Milton
US Veteran
When did Smith begin using the floating hand in the 686 model?
686 Floating Hand
- Thread starter Milton
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tomcatt51
Member
They were used for a while. I'm not sure which dash #(s) on a 686. A "regular" hand will replace it if you drive the floating hand's pivot out of the trigger.
OP
Milton
US Veteran
Thanks! I found out they began with the dash 1,not sure when they stopped using them!
tomcatt51
Member
Not soon enough, they weren't one of S&W's better ideas.
OP
Milton
US Veteran
Ya know ,that is what I hear from some folks but I just stripped and cleaned two different 686's ,a dash 1 and a dash 2.both having a floating hand and both guns continue to give great service at the range.Both guns are timed wonderfully and I can't tell much difference from my 686 with a "normal " hand and the two with a floating hand.What was supposed to be wrong with the floating hand?
tomcatt51
Member
Some did work fine. Others were irritating, may have to do with how well the floating hand fits on it's pivot. I made up a couple new pivot pins for the floating hands when they were current issue (time and an available lathe at work) which were an improvement. Those (floating) hands stayed in until they wore enough they needed to be replaced.
OP
Milton
US Veteran
Oh ! OK,I could see a problem coming from wear at the pivot point,especially if the shooter did not lube the gun correctly or in a timely manner.Thank you !
500 Magnum Nut
Member
The book in front of me says 686-1 to ? however I know for certain the 686-3 doesn't have it. The floating hand was only used for 1-2 years, same for the N frame.
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OP
Milton
US Veteran
Thank you !,Just out of curiosity ,it would be interesting to know when Smith stopped using it.From what you say and what I have seen I guess they started using it in the dash 1 and used it in all? or most dash 2's.
Just out of curiosity ,why did they begin using the floating hand?
Just out of curiosity ,why did they begin using the floating hand?
HEADKNOCKER
Member
I had a CS-1 686 No Dash 3"er that had the floating hand factory..
I also have a 4" M686 No Dash & it has the standard hand..
I know that's not what you wanted to hear but it is so..
Gary/Hk
I also have a 4" M686 No Dash & it has the standard hand..
I know that's not what you wanted to hear but it is so..
Gary/Hk
skeezix
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
I asked the same question a couple of months ago, and here's the answer I got:
The floating hand was supposed to address timing problems and to simplify the final fitting of the revolver. It was supposed to center itself in the hand window and was not supposed to be so sensitive to the width of the hand. What it did do among other things was give a really poor double action pull.
Some of the floating hand guns run fine, but many don't. The good thing is that you can drift the floating hand's pivot pin out of the trigger and use a regular hand.
I can attest to the hard double action pull on my 586-1. Cocking the hammer for single action takes significantly more effort than any "regular hand" gun I have.
500 Magnum Nut
Member
There is a term called "sing". What this is it's the way the hand engages the cylinder ratchets. I address this in that sticky up top.
Sometimes a shooter shoots the gun with his left hand, then will shoot the gun with his right hand and the timing changes. So S&W tried to make a self adjusting hand "floating" to fix this condition.
It worked as long as the gun was clean and oiled. If it got dirty it was worse than the fixed hand.
At least the fixed hand is adjustable to make it run better, the floating is not adjustable. So it was dropped rather quickly, from what I gather in less than 2 years from first implemented.
RightWinger
Member
500 magnum nut,
Why would the timing of a gun change based on what hand you shoot it with?
Why would the timing of a gun change based on what hand you shoot it with?
500 Magnum Nut
Member
There is slop in the hand window and trigger pins.
Try this test with your revolver and you will understand...
Check Sing
In a panic situation, the hand could skip by a ratchet, and the gun won’t fire.
Press trigger back enough to clear the cylinder stop, then spin cylinder. Listen for the hand clicking on the ratchets.
Press back and left = Left sing
Press back and right = Right sing
Press back straight = Neutral sing
If your right handed you normally pull the trigger to the right.
If no right sing: Bend hand over to right side of the window. To do this simply insert screwdriver underneath the hand and lift upward.
If no left sing: You will have to remove hand and tap it with a hammer to bend the hand over to the left side of the window.
The third way it could be out, where you can’t correct the right or left sing, the hand is twisted.
Ideally, you want the gun to sing no matter how the trigger is pulled. New guns may not be adjusted proper, either. Check yours for fun...
