686-4 Package: Recommendations and suggestions PLEASE

[FlightLevel510]

Hello All,

I finally found a 686-4 package that met my requirements for a value added package.

As you can see from the photo, the gun has installed a six round cylinder and was sold with an additional seven round cylinder.

Additionally an excellent trigger job has been completed and a smooth hammer installed, but in her current condition she is essentially DA only. I have the original hammer (see photo).

Before I jump into my questions, I also have a stainless Leopold pistol scope in the box.

1. What do you believe has been done to this in regards to the trigger / hammer work?

2. Why did the previous owner have two cylinders?

3. What are the advantages / disadvantages to returning her to its original condition?

4. I have been reading this forum in the shadows for many years and have seeing many amazing wheel guns. What would YOU do to this 686-4 if it was in your vault?

I am considering selling the 7 round cylinder to secure a very low basis in this package, but I would appreciate your time, consideration and suggestions regarding my project.

With Gratitude,

FL510

 

[JoeReed]

Think the advantage to a dash four is you can rock the seven shot without a lock. The timing is different between the cylinders, so I might pick one....have it set up as either a permanent six or seven shot. What length barrel is that? If is four inches, I think the old school look of wooden target grips and six shots is the coolest. If it's three, as a carry gun I stick with the rubber and the seven shot. You can get money out of the stock grips and the extra cylinder.

My four incher is at the top, it can also shoot single action. That's what old school and wood stocks would look like on a four incher.

 

[murphydog]

1. What do you believe has been done to this in regards to the trigger / hammer work?

The hammer spur has been removed. Does this hammer still lock back in single action? If not, the two possibilities are the hammer or another part of the internal lockwork have been altered to make it DAO. If it is just the hammer, replacing it will restore it to DA/SA.

2. Why did the previous owner have two cylinders?

That's a mind-reading question . Do you know him/her, a competitive shooter or ? Maybe just wanted to have the interchangeability.

3. What are the advantages / disadvantages to returning her to its original condition?

Do you know for certain which cylinder is original? The 686-4 was made with both 6 and 7 round cylinders. If the seller is certain, or better yet you have the box with the end label that would tell you, but if not only a factory letter would.

4. I have been reading this forum in the shadows for many years and have seeing many amazing wheel guns. What would YOU do to this 686-4 if it was in your vault?

I like factory original revolvers but you may not . Personal preference.

Also, the nice thing about the 686-4 onward is the top strap is drilled/tapped for an optics mount under the rear sight leaf. I think putting a big scope on top of a short barreled revolver looks odd but you may differ, and it will make for an effective shooter.

Good luck in your decisions.

 

[snowman]

. . .an excellent trigger job has been completed and a smooth hammer installed, but in her current condition she is essentially DA only. I have the original hammer (see photo). . .
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There's a good bit of guesswork and subjectivity in answering your questions, but here goes:


1. What do you believe has been done to this in regards to the trigger / hammer work?

See murphydog's post above; also you describe it as "an excellent trigger job". Does that simply mean that you can feel the smoothness in the pull? Then the inner bearing surfaces, etc. have been smoothed with stones or emery cloth, etc., which is usually what a 'trigger job' entails. It may or may not have stock hammer and rebound springs -don't know without measuring pull weight or asking the person who did the job.

2. Why did the previous owner have two cylinders?

In my view the seven-round cylinder was original and the owner wanted a six-round job to compete in shooting matches which only permit six-round revolvers. I believe this because it looks like the chambers have beveled edges, a common practice with competitive shooters to facilitate faster reloads.

3. What are the advantages / disadvantages to returning her to its original condition?

This is a highly subjective thing, other than the fact that collectors almost universally prefer unmodified guns. But since this is not, at least currently, a very collectible gun, I'll just say that the only advantage of reinstalling the seven-round cylinder is if the gun is to be used as a serious defensive gun. I have a 686-4+ model as a home defense gun; and like the extra round in the event that I need it in a life or death situation.

I might say at this point that I don't believe that the wood target stocks are original, because the gun appears to have a round-butt grip frame, and the wood stocks are for a square-butt frame.

4. I have been reading this forum in the shadows for many years and have seeing many amazing wheel guns. What would YOU do to this 686-4 if it was in your vault?

The seven-round cylinder would be reinstalled, along with the original hammer, because I like having single-action capability just in case there is a rare scenario when I would need to make a slow, precision shot.

Best wishes, sir.
Andy

 

[FlightLevel510]

686-4

Thank you. This is great information.

The barrel is 4"

I am all for a 7 shot 686-4. Anyone have a S&W smith in Arizona they would recommend?

This will not be a carry gun. I definitely want to stay with a nice set wooden grips.

The hammer will lock back in SA, but the operator needs to pull the trigger, grab the hammer and pull back into the lock position.

Is there any way to determine what cylinder was the original, SN?

Andy may be onto something, "The seven-round cylinder would be reinstalled, along with the original hammer, because I like having single-action capability just in case there is a rare scenario when I would need to make a slow, precision shot."

 

[Pizza Bob]

It seems to me that someone took the trouble to build this into a very fine IDPA gun. Instead of changing things (back?), why not find a club near you that shoots IDPA and give it a try as it is - it may save you a lot of time & trouble.

JMHO

Adios,

Pizza Bob

 

[k22fan]

I agree with Pizza Bob on this one. Take it down to your local range as is and try it out in matches. Many or maybe a majority of our matches are run "revolver friendly" simply by not allowing more than 6 cartridges in any gun. The idea is to increase turn out. The better shooters with automatics only average a few points higher than the better revolver shooters. The draw back to 7 and 8 round cylinders is that you have to align the cylinder so that the hammer does not hit empty chambers. IDPA may actually outlaw cylinders with more than 6 chambers but here they are just slower to reload than 6 shooters. Unlike old fashioned bullseye matches I very seldom see a revolver cocked in modern matches. After you get the hang of firing double action going back to single action is only slightly more accurate or not any more accurate depending on the shooter.

 

[Engine49guy]

I prefer the 7 shot cylinder ( 1 more round, lighter cylinder, stronger design with stop notches over solid steel rather than the charge holes).

That being said as mentioned 7 shot revolvers are not allowed in certain revolver competitions so depends on what you want right now.

BTW the wood grips pictured are for a square butt revolver where it appears yours is a round butt (most 686-4's were) and selling off the unused parts either way will reduce your investment but the gun has more "value" in original condition which you might need either a $50 factory letter or to call S&W with the serial to find out if it shipped as a 6 or 7 shot gun (my guess is it shipped as a 7).

 

[Engine49guy]

BTW is that your Browning Challenger pistol holding up the 686-4 in the picture ?

If so...NICE !!!! .....Love the Challenger series 22lrs

 

[FlightLevel510]

686-4

Thank You. I'm a sucker for .22s. High Standards and Brownings melt my heart.

Still looking for a deal on a S&W .22 revolver.

 

[one eye joe]

It seems to me that someone took the trouble to build this into a very fine IDPA gun. Instead of changing things (back?), why not find a club near you that shoots IDPA and give it a try as it is - it may save you a lot of time & trouble.

JMHO

Adios,

Pizza Bob

I THINK THAT Pizza Bob HAS A GREAT IDEA. IF COMPETITIVE SHOOTING DOES NOT APPEAL TO YOU, I WOULD RESTORE THE REVOLVER TO ITS ORIGINAL CONFIGURATION. I WOULD ASSUME THAT THIS WAS BUILT AS A 7 SHOOTER, AS ALL OF THE MODIFIED PARTS ARE IN IT, AND THE ORIGINAL PARTS ARE PART OF "THE PACKAGE"…..

. I WOULD RE-INSTALL THE 7 SHOT CYLINDER AND ORIGINAL HAMMER---HOPEFULLY RESTORING IT BACK TO SA / DA OPERATION. I WOULD PUT THE WOODEN STOCKS BACK ON IT---UNLESS, YOU HAPPEN TO BE AMONG THE 10% OF SHOOTERS THAT JERRY M. SAYS FINGER GROOVES ACTUALLY FIT. IMHO, THE BARREL IS TOO SHORT TO BE SCOPED, W/O LOOKING VERY CLUMSY AND TOP HEAVY. SELL OFF ALL OF THE REMAINING PARTS, AND ENJOY YOUR NEW REVOLVER…..