686-3 Hunter Performance Center (I think kinda rare)

[dedlitez]

Hey Guys,

I am new to the forum but ya'll seem pretty knowledgeable. I just bought my first S&W, the problem is that I can't seem to find any information on it anywhere on the internets. Perhaps you guys can help me out. The place i got it from said there was only 200 of them made!

What I know is that its a a 1994 686-3 hunter, possibly a Lew Horton special. Also it is a performance center model. Other then that I have know idea.

Here are some picts:

Any leads or info would be much appreciated!

 

[colt_saa]

Congratulations. Many of us here really love the Hunter revolvers.

That revolver should be product code 170021. 200 would be the correct production number.

 

[dedlitez]

Thanks for the product code, It is one more piece to this puzzle.

Upon looking around the boards I have indeed discovered a couple other members who own this great gun as well.
Just took it to the range again today and love it more and more every time I shoot it! What a wonderful gun it is. Also got some fine new pau ferro hogue grips for it and now it feels even better in my hands. Next up is finding a holster that will fit that massive barrel!

 

[colt_saa]

Glad to see that you are enjoying your new acquisition.

I have two of the Hunters myself. One in 45 Long Colt and the other in 357 Magnum

I also have a few of the Lite Hunters. These do not have the adjustable weight system. One is 45 Long Colt and the other is 41 Magnum

Many of your fellow forum members also own these firearms. Most all of us love the way they shoot and would not part with them even for ridiculous amounts of money. Well OK, maybe we would part with them for ridiculous amounts of money, but not normal amounts of money.

 

[socal s&w]

I have one of the Hunter's stable mates, the Competitor. The main differences that I can tell are the non-ported barrel and no cut-out areas on the slab side........and I have no clue how many were made.

 

[dedlitez]

That's awesome that there are a bunch of you guys in this forum. Do you have any tips or tricks for shooting or preforming maintence with this paticular gun. I just love the look of that barrel so much, and it just shoots like a dream!

Here is a shot of it with the new hogue grips, the wood is pau ferro with a fish scale texture on it. (wish the quality was a bit better, the range is not very well lit)

also, I picked mine up for $800 bucks, it came with a scope as well. Did I get a good deal? Frankly I would have paid a bunch more regardless!

 

[KMB]

If you only paid $800 with the scope and all of the factory stuff (paperwork, box, etc.), you did very well indeed. PC Hunters and Competitors are great. I love mine.

 

[Robert Finegan]

Great gun, Some had the smooth (no flute cylinders)and available in 6 and 7 shot version. Mine is the smooth 7 shot and now sports a Leupold 2x scope for hunting.

Robert

 

[dedlitez]

I love the unfluted cylinders! That is really the only thing I would change about mine if I could. I called Smith and Wesson to see if they would be able to change mine out for me. They said it would be no problem except for the fact that they no longer have unfluted cylinders for the 686 in there warehouse. They said the only way for them to do it if for me to find one on my own for them to put in. I figure its not going to happen... Unless any of you know of a place that sells them aftermarket or something.... Anyone?

Also, what kind of holster do you guys have for yours? Its hard for me to find anything that will fit the barrel. I am just looking for something leather to attach to my belt. Picts would be great!

 

[socal s&w]

I did just that, I sent mine to S&W a couple of years ago and had them install the unfluted cylinder, simply because I like the look.

It took about 6 weeks, they said that they had the cylinder when I called, but sold 8 of them to 'Germany'. (Why?)

Anyway, I hadda wait until they made another run. Cost about $180 with the round-trip ticket.

I do not have a regular holster for mine, I use it for ICORE shooting and have one of those 'skeleton' style holsters. It fits in that great, but probably not what you're looking for.

 

[jimbo-indy]

It seems there is a lot of activity on the Hunters recently. I just found a guy on another forum, from New York City, who recently bought a hunter too. Like all the others, mine has a special place in my collection.
Here's mine for the photo collection. Since the photo, I've added a Millet red dot. Always draws a crowd when I bring it to a public range.

 

[dedlitez]

Hey Jimbo, That's funny, The guy from new york city from the other forum is me! Just diggin around to find out what I can about my new favorite gun. Check out the new hogue grip I put on it since we last talked. The pict is a couple posts up.

 

[jimbo-indy]

Welcome to the S&W Forum.
You'll find lots of good solid information here. Best place on the net for S&W info.

 

[SmithNut]

Interesting....

I've always considered the difference between the Competitor to be the porting, and the fact that the Hunter was also offered with a scope (Nikon IIRC).
Now, the sculpted slide stands out in the pics show, as compared to the Competitor (previous pics in this thread, as well as mine, shown below)
Now, going back to my files, I found this old Lew Horton flyer on the Hunter, notice that it has the Competitor barrel profile, but with ports.
So, I wonder if the sculpted barrel was a later version... ?
Also note that this gun is shown with an unfluted cylinder.
The Competitor and Hunter were early PC guns, and mine still had a Square Butt gripframe, which they migrated away from fairly quickly from my recollection. I'd like to know if the Hunters shown here have a round butt gripframe, or square butt.

Never say Never....

 

[jimbo-indy]

Mine's a Square Butt for sure.
Does anyone know how the serial numbers ran. "The Book" says 200 were made and that they had a PCM prefix. Mine is 0180 but detlietz has one with a serial greater than 200. Seems odd that with such a short run and a unique prefix that they wouldn't use consecutive numbers, 1-200.

 

[SmithNut]

good idea...

jimbo-indy,

Maybe the s/n prefixes and ranges will assist.

My Competitor is PCC03xx

FYI

 

[dedlitez]

Mine is a square butt as well, Jimbo indy brings up a good question that I was wondering myself. The serial on my is PCM0227

also, that flyer is awesome! That's the stuff that I was hoping to dig up. Unfortunately my gun didn't come with the original box or paperwork or anything like that.

 

[socal s&w]

Smith Nut -

(Sorry, dedlitez not trying to highjack your thread here, but....)

My Competitor also has a square-butt frame. I do have all of the original paperwork and box. PPC00069 (Gotta love that number.)
Only wish that I had gone to the gunshop a day earlier, they had PPC00070 and I could have bought the both of them!
Shoulda, woulda, coulda I guess!
Do you know how many Competitors were manufactured? I have referenced all three SC of S&W and had no luck.
Also, I noted that in the SC of S&W, a 'Hunter' and 'The Hunter' both are referred. The 'Hunter' is definitely the run with 200 per the catalog, but what about 'The Hunter'?

 

[jimbo-indy]

Interesting point about Hunter and The Hunter. I know mine is a 686-3 Hunter as I have the original box with matching serial number and matching product code. "The Book" says these have PCM prefixes which matches both of ours. Guess I will have to spring for a factory letter and maybe ask if Roy Jinks could clearify this point at same time.
Just more of the mystique of S&W.

 

[S & W collector]

686-3 HUNTER 1 OF 50 ENGRAVED?

Just purchased an interesting S & W. It's a model 686-3 with a Nikon scope, shooting glasses and speed loader in a starlight case. The engraving is beautiful and it's inscribed " #23 of 50". Just wondering if anyone knows more about this series of guns? Possibly a Lew Horton? commorative? This appears to have been a rather costly item when it was new.