3" 686 CS1

[686PC]

Hi folks,

I have the chance to buy a 3" 686 CS1 with box and the 2M stamp for $1,899. Condition wise the only issue with it is a scuff on the outside of one of its cylinder (scuff not shown on the photo below). The rest of the pistol looks great and it comes with the original rubber grip.

What do you folks think? A fair deal under current market conditions? I've seen 2 SC1 sold on GB recently for around the same price range. One a 3" and the other a 4". I also seen a 3" CS1 sold recently in GB for $1,450, but that one did not have the 2M stamp.

 

[jrc1]

I paid 1700. For my 3" two years ago and 1300. For my 4" last year

 

[ColumbusJBR]

Forgive my dumb question. Why do these bring so much money? Is it simply the rarity?

 

[Hawg Rider]

I think that their asking price is in the ballpark, especially with its original box. I have my eye on one locally, but the seller is not ready to part with it yet. I'm expecting to pay $1800-$2K whenever he's ready. I believe that the price reflects its Customs Service provenance (CS-1), and the fact that in 1988 S&W did not produce many of these 3" (3,281) or 4" bbl. (5,419) versions. There are a couple of Forum members that are collectors of these revolvers, so perhaps they will chime in shortly to share their knowledge.

 

[686PC]

Forgive my dumb question. Why do these bring so much money? Is it simply the rarity?

Not a dumb question, if this sort of stuff interests you, like it interests me. This 686 CS1 was commissioned in 1988 by the US Customs Agency (during the pre-MIM era). The agency had pretty stringent requirements and lore is that these guns were made as well as the first Performance Center guns, even though that division did not exist yet back then.

To paraphrase the more in-depth post below, the rumor of these CS-1's being "better made" and having "DX" accuracy is likely true. Periodically a 686 CS-1 was selected from a production lot and required to demonstrate the durability and accuracy requirement. If it failed to do so it was sent back to S&W and a subsequent example pulled and subjected to the same test. We are told that there were few that failed - but there were a few examples.

As to their rarity, most of these were service weapons owned by the federal government. Approximately 2500 686 CS-1s were released through the Sales Exchange Program before then Attorney General Janet Reno ended that program and ordered federally owned service weapons destroyed rather than sold.

More information can be found here: https://smith-wessonforum.com/threads/us-customs-service-686-cs-1.231410/