Erich
Member
Cooler than a fan! 
Grail Gun secured
- Thread starter BabaBlueJay
- Start date
HOUSTON RICK
Member
Congratulations, and enjoy owning it. I am still looking for that minty WWI and WWII Luger with Imperial and Wehrmacht issue markings. 
OP
Should be arriving today or tomorrow �� looking forward to having it in hand to go to the range this weekend.
OP
Picked it up and it's even better than the pictures! The finger grooves fit my hand like a glove and the balance is as good as my 4" 686-1. Had a busy day with an interview for a Catholic School building principal job today and now we have Bible camp for the girls but when things slow down I'll post photos!
Congrats! I'll spare you my regrets over letting a 586 go long ago. My current lock 686 of recent manufacture is the best revolver overall that I have had. All the others along the way were lots of fun. Yay S&W wheelguns!
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Congrats on your purchase my grail gun is a -3 also
i "SETTLED" for a -4 2.5 inch 686s shoot just well
as the 4 inch
i "SETTLED" for a -4 2.5 inch 686s shoot just well
as the 4 inch
OP
As promised, here are first photos of me holding it. Feels great in the hand.
@Browns fan that is great to hear! If it shoots as easily as the 4" then I got a gem
I'm also from Cleveland area by the way and a Browns Fan as well!
@Browns fan that is great to hear! If it shoots as easily as the 4" then I got a gem
I'm also from Cleveland area by the way and a Browns Fan as well!Attachments
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AveragEd
Member
One of my S&W grail guns was a 686-3 National Match. This one appeared to be unfired and was on GunBroker and went through three auctions without the reserve being met. When a bid in the upper 13-hundreds didn't work, I swore it was my "final offer" and went to $1,400. That turned out to be the magic number! It came with a set of standard checkered targets so I bought the dual-speedloader cutout checkered targets on it now. Their figure isn't breathtaking but they have full three-edge bookending. I later found a new Bill Davis original grip set on eBay for $18. That five-inch barrel just has perfect balance.
Ed
Ed
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Congratulations, that is a beautiful addition to the family
My snubby 686 is product code 104212.
This is one of the guns from the original Lew Horton run.
Mine was manufactured back in 1984 but it did get a little scratched up after it left the factory
I changed the grips on mine, I thought the bananas looked better with all that scratching
This is one of the guns from the original Lew Horton run.
Mine was manufactured back in 1984 but it did get a little scratched up after it left the factory
I changed the grips on mine, I thought the bananas looked better with all that scratching
OP
My snubby 686 is product code 104212.
This is one of the guns from the original Lew Horton run.
Mine was manufactured back in 1984 but it did get a little scratched up after it left the factory
I changed the grips on mine, I thought the bananas looked better with all that scratching
Probably the most beautiful 686 I have seen, a true gem straight out of a treasure chest
OP
Well, I think the advertisement might have been a bit off because upon removal of the grips I am almost certain it was made in 1989, not 1988... Frustrating but not the primary reason I got it so I can't be too mad. The main reason was I wanted a snub with wooden combat grips and that mission was still accomplished in spectacular fashion. It was apparently made on July 8th 1989, July 8th being my father's Birthday makes up for them misreading the smudged final number.
If someone could confirm, I am 95% certain the last number is a 9.
If someone could confirm, I am 95% certain the last number is a 9.
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Don't forget that grips come and go during a gun's wanderings. Those would have been the original style grips, but that particular pair may not be the original grips. Who knows what grips that gun has worn in nearly 4 decades of travels...
OP
That's true. The special order number is 9292 and I've been told that could help with the year. I believe the first letter is year and the following three are production date. Maybe I'm wrong though.
Best thing to do would be to letter the gun. Then you'll know for sure.
OP
Luckily the birth year part of it was tertiary for me. Maybe I'll get a letter someday for it, since I plan to keep it for life.
The main reasons I got it were that it's a -3 meaning it has the qualities I wanted. Namely forged and flash chromed hammer/trigger with wood combat grips. I plan to carry this, so snub was critical too. Birth year would be the cherry on top, but not the Sundae.
The main reasons I got it were that it's a -3 meaning it has the qualities I wanted. Namely forged and flash chromed hammer/trigger with wood combat grips. I plan to carry this, so snub was critical too. Birth year would be the cherry on top, but not the Sundae.
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