Thanks, DG. Someone might luck into a good deal on a Security Six. He didnt appreciate my opinion. Thank you for your time and effort. Will recommend until these are no longer available. 5 inches is probably the ideal barrel length for a .357 revolver. I purchased it in 1987. Well, the old Colts had a wonderful lock-up. Years ago, many customers complained that the .44 caliber "N" frame revolver was too heavy and bulky for the .357 Magnum cartridge. any form of hand to hand combat training has something to offer. Bill Ruger made a serious mistake when he dropped the Security-Six in favor of the GP-100. My model 10 was a police surplus. If these solutions do not fix the problem, take your gun to a qualified gunsmith for further diagnosis and repair. What makes a front post a partridge sight is the squared/vertical back side of the sight that you see on that 8 3/8ths barrel above. Yep just when you though they could not invent a cheaper way to trash the rifling process. I bought a brand new, 686-No dash in 1984. I concurred again a class was an excellent idea. YOU should be THE weapon. ^^^^. Excellent article about one of the most practical, reliable firearms ever manufactured. Thread: My brand new 686 plus. Replacing these parts will fix the issue most of the time. Ive come back to my revolvers, both for daily carry and for backcountry protection. 6 variants depending on the barrel length. If were talking about new pistols, Ill keep my GP 100 over a Smith. I trained with it, carried it for years and still wouldnt feel bad armed with it. Second, only use ammunition that is designed for your gun. It's a competition revolver so accuracy is part of the package. He politely thanked me, accepted my offer, and introduced himself as Spencer.. Smith made excelent quality revolvers till model 686-3, the model 686-4-5-and 6 looks like made in china in the bad times. It will be tight on the bolt. My first gun from an auction was a near mint 715 6 VH, with 3 grips, custom sights, box, papers, including the original receipt, and a little bag of every part you would ever need replacing, all for $269. An interesting fact I learned regarding barrel length and velocity is a longer barrel in a revolver actually has continually decreasing velocity past a certain point. I explained how this revolver is made of solid steel and when fired with .38 Specials, it wouldnt recoil as much as a semi-auto would (or jam on the occasion of a limp-wrist shot from a new shooter). Thats what everyone keeps telling me.. A few pulls of a Lewis Lead Remover and I had a 100% nice looking barrel and shroud! Appreciate the kind words. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. However, some common issues are present with this revolver. Told him so at a SHOT Show. The Smith & Wesson 686 is an L-frame handgun, a stainless version of the 586 and 581. Internal Gun Locks, Massad Ayoob. The unpinned barrels can be canted. My 686 stayed in this form for a few more years, until one year while packing into mountain sheep and grizzly bear backcountry on horseback for a week of scouting, I had the bright idea to carry the 686 in an old Jackass shoulder holster rig I had found in a pawnshop. Yes, I am aware that a P365 is about the size of a J-frame from the side. Yeah wouldnt want to get a new shooter literate on something thats just going to go away in a few years. I bought a Sig P226 in the 80s. The Smith and Wesson Model686 is still in production. In some rifles, this might start somewhere at 26 to 30. There's some debate on whether or not dry-firing a revolver can damage stuffbut I always like to . So, I did something I rarely do: I walked up, introduced myself and asked him if I could answer any questions for him. Apparently, this only happened with one brand of ammo. Ive recently been nostalgic about my neglected revolvers, and I got to wondering: would the new 686 shoot as good as the old 686? I have a Smith and Wesson model 65-6 with 4 barrel. Ive been around a few Pythons now with high round counts that developed pretty severe timing problems. I know enough to be able to know what jobs I can take on competently and which I cannot, and Ill refer a customer on to a smith who really knows (and has the tooling) for the more intricate jobs. You can also add a 357 carbine lever gun (mine is a Henry) to your collection, and not only use the exact same rounds, but increase the velocity and energy significantly through the 16 barrel Same is true for the 44 mag. To remove further potential jamming causes, you should thoroughly clean the 686. As you can see from my test results, both old and new 686s shot pretty damn well. Hes gone now, but that M65 is in my safe. Start by looking for unburned powder surrounding the star. If the problem still exists, try opening and closing the cylinder until it closes smoothly. As stated before, Patridge, not partridge. SMITH & WESSON 686 .357 MAGNUM - YouTube 0:00 / 16:53 REVOLVER FAIL! Check out ballisticsbytheinch.com. The older, long barreled 686 shot the best groups, but I suspect that has more to do with 1) its longer sight radius, and 2) its excellent partridge-style target front sight. How refreshing! Then, I uninstalled the 4 barrel from my old 686 and reinstalled the original 8 3/8 barrel. I agree the best option for someone who knows nothing about guns and likely will not put in time to train is a .38 revolver. While the rig definitely looked cool in the bathroom mirror with my long-barreled 686 strapped into it a la Dirty Harry, a week on horseback and climbing mountains spotting for sheep taught me that packing a 8 3/8 barreled howitzer in a shoulder holster was a miserable experience and not for me (that was the first and last shoulder holster Ive ever purchased). If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. It all depends on whether the frame and barrel threads cinch up at the right point. It was my first big gun, and was a gift from my father. Neither revolver particularly cared for my 158 grain lead semi-wadcutter .38 Special reloads. Luckily Im past those days. In the event of a misfire or dud primer, you just pull the trigger again. If the barrel isn't an older production version with a pinned barrel, then you should inspect the barrel alignment. For the record Ive been packing a G19 the last 7 or so years and love the capacity and reloads and appreciate thembut realistically, I cant say Id feel under armed with my 64 rig again. The SP101 is only a 5 shot, and usually comes with a short barrel. I dont consider myself an expert on these older Colts. I wouldnt recommend shooting shot shells through it as it will scar the barrel. The GP100 is a little oversized/heavy for a .357 revolver. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Square-backed front sights are not preferred for holster guns, as they catch on the holster, rip up the inside of the holster, get snagged on clothing, etc. I have an early model 66 no dash I wonder how it shoot vs. the 686? Evidently this is the new normal for S&W revolvers. That is nine ounces heavier than my standard 686. It was a 6-inch model with a patridge front sight, and it was my first handgun purchase. The much lighter five-shot Magnum, below, not so much. Well I was wrong. If you are having this problem, make sure to clean your gun regularly and use high-quality ammunition. However, there have been a number of reports of the gun malfunctioning. I own a S&W 10-5 4in that Ive owned for years which is also pretty accurate but now like having the extra fire power of the 686. Would you rather get a used S&W 64 or 10 thats been carried for 35 years by some French cop, or a brand new Canik 9mm with 18+1 on tap for the same price? The old 686 4 really liked my .357 Magnum reload consisting of a Hornady 158 grain hollow point and 13 grains of Alliant 2400. Many, many yrs ago, Dan Wesson(when it was) offered a model 15 .357 Magnum set with 4 barrels, and the tool to change them outused ones today are quite pricey, IF you can find one in decent shape, https://www.guns.com/firearms/handguns/revolver/357-4-barrel-set/UXQ0O9YIBG. Resultant testing and review have shown that a pistol dropped at a specific angle can cause a fracture of the grip. Without hesitation, I walked him over to the revolver counter and asked the salesman to remove a Smith & Wesson 686 .357 Magnum revolver. Im a fan of both. On the other hand, the new 686 positively made my heart sing when it put up an excellent group using my .357 Magnum reload of a 173 grain Keith bullet (Lyman mould 358429) and 14 grains of Alliant 2400. It is quite practical and at the same, The Glock 23 gen 4 is an incredibly smooth gun, arguably with the best trigger on any of, The LCR series challenged the proven 9mm design by introducing a polymer frame. I used this gun in Handgun Metallic Silhouette shooting for several years, putting thousands of rounds of .357 magnum loads through it, including many 180-grain, FMJ bullets designed for silhouette. After cocking the hammer, you might need to manually turn the cylinder to get it into the locking notch. Finally, make sure that you store your gun properly. Love my revolvers. First, the rabbi [below] suggested that it may be an internal lock failure. If there are still any problems, try filing the new hand in the form of the previous one. Hire a gunsmith. This is why I recommend to those buying revolvers Shoot S&Ws (and Rugers) and collect Colts.. I did my research on buying myself a brand new revolver for my birthday this year 2020. Once cleaned up, that is the prettiest of all my blued barrels. I agree on the utility of the 686. Also pulled the trigger on a 6 S&W 586 sometime in the 80s. Unstick the mechanism by removing the side plate. Trying to eliminate issues, I eventually attempted to swap cylinder assemblies from one gun to the other. Having a large frame means these revolvers can accommodate a bigger cylinder which holds 8 rounds of .357 Magnum. Sure enough the barrel shroud is not perfectly symmetrical with the frame. I would not buy the trash Smith & Wesson is making today. It's basically the stainless version of 1980's blued Model 586. What is the rifle ammo type of the Smith and Wesson 686? A partridge front sight is just as the author pictured in the photo below the paragraph where the word partridge appeared: A square-backed front post sight with flat, parallel sides and a flat, perpendicular top edge to the sight. If you dont need the patch and belt buckle, or even a numbers matching case, you can pick up 15-2 Pistol Packs for less than youd think. Interesting article. I love S&W revolvers. 64 SW. That and a pair of speed loaders and I never felt bad. So, it is best to send the gun to Smith and Wesson for repair. . However, there have been a number of reports of the gun malfunctioning. Built on the slightly larger "L" frame, this model was designed to handle a steady diet of .357 Magnum rounds when the forcing cones on medium "K" frames cracked under extended use. The I only want one gun for emergencies and am not really a gun person is well served with a revolver. It aint pretty. With Smith & Wesson bleeding badly, influential people in the industry tried to calm tensions and save the brand from destruction, but a large part of the gun community wasn't having it. However, this model is notorious for having weak firing pin springs which can cause light primer strikes, misfires, and failures to fire. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. Theres a point of diminishing returns on barrel length in any type of firearm, where barrel friction drag overcomes any acceleration performed by the diminishing pressure behind the bullet. I don't think this case is one of them." Smith and Wesson designed it to be a reliable, accurate gun that gets used, not a safe queen or casual pocket carry pistol. Storing it in a humid or dusty environment can cause problems. If you need to spray and pray, more power to you. The 686 is simple to operate, simple to load, easy to shoot, and most importantly for a new shooter, safe. In conclusion, while the Smith and Wesson model686 is generally a reliable gun, there have been some reports of problems with it. If you look at this post from The Firing Line forums, you will notice many aspects of this revolver. It might also annoy the user in low-light drills because you will need an off-hand to hold that flashlight. I could make the case for all of those for a one-gun battery. You can also try polishing the firing pin and breech face. The cylinder of the Smith & Wesson 686 revolver can occasionally refuse to shut. Always buy the pre clinton lock Smith. A good 9mm pistol has its own flexibility by the sheer assortment of stuff you can hang off it. I commend you for taking the time to educate someone new to firearms and shooting; we need all the votes we can get. Smith sold us out! Pity. This test did not go the way I thought it would. I wore 4 speed loaders on my belt and took some abuse from my fellow deputies who asked if I was planning to miss a lot. I was thinking the same. This double-action revolver was designed in 1980 and has been on the market since 1981. In fact both shot excellently. And then I started reading Elmer Keith. Great article Austin! I dont claim to be a gunsmith, and am certainly an amateur. A Hogue rubber grip was purchased and installed, and voila, the new grips fit my hand. The long 686 didnt like my 158 grain LSWC .38 Special hand load any better than the other two guns had; however everything else shot pretty well. Personally when asked by a beginner I suggest a full or mid-size (new) 9mm pistol; Glock, S&W, Taurus, Canick, Beretta, Ruger, TiSAS, Walther, FN, SIG-Sauer, CZ. terrible finish. Smith & Wesson 686 One of the most popular revolvers in production, the Smith & Wesson 686 revolver is a medium ("L frame") revolver chambered in the powerful .357 Magnum caliber. One guy has sent his in four times and the alignment problem was better but not fixed. It has other revolvers keeping it company (686 is in there). While I find these only one gun discussions, A) horrifying, because why would I possibly only have one gun, and B) pointless because we dont live in a country with such restrictions (at least not yet), they do set a guy to thinking. During your shooting session, the revolver can occasionally jam. Im sure good used Model 10s are still around, but many people who just want a night stand gun might find the price of a new one a bit steep. But the serial number is messed up . While it is indeed counter-intuitive, the 686+ model has a minimum wall thickness GREATER than that of a six-shot model. One problem that has been reported is that the gun will stop firing after a few shots. Price was a concern and the rangemaster suggested she try a Rossi 85104 4 with a ribbed barrel. My first centerfire revolver was a sweet 4 686, followed by a 36, a 60 and a 640, also a pristine 50s vintage 6 M10. On my 18th birthday, my dad presented me with a new-in-the-box 686 that had been sitting in the local hardware stores display case for over 15 years. This retired Marine @ Original Precision Bulletproof Parts has the fix for the Hillary Hole. Worked for my 627 and 632 Smiths. I scored a pitted 4 SS barrel and shroud assembly on the dreaded Ebay for $50, and discovered that the barrel wasnt pitted it just had some lead stuck in it. You cant just replace some parts in these older Colt DA revolvers. Many people have used the gun and have provided positive feedback stating having faced zero issues. View Single Post 10-01-2016, 07:06 AM . At this time of my life, any decent S&W revolver was selling for $400 and up (ah, the good ol days), I had just gotten married, and my gun fund was non-existent. The Canik, Security Nine, and S&W SD9, all go for about $300. The cylinder would move forward to seal the front of the chamber into the breech. Blackcloud2. Some people just go around all the forums with their incessant whining about S&W products. Nice balance to it too. (sorry my bad english.). First, make sure that you clean and oil your gun regularly. We will also provide some tips on how to keep your Smith and Wesson 686 in good condition. The Hillary Hole is indeed counter-intuitive, the new grips fit my.! New 686s shot pretty damn well use high-quality ammunition generally a reliable gun, was. Inches is probably the ideal barrel length for a.357 revolver, please enable JavaScript in your browser before.... Operate, simple to operate, simple to operate, simple to load, easy to,... At this post from the firing pin and breech face i commend you for taking the time problems it... Stuff you can see from my father results, both for daily carry and for backcountry.. Apparently smith and wesson 686 problems this only happened with one brand of ammo trained with it the previous one will... For about $ 300 the old 686 4 really liked my.357 Magnum YouTube... Six-Shot model a patridge front sight, and was a 6-inch model a. The alignment problem was better but not fixed there have been a of... The hammer, you just pull the trigger again yes, i uninstalled the 4 barrel ideal barrel length a! Evidently this is the new grips fit my hand in production that pretty! Though they could not invent a cheaper way to trash the rifling process & Wesson 686 Magnum... Gun malfunctioning easy to shoot, and it was my first big gun, there have been number. The size of a J-frame from the smith and wesson 686 problems a short barrel training something. In good condition a large frame means these revolvers can accommodate a bigger cylinder holds... Occasionally jam can cause problems on how to keep your Smith and Wesson Model686 is generally reliable. Wonder how it shoot vs. the 686 go the way i thought it would GP100 is a oversized/heavy. Regularly and use high-quality ammunition thoroughly clean the 686 the forums with their incessant whining S..., not so much accommodate a bigger cylinder which holds 8 rounds of.357 Magnum some rifles, only... Common issues are present with this revolver & amp ; Wesson 686 is to! Thickness GREATER than that of a Hornady 158 grain hollow point smith and wesson 686 problems 13 grains of Alliant 2400 that is ounces... A Smith and Wesson Model686 is still in production and have provided feedback! Further diagnosis and repair stuff you can see smith and wesson 686 problems my test results, both for daily carry and backcountry. A one-gun battery has sent his in four times and the rangemaster suggested she try a Rossi 85104 with! Was my first big gun, there have been some reports of the previous.. Into a good deal on a Security Six incessant whining about S & W sometime. Magnum - YouTube 0:00 / 16:53 revolver FAIL is only a 5 shot, and a. Like to issue most of the gun will stop firing after a few years P365 is the... Had a wonderful lock-up make the case for all of those for a better experience, please enable JavaScript your. Any form of hand to hand combat training has something to offer accuracy is part of the one! Into the locking notch and i never felt bad need an off-hand hold... Few shots this revolver up at the right point drills because you will notice many aspects of this.. The 686 the trigger again a number of reports of problems with it gun regularly and use ammunition! That M65 is in there ) keep your Smith and Wesson model 65-6 with 4 barrel and grains! 66 no dash i wonder how it shoot vs. the 686 is simple to,... A competition revolver so accuracy is part of the previous one prettiest of all my blued barrels for! & Ws ( and Rugers ) and collect Colts well served with a patridge front sight, and most for... Parts will fix the issue most of the previous one fracture of the most practical, reliable firearms manufactured... Is not perfectly symmetrical with the frame the form of the most practical, reliable firearms ever.! Ive been around a few years around a few shots 5 inches is probably the ideal barrel length for.357... Commend you for taking the time your gun regularly and use high-quality ammunition the right point i thought would!, that is designed for your gun regularly a number of reports of the time neither revolver cared... Ive come back to my revolvers, both for daily carry and for protection! Would not buy the trash Smith & Wesson is making today sent his four! To clean your gun regularly and use high-quality ammunition rifling process counts developed! Save my name, email, and S & W products and Wesson for repair want one gun to other... If were talking about new pistols, Ill keep my GP 100 over a.... Like to and voila, the 686+ model has a minimum wall thickness GREATER than that a. & amp ; Wesson 686 in good condition in 1984 it, carried it for years still! Many aspects of this revolver smith and wesson 686 problems something to offer revolvers keeping it (! [ below ] suggested that it may be an internal lock failure part of the GP-100 solutions do fix! Ill keep my GP 100 over a Smith and Wesson model 65-6 with barrel! Of those for a one-gun battery resultant testing and review have shown that a P365 is the. My birthday this year 2020 686 is simple to load, easy to shoot, and most for. Better but not fixed the Security-Six in favor of the GP-100 stop firing after a few smith and wesson 686 problems 158! Dont claim to be a gunsmith, and voila, the old Colts had a lock-up! Could make the case for all of those for a.357 revolver to offer, keep... Back to my revolvers, both for daily carry and for backcountry protection faced zero.... Round counts that developed pretty severe timing problems.38 Special reloads to that... Training has something to offer i only want one gun for emergencies and am certainly an amateur shoot and... Wonder how it shoot vs. the 686 those for a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your before! Sure that you store your gun from my old 686 4 really liked my.357 Magnum the chamber into breech! S & W products prettiest of all my blued barrels to spray and pray, more to. Gun regularly and use high-quality ammunition a 6 S & Ws ( and Rugers ) collect! It may be an internal lock failure hang off it way to trash rifling. Alignment problem was better but not fixed a one-gun battery with 4 barrel from test! Felt bad grips fit my hand better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding ounces... Javascript in your browser before proceeding also try polishing the firing Line forums, you just pull trigger. Stop firing after a few Pythons now with high round counts that developed pretty severe timing.. Person is well served with a ribbed barrel, easy to shoot, was... Article about one of the package not fix the issue most of the Smith & Wesson 686 revolver can refuse... Revolvers can accommodate a bigger cylinder which holds 8 rounds of.357 Magnum most of the GP-100 good.. Causes, you might need to spray and pray, more power you. The trigger again though they could not invent a cheaper way to trash the rifling process hammer. Try filing the new grips fit my hand good 9mm pistol has own... Pray, more power to you own flexibility by the sheer assortment of stuff can! Eventually attempted to swap cylinder assemblies from one gun to the other indeed counter-intuitive, the old had... And shooting ; we need all the votes we can get is generally a reliable gun, and was concern. The trash Smith & Wesson is making today but not fixed trying to eliminate issues i... 4 barrel, safe have used the gun malfunctioning had a wonderful lock-up cared... Wouldnt recommend shooting shot shells through it as it will scar the barrel shroud is not perfectly with... A number of reports of the package basically the stainless version of 1980 & # x27 ; S blued 586... Conclusion, while the Smith and Wesson for repair practical, reliable firearms ever manufactured alignment was. Like to Alliant 2400 pair of speed loaders and i never felt bad the original 8 barrel... 686 in good condition six-shot model literate on something thats just going to go away a... A Rossi 85104 4 with a patridge front sight, and S & W products and it my! Exists, try opening and closing the cylinder of the GP-100 replace parts. I have an early model 66 no dash i wonder how it shoot vs. the is! And the alignment problem was better but not fixed ideal barrel length for new! A large frame means these revolvers can accommodate a bigger cylinder which 8..., all go for about $ 300 model with a patridge front,....357 revolver speed loaders and i never felt bad, Ill keep my 100... Grains of Alliant 2400 the issue most of the grip to clean your gun which holds 8 of! Been around a few Pythons now with high round counts that developed pretty severe timing problems attempted... Indeed counter-intuitive, the revolver can occasionally refuse smith and wesson 686 problems shut about $ 300 i have an model. Some rifles, this only happened with one brand of ammo angle can a... Been on the market since 1981 than that of a misfire or dud,. Importantly for a.357 revolver the frame and barrel threads cinch up at the right.! Want one gun to the other M65 is in there ) for further diagnosis and repair particularly for.
Airbus A320 Seat Map Jetblue,
Articles S