My father's revolvers

J

Jeff #111

New member
The special order Model 686 that Smith & Wesson made for Idaho State Police to commemorate that organizations 50th Anniversary (1939-1989). Came in a wood presentation box. Dad was very proud of this revolver. Never fired and it never will be. That's how he wanted it.





Here is the Smith & Wesson Model 65 (357 Magnum) that dad actually carried from 1979 - 1991 (when ISP switched to the S&W Model 4586 auto pistol). It was a worker bee and I have already taken it to the range and fired it. It's meant to be used.

 
Those 686's are gorgeous, beefy, well balanced, finely made revolvers. That was my first duty gun. Still have it. Having one with some provenance is equally as cool, though if it were mine, it would be a shooter.......... I just wouldn't be able to help myself.:o

Thanks to you for recognizing your dad's service. I'm glad some of the old timers aren't around anymore to see how the profession is being beat on at every turn these days.:mad:
 
Though I haven't fired the 686 ,with live ammo, I have dry fired it with Snap Caps in the cylinder. The action is very smooth. So smooth as to make me wonder if it ,and the others, received a little extra attention before being shipped out. But it might just be my imagination.
 
Fantastic older Smith's!
I'm sure your Dad would be proud of the way you take care of them. You could always get a standard, nice used 686 to have you a shooter and still preserve your special one.
 
Jeff,
You have more will power than me.
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Same here. But I admire a son who follows his dad's wishes. I do question tho, why dad would not want it fired. Commemorative 686's are almost as common as standard 686s, have very little collector value and many times are worth less unfired than similar standard fired models. They are also very stout .357s and the shooting of standard .357 mag ammo will not harm them at all. They are also easily repaired with easily obtained parts if something happens to them, unlike other models that collectors crave.

Me, I'd take the stock grips off it, put on some Rubber Hogues and shoot the snot out of it in memory of my dad and his service. Then when I'm too old to shoot any more, I'd pass it down to my kids/grandkids to do the same.

I'm not saying Jeff should do this, just that it is what I would do.
 
Never fired and it never will be. That's how he wanted it.
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I'm with Buck on this one. Heck, it's already got a turn line. Might as well have something to show for it.
If I was going to get sentimental about one or the other it would be the 65.
Classic revolvers, like classic cars, should be taken out for a spin at least every once in a while.
 
I'm with Buck on this one. Heck, it's already got a turn line. Might as well have something to show for it.
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I am not with you on this one. Respecting my dad's wishes about a particular gun would overcome my desire to shoot it.
 
I am not with you on this one. Respecting my dad's wishes about a particular gun would overcome my desire to shoot it.
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In my post I said I "admire a son who follows his dad's wishes" and also stated "I'm not saying Jeff should do this, just that it is what I would do. ".

Folks keep unfired firearms for different reasons. My dad would never own a gun he wouldn't shoot. I have a few guns I don't shoot, but it is because they have real collector value or are old and impossible to get parts for. That 686 Commemorative has very little if any collector value and is easy to gets parts for. It may hold some sentiment to someone that has served in the ISP. It holds sentimental value to the OP because it was his dad's gun. The guns that I am most sentimental about are the guns my dad and grandpa used....and I still shoot most of them regularly. 'Ell, I still hunt all my pheasant with Gramp's old Fox SxS that he bought in 1919. I hunt Turkeys at least once a year with my dad's old model '97 Winchester and my youngest son hunts deer with his great-Grandpa's Winney .32 Special that he bought at the same time he bought the Fox SxS....right after he returned home from WWI. I'm sure my Dad and Grandpa rest easy knowing I and my son are enjoying their firearms the way they did. Hopefully the same is true with the OPs dad.
 
Jeff,
I have no doubt not shooting it is the right decision for you. I've got an old Ruger 77 6mm that we gave my Dad for a Father's Day gift around 1983. Not being his only deer rifle he would never take it out hunting if it was raining. I have treated it exactly the same way since he passed in 1997. Some things are just that important.
 
Well as others have pointed out it's more about remembering dad than preserving the 686's "collector value" which I understand isn't that great except (perhaps) to very specific collectors. Rest assured his other guns , still feels strange referring to them as my guns, have been or soon will be taking a trip to the range.
 
Absolutely beautiful, I'm glad that you got ahold of it. My grandfather was a Sherrif. Upon his passing someone grabbed his service revolver before anyone noticed; nobody knows what happened to it. It was probably hocked for a few bucks. Hold onto that gun and pass down the stories that he gave you.
 
Keep it, for sure.
And shoot it.
Reminds me of an old fellow who collects brass era cars. the kind most seen in museums.
He keeps them like new, but still drives every one regularly.
He says "How could you not?"
 
While I admire your self control and honoring your father, I'd have a heck of a hard time owning a gun and never shooting it. Whenever I get a gun that I just don't shoot regular for whatever reason, I either sell it or more likely trade it off for something I'll use.
 
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