Swapping barrels

Z

Zundfolge

New member
I have an opportunity to buy a Smith & Wesson 686 .357Mag with an 8" barrel.

Well 8" is a bit ridiculous but I was thinking since I'd get a real good deal on the gun (owner of gun owes me some money, less then the gun is worth :) ) Can I just buy a shorter barrel and swap the barrels back and forth when I want a long or shorter one?

I have never owned a revolver before and have never maintained one (fired a few but they weren't mine) so I don't know if its a simple thing to just screw one off and the other one on or if its something best left to a gunsmith.

additionally, how expensive is a barrel going to be?
 
You should be able to change barrels, but it won't be as simple as dropping a new barrel in a semi auto in the field. I believe you need a special tool to swap S&W barrels and they should unscrew. Dan Wesson used to make some that changed out real easily.
 
*&* has started selling barrels recently. You can get them through Brownells. We recently ordered a 4" .41 Mag barrel for my roomie's Model 57 as part of some custom work being done on the gun. Any competent 'smith should be able to swap them out for you.

BTW, I have an 8 3/8" tube on my scoped 586, and it's a rather fun gun; sort of a 6-shot .357 carbine sans buttstock. ;)
 
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