Need a part for a S&W 686-4

rspalding · #1 07-29-2009, 03:58 AM

I have restored this 686 and need the red plastic insert for the red ramp front sight and a new main spring. It functions well but I am afraid the springs may have lost some temper from the heat.

Can anyone point me to a source....Numrich doesn't include it in the parts list.

Thanks....Rick
357- Project2.jpg

IMG_0472-5.jpg

RON in PA · #2 07-29-2009, 04:30 AM

Brownell's or contact S&W.

casey36 · #3 07-29-2009, 10:38 PM

Was this gun in a fire or was it buried? Im not trying to be critical but if its a fire rescue, You might have temper problems that render the gun unsafe to shoot. Its hard to tell from the picture. Would love to hear the story behind it.

casey36 · #4 07-29-2009, 10:42 PM

just re- read Your post. Im not telling You what to do but I would have S&W check that gun out if You are planning on shooting it. If the springs are shot from the heat, the heat treatment of the cylinder and barrel are probably affected also. You may well shoot it a hundred times but it could let go on #101. Just my 2 cents.

Jaymor7 · #5 07-29-2009, 10:54 PM

The red insert is replaced as a liquid epoxy and allowed to harden. The surfaces are then dressed to the proper profile.
This kit and the mainspring are both available from Brownells.

The 686 series are 400 series stainless steel as evidenced by being magnetic. This means that they can be softened by high temperature exposure.

As a mimimum, I would want to take some hardness readings and compare them to an intact 686.

Hardness results can be correlated to tensile strength.
Jaymor7

pred · #6 07-29-2009, 11:01 PM

Yup, We are going to need the full story of that gun before we can help you any more !
LOL.
The plastic insert can be done with liquid plastic, Look on youtube, There are some good vids on making a front dovetail, Hopefully someone will come along and post a link.
As far as the heat that it saw, I figure that the front sight and the hogue mono grips melted off that gun may have seen over 600*, Yet I dont see that the steel has strawed from the heat which happens at 500*, But you easially could have removed it while refinishing it.... So before I would continue putting time into it, I also would have it checked out by someone way more familiar with metals than me...
The steel can see 600*, even more if evenly heated and quenched for a second to cool below 400*,
BUT if the gun got cherry red and cooled slowly, The temper of the steel is no longer there..... To me it looks to have cooled slowly...
Advice above is right.
Please have it checked!
Peter

rspalding · #7 07-30-2009, 12:04 PM

OK....Let me bring ya up to date. BTW...Thanks a lot for the great response and advice,,,,it confirms my belief that 99% of serious firearm users are top shelf!! Anyhoo....I was already thinking about sending this in to S&W for a checkup.....Once this is done I hope to bring this back to it's original value. The history of this is I had my house burn to the ground about a year and a half ago. I have been here for 40 years and had my shop attached to the house. (Still have bad dreams) Woke up at 3 in the morning with panicked wife to a wall of fire. The guns in question were stored in a locked file cabinet. The cabinet was typical cheap thin sheet metal and seemed to survive the fire intact with no visible warping or melting. The guns were all in plastic cases so the result was pretty messy. I don't think the guns were up to annealing temp but as I said I am still concerned. After reassembly the function is pretty much the same as before.... of course I have not live fired but have fired some primed cases to check the pin pattern....which is pretty much the same....from memory. I inserted a couple shots of a Colt Woodsman that, after cleaning, had retained some blueing which indicates moderate temps....I think. So there ya have what happened....I have about 10 guns that need the same treatment.......wish my Browning Citori had survived.....it was trashed. Thanks again for the response.......Rick

PS.... added a closer of he S&W

Dutch1911 · #8 07-30-2009, 12:19 PM

Instead of the red ramp insert... have you thought of a gold insert?
I have recently acquired a gold bead dot front sight for a custom colt series 70... thinking of going that route with my 586 aswell.

Dutch1911

rspalding · #9 07-30-2009, 03:51 PM

Not a bad idea....I will probably do the Ramp/Epoxy thing first....OEM stuff ya know. BTW the pictures seem to have a redish smear here and there. That's not rust.....I am having a good time with a new camera.....my apologies

judge · #10 07-30-2009, 07:47 PM

After what you've been thru, a free mainspring is nothing at all. Send me your address, and it will be on it's way. You can reach me at [email protected] Thanks - Judge

HEADKNOCKER · #11 07-30-2009, 11:10 PM

First off amazing after seeing that first pic..
Hopefully it'll be OK, But as others have said have it checked..
Your life is worth more than that Smith..
I'm not sure whom you would get with to check the rockwell hardness of that stainless expecialy the cylinder..
Here's the Link to Midway USA were Larry Potterfield shows how to use the epoxy to fill in the front sight assembly...
YouTube - Gunsmith - Install red ramp front sight in S&W revolver

snakeman32 · #12 07-31-2009, 09:23 AM

The look now as compared to the first pic is amazing. Sorry to hear about the fire but I am glad you and the wife got out. Keep us up to date on the progress.

snakeman