Gun Show 686

[Heinz]

Splurged at the South Carolina Gun Collectors Show yesterday. I picked up A 6 inch barreled 686 no dash. It appears unfired. The owner had it since 1988 and said he did not shoot it. He did not buy it new. It has the matching numbered box, with the tools still in the sealed pack, and all the documents including advertising. The box itself is a mess, It is coming loose at the corners and shows some staining on the inside of the lid.
I am thinking about applying some tape to the inside side of the lid corners. Is that a bad idea?

I am not planning on leaving it unfired, but I am not in any hurry to shoot it. It locks up really tight, Trigger feels very nice and smooth, but I cannot really judge that well until it is going bang. I probably paid a bit too much at 1100 but face to face out the door, I can wait for it to catch up next year. I like the patridge sight and target grips

 

[Heinz]

a few more 686 detail shots

A few closer shots

 

[hdfinder47]

VERY nice. Good price too, IMO. I've got a -4 NIB with all but the cleaning kit. Think I'd have to get $1400 if selling so I think yours is well bought.
Enjoy.

 

[Heinz]

The box

The good, the bad, and the ugly

 

[press-1-for-english]

Looks like it shipped on September 6, 1984 if you were curious.

According to the Spec Order 4250 notation on the box.

 

[Heinz]

Thanks for that information. Is that "Spec. Order " for Special Order?

 

[T44spl]

I don't know about the "spec order" aspect, but the gun looks correct. I have a 686 No dash bught new when first introduced & my gun is the 8 3/8" barrel with the Low Patridge front sight. Your gun is the 6" barrel with a High Patridge front sight, correct Goncoalo Alves grips and No M for the recall modification. Which I Don't think affects value one way or the other.
I think you did fine on the price and the gun doesn't look shot much from my casual observation.

 

[Sevens]

Interesting that under "Features" is the notation for HP. I can't recall ever having seen that and I don't know what it means.

As for Spec. Ord., ever since the dawn of the computer generated end label (earliest I've ever see was late 1982), this area has been reserved for a 4-digit Julian date. NOTE that in a few rare cases, they have used the Spec. Ord. for something that simply cannot be a date because the second digit has been something other than 0, 1, 2 or 3. If the last 3 digits reads higher than 366, it cannot be a Julian date.

Examples I have seen that were not a date code were foreign contract guns and some Performance Center models.

But otherwise, the Spec. Ord. has almost always been used for a Julian date. And I am still trying to pin down when S&W moved away from this style of end label, and I believe it is somewhere in the 2010-2012 area.

 

[Sevens]

Hahaha, an answer to HP while I was typing my own post!

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

Very nice example, of course there are no bad 686s. I hope that it is a lot of safe fun for you.

 

[local_dirt]

Heinz, I've got a 4" 686 no dash myself. Paid $850 for it about 3 1/2 yrs ago. No box. Like new.

So don't feel like you paid too much for it. The 686 no dash are very sought after guns. Enjoy it. I'll bet it shoots like a laser.

 

[Heinz]

Local Dirt: Very nice 4-inch. One of those is on my want list. I have a 4 inch model 66 that is probably my biggest carry gun. I use suspenders when I am packing that

 

[edubbie]

Very nice. I'm in the Upstate and was thinking of going to the show but I really need to start selling some of the guns I don't or haven't used in a while. Thought best to stay away.

 

[shovelmike]

That's a great looking 686, you did very well price wise. Regarding whether or not to repair the box, I have no idea, not being a collector.

 

[Masterbuck54]

Great find

I was at the show on Saturday as well but didn’t run into the individual selling that one.

Enjoy it and thanks for sharing

Masterbuck54

 

[Nightowl]

That pinned Patridge front sight is particularly nice. Most were the orange ramp front sight forged with barrel. The L frames are great shooters!

 

[local_dirt]

Local Dirt: Very nice 4-inch. One of those is on my want list. I have a 4 inch model 66 that is probably my biggest carry gun. I use suspenders when I am packing that

I'm a 66 lover myself, Heinz. Have a "covey".

 

[Bhfromme]

Personally, I would never tape a box. A little glue carefully applied to hold the corners together is ok but I've turned down buying old revolvers with taped boxes. In ten years the tape won't be holding up and the box has tape marks on it. Just my two cents since you asked.

 

[Harry Callihan]

I don't think you overpaid. That's what I paid about 2 years ago for the same gun, with box and docs but in a 4" at a LGS.

Congrats Very Nice Gun!

 

[1911haulic]

You did good, thanks for sharing.