M-69 2 3/4 in ?

[groo]

Groo here
I want one!
Anyone seen/shot one when will they hit the shelf,cost ,etc???

[bulasteve]

Paid 819.00 for my 4.2", so..

[snappy]

From the S&W website:

[warhawk]

First pic I've seen, thanks.

I will be ordering one soon.

[dougader]

Very nice. Just picked up the GP 100 44 Special... Now this pops up. Argh! It looks great.

[41freak]

Looks like there is a smith in my future.... NOW... they need to build it in 41 magnum....

[BigBore44]

Jan 5, 2017 23:11:06 GMT -5 dougader said:

Very nice. Just picked up the GP 100 44 Special... Now this pops up. Argh! It looks great.

Yes it looks good BUT, in my eyes the GP-44 IS Sexier!

BigBore44

[BigBore44]

But maybe down the road I'll have me one.... Maybe
If this Smith and, a GP-44 we're setting in a table together and I could have one or the other.?

I'd be Swift like a Cat and, The Smith would be spinning around trying to see where that GP-44 went

GP-44 All the way Baby!!!
BigBore44

[paulg]

Smith & Wesson would do themselves and us a big service if they'd put some decent looking grips on these 69's. The Hogue's they put on the 500's are much better looking and in my opinion much more comfortable when shooting these hard kicking loads. These silly banana looking grips do these revolvers no favors. That's why when I look at the new Ruger GP .44 next to the new Smith 69's the Ruger jumps out at me in the looks department. Now if Ruger had a fluted cylinder on their new .44 well let's just say the Smith wouldn't even cross my radar.

[bulasteve]

I'm not shooting max loads, but I'll say the looks of O.E. 'Smith grips are ok and they fit my hand well. Am liking everything but that front sight. Still can't decide. A F/O similar to what the wife's J-frame .22 has, or a slim blade. If I go F/O, maybe an express type rear blade ?

[paulg]

If you kinda like the OEM grips on these 69's I think you'd fall in love with the 500 grips on them. I know I did. Much, much better feel. Especially if you want to shoot hotter loads. But then again i haven't met a handgun yet that I didn't tweak to my liking one way or another. Yes the front sight sucks. To me anyway. I'm waiting for Bowen to have some more express sights become available. That will be paired with an XS Big Dot front sight and a load tweaked to match.

[dougader]

I think the 'Smith is a "sexy" gun, too. I've always liked the lines of the S&W revolvers. But the grips could use some improvement. If I bought one, it would be for 44 Special 15k psi - 25k psi loads anyway. I don't think anything around here needs more than that to put down, including the one and only black bear I've encountered that ran like a bolt of lightning away from me the instant we locked eyes... he sounded like a freight train busting through deadwood, underbrush and small trees getting away from me. SNAP, CRASH, WHOOSH! Fine with me; I only had a G19 on me that day as I'm more concerned with two-legged varmints than anything else in the spots where I fish.

I've said this before, but I agree with John Linebaugh when he says additional velocity only gets you more distance; that once you completely penetrate a game animal there's nothing left to do. Which is why I sold my 44 mags and 454's off a few years ago. I have 44 Special on mid-frame guns (including the new GP100 in 44 Spl), 45 Colts on midframe guns, and then I bumped up to 480 Ruger for bigger threats that can bite hack. I imagine a 400 grain slug of .476 - .477 caliber will penerate very well at 900 - 1100 fps and not torque my arthritic wrists more than necessary... and I can't say that about lightweight guns in 44 mag and heavy 45 Colt - 454 Casull.

Don't get me wrong. I love the 45 Colt on a large frame Bisley. My main load then was a CP 335 WLNGC bullet over a stiff charge of WW296 giving me volocities of 1197 - 1211 fps. It's just that I like the midframe guns best, especially my Montado, and I feel fine with a 250 - 265 WFN at 1,000 fps better, and anything that needs more punch than that or a 44 Keith 250 at 1200 fps will get the 480 Ruger with a wider meplat and a heavier bullet.

The weight on the S&W and Ruger are very close, about an ounce less for the S&W as I recall. I grabbed the Ruger, and may have to get the S&W too, but neither will see anything hotter than the above mentioned Keith @ 1200 fps (or a bit less given the shorter barrel on these guns).

I meant to add, the Hogue grips on the GP100 44 Spl are not the 500 style shock-absorbing grips like you find on the S&W 500 or Ruger Alaskan/SRH revolvers. It's a harder material that doesn't give way under recoil.