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Compensator is removable, and a muzzle cap is provided.

Top of frame is drilled & tapped for an optics mount.

New this year from the Smith & Wesson Performance Center is their Model 929 eight-shot revolver. The 929 is built on the S&W N frame, and is chambered for the 9x19mm cartridge. This revolver is built for competitive shooters, and for fast-shooting, the 9mm cartridge has its advantages.

The 929 cylinder has eight chambers, and is cut to use moon clips. It will also fire 9mm ammunition without the use of moon clips, but the rimless cartridges must be extracted individually, so the moon clips are definitely the way to go. The 9x19mm cartridge is short, tapered, and an excellent choice for moon clips. In speed-shooting types of competition, the speed of the reload is just as important as is the speed and accuracy of shooting, when it comes to the final score. The short, tapered 9mm cartridges are ideal for a fast load using moon clips, and the moon clips also insure that every empty cartridge case is ejected. Another advantage of the 9x19mm cartridge over such cartridges as the 38 Super, is the cost of ammunition. Relatively speaking, the 9mm is cheap and plentiful, which is important to a competitor who shoots several thousand rounds per year.

With the Model 929, the Performance Center did everything right, in my opinion. The cylinder is made of titanium, which is relatively expensive compared to stainless steel, but the weight savings are important for a revolver that is built for speed. The lighter cylinder is just easier to get moving while shooting, and it also does not bang on the cylinder stop bolt as hard. It just makes for a faster, smoother-shooting revolver. The 929 bears the signature of Jerry Miculek, and if it meets his approval, I am certainly in no position to argue the point. Jerry can shoot a revolver accurately faster than I can just twitch my trigger finger. He is possibly the fastest revolver shooter to ever live, and is certainly a gifted shooter. The Model 929 does not wear a set of Jerry's signature wood grips, but the synthetic rubber Hogue grip likely will fit the hands of most shooters very well, and it is fitted very nicely to the round-butt frame. The double-action trigger pull is butter-smooth, weighing in at just under nine pounds of resistance on the sample gun shown, after shooting quite a bit of ammunition and enduring a lot of dry fire practice. S&W specs the trigger at a bit over ten pounds. Of course, the trigger pull can be lightened, if desired with a spring kit from Brownell's, but much of the 9mm ammo on the market has hard primers, so beware of that if you plan to shoot cheap surplus ammunition in this fine revolver. The single-action trigger pull has the expected Smith & Wesson crisp release, and it too was a bit heavy for my preference at around four and one-quarter pounds, but again, that is easily corrected. I do note that competitive shooters sometimes prefer a heavier trigger pull than I do, but not being a competitive shooter myself, I am in no position to argue the point. The trigger also has an over-travel stop at the rear of the blade.

The teardrop hammer is checkered and chrome plated, and the smooth-faced trigger is chrome plated as well. The stainless frame and broach-cut barrel wear a satin bead-blasted finish. The muzzle of the six and one-half inch barrel is fitted with a compensator, which can be removed and replaced with the provided muzzle cap, if desired.

The detailed specifications of the Model 929 are listed in the chart below. All linear measurements are listed in inches, and the weight is listed in ounces. The trigger pulls are listed in pounds of resistance. SA is the single-action trigger pull. DA is the double-action trigger pull. Height includes the sights.

For shooting the Model 929, I called in a ringer. The revolver arrived just before our annual trip to the Shootists Holiday at the NRA Whittington Center near Raton, New Mexico, and knowing that five-time Georgia State Champion Tony Boggus would be there, I threw the 929 into the Suburban before heading out. Tony knows how to run a double-action revolver, and I turned him loose with the 929. After running a few moon-clips of ammo through the S&W, Tony seemed impressed, stating "This is what competitive revolver shooters have been asking for."

Getting the S&W back home, I tested the revolver from the bench at a distance of twenty-five yards, and was impressed by the revolver's accuracy. 9x19mm ammunition is not known for world-class accuracy, but with good ammunition from Buffalo Bore, Double-Tap, and Remington, five-shot groups hovered around the one and one-half inch mark. Even some NATO-spec ball grouped around the two and one-half inch mark, and ringing steel rapidly at fifteen yards was very easy to do. I also fired on steel at forty yards single-action, and never missed a shot. This is greatly due to the excellent sight picture provided by the Patridge style front post and the square-notch blade rear sight, which is adjustable for windage and elevation correction. Thankfully, both sights are matte black, and there is no white outline on the rear blade. Perfect. The heavy barrel with the full underlug gives the revolver enough heft to hang very well, and the muzzle-heavy feel also reduces muzzle jump, aiding in faster repeat shots. As expected, the eight-shot loaded moon clips load into the cylinder quickly, and the empty cases eject together, fully clearing the weapon to allow another loaded clip to be thrown in. The Hogue grip feels perfect in my hand, indexing the revolver naturally towards the target.

The Model 929 is in production now. Check out the Model 929 and the extensive line of Smith & Wesson firearms and accessories online at www.smith-wesson.com.

To order quality 9x19mm ammunition online, go to www.midsouthshooterssupply.com, www.buffalobore.com, www.luckygunner.com, and www.doubletapammo.com.

The Model 929 comes packed in a hard case with instructions, keys for the internal lock, muzzle cap with wrench, and three spring-steel moon clips. With the new S&W Performance Center 929, I think that Smith & Wesson got it just right.

Jeff Quinn

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