The 686 is simple to operate, simple to load, easy to shoot, and most importantly for a new shooter, safe. It is chambered in .357 Magnum and can also shoot .38 Special rounds. I ordered the brushed plug and should have ordered polished. If your gun stops firing, check for obstructions in the cylinder and/or replace the hammer spring. Revolvers are also the best choice against an active shooter. Xtrooper cautions that "the internal lock is a handy scapegoat for every failure of a Smith revolver equipped with one, but the fact is that verified failures are rare. Smith & Wesson 686 Shootout: Old vs. New, Short Barrel vs. Long, Smith & Wesson model 686 .357 magnum revolver, South Carolina Bank Teller Opens Fire at Fleeing Robber, Joe Bidens the only guy ever nationally to beat the NRA, No One Makes a Better Case for Abolishing the ATF Than the ATF, Smith: The NRA Has Won and America Is Stuck in a Doom Loop of Gun Buying, The Dwindling But Exclusive Club Hoplo is Always Glad to Welcome a New Member. The precision of machining is very impressive. Due to manufacturing tolerances, some firearms may require additional fitting. I have a 686+ from 2013 that's perfectly aligned. You might get the effect you want on the one issue you were seeking to change/fix, and then you might find out that youve changed the timing in two other ways that are now out of time. On top of that, I had put a good scratch in one of the grips while crawling over a barbed wire fence, and that clinched it: the pretty wood grips had to be replaced with something tougher that fit my hand better. So, it is best to send the gun to Smith and Wesson for repair. Rubish. I have a pre lock 686 and it looks perfect to me. Things are very complicated inside and stuff fails quickly when rust gets in there. Manage Settings After the powerhouse .357 Magnum was widely adopted in the in the 1960s for law enforcement and personal. However, in the early 90s I got married, got a high demand job, and didnt shoot for many years. As stated before, Patridge, not partridge. YOU should be THE weapon. Wrong. The cylinder gap allows gas to escape at an increasing rate the longer the barrel becomes. The cylinder on a properly timed Colt will not have ANY wiggle to it at all. We have had a very small number or reports where a dropped pistol resulted in a broken grip resulting in a failure to fire by releasing mainspring tension. His gun actually came back with some scratches after getting it worked on. [emailprotected]@[emailprotected] you forgot the most important aspect, semi autos misfire probably 33% of the times. If youre experiencing any of these issues with your Model 68, be sure to check the firing pin spring. My bad. This S&W clone is now her baby. poor quality. Ive seen what happens to an improperly maintained revolver. A friend has a DW 15-2 with a non fluted cylinder and even though he doesnt really like it, he refuses to let me buy it. One problem that has been reported is that the gun will stop firing after a few shots. Lets quickly review the 686 troubleshooting techniques listed in the table below. Her most excellent instructor lent her her fathers 4 S&W 686 to shoot with. For the new shooter who is not going to go balls deep into the hobby like a lot of us the revolver has a lot to offer. A few pulls of a Lewis Lead Remover and I had a 100% nice looking barrel and shroud! You mean to tell me you would truly choose a Smith & Wesson 686 over a Colt Python, or you just cannot afford the alternative (I bought mine when they were still being manufactured). One tries not to eavesdrop, but two things quickly became clear: 1) the middle-aged gentlemen knew absolutely nothing about firearms, and 2) the sales staff was losing interest in helping him. Over the past year despite the insanity in the market Ive been able to purchase a Ruger MK II with the 5.5 bull barrel and a Savage Model 1907 pistol in 32 auto. What materials are used to build the Smith and Wesson 686? The fact is most dgus occur without a shot being fired. Stainless steel barrel, frame, and finish. terrible finish. I stand by my choice. The most common Smith and Wesson 686 problems are trigger lock automatically engaging, sear and spring issue, failure to carry up, jamming, cylinder not closing, and slow timing. It also had never been back to the S&W factory for the "M" stamp modification, which is a replacement firing pin bushing in the frame to prevent primer flow with high pressure loads. Excellent article about one of the most practical, reliable firearms ever manufactured. Is it just me? What was the upside? Once the firearm is ready to be picked up at your FFL, inspect the firearm to make sure it is exactly what you ordered. In conclusion, the Model 68 may be one of Smith & Wessons most popular revolvers but its also one of their most problematic. In theory you can deer hunt with it and it is perfect for home protection. 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. A good .22 rifle? On a lark, I purchased a raffle ticket. To remove further potential jamming causes, you should thoroughly clean the 686. And I really didnt want to part with my 686, even for another 686. Most people want guns at the intersection of smallest size, highest capacity, and lowest price. At 100 feet it would only drop less than half an inch. 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. At nearly 40 ounces with a four inch barrel, these characteristics provide enough mass to dampen recoil . Mine was $315 three years ago. Once you get larger, there are autos like the P365 and G26 with much higher capacity. Without hesitation, I walked him over to the revolver counter and asked the salesman to remove a Smith & Wesson 686 .357 Magnum revolver. Smith and Wesson designed it to be a reliable, accurate gun that gets used, not a safe queen or casual pocket carry pistol. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Glocks are good guns. Trying to eliminate issues, I eventually attempted to swap cylinder assemblies from one gun to the other. Next, check the hammer spring. I carry a Springfield XD-45 I bought before the Illinois kerfluffel. 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. So, I have included the solutions to these most common issues that the Smith and Wesson 686 users face. Has there been any recall with the Smith and Wesson 686? The writer called his sight a partridge sight! If you are having trouble with your Smith and Wesson 686, dont worry we are here to help! 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. The old style internal lockwork in Colt DA revolvers (Colt Army Special, Colt New Service, up through the Python, etc) are very subtle and involved mechanisms. I cannot say whether it is as accurate at long range as it used to be, since I dont see 200 meter targets well anymore. That is nine ounces heavier than my standard 686. I have an old 4 inch 66 from the mid 80s that is one of my carry guns and an excellent shooter with 125 grain FTX rounds. the sear and hammer are taken right out of the mold and then with no machining slapped into the gun. I also suggest that they consider a striker-fired pistol, but a SA/DA hammer design will work as well. The triggers were very comparable. Art, no debate from me. The Smith and Wesson Model 68 is a three-inch barreled revolver that was introduced in 1980. The 686 revolvers can sometimes prevent fire while shooting. I have a Smith and Wesson model 65-6 with 4 barrel. Once cleaned up, that is the prettiest of all my blued barrels. Call S&W customer service. The brittle MIM cast junk parts i.e. It was about this time I realized that, while my 686 definitely had sex appeal with that long barrel and the beautiful wood grips (my then-girlfriend, now-wife thought it was the coolest gun ever made), it was terribly impractical. s. When the hand or the slot deteriorates, this problem arises (Fig 2). I honestly cant say that either the new or old 4-inch 686s arent capable of the same accuracy. I purchased it in 1987. There is a 686 5 inch barrel, unfluted cylinder at a local LGS. Scopes, guns, boots and other tactical stuff in-between. Good article. Specifications. They have use and fun, dont hurt your 686. Regarding Smith and Wesson revolvers I know the older or pre (safety) lock revolvers are generally thought of as higher quality and highly sought after by Smith and Wesson revolver aficionados or just by folks who want nothing to do with what's now known as the Clinton safety on a S&W revolver. The most common Smith and Wesson 686 problems are trigger lock automatically engaging, sear and spring issue, failure to carry up, jamming, cylinder not closing, and slow timing. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Pull the trigger a few times after installing it to make sure the hand is functioning correctly. Regardless, there is no known problem of either gun, six shot or seven, being weak, failing, or wearing prematurely. Nailing down the holster and reloading setup can be tricky. Revolvers. Mossberg 500 vs 590: Which Shotgun Is Right for You? Its been my (personal) experience that many folks dont want to hear unsolicited advice. The G2C seems decent, and only runs around $200 as does the EC9s. My most carried handgun is a Ruger SP101DAO with an XS Big Dot front sight and Hogue rubber grip. I was a crack shot with it, and had more than once made outstanding long-range shots that were witnessed by others. Seems to me your wadcutter loads need to be readjusted. At the time our sheriff felt that automatics were too complicated for reserve officers (he was an idiot in other categories too). Before the cylinder is in place, the hammer may get cocked when you pull it. Both are crisp and excellent. In rifles that are burning larger quantities of powder, you might still be getting an improvement in muzzle velocity by going from a 24 to 26 or 28 barrel. Thank you. I think we all imprint on our first big handgun. The 686 may very well be a fine revolver. The 686 was my first big caliber revolver. Neither revolver particularly cared for my 158 grain lead semi-wadcutter .38 Special reloads. The Security Six (also Speed Six and Service Six) are just the right size and weight for a six shot .357 magnum revolver. Im actually looking at pre lock 686s right now, probably a 4 is going to be bought one of these days. Evidently this is the new normal for S&W revolvers. It may not seem loose to you. My testing protocol: the old 4 and the new 4 686s were fired by me, single-action, from a seated position off of a rest, at a paper target at 25 yards. Guns are like Harleys and Women. Smith uses now a two piece barrel and despite gun writer propaganda, no they do not shoot better they shoot worse. yes . 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. I don't think this case is one of them." But after a couple of days sitting in the tractor pondering the question, I always come back to the same conclusion: if I could own only one gun, it would be a Smith & Wesson model 686 .357 magnum revolver with a 4 inch barrel. If you are a gun owner, then you know that there is nothing more important than ensuring your weapon is in good working condition. Then, buy a quality .357 revolver, like the S&W 686. Im a fan of both. If you look at this post from The Firing Line forums, you will notice many aspects of this revolver. People have shared their experiences where some of them have faced a few problems with the gun. I was thinking the same. Peen the flat surfaces of the teeth of the extractor star. 33Charlemagne Are you gonna stand in the middle of the room and trade shots with the active shooter? I see a lot of shooters at my range, some new, some with years of experience, with striker fired polymer semi-autos, who struggle mightily to just hit the cardboard upon which the target sits. Alternatively, the Blackhawk is the way to go if you want to load up extremely hot hyper .357 loads. 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