I am the owner of a 686-3 L frame with a 2 1/2 inch barrel butt on a square frame. As pictured with square butt combat grips, it feels so comfortable, carries well and recovers from recoil instantly even with full house magnum loads. Was this a factory issue? I have never seen another one.I have not seen a reference to a square butt snubby in the Supica book. Maybe someone put a snubby barrel on a square butt frame. I bought it on gunbroker a while back and it had an evidence case number engraved on it thats slightly visible in the first picture under the cylinder . I sure would like another one so I could
carry one with magnas and another one with combats.Look how high it rides in a Galco Silhouette K Frame Holster.Pretty Cool, eh?

any comments about this model would be greatly appreciated

Mine is RB. I do not remember seeing one like that. Interesting

I guess someone could use oversize round to square conversion grips but they cant use magnas on the pistol . Smith made 2 inch sqaure butt 15's, I think all 3 inch 357 are round butts as well as all 2 1/2's. I wonder if anyone else has seen any snubby square butts in 357?

I would get it lettered to find out the history on this bad boy.

Barrel swap?

I would swap barrels in a heartbeat if it was a gun i was keeping and thats how i wanted it configured.I think i will letter it and post the results on the forum

I would guess that someone had the barrel switched, but the square butt's are starting to be some of my favorite snubbies

is the one on top a 2 1/2 square butt 19 and the one below it a round butt one?
thanks

Yes, those are both 19's, I bought the square butt from a collector in Texas. It started out as a 4" and was re barreled at some point in its life.

Gentlemen, I have a 686, two and a half inch, square butt just like yours. It is a dash 0 gun with a sn prefix of AAC-xxxx. When I talked to Roy Jinks about it he said it was a special order for Lew Horton and is somewhat rare as only about 1500 were made. They came from the factory with the short barrel and is origional. Mine has rubber Hogues on it and it's a dream to shoot with whatever ammo you want to stuff in the charge holes. David.

There out there...686, Square Butt..2 1/2"
Now I'm sorry I sold it.., after all who needs 2 686's... ( turned it into a 27-2..) I kept the round butt 2 1/2"....

Enjoy yours...It's a great gun..

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SWCA #2306
DAV in honor of POP

2.5" 686 Round Butt, but I doubt you'd know it with these Hogues.....Easier to score too.... Zebulon

Are you sure it was re barreled ND?
Can you post a closeup pic of the forward/top of the frame? Curious.

yup...............



I'd love to have the 686 to go with it !

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ASA/NSA 67-71
NRA Benefactor

Hi:
Many years ago it was common practice for LEOs who shot in PPC to have a 2.5" barrel installed on a SB Model 19 as a companion to Their 4" / 6" Model 19 service revolver. The idea was the service revolver and snub would have the same grip. Of course not only the barrel but also the ejector rod had to be changed.
Jimmy

i knew they made square butt 15's as I mentioned previously. and they made model 10's and 12's with 2 inch barrels. But Smith never catalogued any 357 magnum revolvers with 2 inch
or 2 1/2 inch barrels with square butts that I am aware of?
Can any forum members help me out here?

Apart from the occasional rare find that no one officially admits to, you're correct. No 2-2.5" .357 Square Butts from the factory. Plenty of fine gunsmiths will craft one for you at your request. My loyalty is always with Mag-Na-Port and Ken Kelly. My Dream gun for 25 years has been a MNP "Mini-Mag" Conversion. I'll run out of years before I can afford one, but some dreams just die hard......If you have the means...Dream! Best to you Haris.......Zebulon