got a chance to pick one up what can ya tell me about them, the good,bad,ugly thanks steve

If memory serves, there were only about 1,500 of these made which keeps the price for them up above your garden variety 686. Many like the half-lug barrel as they feel it balances better in the hand than full-lugged barrels. The seven shot capability is a real plus in some minds, while others prefer more traditional 6-shot revolvers. You should be able to use the search function to find member 5 Wire's tracking of price for this model.

Good Luck,

Jerry

I have a pile of Smiths and it is only one of a couple I will never sell or trade. Just about the perfect 4" 357 magnum for carry in the woods, duty, hunting, or if done right, CCW. I have carried daily for 30 years so I know a little. Love this gun, They came in both 7 or 6 shot because S&W gave me a choice when they sent mine direct to the factory in exchange for a 586 that had a warranty problem. That got me started getting the 625 and 629 Mountain guns. They make a nice set of triplets! And Mine has no lock! Grab it and run.

Thanks for the shout out, j38.

My old track was so far out of date I made a new one. I hope it helps.

Smith & Wesson 686-5 Plus Mountain Gun 4-in tapered Bbl Revolver in .357 Magnum,.38 Special, Plus P,. Bluebook of Gun Values (32nd Edition) indicates between $350 in 95% condition and $615 in 100% condition for this gun. I have 42 recorded prices for this model gun from $475 to $1063 over a period of 8 Yrs 5 Mos ending May 23, 2011. The average price as of that date was $675. No refurbs, no refinishes, regular sights. All represented as 95% or better. No distinction for engineering revision, if any, no special editions, no distinctions for box, papers, tools. Current or last MSRP is $849. [Note: the BBGV makes no distinction for the Mountain Gun, although it probably should. The BBGV price range is for the plain 686P.

Here's how the data charts out. Keep in mind the trendlines represent averages. Better examples of the gun would command higher prices, especially with box, papers, and so on. Excel was acting up on me for some reason and the date axis shows every other month. The data, however is monthly.



Here's the one I had:

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Bob

I believe that there were 2 batches of M-686 Mountain Guns made about a decade apart. The first was the 686-5, made in about 1998. 7 shots, Hogue rubber stocks with moulded-in S&W medallions, no internal lock.

The second batch was announced last year, 6 shot, internal lock. These were made up for a particular distributor.

I bought mine new in October, 1998. I like it a lot. Great holster gun.

Here is one:

If the price seems fair, I'd snag it. You don't see many.

And a question for Mr. Smith............did that one come with a spurless hammer, or was that a later modification?

That is one I stuck in to take a picture and see if I liked it, back to stock now.

I have a pair of them and they are easily my favorite "using" revolvers.

One of my absolute favorites.

I used mine for my CCW class and it performed flawlessly! One of my favorites as an all around gun to have.

Grab it, run, and don't look back. I had one about four years ago, and let a guy talk me out of it. Been sorry ever since. I have a 686 four inch with the standard lug barrel now. I like it, but the Mountain Gun was the one to have.

Great for carry, less great for shooting full power magnum loads. I had one for awhile. Sold it in favor of a 45 Colt Mountain Gun, which is not painful to shoot. A 45 ACP Mountain gun would be as easy to carry, but alot more fun to shoot.
I love the lightweight, Mountain Gun concept. Just not in a .357 Magnum or in any other Magnum caliber.

that's the dumbest graph I have ever seen

Suggest improvements, why don't you. Or maybe you just don't understand how to read it.

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Bob

5Wire, awesome graph. Kudos to you for tracking this information. I've toyed w/ the idea of doing the same thing but now that I know someone else out there is doing it, I don't have to worry about it!

I thought I'd add a somewhat dated picture of my own 686+ and comment that, while I mainly collect older revolvers, this gun gives up nothing in performance to my older S&W's. It probably has a smoother DA trigger than half of them, ... and I wouldn't hesitate to rely on it for more than target practice.

Jerry

Got one of the no-locks. Nice. Has replaced my 19 as a tractor and 4 wheeler gun. Mine has red post on patridge front sights and I like it!

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S&W Accumulator

It took me a minute to figure it out, but then I rather liked it. A lot of work when into it and it leads to some interesting conclusions.

I have MGs in both .45Colt and .44Mag. I love both and I shoot a lot of full-house mags in the 629. I'd grab the .357Mag version is a second....and the .41Mag too.

You must have tougher hands than me!

(Resurrecting an old thread)

I am in the market for a pre-lock 7-shot .357 Mountain Gun.

Anyone know if there is a more recent version of the very helpful price graph shown in Post #4?

TIA

No new graph but 10 more prices,

Smith & Wesson 686-5 Plus Mountain Gun 4-in barrel Revolver in .357 Mag. Blue Book of Gun Values (35th Edition) indicates between $650 in 95% condition and $850 in 100% condition for this gun. I have 52 recorded prices for this model gun from $475 to $1450 over a period of 12 Yrs 7 Mos ending July 20, 2015. The average price as of that date was $763. No refurbs, no refinishes, regular sights. All represented as 95% or better. No distinction for engineering revision, if any, no special editions, no distinctions for box, papers, tools. Current or last MSRP is $849.

The last 10 prices I have for this model since 1/1/2012 range from $866 to $1450 averaging $1130. I would say the average price has continued to increase. It's a great gun.

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Bob

Makes me want to get mine out and go shoot it more. I bought it around August/September 98 - best revolver I have.

Probably one of the best 686 .357s S&W ever made.
Steve

Model 686, 7 shot, Mountain Gun, tapered 4 inch barrel, L frame, round butt is, hands down, the most useful S&W ever made in .357 Magnum.

It holds 7 shots, and has the strength of the L frame, but the weight of the K frame due to the extra hole in the cylinder and the tapered barrel.

The round butt makes it concealable, when needed, yet concealable stocks can be replaced for a more hand-filling grip if desired. The 4 inch barrel makes it long enough to be capable of great practical accuracy, yet short enough to conceal, if the need arises.

The 7 shot cylinder has the locking notches offset between the charge holes in the thickest part of the steel rather than right over the thinnest part of the charge hole, making it as strong as the Model 27 or ".357" Magnum.

The stainless steel makes it resistant to bad weather, perspiration, humid climates, etc. The adjustable sights allow you to "dial-in" for target, duty, or hunting loads.

As it was the best idea to come out of 2100 Roosevelt in decades, it is predictable that S&W would make only a limited run, and not make it a standard catalog item. Unfortunately, S&W has a history of poor decision making along those lines.

If you find one, buy it as they rarely come up for sale.

My good friend Shawn "nailed it" again!

I'm very sad to say that I'm going to be selling my 686-5 Mountain Gun. It was the first handgun I ever bought. Its been a safe queen for well over a decade now but I find myself in a financial pinch. I've had it up for sale locally here in GA for a while on another forum but haven't had any takers.

I actually had another user name here years ago but no longer have access to that email and so I set up a new user name.

shawn mccarver, I disagree with your assessment of the round butt, only aspect of this gun I'd change.
Steve

mworlund, please email or PM me? The PMs on my end don't seem to be working, for me anyhow.
Steve

mworlund,
Is the gun still for sale?

Chuck

Out of curiosity, does anyone know the difference in weight between a 686 Mountain Gun and a model 620. Basically the same gun. I don't have a 686 but do have a 620.

Model 686 Plus Mountain Gun: 7-shot fluted cylinder, round butt L frame with Hogue rubber grips, 4” tapered barrel with “Mountain Gun” laser etched on the side, .375” semi-target hammer, .312” smooth combat trigger, black ramp front sight with black blade micrometer click rear sight, drilled and tapped for scope mount, 35.5 oz. Limited edition stocking dealer special. Product code 104200. Manufactured in 1998.
Supica, Jim; Nahas, Richard (2006-12-20). Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson 3rd (Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson) (p. 259). F+W Media, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

MODEL 620
.357 Mag. cal., 4 in. barrel, similar to Model 619, except has white outline rear sight and red ramp front sight, 38 oz. Mfg. 2005-2009.
Blue Book of Gun Values. 36th Edition (online version)

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Bob

Thanks 5Wire.

you're welcome but thanks go to forum member, Jim Supica and coauthor Richard Nahas for SCS&W, 3; and to S.P. Fjestad for BBGV, 36.

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Bob

I also have a 620, same looks as the 686 MG except for the barrel design. My old S&W catalog shows the weight of the 620 at 36.9 oz.

Just would like to post a pic of my 686-4 mountain gun I've been looking for more info about them I read only 1500 were maid would like to confirm that I feel in love with this gun as soon as I saw it and I had to but it I bought it this year at my local pawnshop with the original case for 500 in great condition needs cleaning but I love it !!!! It is definitely my favorite gun I have ever owned and I would never sell it

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The original box had a printed end label that would say Product Code 104200 on it if it was shipped as a Mountain Gun. Does your box still have the end label on it and does the gun's serial number match the serial number on the label?

Your gun is unusual for a 686 Mountain Gun. I don't think they were made before the 686-5 variant came out. Yours is clearly earlier than that.

I wonder if your gun had the original full-lug barrel replaced with the tapered Mountain Gun barrel it has on it now. This was done by 686 fans as S&W had some extra Mountain Gun barrels in stock in their service department for a while.

The newest reference book for recent (post 1997) S&W is the Standard Catalog of S&W. The newest edition just came out and doesn't say how many were made, just that it was a limited edition made for the Stocking Dealer program S&W had at the time. Previous edition doesn't say how many, either.

It has mountain gun etched on it and yeah I'll show you the codes I would like to know what you could say about it !!!! Thanks for what you have told me

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Interesting as didnt know there was a 686-4 Mountain gun made.
Im guessing its from 1996 , Does the grip frame have serrations on the tangs, is the trigger MIM ,
Firing pin would be on the hammer since its the old frame.

I see it has the old style cylinder release and cylinder stop stud sort of transitional gun.

The 686-5 appears in 1997

I never knew that gun existed. I thought they started with the dash 5 in 1997-98.

The end label on the box specifies a six inch barrel. The barrel on yours appears to be a four inch barrel. So my guess is that someone replaced the original barrel with a mountain gun barrel at some point.

What you guys asked for !

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The six-inch barrel and the product code argue for a barrel switch on a different gun:

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Bob

ok we have a MG barrel wound into a 686-4 frame, right? I have seen the barrels on GB in the past. Offers were $300.

Mountain gun barrels do pop up for sale once in and while,
I bought one a few years back for a future project and still have it,
Interestingly it has the caliber rollstamped into the barrel where my 686-5 Mountain gun has it laser etched.

Lion:

Your revolver shipped from the S&W factory with a 6 inch barrel with the full length underlug. The round butt grip frame is correct for your gun. The product code number 104198 is correct for those features.

Between it shipping and you acquiring it, somebody put a Mountain Gun barrel on it.

I had one close to yours, S/N CAF1726. I bought it new in November, 1995. 6 inch full lug barrel. The then-new 7 shot cylinder was a really big deal for S&W revolver fans at the time.

The Spec. Ord. number 5338 on the label means that your gun was finished and packaged in the box, ready to be shipped, on the 338th day of 1985.

At $500.00, I think you got a pretty good deal on that gun.

I'm not an expert but a 686-4 plus with mtn. gun barrel... even though may not be factory but IMO it's best of everything.

Well thanks for the info everyone I guess it's time to get it polished and engraved and made into something special ha it's going to cost much more then what I payed for it but I'll have something as special as what I thought I had ha