I buy very few new guns. Mostly I do not find them interesting. That being said one of my favorite local gun emporiums had a pretty good sale on all S&W hand guns yesterday, one day only with S&W reps present. I decided to spring for a 686 7 shot 2 1/2 " for $709. It seemed like a very good price and I had not bought a gun in almost two months, so...…

They did not have it in stock so I need to wait a few days for it to show up and then do the paperwork and the idiotic CA 10-day wait, but it should be fun to pump a few rounds thru once I do get it. See how it compares to my Model 19 snubbie.

I, for one, would be quite interested in hearing about the comparison of these 2 handguns at the range.....

Congratulations! I also have been focusing on accumulating older S&W revolvers rather than new; however, the new 19 K-comp has piqued my interest.

The 686 snub is a cool gun. I have a 686-6 like the one you just bought, as well as a 686-4 snub that I sent to the Performance Center for their master action package. I like them both.

I have both a M19-3 snub and a recent 686 PC snub. When shooting true magnums, there's a marked difference between the recoil with the 686's weight absorbing more of it. That said, my 686 has a weirdly heavy trigger. Because it's a PC it's very smooth, but even with light springs it's heavier than it should be.

Also, my 686 had serious problems with failing to ignite primers for factory ammo. I replaced the firing pin with a Apex XP and it cleared up, but if I had to do it again I'd replace it with the Cylinder and Slide extended firing pin which is slightly longer.

While I generally prefer magnas and a BK Grip, with the 686 I struggled to find a grip I liked. I ultimately settled on the Pachmayr Compac Pro which is the only rubber grip on any of my guns besides the Pachmayr Diamond Pro on my 6" M629.

M686 with one of my primary CCW (M629)



M19-3

Attached Images

	629 and 686.jpg (89.8 KB, 456 views)
	S&W M19-3.jpg (77.1 KB, 450 views)

Congratulations, you got a good deal!

I would think the lighter springs are the reason for the light primer strikes. How heavy was the trigger, out of curiosity?

They are both really nice looking guns though.

Congrats!!!! Looking forward to pics, comparison and range report on that one!!! If you are able to.

Some day I'd like a different Home Defense gun than a 6" model 19. Just don't really need that long of a barrel and front heaviness for a house gun. A woods and range gun, sure. But I'd rather have something smaller than that and bigger than my 442 for home defense. Need the inbetween. I could see a snubby L frame being a good choice. Especially the 7 shot models.

You bought my favorite revolver - so far.

Earlier this year, I bought a 686+ 2.5" barrel. Can't say enough good things about it. I did put a Wilson Combat Spring Set in it and polished it using Blue Magic but other than that () I love it. Incredibly accurate for a short-barreled revolver and fun to shoot hot .357 mag load in.

I hope you enjoy yours just as much.

Every time I stop in one of my favorite Gun Stores, I'm scared they will have a M327 PC Snubbie.

I have nothing against the gun, it's just that I'm weak!

The failures were with the stock springs. I didn't measure the trigger, but it was 2-3 pounds heavier than any other Smith DA trigger I have felt. When I installed the Apex firing pin, I also installed Wilson Springs that were previously in my M10. The 686 trigger weight dropped, but is still pounds heavier than my M10 with the exact same springs.

With the Apex XP and Wilson Springs, it works perfectly and the trigger is reasonable though not as light as any of my other modded guns. It's now slightly lighter than my other Smiths with OEM springs.

Congrats!
Sounds like an excellent price and what's not to love about a SNUBBY?