Help Please Identify S&W 686 is it rare?

M

Mr.RevolverGuy

New member
All,

I can't find much info at all on this abandoned baby that followed me home yesterday. This thing is unfired in box with all paperwork and included a very nice unused Phoenix Galco Dual position Holster.

It is a S&W 686-5 7inch Barrel, No Lock, 7 shot unfluted cylinder, product code 149198 special order #0278.
a) .357
b) 7" In Barrel
c) Round Butt
d) 7 Shot
e) target adjustable
d) L
Serial CEL12XX
​

I see nothing in any of my books. Most I could find was someone on the internet saying they called S&W and was told there was only 67 made for an international distributor, I am really doubting this.
686-7inch.jpg
 
Where are you measuring the barrel from? That looks like an 8" to me for some reason. Make sure you are measuring from the forcing cone all the way to the end of the barrel (basically from the cylinder to the barrel). Here's a picture illustrating what I'm talking about:

measure_barrel_length_rev.jpg


Assuming it actually has an 8" barrel and not a 7" barrel that would be an unfluted 8" 686+, which is a decently rare (and desirable) revolver but not 1 of 67. :)

I do love the look of those unfluted cylinders. It really makes it look classy in my opinion. :cool:
 
I am going by the box as well as my own measurement. The box states 7inch and my measurement indicates 7 inches. Measuring in the same way your illustration shows.

It probably looks longer because of the way I took the picture.
 
product code 149198
Click to expand...
That product code is not listed in the Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson.
The serial number dates it to 2000.
There are only two product codes with the 149 prefix listed, one of which is a 7" just like yours but it's a 6 shot. 75 of them made in 2002.

Call S&W's customer service, they may be able to give you more info.

Jim
 
Special from 2000-ish

I held one of these around 1999-2000, at an Ohio dealer. It was on sale for about $350-ish back then - really kicking myself now.
This is the exact same feature set as the current TALO 686 with smooth cyl and 7" barrel. In the 2000 era, this model had no particular identifier or name other than an oddball production number.
I remember going back a month later to buy it and they were no more. Called SW and they said these were a distributor special /overrun for an exporting distributor. They were not (intentionally) marketed to the US distributors, so they were very scarce at the time.

Saf-T-Hammer, that bought SW in 2001 started to implement their locks sometime after that to co-incide with the Clinton era safety lock requirements.
Yours was issued before that time.
 
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