686 Revolver Jam - I didn't think it could happen

First let me say that this is not a "S&W Quality Control sucks" rant. I really like this revolver and I plan to keep it. This is not about 686's, this is about my particular gun.

I finally got out to the range for the first time with my new 686 the other day. Out of about 50 shots fired, it "jammed" 3 times. By this I mean when pulling the trigger or the hammer itself, the cylinder would not rotate to the next round. At first I suspected (hoped) it was the ammo, but it did this for .38 Special, and .357 (130 and 158gr) from Herter's and Hornady. The last time it happened I realized that if I pushed the spent casing (shown in Image #1) back into the cylinder it "cleared" the issue and would rotate. Looking more closely I found what appears to be a nick (shown in the other images) that I'm guessing is the likely culprit.

When I got home I tried to recreate the problem with spent casings (no live ammo here). I was able to do so several times, but only randomly, just by pointing the gun upwards and letting gravity move the casing out of the cylinder similar to image #1. It seems harder to recreate now as of this morning but I don't know if that's because the nick is smoothing out a little or not.

This was the first time I fired the gun and it sits in the case except for dry firing that I would do occasionally, so I'm certain it came from the factory this way. There is no issue with the ejector star or anything else that my untrained eye noticed.

I have no intention of filing this down myself or doing anything with it other than sending it to S&W customer service which I will arrange today. I'm confident they will take care of things. One of the reasons I decided on a revolver is that their design is such that they shoot every time and any problem is usually fixed by pulling the trigger again, so this was a pretty big disappointment.

I have to believe this is a very unique situation but would like to hear comments from others here. Also, I have to at least mention that the reason this revolver is a keeper for me is that I had a lot of fun with it that day at the outdoor range. As a first time shooter I was very happy with all the hits on a 12" target at 25 yards, and the trigger on this is outstanding.


Jim K.

Interesting.

Jimk686 said:

...One of the reasons I decided on a revolver is that their design is such that they shoot every time and any problem is usually fixed by pulling the trigger again, so this was a pretty big disappointment.

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Jim, JMHO but I have always thought this a "widespread misconception." You often hear, "There's nothing to go wrong with a revolver!" All I can say about that is the person obviously has never inspected one closely, or spent much time using one.

Revolvers are considered exceptionally reliable because good ones historically have been finely made. They have good quality parts and they are assembled and fitted by people who know what they are doing. The designs have been refined over many years of production. In truth, I think the mechanism is rather fragile. But, with a high-quality revolver like your 686, you have every right to expect reliability and accuracy.

You're smart to send it back to the factory. They're the experts and they will take care of it.

I once bought a Colt Python that had excessive endshake on the cylinder. As the gun would fire, the casing went rearward, and the cylinder went forward. The trash on the front of the cylinder and the rear of the barrel would smash together and the cylinder would feel like it was jamming. The seller told me that the gun had been to a couple of gunsmiths who couldn't figure it out. I made up some .0015" shims and inserted one between the cylinder and crane. This stopped the issue.

I had a coworker who was also a part time LEO. One night at a big box dept store answering a silent alarm, he dropped his S&W revolver on the concrete floor. He continued to clear the store, but later when he got home he couldn't open the gun to unload it. Apparently the crane was sprung. He was lucky he didn't encounter an armed perp.

M29since14 said:

... You often hear, "There's nothing to go wrong with a revolver!" ...

...You're smart to send it back to the factory. They're the experts and they will take care of it.

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That's true, I came across that a lot while researching which handgun to get. I'm sure that's it's generally more true over some other options. I guess the advice here is to always avoid saying "always" and never say "never"... Thanks for the advice.

A revolver is a man made mass produced mechanical device and is prone to failure, but much less than a semi auto. I've been carrying them for over 40 years and still have confidence in their reliability.

This time, it will get worked by a master gunsmith instead of a technician. I've heard of guns being sent back to S&W to get 'right'. It is very rare to hear of guns going back to S&W twice. You'll like what you get back.

FloridaFlier said:

This time, it will get worked by a master gunsmith instead of a technician. I've heard of guns being sent back to S&W to get 'right'. It is very rare to hear of guns going back to S&W twice. You'll like what you get back.

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Luckily I've been hearing similar sentiments about their service. It's good to know. On the plus side, now that I had a chance to try it out at the range it won't be as hard to part with it for a while as they work on it.

I used to carry a 340 PD. One time at the range I was practicing when the revolver jammed .. cylinder would not turn. Turned out it was the ammo. The recoil of a 340 shooting magnum loads is substantial and it had unseated the bullet from the case just enough that it would not allow the cylinder to advance. I had to be very careful of the ammo I used.

Sorry you got a glitch

If they fix it right it should be VERY reliable. I like revolvers too, because when you pull the trigger they go bang, i.e. 99.9% of the time. Once I had high primers that stopped me dead in the water. There was a problem with some 686s that when shot some hot loads, primers would flow around the firing pin and lock it up. S&W fixed it but there is a big suspicion that soft primers were the cause.

Old cop said:

A revolver is a man made mass produced mechanical device and is prone to failure, but much less than a semi auto.

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I wish the above was true since I now have to carry revolvers, but it has not been my experience. I've had several Colt Government Models that were flawless in functioning, unlike most of the revolvers I've owned and shot. As stated earlier, the revolver is a rather delicate and complicated mechanism. If carefully made and assembled they can be very reliable but heavy, rough usage will put them out of order when many semi autos will just keep going.

May the flames begin,
Dave

I'd take a small fine file and smooth that burr off and be done with it. I've had single action revolver cases hang on the sharp edges of the loading gate and frame if it wasn't perfectly aligned with the frame. Just rounded the edges a little bit and all was well. Same here.

DIY REPAIRS

why diy and risk voiding the warranty, S&W may flat out refuse to touch a gun that has been diy'd, even if they would work on a diy gun YOU would have to pay for it.

nachogrande said:

why diy and risk voiding the warranty, S&W may flat out refuse to touch a gun that has been diy'd, even if they would work on a diy gun YOU would have to pay for it.

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Because this is not a major repair... it is barely a minor.
Some of us are mechanical enough to do this in about 60 seconds
I hate shipping guns, free or not
Things get lost in transit, or at S&W
It would take longer to put tape on either side of the bump, than to knock off the bump
I don't want to wait 3+ weeks to get my pistol back
I don't want to take time off work, and deal with fedex to get it shipped off
I don't want to take time off work to sign for the return shipment
I still have my man card

I have sent a pistol back before, sometimes it's necessary. This aint one of those times. It's not my gun though, so do what makes you happy.

I have a brand new 686 and it doesn't have that little burr or bump.

I agree with fletre and Badquaker: I'd file the little sucker off.
Probably only take a few swipes of a needle file. It isn't supposed to be there.

It won't negate any warranty.

In single actions, particularly Rugers, I've smoothed the recoil shield on more than one to get a nicer rotation and eliminate
hangups.

Hi, Jim.

You have diagnosed the problem correctly, which tells me that you have some mechanical aptitude. And I agree with some other posters that that is a very easy repair for anyone with a tool or two and a little mechanical aptitude. But if you prefer to send the gun back, that'll work too.

I have three 686s, and they are great guns. I wish you a bunch of shooting pleasure with yours.

Regards,
Andy

I ALWAYS do it if I can. Heck I would do my own open heart surgery if I could.

Bjoe, you can do open heart surgery on yourself. Just invest in the DVD that illustrates how.

I'm with the guys that say do it yourself and have it done with. Self reliance is a lost art these days.

Dave T said:

I wish the above was true since I now have to carry revolvers, but it has not been my experience. I've had several Colt Government Models that were flawless in functioning, unlike most of the revolvers I've owned and shot. As stated earlier, the revolver is a rather delicate and complicated mechanism. If carefully made and assembled they can be very reliable but heavy, rough usage will put them out of order when many semi autos will just keep going.

May the flames begin,
Dave

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No flames from me. As far as fouling goes, let alone dirt or sand getting into the works, a revolver is far more likely to bind up tight than a semi-auto.