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Smith & Wesson 629 Competitor from Umarex

  • Last updated: 12/12/2024
  • Review
Smith & Wesson 629 Competitor from Umarex

Well, after testing the Glock 17 Gen5 MOS and UX BlaMer CO2-powered air pistols from Umarex, I thought it was about time to review a revolver to spice things up a bit. Oh, and what a wheel gun it is! Based on the classic design of the legendary .44 Magnum competition revolver, this full-metal, CO2-powered reproduction of the Smith & Wesson 629 Competitor 6” comes in at around £209.95, and it really does look and feel the part. Depending on what you fancy, it is available in either .177 pellet or .177 BB (on test). Nice!

Heavyweight
Just by picking up the box, you know that there is something pretty significant inside. As well as the giant revolver, you also get six dummy pistol cartridges (more on these later) and some instructions. When I first picked up the Competitor, I couldn’t help but laugh, as it weighs a tonne! Well, 1550g to be exact. For reference, the Glock comes in at 841g and the BlaMer a measly 635g! Of course, this is not surprising given the full-metal construction and the fact that there are some weights fitted underneath the barrel. Luckily, these can be removed by simply unscrewing an Allen bolt at the muzzle end, and you can even leave a few in to alter the balance of the pistol if you so wish. So, basically, this Smith & Wesson revolver feels heavy and extremely rugged, which is a good start.
I was also impressed by the satin-like silver finish that has been applied to the entire frame, the cylinder, and the barrel. It looks really smart and works well with the black grips and silver weights up front.

Nice and comfy
The contoured grip is made up of a pair of non-slip rubber scales/panels, and rather than being a luxury, these are actually a necessity given the size and weight of the air pistol. They show some stippling/raised dots for extra grip and are a real plus point. Of course, as with most of the Umarex revolvers, the 12g CO2 capsule that is used as a power source is housed within the grip. Look to the base and you will find a thumb nick to help you remove one of the rubber scales, giving you access to the capsule’s recess. With a capsule inserted, you can then use the provided tool to tighten the bolt at the base of the grip and pierce the capsule. Where is this tool? Well, Umarex has cleverly built it into the removable grip scale. So, no more searching for the Allen key! With the scale replaced, you are ready to fire off a few dummy shots to make sure the gas is flowing correctly.

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The cylinder
The substantial frame shows a rounded trigger guard and is complemented by a substantial cylinder, which is not surprising given that this reproduction is based on a revolver chambered in .44 Magnum! By operating the release catch on the left-hand side of the frame, the cylinder rolls out to the left. Here, you are greeted with six dummy pistol cartridges, and it is these that house the .177 metal BBs that the Smith & Wesson 629 Competitor fires. For authenticity, the cylinder includes a functioning ejector rod and extractor, meaning that the dummy pistol cartridges are easily removed. However, you can simply tip the gun and they will fall out into your waiting hand.
The dummy cartridges themselves are metal, and they look pretty similar to genuine .357 Magnum cartridges, rather than .44s. They are hollow and feature a rubber O-ring at the base, and it is here that you can push-fit a single metal .177 BB. It really couldn’t be any simpler! You can either do this while the cartridges are in the cylinder or remove them to do it. It just depends on whether you like reinserting the dummy cartridges back into the cylinder, just like on a real revolver! Anyway, once you are done, you can then close everything back up. You are now ready for action.

Feature-rich
The barrel measures 6” in length and wears what Umarex describes as a ‘barrel jacket’, and as mentioned previously, this houses some weights. Up top, you will find a large, fixed front blade, offering no adjustment. Unfortunately, it doesn’t feature a highlighted face and instead shares the same finish as the rest of the gun. It’s not a massive issue, but a bright colour or even a white strip would help align it better with the rear sight, which, incidentally, is adjustable for windage and elevation. All you have to do is use a small flat-head screwdriver to make the necessary adjustments, and you will be on target in no time. If the old iron sights aren’t for you, the good news is that the barrel jacket features a Picatinny rail up top, for a red dot sight. No doubt this will speed up target acquisition and improve accuracy, but it will also mean the pistol ends up weighing even more. Not that I’m complaining!

Controls
Keen to get a safety catch on this S&W, Umarex has incorporated one into the cylinder release catch. So, as described earlier, just push it forward to open the cylinder, or push it fully to the rear with a ‘click’ to put it on safe. It is clearly marked to avoid confusion, and in use, it worked fine, though I can’t imagine many people will use it.
The trigger blade is wide and shows a serrated face, and as you would expect, the Competitor is single/double action, meaning you can simply pull the trigger to cock the hammer and rotate the cylinder, or you can manually cock the hammer by pulling it back. By doing so, you significantly reduce the trigger’s pull weight. To give you an idea, my trigger pull gauge couldn’t give me a double-action reading, while the single-action reading was 8lbs 2oz. It goes without saying that you are rewarded with improved accuracy if you pull the hammer back each time. The hammer spur itself is a decent size and shows chequering for improved grip and ease of use.

Range time
As I have mentioned previously, .177 metal BBs might be very affordable and readily available, but you do give up some precision as a result. Therefore, I believe that they are best suited to reactive targets like tin cans, for example. Here they make sense, as you can just keep plugging away at your chosen target until the BBs are passing through the holes you have already made in the cans! Straight off the bat, the Smith & Wesson 629 Competitor was shooting slightly to the left at 5 yards. However, after tweaking the adjustable rear sight, I was soon shooting straight, and just like the BlaMer I tested last month, no tin can was safe at 10 yards, even once it had fallen over. It must be said, however, that the vast majority of my shooting was done via single action, as the double-action trigger weight made shooting accurately a lot harder than it needed to be. Shot-count-wise, I was getting around 78 to 84 shots before the power started to decline rapidly, which is pretty good. This was at an ambient temperature of 18°C.
Overall, the 629 was fun to shoot, but it was definitely a more sedate activity compared to the fast-fire fun of the Glock and BlaMer, for example. Also, that weight does come at a cost, as you end up with a pretty tired arm after a while!

Conclusion
Testing the S&W was a fun and unique experience compared to the other two pistols. Its slower pace and six-shot capacity are both strengths and weaknesses. While shooting more slowly can be enjoyable, especially once you have dialled in the adjustable sights, it’s not quite as thrilling as rapid fire. However, variety is the spice of life!

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gun
features

  • Name: : Smith & Wesson 629 Competitor 6”
  • Type:: CO2-powered Revolver
  • Calibre: : .177 BB
  • Barrel Length:: 6”
  • Overall Length:: 299mm/11.7”
  • Weight:: 1550g
  • Price: : £209.95
  • Contact:: John Rothery Wholesale - www.bisley-uk.com
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