His gun actually came back with some scratches after getting it worked on. I shoot them and theyve played a big role in improving my pistol marksmanship. Someone might luck into a good deal on a Security Six. There are a few smiths left who really know these older Colts, but theres almost no one under the age of 50+ who works on old Colts (that I know of). One thing, i would only load shot shells for home defense as I didnt want to shoot through a wall and hit one of my kids. What is the action type of the Smith and Wesson 686 gun? I love my GP100, and no stupid lock on it. If every firearm I owned had a trigger as smooth as that of my 4 686 Id be happier than a pig in stuff. But before he or she buys Id suggest a gun shop with an indoor range that rents guns and offers training classes. The only way I was getting another revolver was by selling or trading the one I had. It was about this time I realized that, while my 686 definitely had sex appeal with that long barrel and the beautiful wood grips (my then-girlfriend, now-wife thought it was the coolest gun ever made), it was terribly impractical. One prime example in this thread. The HUD Agreement, designed to save Smith & Wesson from bankruptcy, was instead killing revenue. I enjoy shooting my .357 and I can hit the target almost every time. The brittle MIM cast junk parts i.e. Real cowboys pack a Model 66 for its lighter front end. Walther PDP vs Sig P320: Similar or Different? After cocking the hammer, you might need to manually turn the cylinder to get it into the locking notch. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. He didnt appreciate my opinion. Appreciate the kind words. love them all. View Single Post 10-01-2016, 07:06 AM . A little trial and error, some hand filing and emery cloth, and several hours later, my work paid off: my old 686 had been transformed into a much handier 4 barrel revolver. It is an awesome revolver. Smith & Wesson Model 686 Specs Caliber: .357 MAGNUM; .38 SPECIAL Overall Length: 10.25 inches Barrel Length: 5 inches Weight: 39.7 ounces Round Capacity: 7 Sights: Adjustable white outline Grip: Interchangeable Trigger: Single or double-action Top Features GET Your Smith & Wesson Model 686 HERE Remove the unburned powders and keep the barrel upwards while removing the casing. Additionally, a filthy gun may occasionally jam. And then, a few years ago, a funny thing happened: my wife and I attended a Friends of the NRA banquet in Helena, Montana. The old made guns from Smith were excelent, then drop the cuality to save money. My model 10 was a police surplus. Once cleaned up, that is the prettiest of all my blued barrels. Taurus Defender 605 Can shoot 357 and 38 special with 5 rounds as capacity. Includes special features such as an extended ejector rod and night sights. Dry-firing can up the round count but make sure to have some correct caliber snap caps. I guess you're right. The 686 revolvers can sometimes prevent fire while shooting. This revolver can do just about anything: personal protection with proper 125 or 158 grain JHPs; mountain/woods duty loaded with heavy Buffalo Bore factory ammo or hand loads consisting of 173 grain cast Keith bullets in front of a good dose of 2400; or plinking/target shooting with (relatively) inexpensive .38 special fodder. YOU should be THE weapon. I bought a brand new, 686-No dash in 1984. The author finds the seven-shot Magnum, above, a great handling revolver. Had to check out my 686 too. In exchange for that consideration you get more than double the ammo capacity. So the 686 stayed as it was. Built on the slightly larger "L" frame, this model was designed to handle a steady diet of .357 Magnum rounds when the forcing cones on medium "K" frames cracked under extended use. yes . The problem is that even with the so-called 'full power' ribbed springs misfires occasionally happen. The SP101 is only a 5 shot, and usually comes with a short barrel. No, it doesnt have the ammunition capacity of a semi-auto, but it could be left loaded for years and be picked up at a moments notice and fired. Model 10s are too expensive now. Why doesnt S&W have the same issues? I was recently in one of my favorite Montana gun shops, perusing the used rifle rack and minding my own. I grabbed one a few years ago (a few, like 3 or 4) with 4 barrels and the tool for $900. Today, more people want one for protection. Stainless steel barrel, frame, and finish. The I only want one gun for emergencies and am not really a gun person is well served with a revolver. If neither of these methods work, youll likely need to send your gun back to Smith & Wesson for repair. While I find these only one gun discussions, A) horrifying, because why would I possibly only have one gun, and B) pointless because we dont live in a country with such restrictions (at least not yet), they do set a guy to thinking. Thank you. I ordered the brushed plug and should have ordered polished. Using other types of ammunition can damage your gun. Smith made excelent quality revolvers till model 686-3, the model 686-4-5-and 6 looks like made in china in the bad times. When I finally asked him what he thought he wanted to purchase, he sheepishly shrugged, pointed to the GLOCKs, and said, I guess one of those. Lets quickly review the 686 troubleshooting techniques listed in the table below. After leaving too many 200 meter rams standing despite solid hits with the heavy bullets, I moved on to .44 magnum. To make the revolver completely safe, simply opened up the cylinder. Did I notice before this thread? I coveted it, but he would not let it go. Notice that the point of impact for all groups was higher than with the 4 barreled guns. That would have been 1981. You increase the velocity and shootability over the 4, and 6 just seems a tad too long to be practical. Get a shot gun. They have use and fun, dont hurt your 686. Id feel well protected if I owned only that gun . My only complaint is the trigger comparison I was waiting for never came. Mine was $315 three years ago. Also love shooting 38 special for target practiceso smooth! As I browsed, I kept noticing one middle-aged gentlemen who was trying to ask questions of the salesmen behind the counter. That would be a good basic gun for a newby. single-action is a bridge too far for many. Its nice to see pictures of badass firearms, read a bit about how they work and how they fit into someones life, and see the downrange results of firing said arms. The experimentation has led to, The revolutionary Ruger SR45 gun is unmatched because of its beautiful design and outstanding mechanism. this is why the locks are so hated by us. Smith & Wesson introduced the 686 in 1980. In years past, hunting and varmit control rather than security were the primary reasons for having a firearm. The Smith & Wesson 686 is an L-frame handgun, a stainless version of the 586 and 581. This is hugely frustrating to those who dont take the time to really, really study what is going on inside a Colt DA revolver, and think before they touch or change anything. I regret selling my 686 with a 4 inch barrel. I dont know why, but the non-fluted cylinders just look great to me, but every time Ive tried to buy one, I never win the auction. So, I have included the solutions to these most common issues that the Smith and Wesson 686 users face. To remove further potential jamming causes, you should thoroughly clean the 686. I think the sweet spot is somewhere between 4 and 6 inches. By the way even Walther took away Smiths right to make the PPk auto guns because they screwed them up so much they were not even reliable which was once the hall mark of the finely made French and German made PP series of auto pistols. The older, long barreled 686 shot the best groups, but I suspect that has more to do with 1) its longer sight radius, and 2) its excellent partridge-style target front sight. Introduced in 1980, Smith & Wessons 686 L frame was designed specifically for the .357 Magnum cartridge. Actions where we pick off some gas will suffer this diminishing return length sooner, for the same reason we see it in revolvers. Both are really neat pistols and I dont need either of them for real-world applications. Shadow Systems CR920 Vs Sig Sauer P365: A Detailed Comparison. A .30-06 bolt action rifle? Pinned barrels are all perfectly aligned. mounted with Leupold's 2X scope makes a fine. The huge coke bottle target grips, while pretty, had never fit my short-fingered hands. Only the new Marlins offer the same level of disappointment. First, check the cylinder to make sure there are no obstructions. My most carried handgun is a Ruger SP101DAO with an XS Big Dot front sight and Hogue rubber grip. Wheres the Gov.? It was chambered for the .357 Magnum cartridge and had a six-shot cylinder. Lets not forget that fifty percent of our population is female and we need their voice/votes, too. He shook his head no, and assured me that once purchased, he intended to take a firearms class. With the 8 3/8-inch tube reinstalled, I was tickled when my old girl put up four pretty fair groups. The old 686 4 really liked my .357 Magnum reload consisting of a Hornady 158 grain hollow point and 13 grains of Alliant 2400. Its been with me 25+ years through thick and thin. Also, for the first time in its production history, S&W installed full underlugged barrels on the L frames. Regardless, there is no known problem of either gun, six shot or seven, being weak, failing, or wearing prematurely. The problem in Colt old-style double action revolvers is this: If you change something in the lockwork, you often do not change only that issue. Seriously, if you mess up, you can destroy a perfectly good revolver. Once the firearm is ready to be picked up at your FFL, inspect the firearm to make sure it is exactly what you ordered. So, it is best to send the gun to Smith and Wesson for repair. The shrouds (and grips) are where youll end up spending $$$. With Smith & Wesson bleeding badly, influential people in the industry tried to calm tensions and save the brand from destruction, but a large part of the gun community wasn't having it. He was very polite, clean-cut, well-dressed, and was clearly an educated, successful man. It was a 686 no dash, indicating it was an early model with the hammer-mounted firing pin, which predated any engineering changes. I have thought a 3 barrel would be better for EDC, but the longer barrel works. Nice balance to it too. Come join the discussion about optics, gunsmithing, styles, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more! I still have my 686. Sometimes, when you pull the trigger, the cylinder wont rotate and the bullet wont fire. I dont consider myself an expert on these older Colts. Has some great info. I concurred with him that GLOCKs are a fine product, but then asked him if he knew how a GLOCK or any semiautomatic handgun- functioned. Theyre simply shorter-barreled and sport red-ramped combat front sights, which I dont find as precise for target shooting. What makes a front post a partridge sight is the squared/vertical back side of the sight that you see on that 8 3/8ths barrel above. I used to load 110 grain with blue dot powder made in my basement. And yes barrels that are not pinned can unscrew themselves from the frame, admittedly not very often but I have seen it happen. While the rig definitely looked cool in the bathroom mirror with my long-barreled 686 strapped into it a la Dirty Harry, a week on horseback and climbing mountains spotting for sheep taught me that packing a 8 3/8 barreled howitzer in a shoulder holster was a miserable experience and not for me (that was the first and last shoulder holster Ive ever purchased). Nope. Wonderful article, Mr. Knudsen. Over the years, several friends and acquaintances who learned Im a gun guy asked me for advice when they want to buy themselves a handgun. However, some common issues are present with this revolver. She tried it and that was it. On a Colt, you do this, and then you start adjusting the tail of the bolt to get it to drop at the correct time as the hammer starts moving backwards. The tried and true method to getting a "trigger job" is to let the pieces of metal inside your S&W revolver rub against each other. 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