Canted Barrel Question, 686

[Bob1943]

I have been on the search for a 2.5" M686 for several months. The few that I have seen in LGS have all had noticeably canted barrels or badly scratched frames.

I found one today that had a perfect finish, but I was not sure about the barrel cant. The top corners of the barrel were perfectly equidistant from the top corners of the frame, but the ribbing on the barrel was about 1/2 to 1 rib off from being parallel with the ribbing on top of the frame. The front sight seemed to be ever so slightly tilted to the left, but that could have been an optical illusion.

So, I don't know if the slight ribbing offset means the barrel is indeed canted, since the barrel corners and frame corners seem pretty well aligned.

This LGS charges a premium on their guns, they had this one at $790, while other local shops are running $700 to $730, but the other shops very seldom have the 2.5" 686 in stock. If I am going to pay a premium price for the gun, I would like for it to not have any flaws. However, could be 6 months to a year before any other local shops get one in-stock.

What do you guys think about the described canted barrel issue, is that insignificant enough to pay a premium price for a fairly difficult to find gun?

 

[JohnAC]

I think a little variation in the ribs is not indicative of a canted barrel. I've got several like you describe, but the sight posts are straight and the windage settings are generally in the center.

 

[Ashlander]

I agree with JohnAC. The ribbing is there to minimize glare -- not to be a "cant indicator."

 

[Bob1943]

Looked at it, along with a 3-5-7 Talo 3" version, for about 20 minutes on Monday. Went back again today to look at the 2.5" 686 to see if I could convince myself that the barrel was not canted. Still could not make up my mind, so I left with no gun. Sales guy told me it might not be there if I waited until Monday. For the premium price they are asking, I might hold out to find one that I am more comfortable with. However, based on what I have seen the last few months, the barrel cants seem to be pretty common.

 

[Lt.cap'nadmiral jeeves]

S&W probably cuts the ribbing on the barrel and frame individually before the gun is assembled. If the frame or barrel is a hair off in the jig you'll see the ribbing not lining up. Not really a big issue, I've seen more where the ribbing isn't exactly lined up than perfectly aligned.

 

[Edmo]

About a year or so ago I noticed a high percentage of the 686s in the various gun shops around my area had canted barrels. I own an older 6" model which is perfect and I was thinking about getting a 2.5" or 3" model, but couldn't find a straight one!

If you buy one with a less than perfect barrel alignment or poorly cut ribbing, you will see it every time you pick up the gun.

The way I see it you have two options...

Find one without the barrel cant and ribbing issue or buy it and send it back to S&W for corrections. They will likely fix a both issues if they are bad enough.

Edmo

 

[frankcr]

You know, threading a male thread on an item and then screwing it into a female thread and expecting it to line up perfectly is a lot easier in theory than in practice. The proof is when the gun is fired.

You have a rotational tolerance just as you have a tolerance on other dimensions. Someone reported on some thread that S&W had reported to them what the tolerance is in degrees. I see no reason to expect a perfectly lined up fitting on any screwed assembly. If it is in spec and shoots to the point of aim, that is good enough.

To those worrying about a little misalignment, do you take a gun apart and check all parts with a micrometer expecting all parts to fit with zero tolerance? That does not happen in this world, so tolerances are established so that parts are interchangeable yet function properly.

Having a mechanical background, tolerances are a normal thing to me. Someone who does not understand this may be overly concerned for no practical reason.

For Smith to repeatedly manufacture to such close tolerances as to assure proper function of a revolver is exceptional manufacturing which has made their products valuable to users over the years.

 

[Bob1943]

S&W probably cuts the ribbing on the barrel and frame individually before the gun is assembled. If the frame or barrel is a hair off in the jig you'll see the ribbing not lining up. Not really a big issue, I've seen more where the ribbing isn't exactly lined up than perfectly aligned.

You know on the 2.5" barrel version of the 686 (probably all other barrel lengths as well), the frame ribbing is on the rear sight component that is screwed into the frame. In other words, the ribbing is not cut into the steel frame - you remove the rear sight and the ribbing is gone. So, I can see where trying to get the rear sight ribbing to line up perfectly with the barrel ribbing might be a little problematic. Although the notch on the frame, that the rear sight screws into, should be machined so that it would provide a perfect alignment with the top of the barrel.

The only S&W revolver that I own is a 29-10 Classic, and, the barrel & frame ribbing on that gun is perfect. So, it can be done. I don't know why the 686s are showing up with so many barrel/frame ribbing mis-alignments.

If the gun is still there on Monday, I'll go look at it one more time and maybe take some pictures.

 

[frankcr]

There is probably nothing wrong with that revolver, but you would actually have to shoot it to see.

Does the ejector move freely in the gun and not bind? If it were badly clocked you should see a problem with that assembly and the lockup unless it uses a frame mounted ball to lock it up. Dollar to a doughnut would be a good bet that it is just fine.

Of course the dollar/doughnut bet was popular before the price of doughnuts went up