I know I need to stay away from gunbroker... this whole thing started with me shopping for carry comps, and hortons, and... then I saw this and had to have it.



I know nothing about this gun - but I do reload (in fact I just loaded a bunch of 44spl with the 200gr SB GDHP bullet from speer), and I enjoy shooting 44 special (easy to shoot, accurate, big bullets).

I'm thinking this could be a nice CCW... I didn't notice the ports though, and I was kind of in a hurry when I saw the buy it now.

So did I jump the gun, or am I in for love at first bang?

Mike, very nice! I've been looking for one myself but I'm glad you found it first! Nick

Very nice. Highly desirable L frame 44 special. I'd love to find one myself

Very nice specimen. Looks to be in close to new condition. Original grips. Since you reload it is even better. You can see the somewhat thin forcing cone in the pictures. Internet rumor about forcing cones cracking. I don't believe any members here have had an issue. Keep your loads within specs and all will be fine. Many members of the 696 club here at the Forum. Seems just about everyone who owns one loves it. Enjoy.

I think you will really like it. I enjoy shooting mine; although it does not have ports.

Ports don't bother me and generally won't cause me not to purchase a revolver I'm interested in. Of course I'm just a shooter and accumulator, not a collector.

If you don't love it, someone else will pronto.

Welcome to the ever growing 696 club.

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Sure you did

I am surprised those are the original grips! My 624 has a thin and very long cone, and I've had no issues - but I don't do Keith loads in that gun either. Thanks for the heads up!

I have no idea if these ports are factory or not, I'm trying to compare to pics. So far I can tell it's ported different than the LH model.

Mike,
Those OEM grips are becoming hard to get. If you change out for some wood grips, be sure to hang on to the originals.

I can't recall but I think another member posted about his 696 being ported. I believe maybe a special order run for one of the exclusive distributors. Try the search mode and see if you can come up with it. If it is original you have an prized piece as not many were made. Good luck and let us know.

Nice find at a great price. I'm about to put my 696 no dash up for sale.

The porting might be factory. A couple years ago there were pictures of similarly ported 696s posted. At least one member posted that a distributor ordered a bunch of ported 696s from S&W. However, I’ve never seen any other reference to factory ported 696s, and despite this site being the best source for all things S&W, it’s still the internet.

Non ported 696s don’t kick much with powder puff factory load equivalents, but when you load them up enough to please Skeeter Skelton, they do kick a bit, so you might be glad it‘s ported, especially if you replace the ugly rubber with wood.

On account of the recoil, the rubbers have only been of mine for a few trips to the range since I bought it new 16 years ago. Never having heard of 696s I walked into a favorite LGS to find the owners’ son unpacking a half dozen of them that he’d ordered immediately upon seeing them advertised. I picked the one with the thickest forcing cone & took it home for $400 OTD. We both like odd ball stuff. Maybe we both just have very little common sense, but I do have enough sense to keep it for life. If you also have that much sense you have nothing to loose by revealing what it cost you. Hint, hint.

The grips are available from the factory, for now.

Product: K/L Round Uncle Mike's (No Logo)

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Sure you did

Congratulations on that find. You will be pleased.

You got it at a very good price. I paid way more for mine about five years ago, but it came with box, docs, and a set of wooden RB combats. I'm not sure what cost I would impute to the gun by itself, but probably still more than you paid.

When S&W was making and marketing the 696, they pretty much couldn't generate any passionate interest. After a few years they retired the model. But it was rediscovered about 10 years later and has since become an object of appreciation to lots of us.

The only people I have ever heard express disappointment in the model take the position that it is almost as bulky as an N-frame without the advantage of the sixth round in the wheel. I think the answer to that generalization is that (1) bulky is as bulky is perceived, and (2) if five rounds won't take care of a situation for you, the sixth probably won't change your luck. Beyond that, N-frames like the similar 24-3 are simply too large to be comfortable for some people with medium hands, and the L-frame 696 has a grip no larger than that of a K-frame. The 696 puts a usable .44 Special in everyone's waistband or overcoat pocket.

There are some other L-frame .44 models you might want to check out too, because they have their own appeal: the somewhat lighter 396 and 396 Night Guard (two different guns with the same number), and the 296, an alloy/titanium humpback DA-only revolver designed for pocket carry. Those are so light that they can be painful to shoot with the recommended high-speed light-projectile SD ammo. But almost no one buys one of those for plinking and general purpose shooting. I have one and love it, but I put a steel 696 cylinder in it just to add a couple more ounces of weight to the package. It makes a difference.

There are several 696 threads in the archives. Go ahead and search for them, and you will find plenty of testimonials to this model's appeal.

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David Wilson

It is a very fine revolver. You need not have ports, as it is pleasant to shoot as is. Great find! Shoot safe and shoot often.

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GA Carry member
Vietnam Vet

Thanks for all the feedback everybody - now I am excited as all get out!

I should have it in hand middle of next week, and I'll get some pics up then. Meanwhile... PICS ANYBODY?!?!?

Wow..nice gun and nice find!

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NRA Certified Pistol Inst.

A M696 no-dash....

Attached Images

696pic15.JPG (176.8 KB, 56 views)

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GA Carry member
Vietnam Vet

Pics? Sure. Here's a 696 no-dash with RB combats.




And just for grins, here's a picture of its peculiar cousin, the 296, with a Tritium Big Dot sight and a steel cylinder in place of the titanium wheel that came installed.



I realize the 296 is an acquired taste, so I don't expect everyone to appreciate it the way they will appreciate the classic lines of the 696.

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David Wilson

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Sure you did

Nice 696-1

I too have a 696-1, My favorite revolver
here with S&W boot grips




And with Spegel Targets




It's big N Frame brother 24-3 LH

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Memory of Randy Freas-Rimfired

This M696 is now loaded with the Hornady 240 grain LSWC to about 770 fps. The soft lead and medium velocity to protect the forcing cone. Accuracy is not exceptional, I get 3 inch groups for five shots froma rest at 25 yards. But good enough.

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Have guns...will shoot'em.

Good buy!
Shooting 44 specials is so much fun.
I love my 696 (no dash) and find it acurate enough. I can keep with others in our club competition which is shot at 27 yards.
On the moment I make it harder for myself using pre ww1 grips, I like the look of that. (and buy to many)


Hard rubber


Used wood


NOS (with wrong escutcheons and screw)

Wow I like that. I never even knew the 696 existed. Now I want one of those as well. DANGIT!

DCWILSON that 296 is the cats meow! One of my must have guns and truly enhanced by the SS cylinder. PERFECT. I love it. Probably a little tough finding a 696 cylinder these days.

My no dash.

I am guilty of comparing my 696-1 with my 629-6 4"-er. Larger trigger, hammer, sight radius, forcing cone, barrel, cylinder, etc - and 6 oz heavier. The 629 is much easier to find, too - and new is only a few $ more new than a good price on a 696, which the OP got, BTW. No worries about Keith-level .44 Special loads - it's a .44 Magnum! Here they are - sporting wood grips - Ahrends cocobolo retro targets on the 629 and square conversion grips on the 696. Perfectly fine for my loads - mild as they are - even .44 Russians in the 696!



I am not trashing my 696 - it is 'what it is' - a .44 Special. If you want more oomph - don't hurt a 696 - as is, they are fun - just get a 629. Need a CCW? Get a 296... the 696 is a bit of a moose - and, if you run into a moose, you'll wish you had that 629! With 200gr Speer Gold Dots in brass, the Georgia Arms ammo is less dear than the aluminum cased Blazers - and safer (I had one split in my 696!), too. I bought my 296 & 696, both new, ten years ago - and both have a home here.

BTW, here is how to tame that 296's hump from slapping your hand - Hogue/S&W .500 Magnum grips!



Yeah, those grips are a bit much. I originally regripped my 296 with the UM's rounded combats that came on my 696 and it then sported the squared version of the same grips, which had come on my new 6" 66 - and it, in turn, got new Ahrends square conversion cocobolo grips. Next, the 696 got some wood grips! But, seriously, the 696 handles better with the squared UM's combats than it does in the OEM rounded versions - at least it does in my medium+ sized hands. The 296 is not a range gun - it is better suited to my use, in a Mika pocket holster, with the OEM boot grips - 'ouch'-makers that they are - they fit in/out of the pocket more easily. To be honest, the 696 - with normal .44 Specials - can wear any grip and be fine. Neat revolver - congrats to the OP.

Regarding the ported models - Magna porting was used for the factory ported model. Ten years ago, my lgs replaced my 696 in the display case with the only one they could find in the supply chain then - and it was Magnaported - had it on the box. To me back then, the ported revolvers I found in the lgs's case were Taurus... that didn't impress me. I seem to recall that the factory 696's Magna-porting was a slot however... anyone remember?

Stainz

Got it. Love it!
The 696 is not a target pistol. But, if you're not hitting what you aim at, it's not the gun's fault. I bought mine over at gunbroker as well, and it came magna-ported as well. Probably didn't need it, but it's never bothered me a bit. Load up to the levels in the manuals, and not any more and you'll have a fun shooter which is also a serious self defense tool. 240 grain going 800 fps is very close to the .45 ACP ballistics.
You'll love yours, too!

Love that setup David.

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Sure you did

Lew Horton did a small run of ported 696-0. Here is the link to my thread. The reply from Lew Horton was approximately 286 distributed.
696 mag-na-port Update in post 9