As a 696 owner I have to agree with Bills opinion. When S&W came out with these they were a poor seller and it seemed like they couldn't give them away. At the time, as Bill points out, there were many valid reasons for it's lack of popularity.
Look at the lowly Charter Arms Bulldog 44 Special, when it appeared it was hugely popular though nowhere near the quality of the 696. But that Charter Bulldog is to this day still selling well. It's a 5 shot, very small and very concealable option for those who like the calibre.
The 696, with it's short production run is now a very collectable revolver and it has a "cool to own" factor. I enjoy shooting my no dash from time to time and had I known what they'd be going for years later I would have bought several of them for an investment.
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