686-3 'Competitors' how many were made? Got the answer!!!

socal s&w

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I bought my 686-3 'Competitor' in 2004 from a LGS that had bought out the stock from another gun store. It's a great shooter and I do most of my shooting with this gun every Saturday morning. It now has close to 35K rounds down the pipe without a hiccup.

I have all three of the Standard Catalog of S&W editions, bit still cannot find the quantity run for my dash 3. I believe that it was made in 1998 or so, but no quantity clue. I also believe that this is a Lew Horton gun originally with S&W now making the latest ones for their own retail.

I have seen a couple of them on this Forum that appear to match what I have, a dash 3. So I assume that maybe someone here knows the answer....

Anyone got a clue as to how many were in the dash 3 run?
 
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I hear crickets chirping....but no answer....

I have tried this question here before with no answer, just trying again cause it's time.

Any information would be great!

Thank you!
 
Post a picture of the 686 you are referring to, I can help you out. There was a couple different competitor models If I recall right, unfluted and fluted cylinder versions along with different barrel versions as well.

Eric
 
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Hey Gumpy/Eric.

Here is a picture of the said revolver, I sent it back for the non-fluted cylinder, it is NOT original, it had the fluted cylinder when I bought it. It has a 6" barrel with the weight set below and integral rail on top. Came with the Hogue rubber stocks, but replaced with Hogue Big-Butts.

Any info that you can provide would be great as I have limited now.

Thanks much for the help!

mike

 
Really....370 hits and no one knows....I'm guessing that everyone is in the same boat as me, have the book/s, but not enough information about quantities.

Thanks to everyone for at least looking!

mike
 
That looks like a special run PC Lew Horton. You can call Lew Horton Distributing Co. At 800-446-7866 with your serial number and they will verify if its one of theirs. If it is just ask them how many of that particular model were made.
 
Hi Mike,

Can you post a bigger picture of the gun specifically each side of the barrel, that is what I wanted to see on it.

Eric
 
Thanks for the posts guys!

While there is currently no right side pic, here are a couple more larger of the left side as requested. Stamped on the right side is 'Competitor' and that's it.

Again, I thank you for you posts and interest in helping me.

Click on the pics to increase.

mike



 
Last push to the top. I'm gonna try calling Lew Horton and see if they are any help.

Thanks to all that attempted!

mike
 
Okay, so here's the scoop....

I phoned Lew Horton this morning and talked with Bob, a very nice individual by the way, and he gave me the following information on this 686-3 revolver....

It was manufactured in 1991 for Lew Horton (of course) it sold originally for $1,100, which is what I paid for it BNIB in 2004. It had a run of only 400 all of which are consecutively numbered. I happen to have a two digit number in that run.

They were a PCC revolver with a 6" barrel and 'Competitor' stamped on the left side of the slab barrel.

I had arrived at my LGS on a Saturday morning when I saw this beauty and asked to see it. I was told that there were two, but the other one sold on the previous day....missed it by a single day getting two. They were in consecutive order as well.

So, I thank everyone that was kind enough to offer support and interest in finding this information in my posts.
 

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