686 blue box and rubber grip starting dash number?

[Wicknim]

Hi, since what year or dash number S&W 686 has started coming with blue plastic box and rubber grips instead of cardboard box and wood grips?
If I could pick only one for collection and range fun, should I look for a 686-4 because no lock and no MIM parts? Maybe the silhouette variant?

 

[Jeep 1]

The 686–4 will definitely come in the first of the blue plastic boxes and they are the best of all the pre-locks because it will come with all the updates of the earlier dash series
And for a shooter as well as a collector, there is nothing wrong with the 686–5
With MIM parts you will wear out long before the gun does……

 

[bobsguns]

Hogue grips came along in 1995. Since they made/make both rubber & wood, I don't know what to tell you there. Says they were made with the Smith medallion.

Plastic cases began in 1996.

All info from the Smith Encyclopedia.

Sometime for fun, shoot some wadcutters out of it. It's like shooting a .22 in a real gun.

Hope this helps.