New S@W 686 any good

[lead Foot]

Thinking of buying a new Smith. Dose anybody have one and what do you think. I think they don't have the firing pin in the hammer anymore and have a different hand. The 6" 6 shot .357 is $1200. new here. My tax return is about the same amount - a good trade I recon. :coffeecom
Lead foot;

[exile]

I am no Smith and Wesson expert, but I bought my 686 in March of 2008 and I like it fine. I think mine was a special order for Lipsey's or something, has a five-inch barrel and a non-fluted cylinder. I think the workmanship is better than the four-inch 686 I bought used in 1995, however I sold it so I can't really do a face to face comparison. Some guys who have been shooting older Smiths can probably give you a better answer, but that is the best I have.

exile

[exile]

I forgot to say, mine does have the firing pin in the frame, not the hammer, and it does have the dreaded frame lock, but I guess they all do now.

exile

[Heavy lead]

I am no Smith and Wesson expert, but I bought my 686 in March of 2008 and I like it fine. I think mine was a special order for Lipsey's or something, has a five-inch barrel and a non-fluted cylinder. I think the workmanship is better than the four-inch 686 I bought used in 1995, however I sold it so I can't really do a face to face comparison. Some guys who have been shooting older Smiths can probably give you a better answer, but that is the best I have.

exile


Been looking for one of these. IMO Ruger and Smith are missing out on the 5" barrel length, IMO the best length for balance for shooting, I like the looks of the unfluted cylinder. I have two 657's with this feature and like them. Is yours a 7 or 6 shot?

[dubber123]

My biggest complaints with the new Vs. old centers around the cast hammer and triggers in the new guns. Many have mould lines and injection point circles still visible, and the parts are much lighter than the old forged ones. Many times a tuning kit will produce light firing pin hits and misfires in the new guns, but work fine with the older heavy hammers. The lock ain't perty either.

I have a newer 625, and it has been a good gun, but I had to settle for just a lighter rebound spring, (stock mainspring), to assure ignition.

[jhrosier]

Lead Foot,

I have a 8-3/8" 6shot and a 6" 7shot 686. They are both fine guns, accurate and reliable.
I wouldn't buy a new one because I am cheap. There are a lot of good used ones out there for alot less than $1200, in fact I paid less than $1000 for both of mine together.

I really like the 6" as it shoots well enough to make me look like a good shot and the sight radius agrees with my old eyes.

Jack

[HeavyMetal]

Here you could visit gun shops, pass the "word" around at local ranges, maybe post a want ad on the bullitin board and in general maybe find an older pre lock 686.

Not sure how it works "Down Under" but suspect it's no where near as simple as it is here!

If you can search for an older pre lock gun if not get what you can get.

As stated a 5 inch gun is good, nice ballance. I think you give up to much of the 357's "abilities" when you "hobble" it with a short barrel.

[Dale53]

lead foot;
Is from Australia. Any price discussion has to take that into consideration.

I have a 6" 686 and a 4" 686 (CS-1) and have been happy with both. In my honest opinion, they are one of the best platforms for the .357 caliber ever made. I even prefer them over the grand Model 27.

Dale53

[jameslovesjammie]

I have a 686-5 (roughly 2001 manufactuer) and absolutely love it! I have the Wolfe rebound and mainspring in mine and have done the Miculek trigger job. Mine is pre-lock but does have the MIM parts, frame mounted firing pin, and is factory drilled and tapped for a scope mount.

Be prepared if you do a spring job to only use Federal primers. Mine is about as light as I would ever want to go reliably. I shoot 99% single action, but the double action power has been reduced quite a bit and I do occasionally get light strikes shooting DA.

[Matt_G]

Wow, guns are expensive down there aren't they?
$1200.00 AUD equals $993.73 USD at today's exchange rate.
I'm seeing the same type of gun out on Gunbrokers for as little as $549.00 USD.
(It's LNIB, so it is used but looks real nice to my untrained eyes...)

[MtGun44]

I have a 6" 586 +1 of very recent manufacture that is extremely accurate, 100%
reliable and a joy to shoot. Other than the color and the possibility that you will have
only 6 shots, you should have the same or similar results.

A good friend has a room full of trophies from PPC and silhouette shooting over many
years, is a tool and die maker and does any and all S&W work to the highest standards,
plus makes some of the "big name" parts that you can buy for your revolvers.
In his opinion (which I value highly) the new S&Ws are the finest pistols that they have
ever made. Much more consistently machined, much better typical quality all the way
through the guns. He has worked on them all from the "golden years" (whenever the
particular person thinks that was) to now, and done new barrels from scratch, action
jobs, fitting new cylinders, etc.

I have several other new S&W revolvers from the last 5-10 yrs production that are also
pretty darned good guns. I think the new S&W is doing a pretty decent job.

I'm not totally convinced on the EDM bbl making, but they sure are smooth and
shiny inside, and several shoot extremely accurately for me.

Bill

[exile]

heavylead,

Mine is a seven-shot. I was concerned about the cylinder walls being too thin, but found out that on the seven-shot cylinders the cylinder notch is between the cylinders rather than over them which supposedly makes it a stronger cylinder than the six shot ones. For what it is worth, I also have a .44 Mountain Gun that is of the same vintage and I like it as well.

It is a shame that when the older Smiths were still available at decent prices I was busy trying to find the perfect semi-auto carry gun, rather than buying a few of those old gems. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20 I guess.

Since buying my five-inch gun I have been to gunshops and picked up both the 4 and 6 inch guns. I much prefer my 5 inch model. I guess Mr. Skelton had a point there.

exile

[Dale53]

MtGun44;
I am a performance oriented individual. I don't care WHAT it looks like if it won't perform. It's a character flaw, no doubt, but that is the way it is. I have S&W's on hand from at least the last thirty years (more like forty, if the truth be told) and the only complaints that I have is the couple of years that the British outfit owned S&W.

My recent Smith's are among the best I could ever imagine. I am talking about accuracy and action. They are simply terrific, with all of their warts, imagined or otherwise.

My two 625's are the most shootable revolvers there are. My 629 "Light Hunter" is one of the most practical scoped revolvers I could imagine (the scope mounting system is superior to any I have seen and I have seen and scoped a BUNCH).

My recent 686's are terrific as well.

So, I would say your good friend is "spot on". Of course, that is not to say that my older Smith's are inferior, either. :drinks:

Dale53

[Heavy lead]

heavylead,

Mine is a seven-shot. I was concerned about the cylinder walls being too thin, but found out that on the seven-shot cylinders the cylinder notch is between the cylinders rather than over them which supposedly makes it a stronger cylinder than the six shot ones. For what it is worth, I also have a .44 Mountain Gun that is of the same vintage and I like it as well.

It is a shame that when the older Smiths were still available at decent prices I was busy trying to find the perfect semi-auto carry gun, rather than buying a few of those old gems. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20 I guess.

Since buying my five-inch gun I have been to gunshops and picked up both the 4 and 6 inch guns. I much prefer my 5 inch model. I guess Mr. Skelton had a point there.

exile

Me too, all carried away with the 1911 hype, now I do like and always will 1911's , but I always figured I could go buy a model 19 for 200 bucks any time I wanted. Dammit, I was wrong all good things come to an end I guess. Couple weeks ago I looked all over for a 686, couldn't find one new, used, or 6 or 7 shot anywhere, did run across a 657, brand new on sale "cause no body wanted the .41, so now I've got three red headed step children. After all this madness ends I hope to lay in two 686's, probably both 7 shots if I can find them. Hope Smith starts putting them out faster than people buy them.

[MtGun44]

Dale53,

Good to hear your good experience. I hear so much complaining about some new manufacturing
methods, and of course, some new method might not be up to standard. I, too, do not really
like the mold line marks and ejector pin circles on the new MIMed hammers and triggers.
However my friend says that they are much more consistently shaped and that the hardness
is more consistent than the older parts, too. Not quite as pretty, for sure, but they sure work
nicely.

I am a bit concerned about the EDM rifling contour - not having sharp edges on the lands
seems like it might not be as good for cast, and I run 99% or more cast thru my revolvers.
So far nothing that I can be certain of in a negative way.

I also love the pinned in front sights - now changing them is easy, unlike when it was an
integral part of the bbl.

Not thrilled by the locks, but that seems to be an unfortunate fact of life these days.

Bill

[jameslovesjammie]

Here's a fix for the lock:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVPYgohVCNM

[lead Foot]

Thanks for the replies guys. I have applied for a permit and put a deposit on a new 686 6", 6shot. Hand guns are pretty much restricted here in Australia. You can't carry like the USA. Club use only though I could have one to use on the cattle station. It is good to here that people have faith in the new ones. There are no second hand guns around at the moment.But have a few friends that have bought bargains round $500. The price here range from $695 to $800 S/H from a dealer, Mainly adjusting front sight model. A new gun should last me a life time where as a second hand bought unseen could cost you more in the long run. But saying that I do like to fiddle and on a new one might void the warranty. The key lock is bugging me already. Thanks to James I can fix it now.:drinks:
Lead foot;

[Four Fingers of Death]

Here you could visit gun shops, pass the "word" around at local ranges, maybe post a want ad on the bullitin board and in general maybe find an older pre lock 686.

Not sure how it works "Down Under" but suspect it's no where near as simple as it is here!

If you can search for an older pre lock gun if not get what you can get.

As stated a 5 inch gun is good, nice ballance. I think you give up to much of the 357's "abilities" when you "hobble" it with a short barrel.

It works pretty much the same way here, but we have to jump through a few hoops to get the gun.

Good choice, nothing like buying a brand new gun, it is YOUR gun, that means a lot. With new ones, I keep them well oiled and run 5-600 rounds through before I consider anything else. I'd ignore any safety, but would be loathe to remove one. Think of the drama if you did screw up and shoot someone with a gun that had the safety tampered with. I personally don't see the safety issue. We train in the military and live with safeties, our boys in harm's way don't find a safety slows them down, squillions of cops don't find a safety slows them down, walk the bush with a bolt rifle hunting and we use a safety. Fit one to a lever gun or a revolver and people have a pink fit, don't make sense.

Good luck with your new gun, my first centrefire pistol was a 586, still have it, it is one that won't get sold.

[Four Fingers of Death]

I haven't seen the new hammer, looks kinda like a Ruger hammer I suppose. I also wouldn't worry about it not beng there, I have only had one handgun fail in over 40 years of handgunning, It was the firing pin on my 586, the end broke clean off, 50,000 rounds from me and who knows how many from the previous owner (it had blooms on the cylinder when I bought it, it has been around the block a few times). I ain't complaining, but like I said that is the only part ever to fail.

[Lloyd Smale]

still in my opinion the finest 357 made.

[JMax]

Too much made about the new MIM parts and safety. I shoot 500-800 rounds a week w/o problems and shot the IRC (International Revolver Championship) w/the same revolver for the past 4 years with the safety still in the revolver. The same goes for the Steel Challenge, same revo same lock. Enjoy the 686 is really quite nice.

[Four Fingers of Death]

They use MIM parts in planes and the shuttle, surely they would work in a six gun.

[HiVelocity]

Well, I guess I'm the oddball in the bunch.

I found a older S&W 681 fixed sight 4" stainless that I got for a song. It carries well and shoots even better with everything I put in it. Cast or factory.

Currently, I'm casting some .358-158-RF for both this pistol and my Marlin. I plan on carrying both for deer and hog hunting here in SC.

I know that many of you are saying, "Hey, that's supposed to be a cowboy bullet!" (or so I've been told) but it has a pretty wide meplat for a .358 bullet.

I'm casting out of air cooled WW. I'm going to try water quenching and see what happens when it hits a hog behind the ear or through the eye.

I'd like to try this bullet on coyotes too at 40-50 yards.

Okay gents, your turn!

HiVelocity in SC