So, maybe you guys can fill me in on my latest 6 inch 686-3 with an unfluted cylinder and a pinned front sight. This is the first one I have seen with this combination an unfluted cylinder and a pinned front sight. The Serial number is BBV77xx It is the gun on top in this photo. I also posted a question in another post about the strange hand in this gun.


The back story:
This gun is replacing my first 6 inch 686-3 it had a fluted cylinder I really like the old one but, it had a solid red ramp front sight that could not be replaced. I still reluctantly sold it after a guy asked me to sell it... I tossed what I thought was a crazy price of $800 to him thinking he would pass it up... Then he said OK I ll take it...

So next I picked up a replacement a 686-6 (the bottom one in the photo) I didn't like it though because it is much harder to get a good competition trigger... Now I am back with the 686-3 above...

Attached Images

PAIR OF 686.jpg (126.9 KB, 191 views)

Someone told me it was a "Classic Hunter"

Why did the red ramp sight need replacing?

(BTW, that's not a hard job.)

I wanted to put a tall S&W patridge sight on it.

My first 686-3 was not a pinned sight. It would have had to be machined off and milled to accept a new post.

I was hoping someone might know more information on this gun... When it was made or how many were made...

Ah, got it.

It's a product code 104249. Called the Classic Hunter, sources say 5,000 were made beginning in February of 1989. Known serial number prefixes include BBU, BBY, BDE, and BDR. It was a standard production gun.

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~ S&W aficionado in training ~

Thank you for the information I was thinking it had to be something different. I need top go out and shoot it to see how it does.