Very nice acquisition!
The exact same model I got new in 1979. It has the best bluing and trigger pull of any Smith I own. I hope yours is as good as mine.
I had been wanting one before Dirty Harry came along. The movie came out when I was 17, so when I was old enough to buy one when I was 24 the guns where still being sold at black market prices if you could find one.
In Dallas, 1979, only one place had the model 29, Rays Hardware. Even though list price was around $200(?) Ray was charging $900.00 and not budging off of that price. All I could get him to throw in was two boxes of the new 20 round (what a gyp) ammo. And that was only because me and my dad had done so much business with him.
Looking back- what a rape artist, God rest his soul.
But the cool part - while I was TRYING to haggle, he said how many model 29's do you want ? And he opened this cabinent on the wall that had at least 60 of them. And then he said he had more under the counter and another 200 in the back and that I could pick any one I wanted.
That was my first exposure to the Power of Ray with the firearms industry. I 'm sure some of you know more stories of Ray.
Reinz
