S&W Model 686 Questions?

S

S.F.S

New member
I was in the gun shop today paying on a Ruger SP101 I have on lay-away and picking up my wife's first gun (Ruger 22/45)
When a 686 came in on trade it has the 4" barrel, it is an older one no transfer bar, firing pin is attached to hammer. This gun is in nice condition everything checked out fine with it. So I went ahead and put a deposit on it, my wife said she will get it for me as a Christmas gift:)
I don't know much about S&W revolvers, except I wont buy a new one. All my revolvers are Rugers.
What can you tell me about these guns?
Also how do I know if its a square butt or Round butt? I know its a K-Frame.
Also I know Rugers can be safely dry-fired how about S&W's?

Thanks for your help..
By the way the gun set me back $300.00.
 
If it is nice shape, then $300 is a good deal.

The 686 is known as an 'L' frame. The grip-frame, however, has the same dimensions as that of the K-frame guns. As to square or round butt, I don't think I can recall ever seeing a stainless L-frame with a square butt, though that's probably incorrect.:confused:

If the backstrap of the grip is exposed, it is easy to tell. The bottom of a sq.-butt will end abruptly in a flat edge with a sharp corner. The round-butt tapers down and toward the front of the gun with a much less agressive corner where it meets the bottom of the grip.

Though there are a legion of S&W folks who've never had any trouble with dry-firing, I personally feel much more comfortable using snap-caps. I even use them in Rugers.:D
 
If you like stainless. 686 is a good gun. Most are quite accurate and a joy to shoot. Couple of cautions. One, it is an in-between size so don't go overboard with old fashioned full boogy .357 loads. Not as strong as the larger N frame .357s. Two.....don't use it for "fast n fancy" extreme rapid fire shooting. The cylinder mass is too much for the hand pivot pin and they will bend and it will go out of time. There was an intermediate change to a "floating hand" that helped a little but didnt cure the problem.. If you don't shoot it insanely fast or with insane loads....It should like you and serve you well.

Sam
 
Victor,
Thanks for your help.
It is definatly a sguare butt cause I had the grips off and it was a flat edge in the corner.
Im looking at a S&W 1999 catalog and its listing the 686 Distinguished Combat Magnum as a K-Medium Frame, they do list a 686 Powerport and a 686 Plus as a L-Medium Frame.
I believe I have the K-Frame because, mine is a 4" and the Powerport only comes in 6" and is ported, and the 686 Plus has a 7 round cylinder mine is only 6.

When did they stop the firing pin attached to the hammer design? It seems like its a more simpler system, except you don't have the safety of a transfer bar.
 
C.R.,
What is the hand pivot pin?

I only shoot factory loads for the time being so I don't have to worry about really hot rounds.
I will be getting into reloading here within a year and will remember what you said.
 
Haven't looked at any "L" frames in many years, but can't recall seeing any in a "round" butt.

Had a 686 SS 6" square butt, Goncalo Alves wood grips. Bought new about '88. Absolute FINE piece.:D
 
The 686 is a fine weapon and I admire your dedication to preserving our rights, by not buying a new one from the traitors at Smith & Wesson. I own a 2.5" 686 and mine has the round butt with the walnut finger grooved grips.

7th
 
Hey citizen,

It's my understanding that S&W is round
butting just about every revolver these
day's. I have a S&W model 686-5, six-shot
with a 6" barrel that is of the "round butt"
configuration.

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, Life Member N.R.A.
 
S&W changed ALL L-frames to "round-butt" around '94 or so... previous to that, only the 2 & 1/2 in. guns and the "Customs Specials" have the roundbutt, AFAIK...also, if the Model # says "686", it IS an "L-frame", REGARDLESS of whether it has a 6 or 7-shot cylinder...early 686's will have silver-colored hammers and triggers (really "flash-chromed") that more or less match the overall color of the rest of the gun...later 686's--still prior to the change to all "roundbutt" frames--will have color case-hardened trigger and hammers...the "dash number" of this particular revo would help to narrow down its exact configuration, as would a PARTIAL serial #, i.e., "AFX25xx"...FWIW....mikey357
 
That was an editing error in the catalog. All of em are L frame.

Hand pivot pin is pin that goes through the upper part of the trigger, hand pivots on and is supported by this pin as it pushes on the star and rotates the cylinder. At high rates of fire, the mass of the cylinder being accelerated to the next position puts a lot of strain on this pin.

Sam
 
A mistake in Smith's own catalog. That's pretty :cool:. See, I told you I was wrong about stainless L-frame butts.:) BTW, there is no transfer bar in the Smith guns. The similiar looking part you see in there is a hammer block. In practice, it serves the same function as Ruger's transfer bar, just in reverse-sorta.:D
 
After all this, I'd say you're really gonna enjoy Santa's little gift this year! Got yourself a little "keeper".:D
 
Mickey,
I don't have the gun home yet so I can't give a partial seriel # but I can tell you that the trigger and hammer match the rest of the gun and the receipt says its a 686-1 so that must be the dash # you mean. Like I said I don't know nothing about S&W guns all of my revolvers and my one pistol is Rugers so when I saw this revolver I had to ask what model it was I had no idea. If it wasn't for the fact that I have been frequenting this gun shop for the past 2 yrs and know everyone in there I would have felt silly asking him. Hell just as I was leaving he let me know that you can see the seriel # and model # when you swing open the cylinder. Is the dash # in the same place as that?
All I knew is that I have been looking for a .357 with a 4" barrel in Good Condition for about 3 months know
I figured I would get another Ruger, but I have been wanting an old pre-agreement Smith which I know have :D

I was gonna get some Hogue rubber grips for this gun since I don't care for the Uncle Mike's grips that are on there. But I will have to make sure its a square butt before doing that since its a different grip. I do know that the K & L frame have the same grip according to the Hogue catalog.
 
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C.R. Sam,
I was reading something you quoted to someone on another thread which is,

"When you checkin it out, with the cylinder open, pull the cylinder release toward the rear and look at the hole in the recoil plate below the firing pin hole. This is the rear cylinder pivot and latch hole. If it is not round.....pass on the gun. It will be oval if fired a lot and is expensive to fix. Wear there would indicate probable wear at the front latch and elsewhere too."

This was not something I checked out when looking at the 686 (was not aware of it), I looked at lock-up, timing, cylinder gap etc..
Is this a problem with the heavier frames or just the smaller ones?

Thanks,
 
S.F.S......seems to occur more rapidly with the stainless guns of any size. Tis a function of the number of times the cylinder has been swung out and reclosed rather than how much of what strength ammo is used. Can get same wear just practicing with speedloader.

Sam
 
C.R. Sam,
Should this be of concern to me, Or is it nothing to really worry about?
Do you know what the -1 means after the model #?
 
I started with the 686 in the mid 80's right out of Police School. It was "the" gun with the PDs back then. All I shot through it was "hot" loads. The only problem with rapid firing was waiting for the gun to get back on target. The more I shot it, the smoother the action became. I don't know about the new versions now.

I switched to the electric guns in the late 80's. However, I'll never let go of that 686.
 
Joe,
I do know that this is an older model not sure how old. Im betting somebody here will know by the dash # after the model #. (686-1)

How long have the 686's been around for any clue?
 
S.F.S.,

The 686 is a nice weapon, no doubt about it. I bought my 6" new in February of 1989. At that time, S&W was into the 686-2 model. I'm not sure how many -#'s there are to the 686 line.

Mine has a red insert in the front ramp sight, a white-outlined rear adjustable, and is a square butt. The serial number is in the early AZJ6*** series. I believe anytime S&W makes a wholesale change to their guns, the model gets a new dash number.

I have alsways wanted a nice 4" to go with my 6", but just can't seem to find a good deal on a clean used gun. Won't buy a new one for obvious reasons, but I keep looking for that pre-owned, pre-agreement gun....

Enjoy your Christmas gift!
 
I have a 4 inch 686-3 that I bought new in about 1989 or 90....I was in the trade at the time and it had been on backorder for a number of months before I finally got it. It had the polished hammer and trigger that is described earlier. S/n range is BDT19**. Could not have asked for better service from a revolver, I have no idear how many rounds this has put down range but when I was shooting competition it was not unusual for 1000 - 1500 to get fired each weekend.

Andy:cool:
 
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