Originally Posted by CoMF

First off, welcome to the forum and congrats on your purchase.

I own a 686 no dash with the 4" barrel and love using it for punching paper and general carry in the woods. Keep an eye on the mainspring screw and make sure it's not backing out of its own accord, and you're golden.

Finding a set of grips and sticking with ones that "work" (even if they're the factory magna or target panels) will also greatly increase your enjoyment of it. My 686 came with a set of Pachmayr Grippers that felt like they were made for Paul Bunyan's hands. I ended up going with the original target stocks that also came with it for the time being until I can afford a new set of grips from Herrett's. Call me overly worrisome, but I'd hate to ruin the originals from daily wear and tear after being preserved so well over the years.