686 general info

[Mehutch]

My Holy Grail is the S&W SS pre-lock 686-4 seven shooter in 4" barrel. There is none better. After many years I still have not one.

I do have one in the 586-7 (lock removed with the 'Plug') blue 4" seven shooter. So close.... so far away.

 

[grip frame]

Up the ante even further and seek out a 586-4 IMO

686-3 and -4 are sweet though. 7 shot is not the pinnacle IMO.

 

[hkcavalier]

I had a 686-6+, but when I found a -4+ locally for sale, it was an easy choice to get that and sell off the -6+.

 

[Sevens]

Here is my 686-2. Had it awhile and love it.

You have a really scarce variant!

The dash-2 is the forgotten one that we almost NEVER hear about. This thread is a fine example. I was very surprised to read that you have one, just look at the slew of 686's listed in this discussion and not a peep about a 686-2 except yours.

I'm not sure which small nuance called for the dash-2 revision but it sure didn't last very long. Lots of the 686-3 were made. The 686-1 (I believe?) was simply a no-dash with the recall work already done, so a dash-1 and an "M" stamp are basically equal guns.

Three cheers for the very scarce 686-2!

 

[HorizontalMike]

686-2

You have a really scarce variant!

The dash-2 is the forgotten one that we almost NEVER hear about. This thread is a fine example. I was very surprised to read that you have one, just look at the slew of 686's listed in this discussion and not a peep about a 686-2 except yours.

I'm not sure which small nuance called for the dash-2 revision but it sure didn't last very long. Lots of the 686-3 were made. The 686-1 (I believe?) was simply a no-dash with the recall work already done, so a dash-1 and an "M" stamp are basically equal guns.

Three cheers for the very scarce 686-2!

The 686-2 came out in 1987 and basically contained the "M" recall in the production line. I sent my 686ND that I purchased in August 1986, to a gunsmith to have the "M" modification in January 1987. In other words, the change in the hammer and nose bushing.

 

[TTSH]

The 686-1 (I believe?) was simply a no-dash with the recall work already done, so a dash-1 and an "M" stamp are basically equal guns.

The 686-2 came out in 1987 and basically contained the "M" recall in the production line. I sent my 686ND that I purchased in August 1986, to a gunsmith to have the "M" modification in January 1987. In other words, the change in the hammer and nose bushing.

The -1 does fall under the infamous "M" recall. The -2 was the first one to have the new hammer and nose bushing so no "M" recall work required. The interesting thing to me is that the 586/686 family was in production for seven years before the mothership announced the recall... and, if it was such a problem, why didn't the mothership correct it in the -1 release six years in?

Things I ponder at night that I can never know.

 

[HorizontalMike]

Both of my 686NDs have an AUE prefix and my original 686ND, that I have all the paperwork,box,receipt,etc. Left the S&W plant May22, 1986, the other is slightly older. But lacking the paperwork on the second, I can only approximate April/May 1986.

All that being said above, I would imagine that the 686-1 would be rarer since production run was only the last ~6months of 1986.

NOTE: Not all ammunition/primers had a problem firing from a non-"M" 686. In other words the issue only showed up in certain brands. And no, I don't recall/know what brands.

 

[NavySCPO]

686-5 MG

Almost forgot this one, picked it up last year from my local pawn shop guy, it was his personal carry for a while. After shooting it I understand why, I'm not the greatest handgun shot by any stretch of the imagination, this thing makes even a poor shooter look good. This was on my hip every day in the woods last fall, nothing in Georgia that a 7-shot and a couple of speed loaders can't handle. With the S&W Goodyear's on, it handles great.

 

[pantannojack]

Warranty Work

Decades ago I had a 586 ND which had failed at the fp hole bushing. It had cratered under recoil. I sent it in and they returned it with a new frame and all my usable parts reassembled. Can't ask for better than that.

Just one question for those in the know. Are 686-4's RB frame or SB frames? Or some one and some the other?

 

[rubiranch]

Pete, did you ever get a 686?