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Smith & Wesson Model 629

• moderate
• Shop tier 3
• medium confidence
• Revolver
• revolver
• double action
• sideplate
• n frame
• magnum
• hunting

field strip ~3 min · reassembly ~4 min · detail strip ~45 min

Specifications

Model-specific safety

• A revolver is not cleared by opening the cylinder. Look through every chamber and count them.
• Revolver internals are gunsmith territory. Removing the sideplate to reach the lockwork is easy to do and very easy to do damage with. Unless you know what you are doing, stop at cylinder and yoke removal.
• Never pry the sideplate off. Loosen the screws and tap the grip frame with a non-marring mallet until the plate lifts free. Prying permanently marks a fitted surface.
• Smith & Wesson sideplate screws are not interchangeable. Keep them in order.
• Never close the cylinder by flicking the wrist. It springs the yoke and puts the revolver out of time.
• Heavy .44 Magnum recoil can back the ejector rod out and unscrew the cylinder assembly. Check the ejector rod is tight regularly — this is the classic N-frame magnum stoppage.

Under spring tension

• Rebound slide spring (sideplate removal — it launches)
• Mainspring
• Cylinder stop spring

Easily lost parts

Yoke retaining screw · Sideplate screws · Rebound slide and spring · Cylinder stop

Tools

Shop difficulty

Shop tier 3 Tier 3 — hardest among revolvers, for the full job: strip to the parts that get coated and put it back together working. N-frame: the Model 29 legend (the 629 is its stainless twin) runs to 73 key numbers, over the handgun Tier 3 line, and the job carries every S&W trap at once: heavy rebound slide spring, hammer block, uncaptured MIM hand spring and, on current guns, the internal lock.

Parts: 72 numbered parts (stand-in: S&W Model 57 (.41 Magnum N-frame, same adjustable-sight N-frame action as the Model 29/629) factory parts list, in one configuration (4-inch barrel, Goncalo Alves target stocks; this model's), from Smith & Wesson .41 Magnum Model 57 - factory Parts List sheet (scanned image; exploded view at SW57.jpg) — Smith & Wesson (factory sheet), scan hosted by CFN Parts cfnparts.com [11].

Bench time: about 45 min to strip, 70 min to rebuild (estimate). Estimated for an experienced tech with the right tools: grips, sideplate, lockwork, crane/cylinder, thumbpiece/bolt, locking bolt and sights. Rebuild is longer for the rebound slide spring, hand spring engagement, hammer block and sideplate seating plus a timing/carry-up and end-shake check. The TM work-time figures (hours) are given as a cross-check, not as the job time. Largest S&W frame in the

Small parts: 12 pins, 11 springs, 2 detents or plungers (counted by name in the same list for that configuration. Pins: 4141 Sear Pin, 5014 Extractor Pin, 5042 Hand Pin, 5053 x4 (Hand Spring, Hand Torsion Spring, Stirrup, Trigger Lever Pin), 5062 Stock Pin,)

What comes off for coating

• Grips and sideplate: stock screw and stocks, sideplate screws (kept in their holes; the front one retains the crane), sideplate (tapped free, never pried), hammer block — fitted hollow-ground screwdrivers, nylon/brass or rawhide mallet
• Lockwork: mainspring and strain screw, rebound slide, rebound slide spring and pin, hammer (with sear, stirrup, hammer nose), trigger with hand and hand torsion spring, trigger lever, cylinder stop and cylinder stop spring, trigger stop rod (if fitted), internal-lock flag, spring and cam (IL guns) — rebound slide spring tool or small Phillips screwdriver
• Cylinder and crane: cylinder and yoke/crane out of the frame, extractor rod (left-hand thread) and center pin with springs if the cylinder is coated — padded vise or extractor-rod collar tool
• Frame: thumbpiece nut and thumbpiece, bolt, bolt plunger and spring, locking bolt, spring and pin (under the barrel), rear sight (adjustable models: leaf, elevation/windage parts, plunger and spring), front sight (pinned or plunger-retained on some models) — punch set, pin punch for sight and locking-bolt pins

Special tools

• Rebound slide spring tool (Brownells S&W tool) or a Phillips screwdriver just larger than the spring ID — Compressing and re-seating the rebound slide spring over its stud
• Fitted hollow-ground (gunsmith) screwdrivers — Sideplate, strain, thumbpiece and stock screws without burring
• Nylon/brass or rawhide mallet — Tapping the frame to lift a tight sideplate
• Large clear plastic bag — Containing the rebound spring and small springs on removal

Known pain points

• The rebound slide spring is under heavy tension; it launches when the slide is pried off and must be compressed back over its stud on reassembly. (both)
  Source: Installing Smith & Wesson Spring Kit — Shooting Times shootingtimes.com [6] — “The best way to remove the rebound slide is to just pry it up a bit, but be aware that the spring is under considerable tension and could do real harm if it hit you in the wrong place.”
• Internal-lock guns behave differently with the sideplate off; an owner of a 629-6 found the hammer and trigger would not move once the plate was off. (disassembly)
  Owners report: 629-6 Disassembly Problems — Smith & Wesson Forum smith-wessonforum.com [7] — “Discovered that once the sideplate was off could not manipulate the hammer nor the trigger, the cylinder was still in place and closed.”
• On MIM-parts revolvers the hand spring is no longer captured in the trigger, so it comes apart and is fiddly to refit. (reassembly)
  Owners report: 617 rebound spring replace/DIY — Smith & Wesson Forum smith-wessonforum.com [8] — “Watch out for the MIM parts guns, I learned the hard way that the hand spring is no longer captured”
• The hammer block lies loose under the sideplate and must be seated up on the rebound slide pin while the sideplate is fitted. (reassembly)
  Source: Installing Smith & Wesson Spring Kit — Shooting Times shootingtimes.com [6] — “The hammer-block safety will be lying loose under it, so take care to note how it goes in. There is a small pin on the rebound slide where it rides.”
• Cycling the action under full mainspring tension with the sideplate off can damage it, so the mainspring is backed off first. (both)
  Owners report: L- frame (696 no dash, non-MIM) not indexing upon reassembly — Smith & Wesson Forum smith-wessonforum.com [9] — “Be sure not to cycle the action under full mainspring tension with the sideplate removed. Doing so can cause damage.”

Fit or check on rebuild

• Timing / carry-up: each chamber must lock before the hammer falls, single and double action — The hand torsion spring must engage the hand; a hand pulled back too far loses spring tension and the cylinder will not index.
  Source: Change of a 686 rebound spring — Smith & Wesson Forum smith-wessonforum.com [10] — “make certain you still have spring tension on the hand (some people accidentally pull the hand back too far when removing or installing the trigger, causing the internal stud on the hand to slip past the spring inside the trigger).”
• Cylinder gap (barrel-cylinder) and end shake; crane alignment — The Army issues gauges for exactly these checks when the cylinder/yoke group is replaced.
• Firing-pin (hammer-nose) protrusion and hammer-block function — Same TM lists a firing-pin protrusion gauge; the hammer block must ride up on the rebound slide pin before the sideplate goes on.
  Source: Installing Smith & Wesson Spring Kit — Shooting Times shootingtimes.com [6] — “The hammer-block safety will be lying loose under it, so take care to note how it goes in. There is a small pin on the rebound slide where it rides.”
• Sideplate seats flush with no forcing; strain screw fully tightened — A sideplate that is not flush binds the grips and parts behind it; a backed-out strain screw gives light strikes (well-known S&W check).
• Trigger reset with the rebound spring fitted — The rebound slide spring is also the trigger return spring.
  Source: Installing Smith & Wesson Spring Kit — Shooting Times shootingtimes.com [6] — “The downside is that the rebound also serves as the trigger return spring”

This is Pew-Takedown's rating, not the manufacturer's. How tiers are rated. Forum reports are owners' experience, not specifications.

Manufacturer videos

Official videos from Smith & Wesson's own channels, linked rather than copied. Where a video and the steps on this page differ, follow the manufacturer's manual and video.

• How To Clean a Revolver | Smith & Wesson® Smith & Wesson cleaning, maintenance · 2026-02-23
  Covers: Revolvers in general (S&W's own generic guide; no model named in title/description)
• Unloading & Reloading Revolvers Smith & Wesson clearing, operation · 2021-07-13
  Covers: Revolvers in general (GUNSMARTS series, Jerry Miculek; no model named)

Procedures

Patent drawings

not under copyright

Drawings from US patents on this design. A patent shows the invention as the inventor filed it; the firearm that shipped can differ in detail, and later production often does. Use them to see how the parts relate, not as a parts reference or a procedure. Per the USPTO, the text and drawings of a patent are typically not subject to copyright; each patent here was checked for a copyright notice.

US Patent 6,523,294 — Revolver-safety lock mechanism

Brett Curry, Owen Patrick Cramer, Richard F. Mikuta, James M. Quill, Kevin R. Fleury · assigned to Smith & Wesson Corp. · filed 2001-04-12 · granted 2003-02-25. Full patent (USPTO)

The internal key-lock (lockarm and actuator) built into the frame of S&W revolvers, shown on a side view of a S&W revolver and in partial section at the hammer. Applies only to revolvers built with the internal lock.

Why this is the Smith & Wesson Model 629’s patent: listed on the maker’s patent-marking page — Virtual Patent Marking | Smith & Wesson — Smith & Wesson smith-wesson.com [5]: “6,523,294 All S&W® revolvers with internal locks”

Torque specifications

No sourced torque values from the manufacturer are recorded for this firearm. Where a fastener has a specified torque — action screws, scope bases, muzzle devices, barrel nuts — get it from the manufacturer or a gunsmith rather than estimating it.

What the manufacturer does say: The manufacturer's documents give no torque value. They say: "The barrel assembly is re-installed using the same tool and an accurate torque wrench." (Safety & Instruction Manual, Revolvers - Modern Style - J, K, L and N Frame (p/n 416560000, REV S&W_REVOLVER_112119), linked from smith-wesson.com revolver product pages, p. 26 (Gunsmith Advisory)) "We recommend the use of a thread adhesive on the base mounting screws." (Optical Sight Mounts - For S&W Revolvers that have an adjustable rear sight (p/n 3016650, REV 10/16/2025), linked from smith-wesson.com revolver red-dot mount product pages, p. 1)

Materials and factory finish

As stated by Smith & Wesson. Prep, masking and cure depend on these; a polymer or aluminium part, a nitrided or anodised finish, and a blued steel part are each a different job. Variants with other finishes may exist — check the maker's page for the exact SKU on the bench.

Parts

No parts list from Smith & Wesson is transcribed for this firearm.

Smith & Wesson's own documents label the parts on these pages — the links open each document at the page:

• Model and features identification (labelled photo of the revolver): Smith & Wesson Revolvers (Modern Style) Safety & Instruction Manual — Smith & Wesson, p. 14 mcarbo.com [1]

Function check

• Verify every chamber is empty before each check.
• Cock the hammer slowly and confirm the cylinder locks up at each chamber before the hammer reaches full cock — this is carry-up.
• With the hammer at full cock, try to rotate the cylinder by hand. It should be locked, with only minimal play.
• Press the trigger in single action and confirm a clean hammer fall.
• Cycle the action in double action through every chamber and confirm the cylinder indexes and locks each time.
• Confirm the cylinder latches closed securely and the release frees it cleanly.
• Check that cylinder endshake is minimal and the cylinder gap looks even. If either seems off, see a gunsmith.

Maintenance

Lubrication points

• Yoke or crane barrel where the cylinder rides
• Ejector rod
• Hammer and trigger pivot pins (a single drop each)
• Cylinder stop

Cleaning notes

Lead and carbon build up on the front face of the cylinder and in the forcing cone, and left alone they eventually bind the cylinder. Clean the chambers thoroughly — a fouled chamber makes extraction difficult and is often mistaken for a timing problem. Keep lubrication sparing; revolver lockwork does not want to be wet.

Suggested inspection interval: roughly every 2000 rounds. This is a general guideline, not a manufacturer specification.

Wear parts to inspect

Hand · Cylinder stop · Ejector rod (confirm it has not unscrewed) · Forcing cone (inspect for cracks) · Yoke or crane alignment

Common issues

Also covers

The procedures above are reported to apply to: Model 29 · Model 629 Classic and Mountain Gun. Verify against the manual for your specific model.

Similar manual of arms

• Smith & Wesson Model 10

Sourcing