Many people believe that the Smith and Wesson model686 is a reliable gun. It was less expensive (and I think just as good) as the 686. Smith sold us out! Personally when asked by a beginner I suggest a full or mid-size (new) 9mm pistol; Glock, S&W, Taurus, Canick, Beretta, Ruger, TiSAS, Walther, FN, SIG-Sauer, CZ. I got my 2 15-2s and my 715 before the prices went nuts. One problem that has been reported is that the gun will stop firing after a few shots. I dont claim to be a gunsmith, and am certainly an amateur. As my gun fund grew and other handguns were purchased, the 686 was carried less and less, especially when I started getting into USPSA and later 3-Gun competition. So, it is best to send the gun to Smith and Wesson for repair. It is one of my prized firearms. If you look at this post from The Firing Line forums, you will notice many aspects of this revolver. They use the dreaded MIM cast parts which have a known higher failure rate than even traditional cast parts and a way higher failure rate than the older quality forged steel parts. Annuncio dal negozio TonyULeathergoods. I have heard a few novices call revolvers old, clunky and cowboy guns. I have a pre lock 686 and it looks perfect to me. Finally, make sure that you store your gun properly. The shrouds (and grips) are where youll end up spending $$$. The fact is most dgus occur without a shot being fired. Lets quickly review the 686 troubleshooting techniques listed in the table below. 5 inches is probably the ideal barrel length for a .357 revolver. This is a Smith and Wesson 686 plus deluxe which is a 7 shot 38/357 revolver with a 3" barrel. Flop the cylinder open, and the firearm is completely safe for everyone to see. Damn fine gun and I will keep it. This is usually an issue with the sear and the sear spring. It was a 6-inch model with a patridge front sight, and it was my first handgun purchase. If you like the ergonomics. Remove the powder. yes . Fits Smith and Wesson models 317 with 3 inch barrel 66 67 686 696 625 657 629 (except classic series and Performance Center guns) HiViz recommends gunsmith installation for all dovetail sights. if I have to, with my training if I have to fight I hope I can still fight well enough to procure a weapon with higher capacity. 64 SW. That and a pair of speed loaders and I never felt bad. Leave it loaded for years, with no worry.. So I corrected the spelling, which is, of course, wrong. I purchased it in 1987. They seem to have no interest in them which is why I go take the new 9mm pistol route. But before he or she buys Id suggest a gun shop with an indoor range that rents guns and offers training classes. Feel free to reach out to us or read our affiliate disclosure and privacy policy. Nailing down the holster and reloading setup can be tricky. Also, those are target grips, not cokes. S&W stopped shipping guns with those a couple decades before your 686 was made. While the Smith & Wesson Model 320 did not suffer from chain fire problems, the Model 320, like the Colt, tended to spray burning powder from the cylinder into the shooter's forearm. It is a stainless steel gun, which makes it resistant to corrosion. Thank you for your time and effort. I still have both pistols 686 and 640 in my safe. You can also try polishing the firing pin and breech face. In short fk Smith if they want to make junk at least they could have reduced the price instead of insulting us with the highest prices they have ever charged for their revolvers. One of S&Ws strongest offerings in their entire history, IMO. Thanks, DG. I wouldnt buy it until I knew how many times its been dropped. The HUD Agreement, designed to save Smith & Wesson from bankruptcy, was instead killing revenue. If for some reason the county said that I had to go back to a wheel gun I wouldnt feel that I was poorly armed. An interesting fact I learned regarding barrel length and velocity is a longer barrel in a revolver actually has continually decreasing velocity past a certain point. My daughters, thankfully, shoot them all with the right loads. The best thing Smith could do today for gun owners is shut down and go out of business and that may be closer to happening then most people realize. Due to manufacturing tolerances, some firearms may require additional fitting. However, there have been a number of reports of the gun malfunctioning. Its been with me 25+ years through thick and thin. MOSSBERG 835 REVIEW: PUMP ACTION SHOTGUN SHOWDOWN, EEA WINDICATOR 357 REVIEW: PROS AND PROBLEMS, This div height required for enabling the sticky sidebar, 2022 Yestactical.com We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Years ago, many customers complained that the .44 caliber "N" frame revolver was too heavy and bulky for the .357 Magnum cartridge. I know enough to be able to know what jobs I can take on competently and which I cannot, and Ill refer a customer on to a smith who really knows (and has the tooling) for the more intricate jobs. Obstructions can cause the gun to malfunction. I had a 1984 686 with a 6 inch barrel. Smith uses now a two piece barrel and despite gun writer propaganda, no they do not shoot better they shoot worse. even a ball point pen can be used to kill. Common sense tells anyone that a barrel that is not as heavy does not shoot as well due to barrel vibrations otherwise varmint rifles would all have light weight sporter barres on them. If you are having trouble with your Smith and Wesson 686, dont worry we are here to help! This is why I recommend to those buying revolvers Shoot S&Ws (and Rugers) and collect Colts.. You may also notice that the cylinder is rotating but the hammer wont work. I forgot to mention Smith rifling the barrels with an EDM type machine that burns in the rifling. 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. Im sure good used Model 10s are still around, but many people who just want a night stand gun might find the price of a new one a bit steep. Thats what everyone keeps telling me.. If there are still any problems, try filing the new hand in the form of the previous one. The Smith & Wesson Model 686 is a six- or seven-shot double-action revolver manufactured by Smith & Wesson and chambered for the .357 Magnum cartridge; it will also chamber and fire .38 Special cartridges. Now that you are aware of the Smith & Wesson 686s essential properties, let me discuss its issues. ^^^^. My advice for new handgun shooters is always the same: start with a .22, and shoot it. Had to trade my first pistol, a Heritage Arms Rough Rider to get it. Are you gonna stand in the middle of the room and trade shots with the active shooter? Beefier than the K frame but not as massive as the N frame, the L frame models 686 (stainless steel, adjustable sights), 681 (stainless steel, fixed sights), 586 (blued finish, adjustable sights) and 581 (blued finish, fixed sights) could take the steady pounding of heavy .357 magnums and keep on ticking. The sear and spring are rare to buy. But if it gets stuck, you have to disassemble the gun by taking out the side locking plate (Fig 1). The 686 is built on the L-Frame, Smith & Wesson's medium-large revolver chassis. I think a revolver for a new shooter is an excellent idea. FN 509 Vs SIG P320: Comparison Between Two Popular Semi-Automatic Handguns. It was a 686 no dash, indicating it was an early model with the hammer-mounted firing pin, which predated any engineering changes. It's basically the stainless version of 1980's blued Model 586. Also pulled the trigger on a 6 S&W 586 sometime in the 80s. Only the new Marlins offer the same level of disappointment. Maybe the $185 Ruger Wrangler is the budget revolver to buy now. I enjoy shooting my .357 and I can hit the target almost every time. Smith & Wesson Modello 586 686 66 19 Ruger GP100 Taurus 627 Colt Python 6" Annuncio di TonyULeathergoods. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. In 1981 a real workhorse galloped out of the Smith and Wesson stable in the form of the company's model 686 a stainless version of their model 586. Tighten the extractor rod and break in the cylinder. The old made guns from Smith were excelent, then drop the cuality to save money. That gave me 30 rounds of very stout ammo and if that wasnt enough, there was always my Mossberg 500 to fall back on. If there are any obstructions, remove them and try firing the gun again. Here are some best alternatives for the Smith and Wesson 686: Ruger GP 100 Features a triple locking cylinder for better alignment. Supports 357, 10MM, 327, 44 special, and 22 LR cartridges depending on the model. If you have a Model 68, you might want to consider replacing the firing pin spring with a stronger one. 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). Send it back and have them make it right. Price was a concern and the rangemaster suggested she try a Rossi 85104 4 with a ribbed barrel. I think some time with a good double action revolver would help them enormously with trigger control. Carried 35 years by a french cop? I am using S&W from 10 years and i never face any problem. At 100 feet it would only drop less than half an inch. Discontinued in 2005, the Model 68 was chambered for the .357 Magnum cartridge and had a six-shot cylinder making it one of Smith & Wessons most popular revolvers. New Barrel liners and nuts are dirt cheap as are spring kits. A few pulls of a Lewis Lead Remover and I had a 100% nice looking barrel and shroud! Then shoot it some more, and then shoot it some more. Internal Gun Locks, Massad Ayoob. Thank you. Wonderful article, Mr. Knudsen. Both are crisp and excellent. We will gladly have the firearm picked up and returned to us at our expense. Very, very true but not just in revolvers. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Install a new hand which is bigger than the factory hand. What is the action type of the Smith and Wesson 686 gun? Good riddance if they do nobody will miss them. Smith & Wesson introduced the 686 in 1980. It also had never been back to the S&W factory for the "M" stamp modification, which is a replacement firing pin bushing in the frame to prevent primer flow with high pressure loads. Manage Settings Vinny, let me save you the trouble. I have thought a 3 barrel would be better for EDC, but the longer barrel works. It was an M stamp model as well. Nice balance to it too. At this point, for manual of arms, the wunder-9 is just as idiot-proof as a revolver with the exception of limp-wristing. the sear and hammer are taken right out of the mold and then with no machining slapped into the gun. Post 139272946 -This is the Smith and Wesson Collectors discussion . Example: In a S&W, fitting a new cylinder stop is a pretty one-dimension activity; fit the cylinder stop to the cylinder, and install it. Dump pouches for partial reloads. Very accurate gun. While it is indeed counter-intuitive, the 686+ model has a minimum wall thickness GREATER than that of a six-shot model. If you need to spray and pray, more power to you. Start by looking for unburned powder surrounding the star. Mine was $315 three years ago. Still, I have far more affection for the revolvers. Without hesitation, I walked him over to the revolver counter and asked the salesman to remove a Smith & Wesson 686 .357 Magnum revolver. Man, that thing was a beauty. Had to check out my 686 too. It's got adjustable sights for increased accuracy and is available in different barrel lengths. Introduced in 1980, Smith & Wessons 686 L frame was designed specifically for the .357 Magnum cartridge. ( which can mean get your face out of your smartphone). And Im gradually easing myself into bow hunting. To correct the sluggish timing issue with old 686 revolvers, you will need a larger hand. His fifth attempt at sending it back resulted in S&W sending him a brand new gun which still had the barel misaligned. I also have a 6" 686-4, which has a 7 round cylinder. Its been my (personal) experience that many folks dont want to hear unsolicited advice. Additionally, the cylinder system needs to be broken in by going through the opening and shutting phases. Can you change the grip of the Smith and Wesson 686? The 686 may very well be a fine revolver. any form of hand to hand combat training has something to offer. The precision of machining is very impressive. A good .22 rifle? In fact both shot excellently. (sorry my bad english.). It is quite practical and at the same, The Glock 23 gen 4 is an incredibly smooth gun, arguably with the best trigger on any of, The LCR series challenged the proven 9mm design by introducing a polymer frame. Leave it loaded for years, with no worry. Personally, I am finding cover and looking for the option to shoot him while his attention is else where. I rarely sell guns. If you want, you can also uninstall the whole mechanism so that the gun does not automatically lock up again. 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. A good 9mm pistol has its own flexibility by the sheer assortment of stuff you can hang off it. Still, look back through my posts and see the pictures I posed of my install. They dont try to drive both functions with the same spring theres a main (leaf) spring for the hammer, and a rebound spring to return the trigger to the unfired position. Do a good job. The huge coke bottle target grips, while pretty, had never fit my short-fingered hands. As much as I love my shotguns if I was to be restricted to just one gun it would be my G19. If I had only one (who would do that) it would probably be it. My 686 stayed in this form for a few more years, until one year while packing into mountain sheep and grizzly bear backcountry on horseback for a week of scouting, I had the bright idea to carry the 686 in an old Jackass shoulder holster rig I had found in a pawnshop. 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. in years pastwhen people were actually restricted to one gunfor financial reasonsa shot gun made the most sensefor the novice pistolero a revolver makes equal sense on a number of levelsexcept the cost factortheyre damn near idiot proof.. Glock 17L Vs Glock 34: The Differences Are Not That Much! It was quite a wait to locate the one I wantedS&W 686-6 4in. I stand by my choice. It was discontinued in 2005. Im actually looking at pre lock 686s right now, probably a 4 is going to be bought one of these days. This may also aid in minimizing the issue. It is being shipped to a local gun range. Blackcloud2. Pressing the cylinder release forward toward the muzzle will release the cylinder, allowing it to be swung away from the frame to the left. I love S&W revolvers. Although this is a minor issue with the Smith and Wesson 686, you should get this fixed. The man was well-dressed, and was genuinely trying to elicit information on a subject he knew nothing about. But if the gun does this every 5 or six rounds, or once with every cylinder, it is not good news. I still have my 686. Good pistol for both on and off-duty. One of the most notable instances of a well-known industry professional "outing" the S&W lock problem. If, God forbid, I was limited to only one firearm, what would it be? Many, many yrs ago, Dan Wesson(when it was) offered a model 15 .357 Magnum set with 4 barrels, and the tool to change them outused ones today are quite pricey, IF you can find one in decent shape, https://www.guns.com/firearms/handguns/revolver/357-4-barrel-set/UXQ0O9YIBG. Many people have used the gun and have provided positive feedback stating having faced zero issues. (That is the frame size on which Smith & Wesson originally built their .357 Mag. Shoot ita lot. 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Power to you me discuss its issues if, God forbid, i was to a! Claim to be broken in by going through the opening and shutting phases handgun shooters always! Arms, the cylinder system needs to be bought one of these days is... The new hand in the 80s try filing the new hand in the middle of the Smith and model686... Went nuts trouble with your Smith and Wesson 686 plus deluxe which is bigger the! A stainless steel gun, which is a 7 round cylinder pray, more power to.! Of disappointment the holster and reloading setup can be tricky send it back and have them it...