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S&W Revolvers: 1980 to the Present All NON-PINNED Barrels, the L-Frames, and the New Era Revolvers


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Old 11-15-2010, 10:48 PM
l.carroll l.carroll is offline
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Smile how durable is the 686?

http://smith-wessonforum.com/newatta...anageattach&p=
I'm new to the forum and I am in love with my new S&W...

but I have a question...

how durable is my new 686?

I've read of end-shake, shooting loose, and cylinder-stop peening...has me wondering if I can shoot the revolver as much as I did my semi-auto's...

I average around 200 rounds or more a weekend...mostly mid-range 38 special home brewn reloads with the occassional 38+p thrown in...

so, at around 10,000 rounds a year how long will my 686 go without major service of some kind?

I love this gun and can see myself committing to the 686 or maybe moving on up to the stronger N frame (627)if I need to...

how many rounds have you put thru your 686?

thanks.
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Old 11-15-2010, 11:04 PM
TwoPoundPull TwoPoundPull is offline
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You'll probably wear out your rotator cup cranking the press before you wear out your 686.......
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Old 11-15-2010, 11:28 PM
parabarbarian parabarbarian is offline
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The 686 was designed to overcome the problem of the 125 gr .357 magnum beating the **** out of the K-frame. If you are shooting 38's -- even +P stuff -- you are not even close to what the gun was designed for. Assuming good maintenance on your part and a check up every couple of years by a good gunsmith, probably the worst that will ever happen is the trigger pull will get smoother.

So how much longer do you plan on living? Multiply that by your estimated round count per year and be sure to designate in your will who will get the gun when you die.
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Old 11-15-2010, 11:36 PM
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Originally Posted by TwoPoundPull View Post
You'll probably wear out your rotator cup cranking the press before you wear out your 686.......
whats a rotator cup? I use a single stage

It's a mechanical instrument, if you shoot it alot it's going to need some attention.

my springfield 1911 had over 60,000 documented rounds thru it...it was on its 2nd barrel. It needed at one time or another, slide-stops, barrel links, firing pins, extractors, springs, thumb safety, grip safety, and thats just off the top of my head...

my glock had one third the amount and only needed the occassional recoil and trigger spring change.

I was just curious what some of the 686 owners experience was with round count and parts change...
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Old 11-15-2010, 11:46 PM
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You can put your 60,000 rounds of 38's down the tubes and it will come back for more, You are talking about a revolver - not want to be's. It will last a life time if- IF you clean it after use, use a lite oiling (ONE - TWO drops on the inside), every other cleaning do the inside of it. A clean Smith is a happy S&W. Last - don't play cowboy a swing the cylinder shut, treat it like a lady.
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Old 11-15-2010, 11:57 PM
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Quote:
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You can put your 60,000 rounds of 38's down the tubes and it will come back for more, You are talking about a revolver - not want to be's. It will last a life time if- IF you clean it after use, use a lite oiling (ONE - TWO drops on the inside), every other cleaning do the inside of it. A clean Smith is a happy S&W. Last - don't play cowboy a swing the cylinder shut, treat it like a lady.
pardon my ignorance...and I did read the manual...where do you put the oil exactly and what do you mean do the inside of it? I'll be honest I'm a little intimidated by taking a S&W side-plate off!
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Old 11-16-2010, 12:28 AM
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First - your not ignorant for sure- There is movies around to show you how to strip down your gun but the best thing is Jerry Kuhnhausen manual for the S&W Revolver that is 20-25 dollars and it will show you how. Second - most of the time a S&W comes dry from the factory of oil, guess they think the the first rounds fired will smooth the action up or they are cheap . I tear my guns down every few trips and wipe every thing down, then put a drop or two on a Q-tip and wipe the surface areas down the post the hammer and trigger set on. Just two drops will make the whole inside will shine. Get yourself the book and enjoy you new buddie.
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Old 11-16-2010, 01:26 AM
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I probably have fed my 686 10,000 rounds, range and competition. Smoothest action I have on any of my competition revos.
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Old 11-16-2010, 01:35 AM
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My oldest 686 has probably 10K rounds through it, a mix of my magnum handloads and 38 +P stuff and it's still going strong. The 686 will outlast you by a long shot if cared for properly.
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Old 11-16-2010, 01:59 AM
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other than straight-up abuse, you won't break it.
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Old 11-16-2010, 06:18 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by l.carroll View Post
whats a rotator cup?
I think he means "rotator cuff."

I agree, you'll wear out a body part before you wear out your 686.
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Old 11-16-2010, 06:42 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bullseye Smith View Post
You can put your 60,000 rounds of 38's down the tubes and it will come back for more, You are talking about a revolver - not want to be's. It will last a life time if- IF you clean it after use, use a lite oiling (ONE - TWO drops on the inside), every other cleaning do the inside of it. A clean Smith is a happy S&W. Last - don't play cowboy a swing the cylinder shut, treat it like a lady.
I agree 100% with Bullseye Smith. If you go shooting heavy 180 gr. Buffalo Bores through it constantly it will get loose after a couple of years. Using .38's it'll last a lifetime.

I use Militec-1 lube and conditioner. GREAT stuff!
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Old 11-16-2010, 10:53 AM
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Well you're not gonna wear it out at 40K mixed HOT 38's and Magnums. How much longer they'll go I don't know 'cause I'M beginning to wear and the signs are sure more obvious than they are with the 686! For a revolver to grab and go the 686 would be my first choice REGARDLESS OF ROUND COUNT. They just keep going and going and .......!
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Old 11-16-2010, 11:47 AM
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I have an early 586 with a AAA serial number that I bought new and have may thousands of rounds through, virtually all .38 Special. It works just as good as when it was new, although the finish shows some wear. I don't think you have to worry about wearing it out. You might need a tune up after a few years, though, perhaps a wider hand, or a new cylinder stop. Minor stuff.
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Old 11-16-2010, 12:02 PM
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I'm not so sure that an L-frame wouldn't outlast an N-frame in high volume use especially in .357 caliber. The additional leverage of the larger diameter and rotating mass of the N's cylinder would have to put more strain on the lock work. The point is moot in any event as either will last several lifetimes if maintained at all.
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Old 11-16-2010, 05:10 PM
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Most of my shooting buddies have at least 1 686, in 20 years of dealing with this pistol and knowing numerous owners with them I've only seen one that was even a little loose. The owner had a reputation for running a lot of max or near max 357 handloads through this pistol. Even still there wasn't anything a gunsmith couldn't tighten up inexpensively.

As others have said you will wear out body parts before wearing a 686.

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Old 11-16-2010, 05:14 PM
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thanks...I'll order the kunhhausen manual asap...by the way how often do most of you detail strip your revolver?
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Old 11-16-2010, 05:15 PM
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Quote:
If you go shooting heavy 180 gr. Buffalo Bores through it constantly it will get loose after a couple of years.
Even this is probably a logical guess but still unproven. It would be interesting to torture one, just to see. I think a 686 would exceed expectations. I know my 686-3 is still going strong, I only have maybe 1000 38s and 1000 357s through it, but I'm at least the 3rd owner so I'm sure it has much more than what I personally shot.
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Old 11-16-2010, 06:44 PM
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Quote:
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by the way how often do most of you detail strip your revolver?
IIRC the manual never calls for such a thing. Just to clean and oil the exposed surfaces. That's it.

I would be interested to hear if there is even a remotely held conventional opinion - if there can be such a thing for cleaning any gun. ;-D
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Old 11-16-2010, 07:12 PM
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Quote:
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...by the way how often do most of you detail strip your revolver?
I clean them once when I get them, and then only if the trigger starts to feel sluggish or gritty. I do it the first time because you never know what you are going to find on the inside.

This is the inside of a 586 no dash I picked up. It's now cleaned up and ready to shoot.

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Old 11-16-2010, 07:33 PM
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I pulled out the manual to take a look at what it recommends in addition to cleaning and oiling external surfaces.

It specifically states to never tear it down in multiple places. Of course I also found no specific entry for what field stripping means. Although I think it can easily be inferred it is just the normal cleaning and oiling of external surfaces only that they recommend.

NEVER DISASSEMBLE YOUR FIREARM beyond the field
stripping procedure outlined in this manual. Improper disassembly
or reassembly of your firearm may be dangerous and
can lead to serious injury or death.

CAUTION:
Never disassemble your firearm beyond the instructions in the
Field Stripping and Inspection sections of this manual.
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Old 11-16-2010, 07:36 PM
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Quote:
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Even this is probably a logical guess but still unproven. It would be interesting to torture one, just to see. I think a 686 would exceed expectations. I know my 686-3 is still going strong, I only have maybe 1000 38s and 1000 357s through it, but I'm at least the 3rd owner so I'm sure it has much more than what I personally shot.
It is indeed a educated guess! I've shot over a thousand rounds of 158 gr. handloads through my 586 and a couple thousand .38's all 158 gr. and it's still tight. It has never had the modification and has never tied up. I've shot about 120 something rounds of the BB's and the recoils is pretty stout. I never trusted a .357 for deer w/exc of 158 gr. Speer Gold Dots. They pack plenty of enough power for one in handgun range. The Buffalo Bores are an excellent deer round.

I prize my 586 too much to do a torture test using them for the experiment.
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Old 11-17-2010, 03:56 PM
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A 686 was my first centerfire handgun purchase back in the 80's, shortly after they came out. I was a new handloader and thought magnums were cool, and while most of my ammo was hot, it wasn't any hotter than factory ammo. In four years I put a hair over 46,000 rounds through it, and it went back to the factory twice to be re-timed. I was doing PD training at the time, and showing the new kids that you could shoot hot ammo fast if you practiced. I traded that gun off when it started getting loose again, to a guy who needed a nightstand gun.

I've bought several 357's since then, but none felt as good as The Real Thing, so I bought another 686. This one gets treated a lot better........it doesn't get shot as much. But it still sees full-power ammo.
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Old 11-17-2010, 04:35 PM
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Quote:
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I clean them once when I get them, and then only if the trigger starts to feel sluggish or gritty. I do it the first time because you never know what you are going to find on the inside.

This is the inside of a 586 no dash I picked up. It's now cleaned up and ready to shoot.

Is this the "as rec'd" or AFTER you "cleaned it up"? All I see is a magnet for crud with all that lube in the works...
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Old 11-17-2010, 06:58 PM
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Flipside That is enought grease for 6 guns
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Old 11-17-2010, 07:01 PM
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Is this the "as rec'd" or AFTER you "cleaned it up"? All I see is a magnet for crud with all that lube in the works...
That greasy picture is "as received" I cleaned out all that grease and re-lubed it with a couple drops of gun oil.
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Old 11-18-2010, 12:30 PM
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That greasy picture is "as received" I cleaned out all that grease and re-lubed it with a couple drops of gun oil.
Thank goodness. I was worried there for a minute. A lot of people seem to waaaay overlubricate their guns.
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Old 02-27-2017, 08:15 PM
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Thank goodness. I was worried there for a minute. A lot of people seem to waaaay overlubricate their guns.
Guilty as charged -- in certain cases.

I'm 69 years old, and have arthritus in my thumbs. I grease the rails in my semi-autos so they're easier to rack. But, the grease gets cleaned and replaced every time I shoot them.

All my revolvers are recently new, so I haven't opened any of them up yet.
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Old 02-28-2017, 11:02 AM
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If you wear one out, brag about it. You've really done something.
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Old 02-28-2017, 10:59 PM
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Your grandchildren will be able to take it to the range.
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Old 02-28-2017, 11:18 PM
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If I could afford to shoot 30-50,000 rounds of ammo, I could afford to replace my $600-800 gun. At 10 cents a round, that would be $3-5,000 in ammo. Since I don't reload, it would be more like $12,000 - $20,000.

If I shot a 686 to pieces, I'd be proud - and broke!
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Old 03-01-2017, 03:05 PM
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The biggest wear spots are the hand, ratchet teeth, cylinder stop notches which all combine to create timing issues. Fire it slowly instead of like a 9mm Glock and it'll last forever. It could be that a few springs need replacing in a couple decades, however.
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Old 03-01-2017, 03:24 PM
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Funny thing is I have several of them and will never shoot them enough to worry about wearing them out. However, my first was tinkered with by an alleged gunsmith and he messed it up so I had a real gunsmith REALLY tinker with it and he turned it into a gun that I think could be shot competitively if I were so inclined. SLICK doesn't even come close.

Anyway, one day I was cleaning it and when I took the rosewood stocks off there was this glob of creamy, off white grease on the spring and internals. I called the gunsmith up and asked him if I should clean it off. He said no, leave it there, so I did. Like I said, this gun is slick, very smooth trigger, etc. So I guess sometimes grease is your friend.

I know there is an unofficial rule about pictures.....

2.5", 6" M586 because I like it, 4", and 3" M686 - all 686+ models.
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Old 03-01-2017, 03:55 PM
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That 6" at the top has in excess of 20,000 rounds through it. Mostly light loads for a PPC league, but it has shot its fair share of magnums. The 3" at the bottom has seen very few .38's, but a couple thousand heavy .357 magnums.... mostly Buffalo Bore or the same gas checked bullet loaded to as fast as I can get them safely. Both revolvers are still tight as ever and actually seem to shoot better the more rounds they get down range.
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Old 03-01-2017, 04:12 PM
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Originally Posted by ISCS Yoda View Post
Funny thing is I have several of them and will never shoot them enough to worry about wearing them out. However, my first was tinkered with by an alleged gunsmith and he messed it up so I had a real gunsmith REALLY tinker with it and he turned it into a gun that I think could be shot competitively if I were so inclined. SLICK doesn't even come close.

Anyway, one day I was cleaning it and when I took the rosewood stocks off there was this glob of creamy, off white grease on the spring and internals. I called the gunsmith up and asked him if I should clean it off. He said no, leave it there, so I did. Like I said, this gun is slick, very smooth trigger, etc. So I guess sometimes grease is your friend.

I know there is an unofficial rule about pictures.....

2.5", 6" M586 because I like it, 4", and 3" M686 - all 686+ models.
That 1st attached photo on the left size is just too small for my old eyes.The others are OK
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  #36  
Old 03-01-2017, 09:57 PM
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Mehutch Mehutch is offline
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how durable is the 686? how durable is the 686? how durable is the 686? how durable is the 686? how durable is the 686?  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CajunBass View Post
If you wear one out, brag about it. You've really done something.
Not bragging but, my first gun was a S&W K frame Model 19 357 mag with 6" barrel, I started to reload 357's and went to the hot edge. I went through 2 barrels, (cracked forcing cone) and than retired it. The old girl still shoots spot on.



Now with my 586's and 686's they will out live me and into my Grand kids life.

They will last a long time.



Live long, shoot straight, pass it on.
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  #37  
Old 03-01-2017, 10:04 PM
Wee Hooker Wee Hooker is offline
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how durable is the 686? how durable is the 686? how durable is the 686? how durable is the 686? how durable is the 686?  
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I'll just say that if you put 60,000 rounds through ANYTHING, you could toss it away and still argue that the gun owed you nothing.
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  #38  
Old 03-02-2017, 10:11 AM
bearman49709 bearman49709 is offline
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how durable is the 686? how durable is the 686? how durable is the 686? how durable is the 686? how durable is the 686?  
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While the info is still good I think the op has made up his mind since every post from 28 on is replying to a six year old post.
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  #39  
Old 03-03-2017, 12:22 AM
ofnsaz ofnsaz is offline
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how durable is the 686? how durable is the 686? how durable is the 686? how durable is the 686? how durable is the 686?  
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^^ You never know. Some folks take a LONG time to decide!

:>)
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