Bear Paw Jack said:
I'd look for one of these. S&W 396 Night Guard .44 Special.
The 329 is a different animal than the 629. In particular, it's equipped with a blast shield above the b/c gap that protects the alloy top strap from flame cutting that is a sacrificial part - a buddy of mine that convinced me to buy a 329 has had to send his back to S&W 3 times in 3yrs, as he's cut through the blast shield. If you're ok with that (like I am), then a 329 is a decent option - if not, then you need to look elsewhere.
I'm a snubby 44mag fanatic. The Kodiak Backpacker is a great revolver. I also have 629's in the Mountain Gun and an MG clone, a Bulldog, a couple of the Taurus's in mag and spcl, and sold my 44mag Alaskan once I got the Backpacker. The Kodiak and the Smith's are of far greater quality than the others.
The 4" Redhawk is another great option (not in 44mag, of course).
If I could only have one, a KB or a 629, it would be a 629 - even though I'm a die hard Ruger fan, and a firm believer that the Redhawk is the stronger built revolver.