Used GP & 686

[warf73]

OK guys I'll be heading to gun show next weekend and something hit me, I've never bought a used revolver (other than 22's). I know about end shake and cylinder rotational slop is there anything else to watch for?
Is there something particular on the GP or 686 that needs watched out for?

If I find a rattle trap for a killer deal will either manufacturer rebuild it for a reasonable price or should I just leave a rattler on the table?

I do plan on taking a .006" feeler gauge to check out end play/gap anything else needed other than my bore light? I don't have pin gauges or I would consider taking a few of them to check the chambers.

Thanks

[jrayborn]

I'd say you about nailed it. The only other thing to really watch out for is me getting to the table before you!


Good luck!

[shooting on a shoestring]

My two cents...you'll be fine. I doubt you'll find a GP100 with "issues". There's not much short of running a freight train over a GP100 that will cause "issues". I bought mine used, un-measured, laid down cash and went home happy, great gun, did full measurements at home on shop bench, barrel slugged smaller than cylinder throats which were all between .03575 and 0.3585. Shoots fine.

The 686 I've never had one. Bought several other used Smiths. No lemons. I have sent a shot loose J frame back to S & W and got the barrel set back, new hand installed, returned to me for just under $100. Thought that was a bargin even though I did pay about $50 to ship it to them.

A 0.006 feeler gauge, well thats about the standard factory spec for either. I haven't seen many less than 0.006 and lots over 0.006" I would be comfortable with anything less than about 0.010" That J frame was near 0.014" if I remember right. Also, all my new revovlers seem to grow the b/c gap about 0.002" in the first thousand or so rounds and then quit moving.

Happy hunting. You're on safe ground looking for good used in GP100s and probably same in 686. Very old guns like from the 20s, thats where things get more dicey.

[GP100man]

There`s so many threads & videos on trigger jobs on the GP ,watch for botched jobs !!!

[MtGun44]

Early 686s (look at the parting face where the crane hits the frame and it will be marked 686,
686-1, 686-2, 686-3, etc. I don't know when they changed but the early ones (maybe only
686 and 686-1, not sure) had very soft crane alloy and develop end shake quickly. They can
be fixed easily by a good S&W smith, and if tight will shoot .38 Spls forever, but around 5000
full max power .357s and they'll develop end shake again. Later ones had harder alloy and
seem to last a long time.

Bill

[warf73]

Thank you Bill for the info about the soft alloy in the older cranes, I didn't know about that all. I'll keep my eye on the - #'s and make sure they are greater than -1.

[MtGun44]

If it were anything but a .357/.38 cal I'd really want the pin gages, but all the S&Ws that I
have gauged , early and late (including some REALLY old ones) run .357 or .358 throats,
they are NOT like the .44 and especially .45 cal guns which are just all over the map historically,
but all my recent S&W .44s have been .429 or .430 throats.

Bill

[Mk42gunner]

Make sure it locks up tight, i.e. the cylinder is held in a fixed position when the hammer is falling. I went to look at a S&W Model 66, I don't remember the dash#. It looked good until I checked the lock up. Needless to say, I did not buy it.

Robert