dverna, l have been shooting, buying Smith&Wesson revolvers for almost 50 years.. Of the two New ones l've gotten in the past 5 years l have had ZERO problems. My 686 Competitor has almost 2000 rds thru it. My 629 Magnum Hunter has almost FIFTEEN THOUSAND rds under its belt.. 95% cast boolits thru both. l don't hotrod my guns...
As for S&W customer service, l have had some contact with them over the past few years. lts all been POSITIVE. My most recent encounter was with a TC Contender frame l got used from a fellow IHMSA shooter... l couldn't get a new 41mag barrel to fit properly. l called S&W CS. They sent a FEDEX guy to my house to pick the gun up. Came back the same way... Repair and shipping, all FREE.. Almost unbelievable because S&W didn't even make the Contender. They serviced it anyway because they bought TC a few years back.
0ne habit l have picked up in recent years when buying a NEW Smith is keeping a shot/load log.. Quite informative and revealing l might add. Enjoy your new 686 Smiths with confidence. Made by American Company doing the same thing continuously for 166 years