View Single Post
 
Old 02-08-2012, 02:25 PM
18DAI's Avatar
18DAI 18DAI is offline
Absent Comrade
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: GSO NC
Posts: 6,106
Likes: 23,604
Liked 13,182 Times in 2,860 Posts
Default Numbers of 686 CS-1's produced

This is seemingly a moving goal post situation. Numbers from one source conflict with other numbers provided from very reliable sources. I will lay out what numbers have been provided. Perhaps someone with access to the US Customs Service records will reconcile these figures from the official records.

In a 2005 post the total number of 686 CS-1s, in all barrel lengths, was quoted as 7,850. This number was attributed to the factory historian Mr Roy Jinks. The poster claimed to have lettered his 3 inch CS-1.

In another 2005 post SmithNut tells us that the number of 3 inch 686 CS-1s made was 3,281 and 5,419 of the 4 inch CS-1. He goes on to say that the CS-1 configuration was quite popular and S&W made it available to other agencies as well as the public. S&W produced 3200 additional 686 CS-1s - 1600 3 inch and 1600 4 inch and released them directly into public distribution.

So not counting the 3200 "overun" guns released, there is a discrepancy of 850 between the Jinks letter number and the 8700 number.

As to surviving original "issued" CS-1s, SmithNut again provides much interesting information. Approximately 2500 686 CS-1s were released through the Sales Exchange Program before then Attorney General Janet Reno ended that program and ordered federally owned service weapons destroyed rather than sold. Additionally some 686 CS-1s were returned to the factory for service/repair and were released into distribution rather than being returned to the Customs Service.

It is an educated guess that perhaps this account for the relatively frequent appearance of 686 CS-1s bearing the 2M stamp and still having original matching boxes.

So counting the 3200 overuns and the 2500 used CS-1s sold to distributors we have a pool of approximately 5700 potential 686 CS-1's out there.

I've no idea how many 6 inch 686 CS-1s were produced for the pistol team. Perhaps a SWCA member can post some info or a picture here for us.

Last edited by 18DAI; 02-08-2012 at 03:13 PM.
Reply With Quote
The Following 5 Users Like Post: