A friend of mine has a NIB S&W Model 629 Stealth Hunter coming in next week. Just how envious should I be? My only .44 mag is a 25 year-old Ruger Redhawk.

I wouldnt be envious at all. But the Stealth is a really swwet gun

TomG
The S&W Stealth Hunter must be a real nice handgun. See test here:
http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0509/?page=44

Thanks for the article. I think that the Stealth Hunter is worthy of at least a small amount of envy, but then my Redhawk always goes "bang" when I pull the trigger and if I do may part the bullet goes where it's supposed to.

Why didn't they cut a few more slots in that Weaver rail to give more flexible scope positioning?

Tom,

Might be time to send your Redhawk off to Reeder or Bowen.They can make it purdy and slick.Remember yours is still a stronger gun!!

S4,

Not sure if you read the article, but the author ran smack into a problem that is directly related to your query, why not more slots. From experience (and the article) a ported gun that is intended to be run with glass optics need to seriously consider scope mounting flexibility due to debris from the ports hitting the glass. Been there myself, and it can suck. Aesthetically speaking I am a fan of the minimal number of slots needed to mount a scope. Practically, the picatinney solution does work well.

Craig

I have the stainless hunter version that's identical to the stealth except for the paint job. I like it but the first slot is milled too close to the frame limiting scope ring choices as they have to be fairly short front to back to prevent them from biting into the frame as the frame sticks out further than the bottom of the rail. Overall nice guns but definitely have areas where improvements were/are needed.

l just love the Stealth Hunter, but l cant afford every S&W Hunter model. Heres mine.. A Magnum Hunter and it has plenty of slots for optics..

http://gunsumerreports.com/review_smith_wesson_44_magnum_hunter_p3.php

Overall nice guns but definitely have areas where improvements were/are needed??????

Nah, you can run loads through your Redhawk that a 629 could only wish to digest.