Asking the hard question

[Banger686]

I wanted to start a thread to ask a hard pressed question for S&W collectors/shooters. Can you "make" a performance center quality firearm. What I mean by that is I really love the 686-4 PC, but it is a very hard gun to find so I was thinking I could settle for a 686 with 2.5" barrel and send it to Smith and have the perform their "master pistol package" on it. With this said I know that the true 686-4 PC does not have a lock, I think that it has a pinned hammer, and it is ported, but those are not deal breakers for me. When guns come from the PC are they hand fitted from start to finish or are just the mechanics fine tuned? This is going to be a shooter for me not a safe queen. So can anyone shed so light on this for me. I have never owned a PC smith but should I "create" this monster or stand fast and hope I find one.

 

[williamlayton]

A "good" Smith can do just about anything you want to a gun.
That said there are some thing taht he can't do, also.
Find a good smith and talk----projects are fun.
Blessings
PS---I am not as enamored with keeping guns factory correct as some.

 

[OKFC05]

I am blessed with a pistolsmith in OK that can do most anything I want to a S&W revolver, so I am not tied to the factory for non-warranty work.

But I've got to tell you up front that you lose most of your private custom money if you sell the gun, as opposed to the factory Custom Shop holding value better. Also, a Custom Shop gun goes back to the Custom Shop for any warranty work, which your highly tuned production gun does not.

 

[Green Frog]

On the other side of the coin, even if you have the work done at S&W, it's still not a PC gun... a custom (read "modified") gun is still just that. My personal advice is to decide what features you want for a gun you will be using, and whether you have a good gunsmith whose work you can depend upon or if you need to send it to S&W, just go ahead and have your gun built the way you want it. If you are looking for an investment, modifications such as you describe don't fit the bill, keep looking for a factory model with the desired features. JMHO, YMMV

Froggie

PS Although the initial cost may be a little greater, start with a base model that has as many of the desired features as possible and as few undesired (IL, MIM, etc) as possible... it's your dream gun you're paying for, don't "settle for less" if you don't have to, 'cause hopefully you'll have and use the gun for a long time! That's why I used a Model 66 (no dash) as the platform for my "Project 616."

 

[Rocket3]

A "good" Smith can do just about anything you want to a gun.
That said there are some thing taht he can't do, also.
Find a good smith and talk----projects are fun.
Blessings
PS---I am not as enamored with keeping guns factory correct as some.

I agree.
My experience with the "PC" has been less than stellar. In fact I doubt I'll ever buy another.

 

[Banger686]

Big help

Thank you all for the insight, I have played around on customizing some 1911's but never a revolver. Then I bought a Wilson Combat which in my eyes is a PC smith. I sold the WC because I likley the wheelguns, but anyway. I think that I will start a project gun and tune it just the way I want it and if a 686-4 PC ever comes my way I will have to dig deep and buy that one This way I have an investment piece and a shooter. again thanks agian.

 

[riverrat38]

For a shooter, I think its more important to get what I want without regard to holding resale value.
After I have shoot the gun a lot, the ammo costs will far exceed the value loss, even though I reload.
Having said that, I would prefer to have custom work done on my gun. That way, it will be just what I want, as long as I know what I want. For instance, many of the PC guns are ported. I don't want ported, even if it were free! If I don't want a lock, I would look for a used gun in great shape without the IL. The rule for me is that it is a lot easier to make a hole in a gun that I want than to try to deal with any existing holes that I don't.
I have a nice M67-1 square butt with a ribbed trigger and 4 in barrel.
What I want is a 3 in RB with smooth trigger.
When my new RB Ahrends Cocobolo finger groove grips get here, that is what my gun will become. I will need to have the barrel and sight work done by a smith, but I can handle the rest.
Even though a few of these guns were made the way that I want, they are very rare and expensive. I saw some 3 in K frame guns on Gun Broker in the same condition as my M67, but the bids were up to 4 figures, and the reserve was not met in either case.

Best,
Rick

 

[williamlayton]

Your words are more complete that mine---thanks RR.
Blessings

 

[jaymoore]

I don't know that the PC revolvers are fit with any more care than the standard S&Ws. Like all Smiths, some actions are super, and some are just so-so. Most of the PC revolvers I see now just have a little extra milling on the barrels. But I have only ever swapped one PC revolver off so far, so they must be doing most things right. (Quad port 3" 686+. Silly danged thing. Ports on short barreled defensive guns just don't belong! And four of 'em? I actually had an 8 3/8" adjustable front sight barrel on it until I got rid of it. Barrel is waiting on a six shot 686 donor to wander along.)

The Uber-fancy PC revolvers are worth the money if they have the features you want. Otherwise, as noted above, have one built outside the factory to suit you.

The package that you have envisioned definitely seems best suited as a standard revolver enhancement.