How many rounds can a 686 really withstand?

[ATR72]

Having recently engaged myself with the "small guns world", I obtained a 686-3 6", which I shoot almost on a daily basis...
At present, I'm into a range shooting at 15 and 25 yds/m.
Given the fact that it is a perfectly maintained and hardly ever used gun I started to kind of press it hard with variety of rounds. but still, it's a second hand gun, and I wonder what can I expect in terms of "mileage"...Shall I stick only or preferably to .38s or can I play full diet of magnums...?

 

[snowman]

I have three of those and shoot only heavy magnum loads all the time. They are designed for that and I don't worry at all about wearing them out in my lifetime or the next generation's. I suppose endshake is a possibility sometime in the future, but that isn't that difficult to correct.

Andy

 

[ken158]

Tough question. How many miles will your car go before it needs an overhaul? Depends on how you drive it. Heavy reloads verses factory loads verses target stuff. Just remember, you can rebuild (or replace) your 686 cheaper than your car. Mechanical things break and wear out. Dont expect either to last forever.

 

[ATR72]

Thanks,
my initial concern was to buy a sturdy, durable,both indoor and outdoor revolver that features accuracy, not aiming a CCW purchase at all..I first came across a 66, which I liked very much at first glance, but a friend discouraged me saying that his had its forcing cone broken following a very heavy magnum usage, so I opted for this "L" frame gun...

 

[686fan]

Assuming it's been well-maintained like you say, it should be able to handle magnum loads just fine. The 686 was designed to handle full-house loads of 357 magnum. Mine has had a lot of everything from .38s up to Federal 125 grain JHP 357's (hot) without any problems. Personally, I wouldn't want to shoot hot magnums through it daily. While the gun may be up to it, I'm not sure I am. I practice mostly with .38s but with some time spent with 357's.

Congratulations on the 686. I think you're really going to like it.

 

[ATR72]

thank you!
I gather 4 to 5 hundred rounds a month won't brake it soon.....

 

[ATR72]

it's hardly ever fired gun, I purchased it from a collector who's the original owner, with all the documents, box, accessories enclosed...
I really kind of like it enormously...
I use a variety of magnums, but practice range shooting with .38 WC mostly

 

[Iggy]

Your kids may ask the same question some day.

 

[VAdoublegunner]

I shoot full power 357s in mine. I see no point to shoot 38s in them. That's what K-frames like the Model 19 and 66 were for. They have design weaknesses that will cause them to shoot loose and have forcing cone issues with a steady diet of magnum loads. Not so the L-frames which sought to correct that.

How long do you think it will take to shoot 50K? If you shoot a hundred each and every weekend, that's about 10 years worth. I would imagine it will easily do that, an dlikely double. I suspect the 586/686/681s I own will last plenty long enough for me to go broke shooting them. And if they don't the Security-Sixes will.

 

[451 Detonics]

I would guess the number of rounds through my 686 Glenn Custom to be in the neighborhood of 75,000-80,000 rounds. This has all been mid range 38s however. The most damage from a lot of hot .357 rounds is going to be to the forcing cone and sooner or later you will crack it but we are talking many tens of thousands of rounds. Making sure the gun is properly timed will increase the life of the forcing cone as well making sure it is well cut and polished.

 

[Wayne M]

At most you're talking about 6K rounds a year. Take care of it and I'd guess in about ten to twelve years it'll need a good going over.....then again maybe not. I've been trying to wear 686's out since their introduction: they're just boringly reliable.

 

[just for fun]

Got a 586 (no dash) bought it new in 85. That gun has been shot hard,but never put up wet. Never cared much about shooting 38's in it-carbon "ring" is a real pain to get out. I do shoot alot of what I call middle of the road 357's through it.Hotter than any 38+, but milder than full house 357's. Like the above poster said it's for me not the gun!
Few yrs back I did put some soft rubber grips on it and have been shooting more full house loads in it. It pushs back to let you know it's a 357, but a lot more fun to shoot than it ever was with wooden grips. Never gave much thought to it shooting loose

 

[Engineer1911]

I believe you are starting a "non-problem" question thread. Another good question, "When will the sun burnout?" or "When will New York experience global warming?"

You have a quality revolver, now go shoot it. Proper maintenance, or even the lack of it, means your grandchildren will enjoy their inheritenance.

 

[one eye joe]

Believe me, YOU will quit shooting hot Magnum loads before your 686 will quit. Have fun and don't concern yourself........

 

[youngda9]

Why don't you go find out and report back to us

 

[stantheman86]

Yes it will eventually develop endshake issues......."eventually" could mean 50,000 rounds of full house, hot .357's. Which you can correct with endshake bearings.

I shoot mostly .38's out of my L-frames, so I don't expect to ever have a problem. .38's through an L-frame is probably little more stress than dry firing. Also being a Ruger nut I save the heavy Magnums for my GP-100's and .357 Redhawk.

I bought a well used 4" 28-2 on the cheap, which proves even N-Frame .357's are not invincible....there was so much cylinder and yoke shake the gun rattled like a Maraca when I shook it, and the locking lug for the extractor rod had peened and allowed a lot of movement of ther yoke. I tightened it all up with bearings and new parts and it's back to being a shooter again.

 

[duckloads]

1-1/2 yrs ago, I bought a 686-1, 8-3/8". It had around .012" endshake, some of that was from a buggered-up yoke. Seven (yes, 7) months later it's back from S&W from being "rebuilt". But that's a different story.

After an action job, new yoke, barrel muzzel cut, B/C gap set, etc. I can get 4-5 shot, one ragged hole groups at 25yds. It seems there is always that 1-2 shots per cylinder that go "over that way". I'm still working out the gun's load, though.

Moral of the story, I paid $500 (lots of assy's included) for a worn out 686-1 that took $225 to get sorted out.

 

[Nightowl]

I bought a new 586 when they first arrived on scene in 1980, AAA serial number. It has had a lot of rounds through it in the last 30 years and still is as good as it was when new. At the price of ammo now days, you can spend many times the cost of the gun in ammunition before you have to tune it up.

 

[stantheman86]

At $500 or so used, or $6-700 for the new 686+ you are getting decades of heavy use until you have to worry about it......not a bad investment IMO.

People have "bragged" about getting Taurus 66's for $350-400 and how they "saved" $300 by not "paying for a name like S&W" but then they wonder why their gun is out of time or spitting lead after 2,000 .357's.......sometimes there's a reason for the "name" we pay for

 

[srgvaz]

Anything mechanical can last (???) without any problem, but at the same time they can fail at ANY time. There's a reason they put warranty's on things..