CS-1 Three inch
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Call it about $800-900.
Sportsterguy
Member
I'm upping murphydogs estimate to $900.00 - $1200.00
.
Very rare and desirable revolver. IMO the finest shooting 686 ever made from shooting one a few times.
. Very rare and desirable revolver. IMO the finest shooting 686 ever made from shooting one a few times.
WFR
Member
Someone got a steal if that was a 3" model!!
I would expect $900 & up easily.
As others have said, it is one of the best revolvers S&W has ever produced.
Mine is the most accurate .357 I have ever owned.
And yes, I have a backup that is 99% LNIB stashed in the dark recesses of the safe should I ever wear this one out!
They will never make one that comes close to it again and prices will only go up from here.
Never fired this one. It still had factory packing grease on it when I got it:
Have shot the living crap out of this one. It is my hunting, camping, fishing, do-everything .357:
My answer to the 686!!!
If you look at my thread I had the very 686 CS 1 in hand when a guy in Penn. called about it , I told the owner to tell him it was sold , he didn't after the phone call ended the owner told his employee to remove it from GB and the guy on the phone had hit BIK, the owner let the internet guy buy it!!!! I'll keep my PC revolver!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you look at my thread I had the very 686 CS 1 in hand when a guy in Penn. called about it , I told the owner to tell him it was sold , he didn't after the phone call ended the owner told his employee to remove it from GB and the guy on the phone had hit BIK, the owner let the internet guy buy it!!!! I'll keep my PC revolver!!!!!!!!!!!!
WFR
Member
ssgmac, I just went back and read your post.
That Blows!
But glad you got the nice 3" K-frame.
Is that a 66 F-Comp?
That Blows!
But glad you got the nice 3" K-frame.
Is that a 66 F-Comp?
Nframe357
Member
I got super lucky, picked up a like new in the box 3" for $600 last year. Love it too!
was that advertised as a CS-1?
both a 3" and a 4" recently sold for cheap on GB without the sellers aware of them being CS-1s
mtime7
Member
the one on GB that sold for $650 was listed as a 686 , no mention of it being a CS-1 , the $650 was a buy it now, and some smart somebody noticed what it was and snapped it up about 2hrs after it was listed...
Smith and Wesson Model 686 357 inbox w/grips #8797 : Revolvers at GunBroker.com
Smith and Wesson Model 686 357 inbox w/grips #8797 : Revolvers at GunBroker.com
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No, but in the left side photo with the cylinder out you can see the CS stamping. Aside from the different Pachmayr grip it also looks like a CS-1; apparently the buyer figured that out.
yeah.. the pics tell all. a trained eye can easily identify it. my congrats to the alert buyer.
Smith and Wesson is KNOWN for making all kinds of special runs, special orders etc.
This have been the case for MANY years.
Many, very many gunshop owners , FFL dealers and just gun buying public CAN NOT tell the difference.
I will never forget walking into a gunshop once , and have owner showing me a 686 revolver with three inch barrel.
He said ," I just got it in, NIB, nice 2 1/2 inch revolver, too bad it would be worth more if someone did not worked on it " The revolver had mat finish, black rear sight blade and a THREE not a 2 1/2 inch barrel.
I bought it for 625.00 total that day. Thats how I got my second CS-1.
This have been the case for MANY years.
Many, very many gunshop owners , FFL dealers and just gun buying public CAN NOT tell the difference.
I will never forget walking into a gunshop once , and have owner showing me a 686 revolver with three inch barrel.
He said ," I just got it in, NIB, nice 2 1/2 inch revolver, too bad it would be worth more if someone did not worked on it " The revolver had mat finish, black rear sight blade and a THREE not a 2 1/2 inch barrel.
I bought it for 625.00 total that day. Thats how I got my second CS-1.
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WFR
Member
And this is why it pays to stop in your local gunshop/pawnshop on a fairly regular basis!
There's not many S&W's I am in the hunt for but if another CS-1 or CS-3 were to present itself I would bring it home.
SAFireman
Member
The CS-1's are out there....I ran into one quite by accident this morning at an otherwise pitiful gun show....there were more tables of jerky, knives, and jewelry than I like to see...I was standing at a table talking to a dealer about a side-by-side 20 gauge that he has and during a 'thoughtful pause', I looked down and noticed a 3" barrel....the price was too low, so I figured that it had a lock....I turned it over and viola, NO LOCK!....I was really shocked when I opened the crane and saw the CS 1 stamping...I did not argue the price at all just paid the man and got out.....I had not set out to find one, nor was it even on the radar, but there she was....no I have to decide to either keep it, or trade it off for another 41 mag 
...every once in a while, even a blind hog finds an acorn...
...every once in a while, even a blind hog finds an acorn...
I've owned three in my lifetime and like a fool sold all three at some point in time. I made a promise to myself that if I ever get an opportunity at another one, it stays put forever!! A 686 CS-1 3" in 99% condition in my opinion will run you about $900 to $1400 depending upon the seller.
$2Ray
Member
Or get a "plain Jane" 686 with 2 1/2" bbl. & save yourself hundreds.
The CS1 is a far better revolver than any stock 686 made - pre or post lock.
There were demanding requirements for durability and accuracy that had to be met by S&W to satisy the customs service contract. Periodically CS1 686 revolvers were taken from production lots and tested for many thousands of rounds.
SmithNut told us of these requirements some time back in a CS1 thread. I can't find the post, and have not seen SmithNut here in some time.
IMO the only thing a CS1 and a current production 686 have in common is that they are both chambered for .357. Regards 18DAI.
There were demanding requirements for durability and accuracy that had to be met by S&W to satisy the customs service contract. Periodically CS1 686 revolvers were taken from production lots and tested for many thousands of rounds.
SmithNut told us of these requirements some time back in a CS1 thread. I can't find the post, and have not seen SmithNut here in some time.
IMO the only thing a CS1 and a current production 686 have in common is that they are both chambered for .357. Regards 18DAI.
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You are right. I own 2 three inch CS-1's now. And owned 2 four inch CS-1's before.
They seem to shoot better than other 686's.
SAFireman
Member
...now there you go....I was thinking about selling this one as it really doesn't fit with my 58,57, 657 collection (and the 10mm line...) I just bought it because I liked the 3" barrel (like my 66, 65, 657 and OACP)....if you find that thread from SmithNut, please post it...i would like to read all about the differences in the CS 1 line before I go and make a mistake.
Sorry SAFireman!
I let a LNIB 3" 686 CS1 go for $850 a few years back due to sorry circumstances. I regretted it for years.
I just replaced it with another LNIB 3" 686 CS1 this past year. I won't repeat my mistake! This one is a keeper.
I have noticed, having shot two different examples of the 3" CS1 as well as numerous other 686 variants, that the 3" CS1's seem to have Performance Center triggers. Extemely smooth. No difference between triggers on my 3" CS1 and my pre lock 586 L-comp. Perhaps that accounts for how accurate they are.
I'd advise you to shoot that 3" 686 CS1. I'll wager you won't want to part with it after that. Regards 18DAI.
I let a LNIB 3" 686 CS1 go for $850 a few years back due to sorry circumstances. I regretted it for years.
I just replaced it with another LNIB 3" 686 CS1 this past year. I won't repeat my mistake! This one is a keeper.
I have noticed, having shot two different examples of the 3" CS1 as well as numerous other 686 variants, that the 3" CS1's seem to have Performance Center triggers. Extemely smooth. No difference between triggers on my 3" CS1 and my pre lock 586 L-comp. Perhaps that accounts for how accurate they are.
I'd advise you to shoot that 3" 686 CS1. I'll wager you won't want to part with it after that. Regards 18DAI.
SAFireman
Member
Sorry SAFireman!
I let a LNIB 3" 686 CS1 go for $850 a few years back due to sorry circumstances. I regretted it for years.
I just replaced it with another LNIB 3" 686 CS1 this past year. I won't repeat my mistake! This one is a keeper.
I have noticed, having shot two different examples of the 3" CS1 as well as numerous other 686 variants, that the 3" CS1's seem to have Performance Center triggers. Extemely smooth. No difference between triggers on my 3" CS1 and my pre lock 586 L-comp. Perhaps that accounts for how accurate they are.
I'd advise you to shoot that 3" 686 CS1. I'll wager you won't want to part with it after that. Regards 18DAI.
Wooo Hooo! range trip time!
I admit that the trigger on this one is far nicer than my 681 and my last 686, but I would bet that it will be even nicer after I pull the side plate off of it and clean/oil it....I know that none of the US Customs guys did that unless they were really into guns...
will have to give her a try
SAFireman
Member
I would bet that the 3" version is more sought after, regardless of which one had the higher production numbers. I haven't seen many of either and the Supica & Nahas book does not break down how many were made in each length....somebody here probably knows....
tocohillsguy
Member
The CS-1's are nice revolvers... Found this one almost exactly one year ago...
surfdog76
Member
Agreed.
Picked up this 4" off gunbroker a month ago for $449. The seller, an experienced FFL, had it listed as a No-Dash...
However the black front blade told me otherwise. When the seller confirmed it had a round butt, I was (almost)
too afraid to ask him to check the crane for the CS-1...
That's not the first time I've seen a mislabeled 4" CS-1 sold as a 686 'no dash' on gunbroker. I'm now searching for it's 3" brother.
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