 750 feet per second velocity, there was almost no kick at all. When I kept my eye on the line of sight, I could actually see the bullet fly to the target. A dark streak. This is really neat. Half the fun of shooting is experimenting with different revolver loads, and testing them out on the range. Factory loaded magnum ammunition is really hot, and uncomfortable. When I fired a 240 grain .44 slug with full load 16+ grains of Blue Dot powder, rocks and dirt went flying down range at a good 100 yards away. My friend had powder burns on his hand, when he fired 6 rounds. A blast to shoot, but not very practical. Revolvers are designed for many different types of powder charges, anywhere from a light target load, up to a full magnum load. This is one major advantage of revolvers over automatics. These Model 29 Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum revolvers are a great collector's item, even if they are only rarely used on the firing range.
@@zebradun7407 One manufacturer today makes cowboy loads for the .44 Magnum, which is like a .44 Special. Approximately 750 feet per second with a 240 grain slug.
I see the buying and returning a lot around here with the S&W 500 Magnum. It's hard to find a new one, everyone buys them as soon as the shops get them. You can find used ones in almost EVERY shop around, and they are for the most part "like new" condition. I'm guessing this is similar with what you are saying about the .44
My dad bought a used one in the late 70's, just like this one and I'm sure it had only a few rounds through it when he got it. Dad and his 4 sons have run thousands through it now and it's still perfect.
Yeah, the production company had to know that the Python would make an appearance in almost every episode, so why didn't they put Lincoln on a range with a LE trainer for awhile to make him look like a cop shooting and not a british dude who'd never shot a pistol in his life.
My dad has a SA .44 mag. I absolutely love shooting that thing. It has a lovely kick. I've always liked recoil when I'm just shooting for fun. I'm also a big guy with a big frame (6'4", 330 lbs). My .357 has no recoil for me, which is why it was my carry gun when I lived in Maine.
In my opinion this was the most beautiful handgun ever made. At one time I owned three of these handguns and would take one of them out almost every weekend for years. One thing he did not mention was that the old pinned barrels would back out of the frame with a steady diet of full powered rounds. I actually had one that did this.
Movies and TV are indeed a very good way to advertize guns, if l lived in a country where you don't have to get permits to buy one, l'd run to the gun store every time l watch something like Lethal Weapon or James Bond. The fact that Jack Bauer upgraded his USPc to a P30 actually made me sure that l want the newer model.
I still fondly remember when my grandfather showed me the Walther PPK he had. As a second generation James Bond, it was an awesome moment. I really want to go to a shooting range and fire a PPK someday. Also I would love to shoot a 9mm P99 as well.
Before I learned more about firearms in general, and handguns in particular, I used to think I wanted one of these; not because of "Dirty Harry", but it did have to do with television shows. When I really got into learning about guns, I learned that the revolver I had been wanting all the time was a Python anyway. Still don't have one, but I plan to someday. The one other item that I think gets popularized by movies & television shows is whatever type of car appears in them.
I also can't imagine after the first week that a lot of law enforcement officers were particularly thrilled to have to hump this gun around town all day long either. It isn't exactly a feather weight.
My buddy had a S&W chrome one with a 12" barrel( Pretty sure). It fired well. The gun was so heavy that it didn't break your hand. At the same time you still got that kick of it pulling up like a 44. At 100 yard targets at the range it was easily repeatable and reliable hits. Neat gun.
Ian, this was one of your most enjoyable videos ever, and even the comment section was a joy to go through. I will admit to having once owned a Model 29 (in .45 ACP & .45 AutoRim), but I also had a Ruger Super Blackhawk in .44 magnum for metallic silhouette (mostly handloads). Both great revolvers. Thanks for the memories!
LOL, I bought the same model Crossbow and a 6" Bright Stainless Colt Python because of how much I enjoy watching The Walking Dead. Especially the earlier seasons.
I read somewhere that the 8 and 3/8 inch model 29 was also used for some closeup shots to make the pistol look more intimidating! I wonder where those ones got to? Nice presentation.
Wasn't the Death Wish gun a Wildey Magnum and not an Automag? I mean they look pretty similar. I remember the Automag becoming popular because it was Dirty Harry's gun in the fourth movie.
Yes, the Death Wish Gun was a Wildey Hunter in .745 and not an Automag. The screen used pistol was actually Charles Bronson's own Wildey. As for the Automag pistol, when Sudden Impact began filming the gun had ended production due to poor sales. However the original designer still had enough parts in his basement to construct two pistols. One was a live fire version for Clint Eastwood to train with at a shooting range and the other was blank converted for the film. Both guns had a unique serial number, Clint 1 and Clint 2.
The First Gun i have ever shot was a 44 Magnum Smith & Wesson, even to a much newer one with a rubberish grip. It was actually this massive recoil that started my interest in guns, fist from a purely engineering standpoint and later also as a sport. I still love these guns and actually own the exact same revolver i shot 10 years ago :)
When I returned from the Army to my home town in 77, I got my job back on the PD through the Veteran's Re-employment act. One of the fellows on the PD was a huge Dirty Harry Fan, and through his FFL he purchased a 4" Model 29 which he carried for duty. He hand-loaded almost daily for his huge collection of firearms and spent at least 4 hours a week at the range. He carried his model 29 on duty every shift, and we all hated being next to him for qualifications because of the roar of that beast. I have to give him credit though, for my love of handguns, he got me into reloading and collecting. Following in his footsteps, I got an FFL so I could purchase handguns at dealer cost, and maintained it till the fed got nasty about them, at which time I let mine expire. I will never forget his tale though, one day he was coming back from the range when he saw a bunch of Canadian Geese in a field. He wanted to see if he could hit one with his mighty .44, so aiming through the passenger side of his old bare bones pickup, he let go with one round. Now that old pickup had no padding on the roof, just bare steel, and no padding on the dash or any of that. He said the concussion of that blast nearly broke his eardrums, and took away his breath. When I asked about the geese, he said he had no idea if he hit any or not, by the time he came back to normal, they had all flown away, but he did see a lot of feathers so he figured he must have hit one.
@@themasterofdisastr1226 ....got one of those too....very uncomfortable to shoot with that folding stock....best to just flip it up and blast away...(9 shots!)....in the auto-mode......
@@onehopeofthedoomed Nah Terminator made the Spas 12 famous more than anything. Not only was it the very first movie but that thing was all over the place after that in movie like The Wraith, RoboCop, Beverly Hills cop.
I think my favorite rendition on the concept of this revolver is actually the best pistol in borderlands 2, the unkempt harold. They made a really interesting mechanic where it splits the bullet as it travels into 3, then 5, then 7 shots (357). Couldn't do a cool mechanic like that with .44 caliber as the concept number, but it still holds up to the concept of "the most powerful handgun in the world" because thay gun was not only the most powerful pistol, but basically one of the most powerful guns in the game, period. Oh, and it shot exploding bullets, which meant there were basically no enemies that could have a resistance to it's damage type, and it absolutely obliterated armored targets
I had a #29 6 1/2 for many years. It was terrific, smooth action & even for a 1st time shooter is was soo smoth. Recoile was to let ride up and take it's course.
Neat piece of movie trivia; for the majority of the film 'Dirty Harry' and several of its sequels, the handgun used is actually a S&W 25 in .45 LC, because of the easy availability of blanks in that caliber.
It's nice to know that someone else noticed that about the S&W revolver Dirty Harry carried in the movies. How can one tell the difference? In the scenes where movie viewers sees the muzzle bore of the revolver, take a careful look at the gun's muzzle bore. The metal thickness around the barrel muzzle of the 44 mag is noticeably thicker than that of the .45 Long-Colt; and there are several scenes when the metal around the gun's muzzle is thin, denoting it being a Model 25 in .45 LC.
Very nice bit of history. I bought a .44 magnum like this, used, in the mid-1970's, not because I'd seen Dirty Harry, but because I was working in polar bear and grizzly bear country. At that time, we could still get a carry permit for "work" in situations like those. I bought one on consignment, along with a box of 46 rounds, for much less than the new price. The original owner had put only 4 rounds through it, LOL. I practiced with it regularly at the range for proficiency, and it was definitely (sorry, can't resist) a bear to shoot. However, it was beautifully made - the trigger on mine did "break like glass." I also owned a .357 S&W revolver with a shorter barrel - it was actually less pleasant to shoot than the .44 magnum. When I quit working in wild places, a friend offered to buy the .44 for much more than I'd paid for it, so it passed on. I'm not 100% happy about that, because it was a beautiful firearm in terms of quality, fit & finish. Thanks for the interesting video.
Oh, that brings back college memories. My Room mate had one of these, and I still think it was one of the finest pieces of craftsmanship i have ever used. It wasn't all that unpleasant to shoot, but yeah, second Shot follow up was slow when the recoil had the muzzle pointing halfway towards the ceiling. His comment at the time was "It shoots through schools". (this is pre Columbine, when that was funnier than it sounded now). But that trigger spoiled me for other firearms, and that cylinder indexing was perfect, and the factory finish was like looking into a bottle of fresh ink. Lovely. was sad when his uncle got it after his death.
The S&W N-frames were quality back then. Really well built pieces. I looked at a model 29 in my local shop back then. It's part of the reason I wound up getting a model 25-5.
I had mine at an outdoor range once, there was a young kid there with his parents shooting a .22lr...so with his parents permission and the rangemasters supervision i let him pop off a couple of rounds...gave the kid the brass after he was done. He had earned it and had the biggest grin i had seen in awhile!
I think the Model 27, Model 29, and Colt Python were the best culmination of the "modern" revolver. That is, they represented well over 100 years of progressively better revolver technology and manufacturing, to the point you could have a very well-made gun, durable gun with adjustable sights, excellent accuracy, and powerful cartridges in a single package. It took a lot of experimentation along with industrial and engineering development to go from the Colt Paterson at one end of the timeline to the Models 27 and 29, or the Python at the other end.
While I have never owned one, a few years ago, at a firing range a friend of mine let me shoot his. I really enjoyed it, largely because I let the barrel ride up with each round. Doing that took care of nearly all of the recoil, and reacquiring the target the target was not much of a problem. They are much more fun if you respect the weapon for what it is.
"I know what you're thinking punk; did he fire six shots or only five... well seeing as this is an 1896 Bergman no.2, why don't we take a closer look at some of the interesting details of this particular model!"
brilliant
"Hey... a later one with grooved cartridges and an extractor? I gots to know!!!"
And right around that time they came out with the 41 Magnum, which ballistically was supposed to be halfway between the 357 and the 44 mag.
I like it.
He he
I remember when The Guns of Navarone came out you couldn't find a 15 inch railway gun to save your life!!
Wahahahahaha.
And the same thing happened with Phased Plasma Rifles (in a 40 watt range) after the first Terminator movie.
😂😂😂👍
highflight41 ok, lol, that’s funny sir!
I got mine before prices went up😂😂😂
It was impossible to find a Nimitz class carrier after the Final Countdown.
And the one Typhoon class BMS was a one-off due to the Hunt for Red October...
May not blow it "clean" off... But I'm pretty sure whats left aint gonna be too useful
Won't the skull explode?
Dexter at point blank it can, if not it will just fracture into a bunch of small fragmented pieces. Either way, you’ll die.
You got that right !!!
Clean... Is not a word that would be said after the skull explodes.
Well, if the perp was a democrat, he wouldn't probably miss what was gone...
After the Battle of Nagashino (1575) was depicted in the movie Kagemusha, sales of matchlocks increased enormously.
Mine’s a 8-3/8” barrel. I load rifle powder in rounds and use them around dusk… the powder burning outside the barrel makes a huge and beautiful ball of flame.. really startles and impresses everyone at the range.
for a new reloader, .44 Rem Mag is THE best choice to learn. Straight walled and rimmed, AND forgiving wall thickness. You can load for a heavy revolver in 44 mag to the top (265 grain hard cast lead gas checks at 1550 fps) and test your wrists, or load with 180 grain lead at 1000 FPS and have almost NO recoil.....and still be at least as powerfull as a .45 ACP
/\ YES /\ I concur with that one ..
i agree, i had a lot of fun experimenting various loads for that gun, at times i went to the range with a bunch of variuos cartridges with different loads and wrote down the data and impression... i felt more like a ballistic scientist than a shooter... fun times, sooner or later i will buy again (for the third time) a M29...
Exactly!! I like reloading. shooting a 240gr swc cast bullet, and about 10gr Alliant Unique powder. Extremely accurate, easy on the gun and your wrist, all-around great load..and it'll stop a baddie in his tracks!!
@@Maxtowers71 . .Nothing wrong with that Max! Very scientific, lots of knowledge acquired, and lotza fun, too!! That's how we learn about firearm ballistics!
300gr loads are even more fun. I handload them for my 8-3/8" Model 29-2.
Every time a 101 Dalmatians movie came out, there were a lot of people who would get a Dalmatian only to discover that they're not that easy a breed to own.
Remember the Doberman Gang movies.....
Same thing happened.
Or Finding Nemo where people bought clownfish and the children poured them down the toilet to set them free.
I bought a Doby just for that reason and she was an awesome no trouble dog.
@@folsomia5993 now we have clownfish scaring divers all over the beaches!
@Ross Outdoors One of my XC teammates in high school had one that had been a former fire dog. I can only guess she was a mascot only, because she was honestly dumb as a brick and kind of high maintenance.
The face when you first pull that trigger is brilliant.
That right there is Gun Jesus' O-face.
jason200912
Don't be lazy. just watch it through.
11:29
+Grizz Axxemann I watched it in audio, I can't see through it
double action in this gun is impractical...but in single action you only have to breathe on it
What a gorgeous 5 screw pre 29. If Smith & Wesson revolvers were made like this today, they would probably rival the cost of the Manurhin or Korth. A true work of art built by craftsmen who were proud of their work.
You just have to ask yourself one question... "is this really a forgotten weapon?"
The Duke of Super , I would't say so, but the cultural influence is a very interesting point in gun history. It shows that in order to not become a forgotten weapon, beside significant market share or substantial use in a modern military conflict, pop culture can do it's part. And I think that the model 29 is a very well chosen example of this point.
Well, yeah, it probably is to many a millennial interested in firearms.
The Duke of Super Hell no it isn't! Every time I look for one on Gunbroker, the damn thing sells before I get a chance at it!
I's got to know.
If it weren't for the movie, it would have been.
Another good example of the movie effect- look at what Smokey and the Bandit did to Pontiac sales
was that Smokey and the bandit ? with the Pontiac cars? howabout the PPK walther in James Bond movies
And C.B. radios
Yeah, Smokey and the bandit really boosted PPK sales.
And don't forget Coors beer!
And Knight Rider
my favorite movie gun is probably the valmet with the bottomless magazine Arnie used in Commando
Are you kidding me? Bond didn't reload his Walther PPK until about the seventh movie. Ultimate CCW!
Also used in Red Dawn by P.S.
not the m60 with a self replicating ammo belt?
It’s a California exclusive, why you think we block the sale of all your “high capacity” mags...
Agent Bill Wilson the Lahti SMG from Cobra
As a young rookie in the late 1970's, Louisville Police Sergeants could carry a .44 special. My rural department had some that carried .41 magnums besides the .357 magnum. I knew some Deputy Sheriff's that carried the Model 29, but they usually kept the box of Magnums in the car "for emergencies" and loaded with .44 specials.
As if there’s any situation where you need a gun in the field as a LEO that isn’t an emergency lol
In "Magnum Force" Callaghan does say that he normally load his Model 29 with .44 Specials
I've heard that the Desert Eagle got a similar boost from the Matrix movies after seeing Agent Smith use it apparently.
"Boondock Saints"....I had several friends get one after that movie. I've had a .357 two tone Desert Eagle for years and it's one of my favorite range guns. Smooth and soft shooting.
it got alot of attention after the Guy Ritche film "Snatch"....with the character Bullet-tooth Tony calling it the "Desert Eagle POINT five-O" ...I know several people who bought one and had remorse after shooting it 2 or 3 times
Gun shop in my area has a DE in .50AE as a display piece. Thing is big, heavy, but so beautifully maintained. crisp trigger, smooth action, would be fun to fire off a few rounds.
Well, shooting the 50 AE Desert Eagle basically feels like you're holding a big metal tool in your hands and then it explodes.
Don Johnson had a .44 Deagle in Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man.
Not as clumsy and random as an automatic. An elegant weapon for a more civilized age.
@Jeff Wilkins lol at both you guys
Delta 40:
"A lightsaber. An elegant weapon from a more civilized time. Well guess what, times have changed."
Commander Superglue Hehehe thank you, I was JUST coming to say that. 🤣
Lol!
The 'Magnum Force' is strong with this one.
The force is strong with this one.........
I bought my Model 29 in 1986 and have loved it ever since. I carry it concealed easily in a shoulder holster. I also handload the 44 mag and have only bought 2 boxes of rounds, and have fired more than 10,000 rounds without failure. Thanks for everything you do on your channel.
remember sending mine up to Detroit to be magna-ported....makes a real difference......
200 reloads per case ? Are you gluing your primers in at this point ?
A friend of mine owns one just like this, pinned and recessed and all. I was pleasantly surprised when I shot it a few years ago, the recoil was much more manageable than I'd heard and it was incredibly easy to shoot accurately, largely thanks to that incredible trigger. I enjoyed it a lot, it's probably in my top 3 fun guns.
Maybe I'm just weird, though. I'm also the kind of guy who thinks Porsche 911s are incredibly confidence inspiring and easy to drive.
I must admit, I'm one of those who was influenced by the Dirty Harry movies to get interested in .44 Mag. Yeah, they are punishing to shoot, and even after many years of shooting them I still can't stand doing more than about 25 rounds at a session. However... there's just something about it that appeals. It's difficult to describe. But I love them. :-)
I owned a S&W Model 629 with a six and 1/2 inch barrel a few years back, I really never had any issues with the kick and always enjoyed shooting it at the range.
If memory serves, in the second movie (I think, the one with the dirty cops) the young police officers meet Harry at the range and ask "what load he carries in that 44". Harry answers "A light Special. With that load in this gun I get less recoil and more control than a 357 with wadcutters" (quoted from memory). That comment would kind of negate the whole "most powerful gun in the world" thing from the first movie though, if he was actually shooting 44 special through that model 29.
Maybe I remember wrong, pretty sure though.
"But this is a 44 magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world.... or it would be if I had not loaded the thing with 44 special... and could have blown your head clean off.. if I had used magnum ammo, I mean, which I didn't. Anyway, it's still gonna hurt so you need to ask yourself a question: 'do I feel lucky', well do ya, punk?"
PanzerKami I believe he meant .44 magnum loaded down a bit. So basically loads exactly like modern .44 magnum
You mean when he said "a light special" he meant "a special load of 44 mag" as opposed to "44 special"? Maybe so, poorly written dialog in that case.
That was said during a police shooting competition. Typicly .357 shooters would use .38 spes with wadcutter bullets when paper is up for kill and 44 shooters would use .44 spes.
That’s what I remember him saying. As for the quote, he was telling the truth (at least according to the advertising of the era) about the gun. Whether or not it was loaded with magnums or specials, I personally would want the bad guys to think I was loaded for bear. Especially since he knew it was empty and the guy had a shotgun close.
I used my 6 1/2" model 29 in Bullseye club competitions while shooting 44 specials, my youngest son shot a 6" model 19 with 38 spc. In (25 yd) rapid fire you learn to thumb cock quickly and the long sight distance really helps my aim in the slow fire (50 yds). I can shoot magnum rounds but I learned long ago to limit my range time to one cylinder of magnum. All this Bullseye competition really set us both up for IDPA with revolvers of course.
I know a funny side story to the Dirty Harry madness that caused the whole rush for S&W Model 29's. As you said, they were hard to find at some points after those movies came out and they were pretty expensive revolvers. What some people ended up doing was seeing this nifty single-action revolver in the same caliber for a fair bit less money and it was more available. Many people resolved to at least get a revolver of the same caliber just to have it and it happened to boost sales of this single-action considerably as well. This single-action? It was none other than the Ruger Super Blackhawk. It turns out that those movies helped out Ruger a fair bit as well. As the proud owner of an older "big frame" .44 Vaquero, I can't complain. I don't know if it is a function of the wide grips, the frame shape, or what, but I find it fairly comfortable to shoot, even with standard factory 240 grain magnum loads. It makes a great partner with my .44 Marlin 94 and helped start my fascination with .44 caliber guns in general, with the old 44-40 being a particular favorite.
USSEnterpriseA1701 I've owned a couple of Ruger Super Blackhawks in 44mag. with 7 1/2" barrel and anyone whose ever seen them says "That's a Dirty Harry gun!" I have yet to see the resemblance other than both being revolvers.
@@wizardofahhhs759 Who cares about a San Francisco cop when 007 kept a Super Blackhawk in his car in the '80s?
I used a Super Blackhawk to one shot a Bison through the spine from about 50 yards. 250gr Keith on a huge charge of 296. Yes it is very effective if you put the practice time in.
.....have one of those Super Blackhawk's stashed away....and have yet to fire it....now you've got me curious about the comparison....
I bought a lightly used SBH for $120 years ago. I’ve fired it a few times with full power loads. My hand hurts after a couple cylinders worth. .44 special or hand loaded magnum target loads are much more user friendly. I like my gun and have a nice western rig for it.
"We're not just gonna let you *walk* outta here"
"Says who, sucker?!"
"Smith, and Wesson, and me!"
Yeah! >:D
My favourite line in all the Dirty Harry movies is in the original: 'If a naked man is chasing a woman through an alley with a butcher knife and a hard-on I figure he isn't out collecting for the Red Cross.' Lol!
in all honesty...this gun will never be forgotten. great episode thou!
altair1983 Ah, but it WAS forgotten until the movie, that's the point.
You know what makes me really sick to my stomach?
Burly Detective: What?
Harry Callahan: Is watching you stuff your face with those hot dogs. Nobody, I mean NOBODY puts ketchup on a hot dog.
My favorite line in Sudden Impact.
Nobody over the age of 12 is allowed to put ketchup on a hot dog or hamburger. I wrote trump. He's going to write it into law.
@Omne Obstat agreed
But mustard is disgusting and mayonnaise alone won't do it.
Y'all flipping out about ketchup on hotdogs are probably the same weirdos who turn around and put mayonnaise on hamburgers.
"showing up for sale again with a mostly full box of ammo" -- I can remember seeing mostly full boxes of .500 S&W on a local dealer's random junk table. For, I'm sure, the same reason.
I recently inherited one, along with a bunch of ammo. While you definitely know when it goes off, it isn't as much as I thought it would be. It isn't a light revolver, which takes up a lot of the recoil. I have a light weight .357 that actually gives me a sharper twist on the wrist. When the Dirty Harry movies were made I think most people were more familiar with the .38 special and its recoil, which by comparison the .44 mag is a beast.
Americans are massively media-driven, there is no doubt about that. Our media Stars such as Clint Eastwood and Ian McCollum have us wanting to buy things left and right. ;-)
Mambo Dave
Every one is media driven. All knowledge is faith based. Unless we varrifiy what we hear or read first hand, all information is just another religion.
The pen is truly mightier than the sword.
Willy Bee just don't try running at a guy with a sword when you only have a pen lol
Alex Moore
You are right,, and that is what I used to think too. But the media can make people think and do things that they would not do at the point of a gun. A person does not have to look very far to see examples of that.
Worse when you live in a country where you can't buy these left and right after watching the movies. Like me.
Do you think there's any hope of getting your rights back?
The first gun I bought was a Walther PPK, because James Bond :-)
That gun gets hot af
7.65 mm?
Also, it is one of the two handguns found in Hitler's bunker moments after he blew his brains out.
I have a Bersa Thunder. Because James Bond...kinda, and I'm cheap. Lol, it's actually a pretty good gun.
Remember though that he started off with a small Beretta in .25!
Magazines , the internet of the past
Think of the million people employed because of the internet :P
GUN WORLD, GUN'S & AMMO subscribed for many years.
@Ellis Dee ....Shotgun News...which is now Firearms News ...was even better...amazing what you could find for sale in there!....remember my wife telling me how she spotted the garbage guys... with the truck parked...all sitting around reading the copies I had discarded......
Unlike the internet, magazines required a degree of quality if they were to survive.
@@allenmax8995 :- These magazines also started my serious knife collecting, because of their "knife corner" sections...I even ordered a couple of knives from advertisers in the magazines.
I bought my first 44 when I was 19 that was in 79 and have been hooked every since. Elmer was to cartridges as John M. Browning was to guns. Two geniuses. And yes I do shoot the 44 regularly and I do reload very hot.
God bless the Elmer Keith bullets.....still fantastic tech today
Old videographers tip:
Place a bit of gaffers tape over your tally light for close-ups when shooting reflective surfaces.
Keep up the excellent work
I feel a strange craving for black coffee and hot dogs.
But don't put any ketchup on it!
@@Caterpillarjon old women being killed and all this crime and you know what make me sick? Seeing you put ketchup on that hot dog. Or something like that lol. Everytime I see someone do that it reminds me of that scene.
You may not have time to finish it. "Halt!"
Trucker_Pete the only actor who looks cool whilst eating/shooting...
Be careful how much sugar she puts in the coffee.
"I'm sure this happens with other products as well" Desert Eagle.
Rambo and really big knives
"iced that guy... to cone a phrase"
Guns with sales surges after being in film or TV:
Python -- Walking Dead
Beretta 92 -- Die Hard
Bren Ten -- Miami Vice
AutoMag -- Dirty Harry (and later Death Wish)
What other ones can you think of?
Kenneth McCollum Rambo's knife in the first movie isnt even that big. It's the later movies where it becomes comical.
@@kdmccollum ....."Rambo" was the first time you saw what actually happens to people when they get hit with a .50 cal.....
Ian is the first gun RUclipsr I see that takes the cultural factor in consideration. That's one of the reasons why Forgotten Weapons is the best gun channel. Greetings from Brazil.
Paul and Greg=aka Hickock45 for application and skill.... Oh YES, Jerry M; The GOAT!!
Brasil número um!!!!
After the movie 'Sudden Impact' came out, the demand for the Auto-Mag in .44 magnum caliber went up, even though they were out of production by that time. A good friend of mine had bought one when they were in production and he sold it at a premium price during that time.
I have one with a 4 inch barrel. I've only fired magnum rounds out of it a handful of times and it's not very pleasant but with 44 specials it shoots beautifully and is incredibly accurate even with the 4 in barrel.
🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
Ian, you are very talented at what you do. I love hearing your passion for these machines, and you always speak so eloquently. Thank you for sharing with us.
I had one with a 10 1/2" barrel and LOVED IT! it shot well and I had no problem with recoil using full power loads
Really interesting. Your channel is so educational to us Brits who see all these guns in the movies but know nothing about them. Thanks again. 🙋♂️🇬🇧
I purchased a couple of 8 3/8" barreled 629s back in the mid 80's. One has the large wooden target grips. The other came with factory barrel mounted scope rings and finger grooved wooden combat grips. Great revolvers for hunting and silhouette shooting.
Don't forget "Taxi Driver".
Lockbar And The Crow. That was actually a nickel Model 29-2.
JonMacFhearghuis no, it was a blue 29-2 8-3/8" bbl with a Bianchi shoulder holster
+Burlats de Montaigne, "Good memory"
quistan2 "Trust me, I know* what I'm doing".
@john k.yeah, I cant watch his movis anymore, he should have shut his big libtard poision yapper
Great video Ian!.....but, not to be that guy (i'm gonna) the gun in Death Wish 3 is not an automag. It looks very similar but its a Wildey Hunter in .475 Wildey magnum. it has a pretty neat adjustable gas system. It's almost a forgotten weapon in its own right as the owner has had health and business problems but apparently they are winding up again for another run this year.
That's correct. Eastwood used Auto Mag in Sudden Impact
I love my 44. I actually bought one used after running into Clint Eastwood in Carmel many years ago. Recoil is stout but not too bad. Also, you can always shoot 44 special through them or load a lower power 44 round yourself. (I don't as it does not bother me much) If you really want to hurt yourself with a 44 magnum, consider buying a Smith and Wesson 329PD, pretty much the best hiking/backup hunting gun due to its light weight. Recoil on that is like getting hit full force in the palm with a baseball bat.
I would stick with the heavier revolver.
Wasn't it the Wildey pistol in the Death Wish sequel? The Automag was in a Dirty Harry sequel, I think.
You are absolutely right. Sudden Impact for the AutoMag.
The sound of the blast when Clint Eastwood shot it was dubbed for the movie. That wasn't the natural sound of the gun. His gunfire had a somewhat screeching blare that echoed, whereas the natural sound of the fire is just like a loader version of a regular pistol.
Indeed it was, the "Wildey Wildhorse Magnum".
Yeah. Death Wish III
When you're fishing Salmon out of the same creek as Grizzly bears and you gotta bring pain in a hurry, 44 mag is your answer.
My dad ended up carrying a Model 29 while he was stationed in South Vietnam in '68, and his was a blued 4 inch. He found his in a black market in Phu Bi (I'm guessing on the spelling), and picked it up with a leather belt and holster, box of 50 hollow points, and the revolver itself for $125. He was a OH-6A Co-Pilot for the 101st Airborne Division, and he actually carried the weapon, and he told me of one instance where he actually had to use it. Just because of that one time, my dad was a fan of .44 Magnums until the day he passed away.
best part about being deployed so far is that I'm awake for these uploads
JoinMeInDeathBaby yes
thx man! enjoy what u can of it
JoinMeInDeathBaby damn!
wheels on fire thanks for your service!
My dad had one 8 8/4 barrel- made the mistake of trying to one hand it. But once I got the hang of it, the most accurate handgun Ive ever fired on single action.
This was another fantastic video, as usual. Going in depth on something so familiar, and such a movie icon, is something I hope you'll be doing more often. Thanks a lot for outstanding and informative content, as usual.
The secret of Dirty Harry is that he uses .44 special not magnums.
l337pwnage Actually it was the second movie with the vigilante traffic cops on Moto Guzzie motorcycles, it was called “Magnum Force” from 1973. They had the Colt Pythons, which needs no introduction. Good Day to You!
the movies do not do guns justice, less than cowboy low power loads and blanks not really getting the real recoil or report from a real round
He still pretended the recoil of a magnum but you are correct. Even I had forgotten that little tidbit.
yup, he mentions that in the range with the colt boys, in mag force
@@thalivenom4972 Yet he shows recoil as from a full powered Magnum! .
I definitely see what Ian is saying about the M29 and people buying for the Dirty Harry love. I have a 8 3/8ths model 29-2 and love it. Recoil can be hefty, but manageable
I have a S&W model 29 "4 inch barrel, and I LOVE SHOOTING IT. It is very fun. I am of big stature so I absorb the recoil fine. Also, I can fire up 10 rounds before I tire. I use it for my carry conceal and can hide it fine, but again, I am 6:1 and heavy set. I knew about this gun from the movie, but I bought it because a few friends of mine had model 29's and said they were dependable and will incapacitate a perp.
I've got a 6.5" 29 that was made in 1964 and I really like it.
I read that as 6'5" at first
I am 62 now. I was a youngster when Dirty Harry came out. The sidearm I fell for was the Colt Python. After I came home from the Military I put a badge on. First civilian piece was a model 15 S&W. Outstanding weapon. Bought a Colt Python in 1982. It was an awesome duty/ combat sidearm for a revolver. Always wanted a model 57 S&W.
There were two kinds of people who became Model 29 owners after the movie came out:
Those with loaded guns, and those who digged.
wrong Eastwood movie lol
@@theopenrift Well spotted.
Another good example of movie based fire arms is Han Solo's DL44 blaster pistol from Star Wars. Which is based off the Mauser C96. I don't think you saw people buying up C96s in the late 1970s but still made the gun even more famous and recognizable then it was.
A small correction, the AutoMag was in Sudden Impact, another Dirty Harry movie, not a Death Wish movie. The a .476 Wildey was in one of the Death Wish movies.
Death Wish 3
A friend of mine bought one and he probably still has it. It has a 6-1/2" barrel and it is in the Royal blue finish that S&W once used. I found that it was fun to shoot. You must use ear protection while doing this. It is very accurate and in the Weaver stance it is easily controllable.
the Fast and furious cars suffer the same increase value because the appear in a film
And forget the shifter.
@@BruceLortzHI or grind a gear lol
The .44 Magnum cartridge can be hand loaded to 3/4 magnum load,
such as 12 grains of Blue Dot powder,
designed for magnum revolvers and shotguns.
This 3/4 magnum load is still quite powerful, but not that much kick.
Comfortable, and fun to shoot.
The .44 Special cartridge has a light kick in a 6-1/2 barrel Model 29.
When I hand loaded a 240 grain slug with a light .44 Special load, about
725 to 750 feet per second velocity, there was almost no kick at all.
When I kept my eye on the line of sight, I could actually see the bullet fly
to the target. A dark streak. This is really neat.
Half the fun of shooting is experimenting with different revolver loads,
and testing them out on the range.
Factory loaded magnum ammunition is really hot, and uncomfortable.
When I fired a 240 grain .44 slug with full load 16+ grains of Blue Dot powder,
rocks and dirt went flying down range at a good 100 yards away.
My friend had powder burns on his hand, when he fired 6 rounds.
A blast to shoot, but not very practical.
Revolvers are designed for many different types of powder charges,
anywhere from a light target load, up to a full magnum load.
This is one major advantage of revolvers over automatics.
These Model 29 Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum revolvers are a great collector's item,
even if they are only rarely used on the firing range.
Remington had at one time a Mid Range load for the .44 in a handgun, felt the same as a .45 L Colt.
@@zebradun7407 One manufacturer today makes cowboy loads for the .44 Magnum,
which is like a .44 Special. Approximately 750 feet per second with a 240 grain slug.
I see the buying and returning a lot around here with the S&W 500 Magnum. It's hard to find a new one, everyone buys them as soon as the shops get them. You can find used ones in almost EVERY shop around, and they are for the most part "like new" condition. I'm guessing this is similar with what you are saying about the .44
My dad bought a used one in the late 70's, just like this one and I'm sure it had only a few rounds through it when he got it. Dad and his 4 sons have run thousands through it now and it's still perfect.
Popular media affects buying habits? Get outta here. *coughcoltpythoncough*
Rock Island Auction Company yeah, when he can't even aim the darn thing.
Yeah, the production company had to know that the Python would make an appearance in almost every episode, so why didn't they put Lincoln on a range with a LE trainer for awhile to make him look like a cop shooting and not a british dude who'd never shot a pistol in his life.
Right? Also, it's presence in numerous FPS video games dating back to Counter Strike.
Yeah and he keeps calling it a .44 magnum.
Blame Shatner. TJ Hooker needed something a little bit more powerful than the average .38.
My dad has a SA .44 mag. I absolutely love shooting that thing. It has a lovely kick. I've always liked recoil when I'm just shooting for fun. I'm also a big guy with a big frame (6'4", 330 lbs). My .357 has no recoil for me, which is why it was my carry gun when I lived in Maine.
Hello Ian. You're great.
In my opinion this was the most beautiful handgun ever made. At one time I owned three of these handguns and would take one of them out almost every weekend for years. One thing he did not mention was that the old pinned barrels would back out of the frame with a steady diet of full powered rounds. I actually had one that did this.
Movies and TV are indeed a very good way to advertize guns, if l lived in a country where you don't have to get permits to buy one, l'd run to the gun store every time l watch something like Lethal Weapon or James Bond.
The fact that Jack Bauer upgraded his USPc to a P30 actually made me sure that l want the newer model.
Good call with Lethal Weapon. That one made 92F's very popular.
Or when Bond switched to the P99 in Tomorrow Never Dies.
Which country?
I still fondly remember when my grandfather showed me the Walther PPK he had. As a second generation James Bond, it was an awesome moment. I really want to go to a shooting range and fire a PPK someday. Also I would love to shoot a 9mm P99 as well.
@@MrRoboskippy....then came the slide problem....
Before I learned more about firearms in general, and handguns in particular, I used to think I wanted one of these; not because of "Dirty Harry", but it did have to do with television shows. When I really got into learning about guns, I learned that the revolver I had been wanting all the time was a Python anyway. Still don't have one, but I plan to someday. The one other item that I think gets popularized by movies & television shows is whatever type of car appears in them.
I also can't imagine after the first week that a lot of law enforcement officers were particularly thrilled to have to hump this gun around town all day long either. It isn't exactly a feather weight.
My buddy had a S&W chrome one with a 12" barrel( Pretty sure). It fired well. The gun was so heavy that it didn't break your hand. At the same time you still got that kick of it pulling up like a 44. At 100 yard targets at the range it was easily repeatable and reliable hits. Neat gun.
Yo man, I need my fix!
......got any Bergmann?
Baby Rage Nice profile pic. You just gotta get a grip
Plutonium Nybergmann ?
Ian, this was one of your most enjoyable videos ever, and even the comment section was a joy to go through. I will admit to having once owned a Model 29 (in .45 ACP & .45 AutoRim), but I also had a Ruger Super Blackhawk in .44 magnum for metallic silhouette (mostly handloads). Both great revolvers. Thanks for the memories!
The Model 29 is in .44 Magnum caliber, whilst the S&W Model 25 is chambered in .45 caliber.
Just like the crosbow histeria after The Walking Dead
slightly annoying person Or of course the Python too
LOL, I bought the same model Crossbow and a 6" Bright Stainless Colt Python because of how much I enjoy watching The Walking Dead. Especially the earlier seasons.
I bought like 10 Spanish galleons after watching pirates of the Caribbean
To be fair I think the python was popular beforehand. But definitely agree on the crossbow.
@@rays5163 In every harbor there is a black, white or red pearl now... (No joke)
I read somewhere that the 8 and 3/8 inch model 29 was also used for some closeup shots to make the pistol look more intimidating! I wonder where those ones got to? Nice presentation.
Wasn't the Death Wish gun a Wildey Magnum and not an Automag? I mean they look pretty similar.
I remember the Automag becoming popular because it was Dirty Harry's gun in the fourth movie.
motorsportfangr yep
Yes, the Death Wish Gun was a Wildey Hunter in .745 and not an Automag. The screen used pistol was actually Charles Bronson's own Wildey. As for the Automag pistol, when Sudden Impact began filming the gun had ended production due to poor sales. However the original designer still had enough parts in his basement to construct two pistols. One was a live fire version for Clint Eastwood to train with at a shooting range and the other was blank converted for the film. Both guns had a unique serial number, Clint 1 and Clint 2.
The First Gun i have ever shot was a 44 Magnum Smith & Wesson, even to a much newer one with a rubberish grip. It was actually this massive recoil that started my interest in guns, fist from a purely engineering standpoint and later also as a sport. I still love these guns and actually own the exact same revolver i shot 10 years ago :)
I'm a millennial and grew up watching Dirty Harry on On Demand. Used to think that gun was the epitome of badass.
When properly used. It is.
Harry Callahan was badass alright love Clint Eastwood he’s just a nice humble guy
Same as the 357 colt python they are rare as hens teeth due to the walking dead
When I returned from the Army to my home town in 77, I got my job back on the PD through the Veteran's Re-employment act. One of the fellows on the PD was a huge Dirty Harry Fan, and through his FFL he purchased a 4" Model 29 which he carried for duty. He hand-loaded almost daily for his huge collection of firearms and spent at least 4 hours a week at the range. He carried his model 29 on duty every shift, and we all hated being next to him for qualifications because of the roar of that beast. I have to give him credit though, for my love of handguns, he got me into reloading and collecting. Following in his footsteps, I got an FFL so I could purchase handguns at dealer cost, and maintained it till the fed got nasty about them, at which time I let mine expire. I will never forget his tale though, one day he was coming back from the range when he saw a bunch of Canadian Geese in a field. He wanted to see if he could hit one with his mighty .44, so aiming through the passenger side of his old bare bones pickup, he let go with one round. Now that old pickup had no padding on the roof, just bare steel, and no padding on the dash or any of that. He said the concussion of that blast nearly broke his eardrums, and took away his breath. When I asked about the geese, he said he had no idea if he hit any or not, by the time he came back to normal, they had all flown away, but he did see a lot of feathers so he figured he must have hit one.
about 240,000 FFL's pre-hilliary....about 40,000 afterwards....
Speaking of the Colt Python, would you be able to get your hands on one for a review and possible shooting?
I wonder if Half-Life did anything to a demand of Clot Python. Or SPAS-12, for that matter.
@@antonkirilenko3116 Jurassic park make the Spas 12 famous more than anything and led it to be included in games like Call of Duty and such
@@onehopeofthedoomed The SPAS-12 is also used in the Matrix Movies.
@@themasterofdisastr1226 ....got one of those too....very uncomfortable to shoot with that folding stock....best to just flip it up and blast away...(9 shots!)....in the auto-mode......
@@onehopeofthedoomed Nah Terminator made the Spas 12 famous more than anything. Not only was it the very first movie but that thing was all over the place after that in movie like The Wraith, RoboCop, Beverly Hills cop.
I think my favorite rendition on the concept of this revolver is actually the best pistol in borderlands 2, the unkempt harold. They made a really interesting mechanic where it splits the bullet as it travels into 3, then 5, then 7 shots (357). Couldn't do a cool mechanic like that with .44 caliber as the concept number, but it still holds up to the concept of "the most powerful handgun in the world" because thay gun was not only the most powerful pistol, but basically one of the most powerful guns in the game, period. Oh, and it shot exploding bullets, which meant there were basically no enemies that could have a resistance to it's damage type, and it absolutely obliterated armored targets
We're not gonna let you just walk outa here. Who's 'we' sucker? Smith & Wessson and I.
I'm with ya buddy!
I had a #29 6 1/2 for many years. It was terrific, smooth action & even for a 1st time shooter is was soo smoth. Recoile was to let ride up and take it's course.
It was a Wildey pistol, Charles Bronson's personal pistol in fact, in Death Wish 3, not an Automag.
Neat piece of movie trivia; for the majority of the film 'Dirty Harry' and several of its sequels, the handgun used is actually a S&W 25 in .45 LC, because of the easy availability of blanks in that caliber.
It's nice to know that someone else noticed that about the S&W revolver Dirty Harry carried in the movies. How can one tell the difference? In the scenes where movie viewers sees the muzzle bore of the revolver, take a careful look at the gun's muzzle bore. The metal thickness around the barrel muzzle of the 44 mag is noticeably thicker than that of the .45 Long-Colt; and there are several scenes when the metal around the gun's muzzle is thin, denoting it being a Model 25 in .45 LC.
my favorite pistol cartridge is 50BMG
burning newt that would be interesting
Psssh... 20mm cannon shell or nothing.
Same here burning newt! Same here! I also own a M2HB.
+Drunkduck I was going to get into 20mm but too expensive. Hard to find ammo too..
+Ben Smith I believe there is a company making a 50 bmg pistol. I forgot the name of the gun company but it on RUclips.
Very nice bit of history. I bought a .44 magnum like this, used, in the mid-1970's, not because I'd seen Dirty Harry, but because I was working in polar bear and grizzly bear country. At that time, we could still get a carry permit for "work" in situations like those. I bought one on consignment, along with a box of 46 rounds, for much less than the new price. The original owner had put only 4 rounds through it, LOL. I practiced with it regularly at the range for proficiency, and it was definitely (sorry, can't resist) a bear to shoot. However, it was beautifully made - the trigger on mine did "break like glass." I also owned a .357 S&W revolver with a shorter barrel - it was actually less pleasant to shoot than the .44 magnum. When I quit working in wild places, a friend offered to buy the .44 for much more than I'd paid for it, so it passed on. I'm not 100% happy about that, because it was a beautiful firearm in terms of quality, fit & finish. Thanks for the interesting video.
How can a revolver so iconic and timeless be forgotten?
Taeil0151 Because it was pretty much forgotten before the movie came out.
Elmer Kieth, is a legend when it comes to hand loading. I have several bullet molds he designed
Speaking of film guns, a rifle used in The Last Samurai was sold two weeks ago for like $400. I didn't bid cause I never saw the movie.
TheGoldenCaulk if you had seen the last Samurai,
you would have insisted the seller drop his price by $7.50
Why's that?
TheGoldenCaulk it was a crappy movie
Cruz, is all hype.
No real acting.
The movie was to be the sequel to "dances with wolves".
Hollywood made a mess of it.
Oh, that brings back college memories. My Room mate had one of these, and I still think it was one of the finest pieces of craftsmanship i have ever used. It wasn't all that unpleasant to shoot, but yeah, second Shot follow up was slow when the recoil had the muzzle pointing halfway towards the ceiling. His comment at the time was "It shoots through schools". (this is pre Columbine, when that was funnier than it sounded now). But that trigger spoiled me for other firearms, and that cylinder indexing was perfect, and the factory finish was like looking into a bottle of fresh ink. Lovely. was sad when his uncle got it after his death.
yeah,..in single action all you have to do is breathe on it!......
This video made my day. In all that excitement I lost count and don't know if I shot 5 or 6
The S&W N-frames were quality back then. Really well built pieces. I looked at a model 29 in my local shop back then. It's part of the reason I wound up getting a model 25-5.
Came to see Ian say Clint Eastwood lines. Was not disappointed.
I had mine at an outdoor range once, there was a young kid there with his parents shooting a .22lr...so with his parents permission and the rangemasters supervision i let him pop off a couple of rounds...gave the kid the brass after he was done. He had earned it and had the biggest grin i had seen in awhile!
I think the Model 27, Model 29, and Colt Python were the best culmination of the "modern" revolver. That is, they represented well over 100 years of progressively better revolver technology and manufacturing, to the point you could have a very well-made gun, durable gun with adjustable sights, excellent accuracy, and powerful cartridges in a single package. It took a lot of experimentation along with industrial and engineering development to go from the Colt Paterson at one end of the timeline to the Models 27 and 29, or the Python at the other end.
I still have mine yet. 8 3/8 blues w presentation case w it. I still love it.
i've always got gas venting out the back :oP
While I have never owned one, a few years ago, at a firing range a friend of mine let me shoot his. I really enjoyed it, largely because I let the barrel ride up with each round. Doing that took care of nearly all of the recoil, and reacquiring the target the target was not much of a problem. They are much more fun if you respect the weapon for what it is.
remember a bad guy using one in "Adam 12"....good guys were getting off 2 to 3 for every one of his....not very practical in a shootout......