696 no dash: Bought & Questions

[Jeroenw114]

Remember this question from me about the 696?
http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-revolvers-1980-present/140110-please-tell-me-all-about-696-a.html

Well, I found one in Europe. Very scare but in Switzerland I found a unfired, in the box, no dash.!
Price is good but it will require export time and considerable costs. But since I like the no dash most I could not let this go.

I believe it has the wrong thumb latch? Witch would not be a problem, like this one most. Ore are they delivered like this too?

To make it a part of my S&W revolvers family I plan to install a Millet sight, target front sight, target hammer and trigger and nice grips. All changes that can be undone when needed.

About the grips, I would like a set resembling the target diamonds from my other revolvers. Is there something like "Diamond round butt target grips"?
Any suggestions in that way, as close as possible to my other grips?

Shooting: I will be using this for target shooting only . Anyone having a good recipe for a great 44 special load please tell me. I would like to use lead bullets and a (very) mild load since that is best for the cone and for me.
Factory ammo: Are there lead nose mild loads from factory?

I keep you posted. When the revolver is in Holland I make some nice pics.

Jeroen

 

[bamabiker]

That's a nice buy no matter where you are. I don't see a lot of those over here.
I don't recall any S&W round butt diamond targets but someone here will have a good suggestion.
I'll let the 44 Spl. guys suggest loads for that caliber. I've never owned a 44 Spl., yet.

 

[BUFF]

The traditional, original factory ammunition made by Winchester and Remington-Peters (still cataloged here) features a 246 grain, lead, round nose bullet at a modest 750 fps or less in your short barrel.

There are also hollowpoint bullets loaded to the same pressures. Winchester has a 200 grain Silvertip JHP and Federal has a 200 grain lead semiwaddcutter hollowpoint.

A cast lead bullet of about 250 grains loaded over 4.1 grains of Bullseye or 5.5 grains of Unique, with standard primers in .44 Special brass, about duplicates the original loads with a much better shaped bullet. The Bullseye loading haas been more accurate for me. A good, stiff roll crimp promotes better accuracy, even with the lighter powder charges.

Congratulations on finding such a nice gun. The .44 Special is my favorite cartridge.

 

[murphydog]

Congratulations on finding your 696. It has a K frame sized grip frame as you probably know. There are no factory round butt Target stocks in a diamond pattern, but checkered Combat stocks would be close. Please post a report of how it shoots when you are able to do so.

 

[ENGINE18]

Nice score there! My 696 no-dash is one of the first produced. They are quite "spendy" so any modifications you make, other than changing out grips, might reduce the value.

 

[TSQUARED]

For a light load with 245 gr. lead bullets I prefer to use Trail Boss powder. However, you can also produce nice mild loads using 200 or 245 gr. lead bullets you can also use Clays, American Select, or WST. VV N-320 might be easier to obtain in Europe and would also work well.

 

[P&R Fan]

You're going to like that one. I bought the first one in my town in 1997.
I bought some Eagle grips for mine and like them. They have a lot more options now than they did back then. Check out their web site and I'm sure you can find something that looks and feels good.
About your question on the cylinder release latch. Mine has the newer one. I suppose some could have been made with the older style but I've never seen one on that revolver.

 

[BUFF]

I just got mine out just now to check something for another thread. I bought it NIB in early January, 1997. S/N CBH96xx. It looks just like yours except for the cylinder release. Mine has the newer, angular style, as does the one pictured in the SCS&W III. Yes, yours may have been switched. And if it was, it looks better for the change!

I notice from the receipt that I paid $375.00 in U.S. dollars for the gun, plus $5.00 for the Brady background check fee, plus $23.29 state sales tax, for a whopping $403.29!

I may be able to get my money back if I have to...

The K, L and N frames used the same triggers until recently, so you are good to go there. The switch to MIM hammers and frame mounted firing pins may be a rub. Someone else here may know, but I am not sure if S&W has made target hammers for L frame guns with frame mounted firing pins.

The Millett replacement rear sight may be hard to find. Millett was bought by another company which affected their product line. For your gun, you need the rear sight body that is rounded on the forward end of it. The older sights were square on the end.

As for grips, several makers offer round butt-to square butt conversion stocks for the 3 major frame sizes. Some looking will get what you need.

I hope the bureaucrats don't delay your first firing by very much time!

 

[bk43]

Is there something like "Diamond round butt target grips"?
Any suggestions in that way, as close as possible to my other grips?

Not exactly what you are asking for but I like them on this gun. They "feel" a touch bigger than standard stocks and are a bit rounded. The gun's showing a touch of use here and there today but those Spegel's still look like new. Novaks is a good source here in the States but I don't know about Europe.

Bob

 

[JNewell]

I've seen several dash-nothings with that latch. Nnnnnnice snag!

You're going to like that one. I bought the first one in my town in 1997.
I bought some Eagle grips for mine and like them. They have a lot more options now than they did back then. Check out their web site and I'm sure you can find something that looks and feels good.
About your question on the cylinder release latch. Mine has the newer one. I suppose some could have been made with the older style but I've never seen one on that revolver.

 

[Frank237]

Very nice! Must be an amazing find for Holland!!

The proper cyl release latch would be the newer angle style face. Yours has the older latch.

Brownells shold have the new latch, same for S&W parts Dept. IF ordering that item is tough from Holland .........myself or others would surely help with getting it ordered, and sent out.

FN in MT

 

[MMA10mm]

Congratulations! Very nice.

 

[Jeroenw114]

Thanks all for the help and suggestions.
For me from Holland this is a good find, I would not be surprised that it would be the first in Holland. That I will learn when putting it on licence. When the computer has the 696 not pre-selectable it is the first.

To Frank327. I ordered from Brownells a L-frame target hammer before. Sending and local tax double the prize but it is possible.
To Buff: Yes they made L-frame target hammers. I bought one for my 686-3 with frame mounted pins.
To TSQUARED: VV (vihtavuori) is in deed a powder that can be found in Europe. N-320 I have. I did not load for a long time but with the 44 I will start again.

Here are my two S&W I have now. I would like to make the 696 look like a little sister.

Jeroen

 

[bamabiker]

Wow. That's a nice pair of S&Ws you've already got. Love the diamond targets on those guns.

 

[Texas1941]

Congratulations on an excellent find. The no dash 396s are getting hard to find, at least in Texas. I sure it was expensive, given the circumstances. But your heirs and assigns would probably squander you sustenance on good times and riotous living, so you might as well blow it yourself.

As to the thumb latch, it might or might not be original. I bought mine in '96 (or early '97, I have to look it up), at Carter's, in Pasadena. They had three, all very close in serial number (I checked, because I have sort of an unnatural lust for consecutive pairs, not that I've ever found many). The middle numbered gun had the old latch, like yours. I don't how you would prove it, one way or the other.

Enjoy...they are neat little guns.

Charles

 

[Gun 4 Fun]

Hi Jeroen,
If you can get your hands on any Alliant Power Pistol, it is an excellent powder for the .44 special and the main one I use in mine. Very clean burning too.

You are going to enjoy that gun like I have said before. I am happy that you got it, and hope it comes home to you soon. I know you'll get it decked out the way you like in short order too.

 

[Jeroenw114]

You know me, I am already looking around for the parts!

 

[jag312]

The Millett replacement rear sight may be hard to find. Millett was bought by another company which affected their product line. For your gun, you need the rear sight body that is rounded on the forward end of it. The older sights were square on the end.
QUOTE]

I put a Millett sight on my 696. I have the box in front of me. It says, "S&W REVOLVER SIGHT - Rear .360 White Outline (K/L/N Frame)
P/N SW00013" With the Millett rear sight, the 696 shot very high, and I could not adjust it down enough to hit where I was aiming. I put the original S&W rear sight back on the gun. I don't think the Millett sight was intended for a 696.

 

[Jeroenw114]

The height of the right blade height is dependable on caliber, barrel length and front sight height.
If it shoots to high a higher front blade can be the fix.

On both my 686 and 617 I have the .410 high target blade. Both 6-inch barrels but the 617 has a much lower front sight.
So you need a higher front sight or the .310 rear blade.

 

[goldenlight]

That's a VERY nice find!

The 44 Special REALLY benefits from reloading: factory loads are very light, due to all the very old revolvers that are still in use.

I load a 250 gr. cast lead bullet with 7.0 gr. of Unique for target shooting. This is a little warmer than 'factory' loads, but are very mild and very accurate

You can load your 696 to 'nearly' 44 magnum levels, due to the modern steel used to make it.

I have a 3" model 24, and I have some 200 gr. hollow point loads for it that are much 'warmer' that factory 44 Special loads, but are still fairly comfortable to shoot.