I'm trying to decide between purchasing a 686-3 or a 686-4.

From what I've been able to find, here is the history:

686 History
686 ''dash nothing'' - 1980
686-1, 1986 - radius stud package and floating hand
686-M - 1987 recall stamping on earlier versions
686-2, 1987, hammer nose change, bushing and ***'d parts
686-3, 1988, new yoke retention system
1990 - 2 1/2" barrel introduced.
686-4 ........ 1994 thru 1998 - many changes including move to 7 shot, sight changes etc.
686-5 had the move to MIM parts and frame mounted firing pin
-6 is when S&W started putting the lock on the 686; -5 and earlier are all pre-lock, and -4 and earlier are all pre-MIM hammer/trigger (-4s had a MIM thumbpiece).

The -4 list of changes says "many changes including move to 7 shot, sight changes etc."

I would like some clarification on what were the "many changes" that I haven't been able to determine.

I like the looks of the -3 a little bit better because the hammer and trigger are a solid silver color that looks nicer than the case hardened look of the -4 trigger and hammer. But If there is something in the -4 that makes it tougher, smoother, or somehow better than the -3 that may sway my opinion in that direction.

Please help me

Per SCSW3:

686-4 (1993): drilled & tapped frame, new rear sight leaf, changed extractor, start shipping w/ Hogue grips
1995: power port barrel introduced
1995: 7-shot cylinder
1996: round-butt frames only
1997: MIM thumb-piece
686-5 (1997): integral frame lug, MIM hammer, MIM trigger, frame-mounted firing-pin

Question about this model: Does anyone know if the grips from a square butt K Frame model 19 will fit these?

Why do the triggers and hammers look different on a -3 and a -4?
The -3 is a matte silver color.
The -4 is a darker swirled metal color(is that case hardened metal?).

Nothing is listed in the description provided to indicate that the trigger and hammer should have changed between -3 and -4.

Yep the triggers and hammers changed between the -3 and -4. They went from the flash chromed to the case hardened. The -5 introduced the MIM triggers and hammers.

Although with everything that is S&W you will probably find some early -4's with flash chromed triggers and hammers. Also somewhere in the -4 timeframe they changed from the old style cylinder release to the new style.

Later,

Person

Thank you so much for the quick info !

I have seen -4s with both case hardened and flash chromed hammers. An indicator that Smith will use up parts during changes and there is a transition period for implementation to the new updates.

__________________
Richard Gillespie
FBINA 102

Square butt K frame grips fit only square butt L's. if you have a roud butt L ,square K's will not fit but round K's will. Ditto with N's & J's round to round and square to square-but unlike K & L's J & N frame grips do NOT interchange. Oh and X frame grips are te same size as L & K frame grips.
Hope this clears things up.

__________________
Forum consigliere

Has anybody actually seen a MIM hammer or trigger fail ?

Yes----------------

I have had a MIM hammer fail in a 617-6. Not as in "it shattered", but rather it wore out very quickly - within 1000 cycles. The single-action notch wore down to basically nothing, so the gun developed a pretty bad push-off condition. I would keep re-cutting it and like clockwork: within about 2000 cycles, the notch would have to be fixed again. I sent the gun back to S&W who replaced it, and that one was fine.

All of the other MIM hammers and triggers that I've had have been just fine. The MIM hammer on my 617-4 has been through 30,000 live fires (mostly single-action) and probably 100,000 dry-fires (w/ snapcaps) and it hasn't failed on me yet. The MIM hammer on my 686-5 and two 625-6s have been through about 5,000 live-fires and 5,000 dry-fires each and they've been OK, too. Same for my 629-5.

So I think that if a MIM hammer or trigger will fail, it will fail fairly quickly.

Sorry to resurrect a slightly stale thread, but I have been trying to track down what the changes were to the 686-7 and 686-8 models. I just bought my first revolver (A used 686-8) and am trying to track down everything I can about it.

Thanks!

686-7 was the Performance Center version of the 686. Same as the 686-6 -- Metal Injection Molded/MIM parts (hammer, trigger, thumbpiece, trigger rebound slide, etc.), internal lock system/ILS, round-butt grip frame, factory drilled & tapped/D&T top-strap -- but chambered for .38 Super.

686-8 is a CO2-powered pellet revolver, chambered for .177 pellets. I believe this airgun is not actually produced by S&W, but rather produced by Umarex (and S&W puts their name on it, or Umarex paid for the rights to put S&W's name on it).

If your "686-8" is a real firearm chambered for .357 Magnum, then it might actually be a 686-6, and the -6 might be either mis-stamped (it happens) or hard to make out.

I think this must be it. It most definitely is a .357. The stamping isn't perfect, but is a pretty convincing 8. I did have to look at it very closely to make that out. It seems to have all of the characteristics of a 686-6.

Thanks for the information!

Hi friend have take 686 no dash i woud Like history this series. Help me !! Ps. Have see an my frame is signed an heart Whit in center on number 4 What this?

686-6 - introduced in 2001, same as 686-5, but frame modified for internal lock

Yes, 686-4 also they changed from flash chromed hammer and trigger to case colored hammer/trigger

Stale thread question. My first duty weapon was a personal purchase, I'm guessing 1983-84 or 85. Memory fades. Sold it many years ago, but curious which dash, if any it was. It had wooden grips similar to the ones in the attached photo. Anyone know which 686 it could have been? Thinking about trying to find one similar vintage/appearance, 4".

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