Was thinking about buying this 686, but all the pics in the ad have these weird marks on the cylinder.

Anyone know what they could be from?

It's what's left of carbon from shooting it that didn't get cleaned off.


Magnums are especially prone to this as they generate a lot of heat. Sometimes it takes a little 0000 steel wool and oil/solvent to get it completely off.

There's a screw hole in the top strap over where those marks appear on the cylinder. The marks are caused by blow back bouncing back after being somewhat compressed in the screw hole. I clean it off with a brass brush and cleaning solvent. If you don't clean them off each after each range trip, they can get stubborn -- but they'll clean off.

Ashlander nailed it. My 67-6 and 586-4 get the same build up.

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Virtue,Liberty & Independence

Thanks for the fast replies.

This is a great forum, that may end up putting me in the poor house.

I have a Python that was drilled and tapped for use with the first handgun scope, a Bushnell magnum phantom with base. A good family friend bought it in '75 and I am sure had the scope mount done back then too. While he had the scope mounted and was shooting it, the hot gas would travel up the hole till it met the bottom of the screw then bounce back down against the cylinder. It made little dots in the bluing that won't come out. So you are fortunate your gun is STS and can be corrected.

Since then, I have removed the scope and was going to put a stop screw in there to close the hole, but once I saw the marks on the cylinder I decided to leave the hole open so the gas could vent.

The ideal thing would have been to drill the hole just deep enough to take the screw. Not all the way through the top strap. I am surprised S&W is doing that nowadays.

I'm hesitant on buying it. He sent pics after he cleaned the marks off.

Gun looks flawless now, and he claims he only shot 50 rounds thru it, but he won't budge at $650.

I can get a brand new one for $685 + shipping and $40 FFL on my end.

This one would be off the books, but I really don't worry about that.

I'd be all over it if it was a pre lock.

I would'nt let the carbon dots worry you, they show up every time you fire it, and it does not take very many rounds. They take a little more scrubbing than normal debris, but they do clean up.

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Richard Gillespie
FBINA 102

It's the $650 that's worrying me now.

IMHO, you are right on in that the price is too high for that particular handgun. My thought is to hang tough and find a nice M 686 without the IL and at probably a lower price. ..........

This was a real problem on some of my Smiths, especially on the blued ones. The screw holding the front of the sight blade is too short. The solution I found searching the site was simple. Midway sells longer screws that will fill the hole. They need to be filed down a little for the flush fit that will evenly spread the hot gasses and eliminate the hot spot. The screws are Forster .200" head 6-48 X 1/4" blued. These screws are beveled to fit the sight blade.

Did Smith make a pre lock 3" 686? Not interested in a 2 or 4". Honestly not a fan at all of the 686, but I have I, J, K, and N frames and thought it would be cool to add a L frame. Especially this one due to it being a 3" Talo like my 629 3".

Only way I'll get an X frame is if I had mad cash for nothing, or someone gave me one.

Was just checking that auction site and pre lock 686's are priced about the same as a old 3" K frames.

yes they did make a 3" 686 pre-lock, the CS-1 - maybe others.

If you are concerned about the round count have the seller send a picture of the forcing cone and top strap, look for wear and flame cutting that come from high round counts.

If he's go $600, 'maybe' even $625, I'd take it otherwise, go the new route.

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So many S&W's, so few funds!!

They did make a pre lock 3" 686. Its a very expensive and rare gun. You will pay probably at least twice, maybe even three times what you could buy that one with the lock for.