I remember when The Guns of Navarone came out you couldn't find a 15 inch railway gun to save your life!!

"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!"

It was impossible to find a Nimitz class carrier after the Final Countdown.

May not blow it "clean" off... But I'm pretty sure whats left aint gonna be too useful

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.

After the Battle of Nagashino (1575) was depicted in the movie Kagemusha, sales of matchlocks increased enormously.

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

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.

The face when you first pull that trigger is brilliant.

You just have to ask yourself one question... "is this really a forgotten weapon?"

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.

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.

Another good example of the movie effect- look at what Smokey and the Bandit did to Pontiac sales

"We're not just gonna let you *walk* outta here" "Says who, sucker?!" "Smith, and Wesson, and me!"

my favorite movie gun is probably the valmet with the bottomless magazine Arnie used in Commando

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.

Magazines , the internet of the past

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 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.

in all honesty...this gun will never be forgotten. great episode thou!

I've heard that the Desert Eagle got a similar boost from the Matrix movies after seeing Agent Smith use it apparently.

Not as clumsy and random as an automatic. An elegant weapon for a more civilized age.

Ian is the first gun KZfaqr 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.

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.

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.

I feel a strange craving for black coffee and hot dogs.

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.

"I'm sure this happens with other products as well" Desert Eagle.

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 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.

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.

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.

"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.

The first gun I bought was a Walther PPK, because James Bond :-)

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.

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. ;-)

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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

There were two kinds of people who became Model 29 owners after the movie came out: Those with loaded guns, and those who digged.

Don't forget "Taxi Driver".

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.

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.

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.

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

The secret of Dirty Harry is that he uses .44 special not magnums.

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.

best part about being deployed so far is that I'm awake for these uploads

Wasn't it the Wildey pistol in the Death Wish sequel? The Automag was in a Dirty Harry sequel, I think.

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.

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.

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

the Fast and furious cars suffer the same increase value because the appear in a film

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.

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.

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 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 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.

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.

I've got a 6.5" 29 that was made in 1964 and I really like it.

Hello Ian. You're great.

According to my dad, he went and saw Dirty Harry in the theater when he was 12, then went to a gun store and bought a model 29 that very same day, he still has that gun all these years later

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.

Popular media affects buying habits? Get outta here. *coughcoltpythoncough*

Yo man, I need my fix! ......got any Bergmann?

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!

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.

I'm a millennial and grew up watching Dirty Harry on On Demand. Used to think that gun was the epitome of badass.

This video made my day. In all that excitement I lost count and don't know if I shot 5 or 6

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.

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.

Came to see Ian say Clint Eastwood lines. Was not disappointed.

How can a revolver so iconic and timeless be forgotten?

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 :)

Elmer Kieth, is a legend when it comes to hand loading. I have several bullet molds he designed

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.

Just like the crosbow histeria after The Walking Dead

I remember the first time I fired the .44 Mag, at the range. @ 1973.. Borrowed it from another shooter, touched off a full-power round, and turned to the gun owner with a huge smile on my face.

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.

We're not gonna let you just walk outa here. Who's 'we' sucker? Smith & Wessson and I.

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.

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.

my favorite pistol cartridge is 50BMG

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Loved the little extra clip at the end. I figured there would be somethings, really wasn't expecting that quote though. :)

Speaking of the Colt Python, would you be able to get your hands on one for a review and possible shooting?

“When aliens came out the M41A pulse rifle became more popular” Worlds most awsome pulse rifle ;)

I love shooting my Model 29. Love the large grips and the weight of the gun manages recoil. I liked it well enough that I went and bought a .454 Casull.

I still have mine yet. 8 3/8 blues w presentation case w it. I still love it.