A local gunshop has this revo advertised as a special run 686 6" in 38 special. $500.

Knowing the 686 is normally a .357 mag revo, is this a decent deal? I'm guessing the frame is not as strong as the .357.

Looking for others perspective.

thanks -huey

seems to be a good price to me....frame is same as 686 357's...i believe they were made for police departments so only 38 special could be fired, so they didnt have too much firepower

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Kris
OGCA, NRA LM

Thanks 410. I just sold a G35 and have the cash. Been wanting a revo for quite a while. Just might start shooting ICORE.

The Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson doesn't list many .38SPL variants but based on the ones I've seen for sale, I'm guessing that they've made a few runs of 686s in .38SPL over the years. I doubt the frames are different. From what I see on sites like GunBroker, they seldom sell for a premium price or at least not much of one. Some dealers start out asking big numbers for them but they don't draw any bids.

There are five for sale on GB right now and one on GunsAmerica.

Ed

I think you may be better served buying a regular 686, in .357, which you can readily find for that same price, especially if you post a WTB here.
A 686 that is limited to .38 would seem to me to be a 'white elephant" that you would have a very hard time re-selling some day.

Thanks Ed. Kinda funny, one of the listings on GB is the same shop I plan to buy from. $499, $549 buy it now.

I had planned to buy used however, most in this price range are beat up or if in really good shape priced close to retail.

I'd go for the 357 mag version. Just my 2 cents. They are a great revolver and there are plenty to find.

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Old revolvers are works of art

While it MIGHT have a slight accuracy edge over the "regular" 686 when
shooting.38s , there is no other real advantage in size-weight- or durability. AND you could NEVER shoot magnums in it.

But the price is pretty good for a 6".

I sold several last year that were case dated '09. They showed up at distributors in 2.5", 4" and 6" barrels with 6-shot cylinders. I thought the 6" would make a good Bullseye gun if you liked the weight. At $500 if it's NIB or even LNIB it's a bargin, but like others have pointed out it eliminates the use of magnums. I don't know why a person couldn't have the cylinder reamed out to magnum length if you wanted.

I went ahead with the purchase. Good thing my wife came along - she saw the $50 rebate coupon for all new SW revolvers. And I can say she bought it for me since she signed the check!

If you bought this for ICORE Competition the 38spl is an advantage. It will make the power factor easily and the shorter cases eject better with less chance of a case hanging up under the ejector star. ICORE matches are a ton of fun.

Now to find a good holster. Have not seen much for the 6" barrel. And need to come up with a good load. I've used W231 for my 38 spcl snubbies however, I'm sure there is a much better combination. I reload 45ACP, 40 SW, and 9MM. Open to suggestions.

-huey

With the slower powders like HS-6 or Longshot you should have no problem running 125gr rounds in the 1150-1200fps range with a 6", and 158s' around 950-1000fps.

Finally got to shoot my 686 today. Double action is smooth and single action is so light I can hit 8" plates at 40 yards strong hand only. Would be nice to have a FO front sight(all my other pistols have one). Had a little trouble finding the front sight.
I used WWB for the break in.
I thought the grips would be too large however, I'd like them to be bigger - and less slick.
A member referred my to a dealer that would make a kydex holster for a 6". Been reading up on the speed loaders. Looks like Safariland Comp III and a speed loader holder for 6 reloads.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
USPSA and ICORE is where I'd like to compete. Cherryriver should have his program running soon in Illinois.
People say I have a disturbed mind wanting to shoot revolver. Say what they want. I really like this revolver.