I've had a 686 with a 4 inch barrel on order now for just over three months. I called my dealer to ask if there was any sight of this gun arriving and he said "Sorry the shipment arrived and its not with it". He told me that S&W didn't sent it this time but try again in a couple of weeks. I've bought a few things from this dealer and trust that he has ordered it properly in the first place. He told me that another customer has two guns on order and the same has happened to him.

I've been in sales for awhile and an order is an order no matter where its from. Sorry S&M not good enough. You guys in the US can probably go to the local dealer and pick one up exstock, not here in Australia we have to get the cast offs.

I own a model 64 and a 586 and a couple of other makes as well. I have spoken to a dealer who has a 627 Performance Centre gun in stock that I will look at soon. Unfortunately no one else has any new S&W stock that I can find locally

Whats the delivery time on new guns over there? Although there are restrictions here and you have to jump through a few hoops to get a licence anyone who does the right thing won't have a problem getting a licence but there is no CC and you have to be a member of an approved club. Our SSAA is much like your NRA and it pays to be a member

Regards

Ross

Welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear of your frustration.

Waiting on orders is always a painful experience compared to just buying something off the shelf. Last year I ordered a 627 from the Performance Center only to find that they had just suspended production of that model in order to make some headway on a backlog of demands for other models. Given the way supply chains work -- my gun store ordered from a supplier, not from S&W itself -- there was no way to get a status report. I waited weeks, then months, and finally bought a used specimen of the model I wanted when it turned up unexpectedly on my store's consignment shelf. Six weeks later, after a total of five months, the PC again started building the model I wanted, and my gun showed up with no advance warning and no apology for the delay. That's just the way they work. Now I have a spare of a very desirable model, and I am delighted that I do.

At any rate, it's not just Australia. You can get treated with disdain and indifference even in the country where they are built!

I live in California and know a little about hoop jumping, though the laws in this state are nowhere near as restrictive as the ones you deal with in Australia.

Hold a good thought. You will get your gun if you are patient. I think that part of the problem at this moment is that the best American gun makers are working overtime to keep up with demand. Not long ago Ruger suspended the taking of new orders for a period of time so they could catch up with orders already in hand.

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David Wilson

We are experiencing very high sales volume of guns in the USA now, and popular models are very scarce indeed. In a free market, the dealers can charge whatever they choose, so often the few with a popular model in stock are charging a premium, and most prefer to wait for it from their regular dealer at more reasonable prices.

I waited 8 months for the Pro Series 1911 .45 (got one of the first batch made in ME) and more recently waited 6 months for an M&P .22. Have seen 2 Shields against a wait list of over 20.

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Science plus Art

I had money down on a Model 632-2 for almost 18 months before it finally came in.

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Ogy

Ross.

Have you checked with Cleaver in QLD?

Alternatively Kathy Wilson has a brand new 6" in stock. Are you set on a 4" for 25yds service?

I just bought a 4" 686 in excellent condition with a trigger job and moon clipped from cleaver for $649.

Do you want it brand new? Because they pop up in good condition in usedguns.com.au very often. There were two 4" in the last two weeks. One for $500 and one for $600 that just escaped my hands.

Where in Oz are you located mate?

Just check the what's sold section in used guns and see the two that I just missed.

Also give Rob from RPG estate a call to see if he has any in stock. He is my personal dealer and he is very good and helpful.

I waited weeks for a 642 no lock. It never came in. My dealer got a nice used one in trade so I bought that. Saved 20% buying used.

I waited for 18 months for a 632-2, as well - a 632 Pro, to be exact. It wasn't because other revolvers pushed it out of the way - or a re-supply problem. First, I am sure they watched the market - CA and Taurus dropped all of their .327 Fed Magnum offerings. The last months, S&W's CS told me they were awaiting parts. Still, it was a new offering - never before built, much less offered. But... a 686? That's pretty much a cornerstone, one would think, of their current product line.

Me, I am not so fond of the 686 line - especially because of their typical full lug. I have but one 686 - a 5" half-lug 686P Stocking Dealer special - bought nearly eight years ago. I discovered 627s right after getting my 686P, so the 7-shooter stays home - a lot. They are more dear in cost - but they have many attributes, not to mention the 8-shot/moonclip capability and better trigger, etc. Well worth the extra dollars, whether you get a 4" 627 Pro or a 2 5/8" PC627 - or another PC627. Great revolvers! I'd happily cancel the 686 order - and try to grab that PC627.

Off Topic:
BTW, I am currently ( 6-7 AM locally - 11-1200 UTC) listening to Radio Australia - on 9,580 KHz short wave - just like I did at fourteen - a half century ago! It's a program featuring indigenous culture. So many short wave broadcasters have left the air - it's good to still have Radio Australia.

Stainz

Stains the problem getting revolvers with more than 6 rounds capacity in Australia is that we don't have many disciplines where they can be used at their full potential.

25 yds service we only use 5 rounds and they have to be reloaded individually.

Service match we use maximum of 6 rounds, we can reload with speed loaders or moon clips, but having more than 6 rounds may actually harm your score if you accidentally put more rounds than you should in the target.

IPSC revolver category, once again maximum 6 rounds before reloading, so once again having more rounds may actually cause you to be penalised and having empty chambers may not be a good idea in a fast reload as you may get the empty ones at the beginning or half way through a course of fire. If you want to use more than 6 rounds then you end up in open with the race guns semi autos, so unless you are Jerry Miculek then you are in disadvantage.

Handguns are not allowed in Australia for hunting or for home defense, conceal carry, so basically buying a revolver with more than 6 rounds capacity is spending more than you really need.

Also we are restricted in barrel sizes with a minimum legal length of 4" nothing under that is legal unless you have a special category licence that I think is dealers, collectors or security.

Certain guns in the USA are very hard to get.

My local gun stores never have in stock the Ruger SR1911, Smith & Wesson no lock 642 or 442.

They always have in stock SIG P250s and weird commemoratives

I would like a new snub and buy it locally to support the gun shops but I may have to do a Bud on them to get a no lock snub.

I hope I don't succumb to buying a Ruger LCR.

Ruger made a sweet little gun there but when I pocket carry, the grip makes me feel like I have a tire for an F-250 King Ranch in there.

Just saw a report that Ruger made 1.1 million guns last year and produced their 1 millionth gun this year on 8/15. I would assume S&W has experienced a similar increase in demand (if not in absolute numbers - report said that until last year nobody had made 1 millions commercial guns in a single year.) They can be expected to focus their production on those models in greatest demand that produce the highest return.

rotty,

I am curious as to why you cancelled your order. Did you have a deposit you wanted back or is it something to do with your countries regulations?

If it was neither I would kept my order until I found something else.

Oh demand for guns will continue to be going up here due to having two anti-gun candidates running for President.

i have been waiting....sigh.....for 6-7 months for my 4.2 " 629 44 mag. my dealer was assured delivery of all twelve revolvers by end of july . none have arrived as yet. in that time ive bought a ruger sp101 4.2" 357 mag a used s$w 28-2 6" 357 mag and a stevens model 35 tip-up in 22lr, my point being that s$w is leaving a lot of money on the table by not keeping up with demand
-i wont cancel my order for anything though lol
also ive just recently ordered another sp101 in 22lr will be interesting to see which arrives first, even with s$w's 6 month head start.

The dealer I put a NOS 396 on layaway with, said some items are tough to get or just seem not to be available. He said the Ruger sp101s seem to be a bit tough with that he had none in the shop for almost 6 weeks the day I was there had six show up. Also he said if he hesitated on S&W PC shop guns there was no second shot tough item also.
Here in the states some items are difficult to find but can still be had.

Not me. It was Ross who cancelled the order.

I don't know his particular case as I don't know where he is located, but in NSW the permit to acquire has a limited amount of time where it has to be used or it expires and you loose your application fee $30.

I think from memory you have 30 days to use it and after that your dealer can extend it for another 60 or so, but if you have not bought after that you end up loosing your money.

Maybe it has to do with that?

Thanks for the responses.

Rotty is correct the Permit to Acquire lasts three months and you need to reapply when that happens. I was fortunate that the dealer was happy to give me back my deposit I'll probably use it as a shop credit I think.

The 686 seems to be a basic model and I would have thought that they would be easier to get, considering that the importer runs full page adds in the SSAA magazine stating how good value they are for Australian shooters.

Rotty I do live in Brisbane so QGE and Cleavers are just round the corner for me.

Regards
Ross

I purchased a Ruger LC9 because my Shield 9mm order never came in.

S&W certainly left money on the table there.

I agree its about customer service. If S&W can't provide that service unfortunately that forces me to look somewhere else, either another maker or maybe second hand.

You are not the only unfortunate Aussie:

Thanks S&W about trime

I stand corrected here. ICORE is shot in Australia and you can use higher capacity revolvers. But we don't have a club at least in Sydney, the closest one is about 6 hours away. But in Queensland they have a few.