Where to find unfluted cylinder for 686 plus?

cehollier · #1 11-05-2010, 11:59 PM

I found several 686 unfluted cylinders for sale but so far they have all been six shot cylinders. Does anyone know if S&W makes an unfluted seven shot cylinder for the plus model?

Thank you,

Charles

bountyhunter · #2 11-06-2010, 01:43 AM

Never seen one.

pinkymingeo · #3 11-06-2010, 05:20 AM

Call and ask. They're usually pretty helpful, and the factory has always been the most reliable source of parts. Best gunsmithing rates around, too.

cehollier · #4 11-06-2010, 08:18 AM

I found a six shot unfluted cylinder at Midway. I also found a complete 686 plus with a unfluted barrel so I now know they make them. I'll contact Midway and see if they can get the seven shot unfluted cylinder.

socal s&w · #5 11-06-2010, 05:56 PM

I would agree with Pinky, the factory is the place to go. It's also the place to have the new cylinder installed.

Simply give them a call. They will be able to tell you if they are made, how many they have (if the have any), and how much that part costs. If they have none in stock, they should be able to give you a time-frame for the next run of cylinder manufacturing at the plant.

They obviously would be the choice for installation.

IIRC, I sent a 686 in for that same replacement, although a 6-holer, and it was in the neighborhood of $185 and about 8 weeks since they had none in stock. You will need to add in shipping.

Ignatz · #6 11-06-2010, 06:25 PM

They did, A local shop had a 5" 686 7 shot with an unfluted cylinder. It sat in the showcase for at least a year before being sold. I think it was a special run of guns sold through certain distrubuters. Like Bud's.

Revolver King · #7 11-07-2010, 06:34 AM

7 shot unfluted cylinders, the 5" and the 3" are 7 shot

AveragEd · #8 11-08-2010, 10:35 AM

Just last week, I bought a 6" 686-3 with an unfluted cylinder on GunBroker. Before bidding on it, I called S&W and asked how many 686s might have been made with that cylinder. The gentleman with whom I spoke could not search production records by description but when I gave him the SKU off the box label (which has "UNFLUTED CYL" under "Features"), he told me they made three guns like that.

I assume that means they made three 6" 686-3s with an unfluted cylinder. Obviously, they also made other dash number 686s and even different barrel length -3s with an unfluted cylinder. But they are at least somewhat unusual.

Ed

MERV5-5505 · #9 11-08-2010, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AveragEd

Just last week, I bought a 6" 686-3 with an unfluted cylinder on GunBroker. Before bidding on it, I called S&W and asked how many 686s might have been made with that cylinder. The gentleman with whom I spoke could not search production records by description but when I gave him the SKU off the box label (which has "UNFLUTED CYL" under "Features"), he told me they made three guns like that.

I assume that means they made three 6" 686-3s with an unfluted cylinder. Obviously, they also made other dash number 686s and even different barrel length -3s with an unfluted cylinder. But they are at least somewhat unusual.

Ed

Sounds about right. They also made the 3" 681+ PC revolver with an unfluted 7 shot cylinder. It was the one with the two-tone green & black Birdsong finish. I would imagine that that 7 shot cylinder would also work in a 686, being they're both L frames.
I second that S&W would most likely be the best source for this part.

Revolver King · #10 11-08-2010, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AveragEd

Just last week, I bought a 6" 686-3 with an unfluted cylinder on GunBroker. Before bidding on it, I called S&W and asked how many 686s might have been made with that cylinder. The gentleman with whom I spoke could not search production records by description but when I gave him the SKU off the box label (which has "UNFLUTED CYL" under "Features"), he told me they made three guns like that.

I assume that means they made three 6" 686-3s with an unfluted cylinder. Obviously, they also made other dash number 686s and even different barrel length -3s with an unfluted cylinder. But they are at least somewhat unusual.

Ed

I think they mis-represented that. I know there are many more then 3 686-3s with unfluted cylinders. I have had 3 myself. I have also bought a 686 with unfluted cylinder that was new in the box, and it had a product code the same as the fluted cylinder. That revolver is pictured above and is the 3" you see at the bottom of my photo and the 6" barrel in that photo is a 686-3.

Bodyguard · #11 11-08-2010, 09:01 PM

Today at my dealer I looked at a brand 686 7-shot limited run from Lew Horton. It had an unfluted cylinder and nice wood grips. Don't know how many were made, but the 7-shot cylinders were probably produced recently. Call and see if any are available. Oh, if anybody is interested it had a 3 -inch barrel.

AveragEd · #12 11-09-2010, 10:06 AM

RevKing, I agree but were all of your 686-3s with unfluted cylinders 6" guns? And did they all have the same sight package? And the same grips? Probably not and that is what makes searching by SKU a little misleading - it only tells you how many were made that are EXACTLY like yours. That's why I wouldn't have paid a lot more than I did for that gun ($675 was my maximum AutoBid number and $656 bought it).

There could have been a ton of unfluted 686s made and since they only search by SKU, it's hard to rule out that possibility. But only three of the same generation, barrel length (a common one) and the rest is still a small number to this amateur collector.

Ed