Blued 686-3

BRAH · Mar 22, 2016

Good afternoon. New member here with a couple of questions about a 686 I recently purchased.

I posted on another thread, but I decided to re post this so more members would be able to see it.

I was contacted by a buddy who is a machine gun dealer and sells his weapons to Police Departments. He often takes in trades and then sells the trades. I picked up from him what I thought was a 586 and stuck it in my safe. It sat there for awhile and I took it out one day to shoot and saw that it was stamped 686 instead of 586 with serial number BBV7606. I have never seen anything other than a stainless 686 and searching the internet proved the same.

Would anyone have any info on this weapon? I'm curious if possibly the PD may have had a quantity made for the department? I enjoy getting my hands on old Police model firearms and this just makes my collection more interesting for me. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

quinn · Mar 22, 2016

I think that is a misstamp which is not unheard of. You sometimes see them on GB where dealers think they are worth extra, extra $. With coins, probably. With guns, not so. JMHO

BRAH · Mar 22, 2016

Interesting. Could the serial number distinguish it from a 686 and a 586?

woodsltc · Mar 22, 2016

In 1989 (I think) S&W cataloged a "stainless--686" in what was called a Midnight Black finish IIRC. It is stainless but has the black finish added to it. Approximately 2500 4inch and 2500 6inch models were made. The black finish was not very durable and they didn't sell well so S&W discontinued them as I recall.

I owned a 6inch model in the late 90's ...... found out there was not any real added collector value to them even with the low number produced so I traded it for something I wanted more.

Google "Midnight Black Smith & Wesson 686" and you get pics and posts about them.

Don

bountyhunter · Mar 22, 2016

woodsltc said:
In 1989 (I think) S&W cataloged a "stainless--686" in what was called a Midnight Black finish IIRC. It is stainless but has the black finish added to it. Approximately 2500 4inch and 2500 6inch models were made. The black finish was not very durable

Don

I was also going to add that stainless guns can be "blue" or even "black" as SIG Sauer's guns are stainless black with a finish they call "nitron".

If getting a stainless 686, I would just get a regular one if it's a shooter. The black finish will collect visible scratches but a plain stainless does not show minor scratches at all and can be buffed up if desired.

Fishinfool · Mar 22, 2016

In the early 1980's, S&W also applied a blackened finish to the model 66 for police departments wanting the benefits of stainless without the silver color. The finish was not as durable as blueing.

Larry

DT75 · Mar 22, 2016

Could be the pictures, but to me it looks like the revolver is coated, not blued. The finish looks too matte for being a blued gun.
Also, in picture 4 it looks like the coating has worn away in places, revealing the stainless frame.

In view of the posts above, it seems more likely that it is a coated 686, rather than a misstamped 586.

joedegs · Mar 22, 2016

Midnight 686-3

4" 686-3 in midnight black stainless. Product code 104250. 1,559 believed to be manufactured in 1989.

BRAH · Mar 23, 2016

Thanks for all the info! Doing a little research from the information that everyone provided and the serial number of the weapon that it is a Midnight Black weapon.

I'm stunned at the amount of knowledge here in the forum. Info like this would have been something that I probably would have never recovered.

As I've said before, I enjoy just having a pistol in my collection that is a little different than others even if it wasn't very desirable. For me it just adds to the story. Thanks again!

rwsmith · Mar 23, 2016

Yeah, the substrate....

DT75 said:
Could be the pictures, but to me it looks like the revolver is coated, not blued. The finish looks too matte for being a blued gun.
Also, in picture 4 it looks like the coating has worn away in places, revealing the stainless frame.

In view of the posts above, it seems more likely that it is a coated 686, rather than a misstamped 586.

If it's steel, it's a mis stamped 586

If it's stainless it's a 686 that somebody blued.

DT75 · Mar 23, 2016

I didn't know that stainless steel could be blued..?

OP : Glad you got your answers. Shoot it and enjoy.

bigggbbruce · Mar 23, 2016

DT75 said:
I didn't know that stainless steel could be blued..?

It can't... but I have blackening solution from Caswell.Stainless Steel Blackener - 8 fl oz - Stainless Steel Blackener - Metal Antiquing - Caswell Inc

Kernel Crittenden · Mar 24, 2016

BRAH said:
.....a 686 .....with serial number BBV7606....

The "BBV" s/n prefix is in the known range for the Blackened Stainless Steel guns. The 6-inch guns were product code 104248. Definitely stainless that was made to appear blue in color. It's NOT a mismarked M586. I can remember looking at these when they were new. My recollection was it didn't look like a surface coating. I looked like it had been chemically "pickled". Stained somehow. Left the impression of a carbon steel gun with a bad kitchen table re-blue job. Dull flat gray-blue. But that was 25 years ago when I looked at them, at least.

murphydog · Mar 24, 2016

Good information above. It may have been the type of stainless steel used in 686s at the time that didn't allow the black finish to be very durable, but many current semi-autos have a more wear resistant surface treatment/finish now on their stainless parts. I guess the time of needing black stainless revolvers for police may have passed

.

Here is a link to a good explanation of the current "Melonite" process:

http://smith-wessonforum.com/smith-...ols/199500-melonite-tennifer-nitron-same.html

Blued 686-3

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