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I recently had my S&W revolver repaired and they had to replace the frame which also meant a new serial number. They of course are handling shipping both ways. Because of the new serial number they needed me to provide an FFL to ship to which I gave. When I asked about any additional costs they...

I had questions about dry firing when I first got my 686. I'm sure you can find other references to it on this site, but Smith & Weson says there is no problem dry firing their revolvers (some exceptions such as rim fire I believe). I can also say that dry firing to get familiar with the gun...

I would send it back if there is any question. I just did this 2 weeks ago with my new 686 for a "nick" that was interfering with the cylinder turning a few times Revolver Jam. Some suggested just filing it, but they replaced the frame completely and I'll have it back in a day or 2 (I'll update...

This was my thinking as well. Given the fact that it had one other issue (the "mainspring issue" that I link to further above) I'll feel better once a professional looks the whole thing over and gives it their blessing. Just waiting on the shipping label from Smith & Wesson now.

This occurred with ammo from 3 different boxes and 2 different manufacturers. I showed that image of the casing as an example of how it sometimes sits when in that position of the cylinder. It can slip in or out as gravity or recoil impacts it.

I saved the cases so I went back and checked and there are no scratches on the rear of them. Not sure how I would check for the "hand" spring tension, but the gun otherwise was handling just fine.

This is my thinking exactly. Although all indications point to that burr as being the culprit, I can't say for sure that it is the cause. Also, I did have another problem with this gun regarding the mainspring (Mainspring Issue). That was a pretty simple fix, but another thing that should not...

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.

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.

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...

If the question is whether or not the quality of the newer 686's is just as good, tell her not to hesitate. I recently bought a 686 plus 3" and have been very happy. It's easy to get the impression reading things on the Internet that maybe a new 686 isn't "as good" as an older one. The lock...

It took about a month and a half for me to receive my 3" 686. My LGS was unable to give me any kind of a date either which was a little frustrating, but when you finally get that call it's a great thing. Good luck with yours.

Given the discussions here I decided to take another look at the mainspring because I want to get everything right. Also I had been doing a bit of dry firing and thought if there was an issue with the strain screw the mainspring might be misaligned again. I took the grips off and did the...

Just asking because I don't know, but what makes you come to that conclusion? In a previous post you mentioned something about there not being enough arch in the mainspring, is this why? After realigning the mainspring and tightening the strain screw all the way it seemed okay (to me) based on...

Unfortunately I'm not among the few who have never screwed up... For me this particular issue fell under the category of **** happens. No big deal since it was an easy fix as I found out. Like I said, just happy to have a Smith and Wesson revolver in my hands.

No, nothing evil going on here. I simply removed the stock rubber grips which came off pretty easy and noticed it right away. The fix was pretty simple. The strain screw was already tight when I went to loosen it and it was just barely gripping the mainspring. I realigned it, tightened the screw...

I was thinking the same thing, except I would say less coffee. My concern is that the volume of output that they are working against may be creating shortcuts. I was disappointed to see the problem, but I'm still really happy to finally get my hands on it at least. Can't wait to get it to the range.

Great, I was hoping that was the case but wanted to err on the side of caution. Thanks for the quick response! Jim K.

I finally got my 686. I was about to clean it, took off the grips and noticed that the mainspring is not aligned (see pics). This is my first gun but I'm pretty sure this is not right. I was planning to loosen the strain screw and align the bottom of the mainspring evenly, but before I do that...

Sounds like good advice. I can't say I "need" it just yet, but I'm sure that sentiment will change as soon as I finally get a chance to start firing off the ammo that I do have. Jim K.