My first revolver

I agree that it’s likely a 686-3 and my guess is going to be mod to late 1993. If you send S&W an e-mail with the full serial number and ask for a shipping date and SKU, they should reply within 1-2 business days.

The SKU is helpful identify exactly what features it shipped with.

Also note that the stocks are correct for that model and era… if you take them off you are likely to see a date stamped inside one of them in ink lettering. That date will precede the date your revolver was built, but it’s still an interesting date.

Great revolver!
 
robvious said:
Just in case nobody told you, the 686 is chambered in 357 magnum, but also functions with 38 special... be sure to clean the chambers when you switch between the two.. a carbon ring can form and if you push in the longer cartridge it could scrape up some of the ring and cause an over pressure condition... bring a bore brush, cleaning is easy & quick.
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Nobody told me, but I did find this in YouTube. Thanks for pointing it out though, would have bad to miss this info.
 
Sevens said:
I agree that it’s likely a 686-3 and my guess is going to be mod to late 1993. If you send S&W an e-mail with the full serial number and ask for a shipping date and SKU, they should reply within 1-2 business days.

The SKU is helpful identify exactly what features it shipped with.

Also note that the stocks are correct for that model and era… if you take them off you are likely to see a date stamped inside one of them in ink lettering. That date will precede the date your revolver was built, but it’s still an interesting date.

Great revolver!
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As soon as the revolver is in my possession I will check this out and get back with the results. Thanks for the information !
 
S&W-Keeper said:
Good first revolver, now go find you a 617 to go along with it.
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I actually already own a 1911 in .22lr which I enjoy a fair amount :) I think I'm ready for something a little bigger ;)

Plus there's a Tikka t1x .22lr on the wish list. So I should be good in the smaller caliber department :)
 
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Welcome to the campfire.

Full MSRP on the S&W website is a shade under $1,000. Retail purchases are probably in the $800 - $850 range for new guns, less for older guns* depending on the size of the retail store. Local, smaller stores will be closer to MSRP than large box stores, which might be meaningless to you in the Netherlands but what do I know? ;)

*I say less for older guns but this is my 4" Model 686-6+:

iscs-yoda-albums-s-and-w-revolvers-picture13552-model-686-6-plus.jpg


Note that my gun has the "lock" that your older gun does not have which could get a premium in some circles.
 
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ISCS Yoda said:
Welcome to the campfire.

Full MSRP on the S&W website is a shade under $1,000. Retail purchases are probably in the $800 - $850 range for new guns, less for older guns* depending on the size of the retail store. Local, smaller stores will be closer to MSRP than large box stores, which might be meaningless to you in the Netherlands but what do I know? ;)

*I say less for older guns but this is my 4" Model 686-6+:

iscs-yoda-albums-s-and-w-revolvers-picture13552-model-686-6-plus.jpg


Note that my gun has the "lock" that your older gun does not have which could get a premium in some circles.
Click to expand...

I'll be honest here, I have no clue what a "lock" means for a revolver. XD
 
You've purchased a great general-purpose target and hunting revolver. Based on the pictures you've share, it appears to be a 686-3 revolver. As mentioned the -3 is indicative of a change in the design of the revolver. The origional version of the 686 is sometimes refered to a "No Dash" model. The first revisions of the revolver would be a 686-1. That is a generalization as opposed to a hard and fast rule. It should be noted that S&W generally didn't manufacture multiple - versions at the same time. It must also be noted that different barrel length are NOT different dashes, that is 686-3 with a 4" barrel and a 686-3 with a 6" barrel are both 686-3s. I believe your revolver is a -3 based on the rear sight. S&W changed the rear sight and how it is attached to the top strap (top of the fame above the cylinder) of the revolver.

In the context of the above discussion, the word "lock" refers to an internal locking mechanism operated by a key. If you look at ISCS Yoda' nice picture, you'll notice something that looks like screw above the cylinder release. If you look at your picture the screw like piece isn't there. This "feature" became standard in later versions of the 686. I won't go further into it for now.

If you really want to understand the history, evolution and unique language (hammer nose vs hammer mounted firing pin) of the S&W illuminati, I'd recommend the book "The Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson" by Jim Supica. It's a little pricey and it won't help you shoot better, but I love my copy.

I'd recommend getting a copy of the user's manual off the S&W website. They offer multiple languages. I highly recommend using one in your native language. Give it a good read.

Then when you get your revolver, get some snap caps and practice dry firing in both single and double action. The trigger of a revolver is distinctly different than what you have on your .22 1911.

I hope that helps, please feel free to ask additional questions, and congradualtions on picking an excellent revolver.
 
Zend0r said:
It should be a 686, or at least that is how the gunstore listed / sold it and how It has been documented in the papers needed for the license.

I don't actually have the revolver here as I first need to arrange some paperwork, otherwise I would have looked at the suggested places to find more information. Unfortunately, in the Netherlands that process can take as much as 3 months at the time of writing.
Click to expand...
OOPS! Yes, it's a 686, not 586. I should not post before finishing at least two cups of coffee. :o
 
cd228 said:
You've purchased a great general-purpose target and hunting revolver. Based on the pictures you've share, it appears to be a 686-3 revolver. As mentioned the -3 is indicative of a change in the design of the revolver. The origional version of the 686 is sometimes refered to a "No Dash" model. The first revisions of the revolver would be a 686-1. That is a generalization as opposed to a hard and fast rule. It should be noted that S&W generally didn't manufacture multiple - versions at the same time. It must also be noted that different barrel length are NOT different dashes, that is 686-3 with a 4" barrel and a 686-3 with a 6" barrel are both 686-3s. I believe your revolver is a -3 based on the rear sight. S&W changed the rear sight and how it is attached to the top strap (top of the fame above the cylinder) of the revolver.

In the context of the above discussion, the word "lock" refers to an internal locking mechanism operated by a key. If you look at ISCS Yoda' nice picture, you'll notice something that looks like screw above the cylinder release. If you look at your picture the screw like piece isn't there. This "feature" became standard in later versions of the 686. I won't go further into it for now.

If you really want to understand the history, evolution and unique language (hammer nose vs hammer mounted firing pin) of the S&W illuminati, I'd recommend the book "The Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson" by Jim Supica. It's a little pricey and it won't help you shoot better, but I love my copy.

I'd recommend getting a copy of the user's manual off the S&W website. They offer multiple languages. I highly recommend using one in your native language. Give it a good read.

Then when you get your revolver, get some snap caps and practice dry firing in both single and double action. The trigger of a revolver is distinctly different than what you have on your .22 1911.

I hope that helps, please feel free to ask additional questions, and congratulations on picking an excellent revolver.
Click to expand...

Thank you for this wealth of information! Very helpful! I will contact Smith & Wesson and see what they can tell me. I will also check out the manual and the book as you have mentioned.

As for the "lock". I did some additional googling, and I found what you are referring to. I can understand most people don't really like the estatics of it to be honest.

As for shooting the trigger, I totally get what you are saying. Is indeed very different to my pistol. Luckily I have shot revolvers before so I'm not as new to the feeling as one might expect.

Again, thanks for all the effort in your reply. It is greatly appreciated!
 
OP- 1st off, welcome to the forums and thanks for joining! This truly is a great community with an incredible wealth of knowledge, not even limited to Smith & Wessons

2nd, great 1st revolver purchase! A 4” pre-lock 686… there’s nothing not to like. Good size, good balance, fun caliber(s), good looks. When someone mentions “Smith & Wesson”, the 686 is always the image that pops in my head. Followed closely by a Model 19, but that’s just me.

I’ll repeat the warning another member issued: Don’t get too attached to your money; this is likely just the beginning. There’s always one more. I’ve attached my latest “family photo”, and after a few short months it’s already outdated by like 3 revolvers! There’s always one more.

Happy hunting and welcome to the family!
 

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Zend0r said:
Super silly question btw (yes I am this new to revolvers).

What is use / reason behind the gap / identation behind the cylinder.
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Welcome to the obsession that is S&W at this forum.

The indent on the shield allows for the cylinder pin to strike as the yolk is closed. It will then push the spring in, allowing the assembly to close and lock.
 
My first 686 was a 4" square butt too! You did not just choose a good first revolver, perhaps the high water mark of duty revolvers! The 4" is considered by many to have the best balance of any 686 and was commonly used by law enforcement. The Miami Shootout was actually ended by a heroic agent with a 686 very similar to yours. The 4" is a nice compromise of velocity, balance, and carryability (not sure if a word). Congratulations on an outstanding pre-lock 686 as your first revolver. You did very well!
 
Good choice. The 686 in its variations is likely the most popular revolver on this board. I agree with BlueJay that the 4' barrel configuration is the most versatile and is also the length that I bought. One word of warning though, I bought a Smith revolver a few years back to have "one" revolver. I know have a lot more revolvers than that. They grow on you.
 
Outstanding choice and a truly iconic Smith & Wesson revolver. I have a 686+ seven shot revolver with the 4-inch barrel. It is built like a tank, and it is an incredible shooter.
 
My "book" also confirms the 1993 year for the subject revolver:
1993 – BMC, BNW, BNZ, BNW, BPB, BPD, BPE, BPF, BPK, BPL, BPR, BPS, BPY, BRA, BRB, BRC, BRM

Supica, Jim; Nahas, Richard. Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson (Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson) (p. 491). Gun Digest Media. Kindle Edition.
 
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