I was at the LGS about a month ago when I saw it. I was picking something up when my sales guy Jess says, "Hey, Lou- check this out." And he shows it to me. A 686 5". So, you know what I'm thinking. I already have a 686 5". I do not need another. ...I walked away from it.
That was about a month ago. So, anyways. I was doing my usual "window shopping" as I usually do, over the "internets" when I seen my LGS had that same gun I saw on sale! I thought, sale! Ok. Now I need it. I hadn't warmed up my last rebate card long enough when I said, gotta make a purchase.
The barbarella "686"
Hints of features reminiscent to flash Gordon, coalescing in the physical embodiment of a revolver , the 686+ performance center 5" came in a grey plastic box marked "vented". You either love or hate this gun. I admire it.
I had done an internet search on this gun and somehow found a video with Bob Miele(?) Some guy from S&W performance center talking about this same gun. He said these guns came with "action jobs" from the factory, having a 10.5# DA pull and a 3.5# SA pull. Moonclip ready, yada, yada. But I thought, if he's referring to a master action package, that's a savings of $160 something. And that wouldn't be bad.
I quickly got home and began to scrutinize mine rather quickly. First of all, it does have a factory trigger job. I check all my new triggers on a gauge and this one is good enough to leave alone. Although the SA pull was 4.5# on mine, if I put rounds through it, it may loosen up a bit. DA was closer to 11#s, but again-nothing some dry firing or real firing might smoothen out.
Barrel cylinder gap .004"(more than acceptable)
The tear drop custom hammer feels tiny for my fat thumb and the extended cylinder latch is very nice and does not effect the use of speedloaders or moonclips. There's plenty of room.
Acceptable crown, cylinder play and force cone. The rest I can check later.
The unflutted/moonclipped 7 shot cylinder makes this a niche gun. But if you ask me, to what niche this may fall in? Ich weiß nicht! Weekend warrior. Range beast. Outdoor gun. Conversation piece. Definitely.
All I know is that i must shoot it. Good sights. Great trigger. Almost a piece you may want to leave in factory form.
It was on sale for $799 and I used a $30 rebate card and am applying for another rebate card for this one. They first offered it to me for $950 and I turned it down a month ago. Minus if it does have a factory action package(worth $160?) Then I did alright.
I'll shoot it this weekend. Well see how it goes.
Pictures or it didnt happen.

Added. If anybody knows exactly what type of action job is on these guns and their cost, chime in please. I'm only going by what the cost is in their current catalog.

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I too have the 686 PC. I changed the front sight to a red fire sight. and replaced the grips with a set of Altamonts. It has a very smooth action, no further enhancements needed.

Usually waiting a month means "gun is gone" but in your case it saved you $150 before your rebates. Win win. I haven't warmed up to the slotted barrel but I'll bet you got yourself a nice shooter. Be sure to let us know how it runs!! Congrats Lou!!

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

Yup. I didnt want to pay $1k for this model. But paying $800 seemed more interesting! Lol! And I got the last one. (They had). I still haven't filled out the other rebate for it. I think I have until October to send it in.
The slotted /vented barrel is interesting. The first time I saw it, I thought it was a slab sided model with vents. But it's a round barrel with vents on top; which is kinda neat. One will like or hate it.

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I am very happy for you. It has happened to me many times, saw a gun I liked but the did not like the price. A month later the gun is still for sale, and the price has gone down. A little more negotiating and now I love the price and buy the gun.

Two questions though : a 686 is a .357 Magnum, so what are moon clips for ? And is that front sight a piece of bright coloured orange plastic ?

I saw these @ Gradys in Anderson SC a couple months back...

Quite honestly, the things hurt my eyes. l can change the front

sight easy enough. BRAKE pedal cyl release is an eye opener too.

l will have to stop by Gradys coming from next Gainesville Match.

l wonder if they will be there after two months??

The brake pedal is quite comfortable!


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The moonclips hold the 357 magnum or 38 special (or 38 short colt) rounds together to make loading and unloading quicker.
The front sight appears to be a thick piece of transparent plastic . With a white painted front.

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BRAKE PEDAL?????? You're killin' me!!

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

Fantastic price, congratulations!! I've been wanting that same model and I'd have jumped on that also. Are there any more of them at that price?

Revolver Handguns

Try the link above. I dont know how long the sale is.



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Just my luck!!! Shipping to my FFL is $127.32. That still leaves Buds as the better deal.


Thanks a lot anyway.

Let us know how it is after you break it in.

That's alot. Then your FFL also has a charge. And a DROS.
Sorry to hear that.


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IMHO, THE VENTED RIB IS UNNECESSARY, AND DOES NOTHING TO ENHANCE THE BEAUTY OF THE GUN.....

IT WILL NEVER RIVAL A PYTHON IN APPEARANCE.....

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'Nam 1968-69.DAV,VFW,NRA Inst.

Those are nice!

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Hey Joe! You cant compare a classic to this !
Its obvious Smith wanted to do something different with that glass bead finish and big ol' orange sight. They were probably shooting for an old movie prop from a B-movie Buck Rodgers flick that never got off the ground.
But I do give them an A for effort. What must they have said? Let's make something different! If we cant dazzle them with our looks, let's baffle them with our enginuity! (Or the other way around...)


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zippy---Call Gradys in Anderson SC, Clemson Blvd...

They had a 4'' and a 5''.. Gradys is the greatest toy store on earth..

Been buying from them almost 50 years

LMAO, LOU. YOU ARE ON THE MONEY ! ! ! THERE IS NO TELLING WHAT THEY ARE THINKING WITH SOME OF THESE PC GUNS---OTHER THAN TO GRIND ANOTHER BUCK. I SUGGEST THAT THEY STOP DESIGNING GUNS, WHILE THEY ARE HIGH ON PSYCHEDELIC DRUGS.....lol

THE MUCH TOUTED PC GUNS SELL AT A PREMIUM, YET THEIR QUALITY APPEARS TO BE NO BETTER THAN GUNS FROM THE REGULAR PRODUCTION LINE. THERE ARE NUMEROUS POSTS ON OUR FORUM, OF NIB PC GUNS BEING RETURNED TO THE FACTORY--SOMETIMES MORE THAN ONCE, TO CORRECT THE VERY SAME PROBLEM. IMHO, THE QC RESPONSIBILITY AT S&W, HAS BEEN GRADUALLY SHIFTED TO THE END USER......

THE PROBLEM WITH THIS GUN MAY ACTUALLY REST WITH ME. THIS OL' GEEZER IS TOO SET IN HIS WAYS TO APPRECIATE RAP "MUSIC", OR NEW FANGLED GUNS LIKE THIS.....

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'Nam 1968-69.DAV,VFW,NRA Inst.

This gun was just a pleasure to shoot. Very low kicking, even with 125gr magnums in it. Probably the unflutted cylinder at work.
I got a chance to run 250 rounds this weekend and the wife tagged along. She was able to single action shoot 2-3" at 10 and 15 yards. With magnums. Mind you she isn't a very good shot.
I was shooting 1.5" double action. I didnt take many pictures as I was having too much fun. Mostly took pictures of her shooting.
Included is a picture of her shooting at 10 yards. 125 gr with power pistol powder.
She looks at me after she's done and says "you bought this gun for me, right?"


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I love it!!

Thanks for the range report.

Is that a red dot sight peeking out from that fireball? Which one and how do you like it?

I put a Raptor engineering mount and a vortex venom 3moa. I also removed that plastic front sight and replaced it with a steel one.

Honestly I didn't know what to expect. I think I like shooting it better than my 627 PC 5". It may be in my range bag for quite a while....

Might I also add: this may be the first gun I've purchased in years that I wont have to do a trigger job. It was perfect.
The cylinder latch is easy to get used to. I hope I dont get too used to it! I have bad joints in both hands and using the "brake pedal" was very comforting. I think I smiled the first few times using it...

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Those are great pics Lou! I love the fireball! It sounds to me like you got a free pass to put another one in the safe. Just make sure the wife will still let you take it to the range once in a while. It's good to hear the brake pedal works too! I've seen those on Hogue's website for quite some time and wondered how they functioned. What a great start to the week.

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

That brake pedal is addictive. I went from the PC "brake pedal" gun to my pro gun and disliked the regular latch release after. I might have to ask S&W how much for a few of those ..


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Those caught my eye, too - thanks for the report and great pics.


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Lou.Maybe its time for me to copyright ''brake pedal''

Nice pics. l like that Vortex Venom reflex too. Bigger window than FF3

878 rounds so far.......

I love this gun!

Do not use CCI primers after 600 rounds.



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YOU ARE ON THE MONEY, LOU......

THE GUN IS FINE, AND IT OBVIOUSLY APPEALS TO MANY FORUM MEMBERS......

THE PROBLEM RESTS WITH ME BEING AN OLD GEEZER, WHO CAN'T WARM UP TO MODERN TRENDS---WHETHER IT BE RAP "MUSIC", BLURRED SEXUAL ORIENTATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE, OR IN THIS CASE--ULTRA MODERN APPEARING PC REVOLVERS....

I'M CERTAIN THAT THESE GUNS WILL BE FINE SHOOTERS, AS ALL OF MY M686s ARE. AFTER ALL, IMHO---THE M686 IS THE VERY BEST .357 MAGNUM REVOLVER IN CURRENT PRODUCTION ! ! !

PERHAPS IN YEARS TO COME, THESE REVOLVERS WILL BECOME HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER CLASSICS, LIKE THE COLT PYTHONS CURRENTLY ARE. OF COURSE, I WILL NEVER LIVE TO SEE IT.....

FAR FROM THROWING SHADE ON THOSE AMONG US WHO LOVE THESE GUNS, AND EITHER INTEND TO PURCHASE THEM, OR ALREADY OWN THEM---I EXTEND TO THEM NOTHING SHORT OF MY VERY BEST WISHES, FOR A GREAT EXPERIENCE WITH THESE REVOLVERS......

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'Nam 1968-69.DAV,VFW,NRA Inst.

Alright Lou, don't keep us hanging, what happens after 600 rounds??

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

Ha! Sorry!
The trigger is so good that it wont ignite CCI primers properly. For example 1 or 2 out of every cylinder. I'm used to this from my low # triggers . So Winchester ignite at 100% regardless.
The trigger is supposed to be 3.5# SA and 10.5?#sDA(?). I checked it when I got it and it was around 4.5 - 11?. It may have "loosened" up enough after 600 rounds to not strike the hardest primers.
As i type this, this may be a problem for someone who doesn't "roll their own", if they use for example speer and blazer ammo? Both owned by CCI? Something like that. Since i do not buy factory ammo- not quite sure all the brands that use CCI .
Maybe someone can correct me.

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Okee dokee. I didn't know if something bad happened at "600". I most assuredly twist my own but never used CCI primers. I use Winchester exclusively with no headaches. I broke down & bought a trigger pull gauge a few weeks ago (not the high dollar one) & it showed 1.5 lbs in SA on my PowerPort that I shoot 2-3 times a week. The WLPs have never given me a minutes problem. I hope you try & wear that new one out just to see what it'll take. sw282 has been keeping a round count on his 44 Magnum Hunter and is at the 13000 neighborhood IIRC. I'm horrible at keeping log books... 😬

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

Congrats and glad that you like it!

I have to admit that it just isn’t something I’d ever buy, and trust me, I luv me some 686’s!

But I am glad that it’s avaiable for those that want something like that, and hey, if it might bring in some new shooters (or new revolver shooters), I’m all for it!

1.5#s! Wow!
I thought I was living on the edge when my venerable 686 showed a 2#SA!!! Its amazing the rebound slide resets that low!
Yea. CCI isn't good for nice triggers!

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HI LOU, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT FEDERAL PRIMERS ARE THE SOFTEST AVAILABLE ON THE MARKET. IN FACT IIRC, THEY WERE RECOMMENDED TO ME BY 2 GUNSMITHS THAT DID "ACTION JOBS", FEATURING LIGHT TRIGGER PULLS, ON 2 OF MY REVOLVERS. I AM NOT A HANDLOADER, BUT THAT BEING SAID, BOTH OF MY REVOLVERS HAVE DIGESTED ALL SORTS OF FACTORY AMMO INCLUDING SPEER / CCI, WITH TOTAL RELIABILITY.....

BASED ON THE ABOVE, I WOULD ASSUME THAT FEDERAL PRIMERS, AND AMMO, WOULD SERVE YOU WELL........

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'Nam 1968-69.DAV,VFW,NRA Inst.

Where did you find that gold bead front sight Lou?

It either came off of a 625 or 627. I cant remember. It's a factory front sight takeoff from one of my other guns.

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