686 Custom Race gun

[Gunsarecool]

686-3 host with Ron Power custom Grandmaster setup, Gilmore red dot, Harrett target grips and hogue cylinder release extension, plus all the internals slicked up like butter. Just love how unique and fun to shoot this is. I know nobody else will have it at the range so always a conversation starter.

 

[AJ]

Nice looking toy. Look at these PPC Revolver Pics

 

[Protocall_Design]

That gun is set up for shooting NRA Action pistol. The national championship of that match is called the Bianchi Cup, held every year in the last part of May in Columbia, MO.

You have a truly premium grade firearm that will print small groups at 50 yards. The underlug on the bottom and finger stop on the top are for shooting the Barricade event. There is a different Gilmore Red Dot called the Red Leader made for shooting the moving target event. It is octagonal and has a dial on the side that puts in the lead for the moving target. There is also a mover base called the Stick Shift that you can mount any scope on for the moving target event.

Edit - On closer examination, that IS the Red Leader scope.

I thought you might enjoy knowing a few more fun facts about your gun.

I also shoot a custom 686 race gun at the Bianchi Cup every year.

 

[llowry61]

Nice looking gun. It sure looks like it would be heavy though. What does it weigh?

 

[AJ]

That gun is set up for shooting NRA Action pistol. The national championship of that match is called the Bianchi Cup, held every year in the last part of May in Columbia, MO.

You have a truly premium grade firearm that will print small groups at 50 yards. The underlug on the bottom and finger stop on the top are for shooting the Barricade event. There is a different Gilmore Red Dot called the Red Leader made for shooting the moving target event. It is octagonal and has a dial on the side that puts in the lead for the moving target. There is also a mover base called the Stick Shift that you can mount any scope on for the moving target event.

I thought you might enjoy knowing a few more fun facts about your gun.

I also shoot a custom 686 race gun at the Bianchi Cup every year.

Think it is anymore accurate than the PPC guns?

 

[Protocall_Design]

Think it is anymore accurate than the PPC guns?

A well made PPC gun makes a great Bianchi gun. They are the same thing, with different attachments.

 

[AJ]

A well made PPC gun makes a great Bianchi gun. They are the same thing, with different attachments.

Thanks for the info. Since I do not shoot competition anymore, I will stay with my old Behlert PPC.

 

[hdfinder47]

Sweet. I had a Bill Davis PPC gun in the '80's built on a Ruger Security Six frame. Was evidently a special order since most Davis guns seemed to use Smith frames. Shot PPC and some steel challenge matches with it. Great plinker too, albeit a bit heavy for extended plinking sessions.
Ed

 

[Gunsarecool]

That gun is set up for shooting NRA Action pistol. The national championship of that match is called the Bianchi Cup, held every year in the last part of May in Columbia, MO.

You have a truly premium grade firearm that will print small groups at 50 yards. The underlug on the bottom and finger stop on the top are for shooting the Barricade event. There is a different Gilmore Red Dot called the Red Leader made for shooting the moving target event. It is octagonal and has a dial on the side that puts in the lead for the moving target. There is also a mover base called the Stick Shift that you can mount any scope on for the moving target event.

Edit - On closer examination, that IS the Red Leader scope.

I thought you might enjoy knowing a few more fun facts about your gun.

I also shoot a custom 686 race gun at the Bianchi Cup every year.

Thanks for the info! It shoots like a dream and is completely unique at the range. Everyone comes over and looks at it

 

[Gunsarecool]

Nice looking gun. It sure looks like it would be heavy though. What does it weigh?

It’s a chonki boi for sure. Haven’t weighted it but it’s def heavier than my S&W 500 6”. But the Herretts target stocks makes the gun stick in your hand like glue. Checkering is super sharp on a walnut stock and the ergonomics mold to my hands. By far the best quality aftermarket wood grips I’ve had on a revolver

 

[Rad29]

I have a Power Custom in 44 Mag on a Ruger frame with his custom case. I have been looking for a S&W 44 mag version for many years. There was one on GB that I foolishly let escape me. If anyone has one, I would really like to provide it a new home!


Bob

 

[RetCapt]

This one has me baffled as to purpose. I was a long time PPC competitor during the revolver era. I know how such revolvers are configured and why. I have three.

On to why I am baffled.

The PPC course of fire, as well as other related combat courses of which I am aware, require strong and weak hand shooting. The grips on the revolver shown have a pronounced thumb rest on the left side which would appear to preclude a left hand grasp.

While the PPC course allowed (allows?) SA at the 50 yard line, most higher ranked competitors chose to shoot the entire course DA. This habit is so ingrained in me that to this day I will only shoot a DA revolver DA. The covered backstrap on this revolver, besides the thumb rest, would appear to make the DA reach too long.

Two of the most popular grips when I was shooting were the Rogers/Safariland and the Hogue Monogrip. Both had uncovered backstraps. I even used both on my duty and off duty revolvers. I see no reason to change except perhaps for appearance, but these revolvers are functional rather than decorative.

The overall configuration of the grips make them appear not to allow a support hand.

The last inconsistency is the trigger shoe. Wide triggers or trigger shoes were useful to bullseye shooters. The width gave the feel of a lighter trigger owing to the greater finger contact area. In PPC shooting the preference was for narrow and smooth. Since the long DA pull necessitated the finger to slide as the trigger went back, the smooth trigger reduced friction. Another advantage, to at least some of us, including me, was that enough finger could wrap around the narrow trigger to allow the finger tip to come in contact the frame just before the shot broke. This allowed just enough staging to make sure the sight picture was perfect (or as close as we could get it).

It is a beautiful revolver, one I would love to own. I just don't know which game it is intended to play. The Bianchi Cup is now all strong hand SA only with no support hands except over the barrel?

 

[Jim Watson]

I am not up to date but all the lumps and lugs on this gun are for leaning on the Bianchi barricade.

 

[Protocall_Design]

I'm pretty sure no one shot the Bianchi Cup with that grip on it. There is a lot of right and left hand shooting in the Cup. Grips are easy to change. Probably someone who got it after the Cup shooter changed it to those grips and added the trigger shoe.

This is my Open Class Bianchi Gun.
It's a 686 with a 6" Walther 1-10 twist barrel, .355 diam., a 7 port titanium comp, barricade wings, Stick Shift to put in the lead for the moving target, Holosun green dot scope with solar panel to keep the battery charged, or still run with a dead battery. The grip is for shooting right and left hand and prone. The action is my RevUp Action drop in hammer kit. I have been making and selling Stick Shifts at the Bianchi Cup since 1995. They are the industry standard in mover bases.

The comp makes the recoil a little more than .22 rimfire when shooting 140 power factor loads.

I've been shooting this gun for about 20 years and it's doing fine. Any shots out of the X ring are always me, not the gun.

 

[RetCapt]

Protocall Design,

Tnx for the clarifying info. I had no way to resolve the revolver, as pictured, in any competitive venue of which I am aware.

Yours is a most interesting competition revolver. There is tech on this that not envisioned when I was shooting in competition.

Speaking of L frames:

One of my competition revolvers is built up on a 6" 586. The revolver itself I had electroless nickel plated. I wanted the tall front sight to be able to use a neck hold at 50 yards, and the first one I could get was in blue. The electroless nickel finish gave me the finish protection I wanted. I had Wichita Arms install one of their heavy barrel sleeves, which has an integral muzzle brake. Unfortunately the later four-position sight had not yet come out. A 'smith in Sacramento made the DA like silk.

Ideal revolver - almost. My ingenious plan was to use the revolver as built up for PPC matches. For the distinguished matches I would merely unfasten the hex head screw and remove the Wichita sleeve (beautiful device BTW). The only problem was that it was not coming off. In short order I had that figured it, or at least so I think. My theory is that the electroless nickel plate added just enough material to the barrel so that once the sleeve was snugged up using the hex screw that it was tightened so strongly it was not coming off.

I already had an excellent PPC revolver built up on a Ruger 'six series frame for regular competition and a 6" Python for leg matches. Since the 586 could not replace both, I just continued to use these two. Unfortunately the press of work became such that I decided to quit shooting competitively. Fun run, but it was over.

That customized 586, with the stock barrel inside the sleeve shot for me as well as my bull barreled Rugers and Python. The heavy sleeve, which extended forward of the muzzle due to the integral muzzle brake added more weight and further forward. Shooting .38 wadcutters through it feels like .22 rimfire long rifle. I have Rogers/Safariland grips on it. Best balanced revolver I have ever handled.

I have been a fan of the L frame since Smith & Wesson introduced them. I was able to get my patrol division converted from Model 66s, which had always been troublesome for us, to the 4" 686. I consider the L frame to be the ideal Smith .38-357 platform.

 

[Protocall_Design]

I shot PPC for many years starting in 1979. I used a 6" M19 for everything for 3 years until I could make a real PPC gun. The first one was on a M10. Then, over time, I built one on a 686. Later, I rebuilt it on a newer 686 with the firing pin in the frame. I won a lot of trophies, money and prizes with those guns. I still have the latest 686 with Wichita rib and slab sided barrel, and a matching 625. I worked at Wichita Arms when they were making bolt action Metallic Silhouette guns. The electroless nickle has always been a great handgun finish.

If you're ever in KC, stop by and visit.

 

[RetCapt]

Thank you Protocall. That would be most interesting. With you in KC, we are some distance separated. We are in the mountains in far northern Calif. It is paradise for us.

 

[AJ]

I'm pretty sure no one shot the Bianchi Cup with that grip on it. There is a lot of right and left hand shooting in the Cup. Grips are easy to change. Probably someone who got it after the Cup shooter changed it to those grips and added the trigger shoe.

This is my Open Class Bianchi Gun.
It's a 686 with a 6" Walther 1-10 twist barrel, .355 diam., a 7 port titanium comp, barricade wings, Stick Shift to put in the lead for the moving target, Holosun green dot scope with solar panel to keep the battery charged, or still run with a dead battery. The grip is for shooting right and left hand and prone. The action is my RevUp Action drop in hammer kit. I have been making and selling Stick Shifts at the Bianchi Cup since 1995. They are the industry standard in mover bases.

The comp makes the recoil a little more than .22 rimfire when shooting 140 power factor loads.

I've been shooting this gun for about 20 years and it's doing fine. Any shots out of the X ring are always me, not the gun.

My old PPC gun by Behlert. A long way from yours. But will still get the job done.

 

[H Richard]

Protocal DEsign, I've probably watched you shoot, I've been to the Bianchi Cup several times, mostly between late 80's and early 2000's. Most of those top shooters had also been to our match, The Masters International Shooting Championship at Barry IL. Got to know quite a few of them over the years.

 

[Protocall_Design]

I've been shooting the Cup since 1993, so I was there during that time. I never got to go to the Masters at Barry, but Doug Koenig who has won the BC 20 times was there a lot, so I've been told.