I'm not a big fan of the usual 686 because they are quite mainstream over here in Europe.
If you are a hunter, you have one.
If you are new to revolver, you have one.

I've a couple of though...



S&W 686 CS1 2M with cordia Ahrends grips by swaficionado, on Flickr


S&W 686 CS1 2M by swaficionado, on Flickr


S&W 686-5 Practical Champion by swaficionado, on Flickr


S&W 686-5 Performance Center by swaficionado, on Flickr


S&W 686-6 Competitor Performance Center by swaficionado, on Flickr

Very nice collection.
Some of them I've never seen before were they hard to find?

Well remember when the L-frame series was introduced to the market. Outstanding! The examples shown in your photos witness to that excellence. Sincerely. bruce.

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All S&W revolver which are not mainstream (686, 19, 66, 629, etc) are very hard to find around here.
The majority of those funky beadblasted 686 variation are made for the European market.

Can you legally carry handguns, maybe at least on hunting trips?

Congratulations on your excellent English.

I would love to have the 3" CS1 in the first photo, very cool!

Thank you for complimenting my English.

There are two difference licences in Austria:
- Waffenbesitzkarte = "owning" licence
- Waffenpass = carry licence
Its easy to obtain the first, all you have to be is an European citizen, older than 21 and free of any police records. Once you get your licence you can legally purchase and own 2 (!) firearms and/or semi-automatic rifles/shotguns.
The latter is a rather tough one. In a nutshell, only police, people with influence and/or the right job (lawyers, security branch, hunters) are able to obtain a carry licence but not all of them are 24/7. For example, if you are working as a money transporter you may only carry a firearm during work hour. Again, you can legally own and carry 2.

It's possible to own more though and there are two options:
- You'd have to either be a sportsman, go to tournaments, collect results and with those papers go to the officials and justify the expansion fo the licence (e.g. "need a 1911 for IPSC Classic, a revolver for bullseye, AR15 for 2-gun, etc"). This is fairly easy.
- Or go my route and proof them that you are an serious and avid collector by pumping their eyes full an humongous amount of history and numbers.
Latter is tough as hell, took my 7 months and many trips to my lawyer buddy.

So, without a collectors license, you can own just two guns? Pretty rough for a hunter who wants at least one rifle and one shotgun and a few pistols!

I've read that in South Africa, without a collector's license, one is limited to 10 guns. Austria seems much worse, but a South African with a legal pistol can carry it!

It was never easy...and it's getting worse year by year. Salami tactics.

Very nice collection. I would really like that 686-5 that looks polished.

I didn't know that L frame forged target hammers even existed!
Love those grey combat stocks.