686-1 Silloute

[Hank783]

I recently acquired a 686-1 with an 8 3/8 inch barrel and adjustable front sight. It is a great tack driver at 25 yards.

I woulod like to know what the adjustable front sight settings do to the point of aim/elevation when changed to one of the other 3 settings.

 

[jrm53]

I believe if you put the #1 settings on the front sight and adjust the rear to be on at 25 yards the #2 front sight setting should put you on at 50 yards and the #3 should be on at 75 and the #4 should be on at 100 yards, thats how I remember they were supposed to work. I just thought if the front sight 4 positions have adjustments you may have to tweak them at all 4 distances to be right.

 

[lscocoa]

I contacted S&W and they no longer had the owners manual ,but they made a photo copy of the original and sent it to me so that I would have it for reference with the gun .

 

[jaymoore]

There's no set usage of the four settings. You can use it to have fine tuned zeros at four different distances. (25,50,75 and 100 yards is common, but you could make it whatever you want.) Or you can use the four settings four four different loads at one distance. (I.e- 110, 125, 158 and 180grain bullets loaded to factory maximum.) Or 125 and 158 grain light and heavy loads at two distances.

Plenty of combinations possible! The downside is that the adjustments up front have no clicks and are slightly different from to rear for the same amount of rotation.

It's not a bad set-up, but you might want to keep a notebook or database on the four positions. Easy to forget what's going on otherwise.

 

[Zappa]

I picked up one of these a few months ago a a shop in Plymouth Mass.
I had sold my Dan Wesson w/2", 4", 6" and 8" barrels a few months earlier, but found myself missing a long barreled .357 because I really only used the 8" barrel, the rest never got used.
I grabbed it for $625 in fantastic shape and the thing is a tack driver. I played around a bit with the adjustable front sight but pretty much settled on one position and haven't touched it since.
As much as I liked the Dan Wesson, the 686 has a lighter hammer pull and better trigger. I did however swap out the factory wood grips for a set of Hogues, to me that was a huge improvement.

 

[nipster]

I had the opportunity about a year ago to pick up a 8 3/8" 586-1 for $400. I passed on it because I really didnt want a long barrel. I really wish I had picked it up. I hear they are great shooters.

 

[Zappa]

I had the opportunity about a year ago to pick up a 8 3/8" 586-1 for $400. I passed on it because I really didnt want a long barrel. I really wish I had picked it up. I hear they are great shooters.

You passed one up for only $400 ????

 

[Avery11]

I passed up a mint 686-1 6" with factory targets for $485 otd at the Kittery Trading Post in ME yesterday.

I just have a thing for no dashes. I admit that I don't feel great about my decision.

 

[1sgret]

686 Adjustable Front Sights

Hank,

There are four independent settings on your 686 adjustable front sight. Each one can be adjusted independently. Depressing the rear of the sight assembly allows you to rotate the dial to choose one of four settings. When you turn to #1, you can set that one using a small Allen wrench. Continue on at different ranges to do all four (25, 50, 75 & 100 yards for example).

On mine I adjusted the rear sight about 75% of the way towards its maximum elevation. Then adjusted the # 4 position to be flush in the down position & finished adjusting the rear sight to be on target at100 yards. Remember, the front sight is backwards in relation to the rear sight (to raise impact you drop the front sight, to lower impact you raise front sight). Then I did # 3 at 75 yards, #2 at 50 yards & # 1 at 25 yards, not touching the rear sight in any of the three adjustments. At each of the remaining three settings the front sight was raised taller (to lower the muzzle).

This is probably as clear as mud, but it worked for me. I did this in June of 1986 (a 686 no dash) and have not had to change the settings on either the front or rear sights. I shoot mostly RN or SWC lead reloads. I also shoot any type of copper jacketed bullets I can get inexpensively and I did not see any drastic change of impacts unless I was at the 100 yard point.

John