Let's see some pre-lock 6" 686's

Some of you have these posted as "never fired",is it because there collectibles at this point in time?

I really like them all,the blued 586 is great!
 
Mule...I have others that I shoot often, but not this particular 686. I think I can say that ANYTHING without the internal lock is going to be a collectors item in due time. To many folks....it already is. I would simply never sell any of my no locks in any caliber I have under any condition at all....period.
 
Mule...I have others that I shoot often, but not this particular 686. I think I can say that ANYTHING without the internal lock is going to be a collectors item in due time. To many folks....it already is. I would simply never sell any of my no locks in any caliber I have under any condition at all....period.

Gotcha..
I am fairly new to all this,i ve got a 686-6 as my first revolver & love it.I am also trying to learn about what is collectible..i am looking to start my own collection,there are just so may great ones out there! Not sure where to start.
 
686+-4 from the Performance Center:
SW686-45.jpg
 
Oh...OK...you twisted my arm and made me post the pics...

My latest acquisition ... a 6 inch dash 3 ...

New686Edit6.jpg


And the 6 inch along with the 4 inch dash 3 I bought new in the later 80s...

Blasted6862.jpg
 
Mule, like beauty, value is in the eye of the beholder. Anyone who collects anything with a goal of seeing it appreciate in value is hoping that happens but there's no guarantee. Think about this - if S&W decides to revert back to making no-lock guns, mighten the ones with locks be fewer in number and higher in value?

Other manufacturers have done just that. Remington, for one, used to fit all its bolt-action rifles with a "J-lock" on the bolt's firing pin shroud. It was a protruding "button" with a j-shaped opening into which a like-shaped key fit to lock the firing pin. Public outcry about those locks and the "read the owner's manual" warnings roll-marked into the barrels convinced Remington to drop both just a few years ago!

But the way I look at it is that since I prefer my revolvers to be six-shooters instead of seven-shooters and not have locks or non-forged parts, I'm happier with the older guns. And in the end, that's all that matters.

Now as far as "unfired" goes, any gun will be worth something extra if it has not been fired and some will see a greater premium added to their value. One that I'm not going to shoot is a 686-4 PowerPort. The PowerPort feature has been discontinued on the 686, it's the last generation 686 with forged parts and it doesn't have a lock. It's also a model that is difficult to make clean enough to pass as unfired (I have a Model 66 that I know was fired six times but even an S&W gunsmith was fooled) as the surfaces inside the PowerPort are not smooth and have nooks and crannies that would make returning that whole area into like-new, bright silver condition very difficult. Will being unfired make it worth a lot more down the road? No one knows but I guessing it might. And that's all it is - a guess.

Good luck with your future purchases!

Ed
 
Heres a 686-3, classic hunter

Supposed to be 5000 or so of them around but they dont come up for sale all to often it seems

I wish I had the box...

Dont pick on me for the Houge grip, it was factory on this :p

DSCN0202.jpg

You won't get any flack from me about those Hogue grips, that is one fine revolver!
 
Andy, are those Pachmayr grips I see on those two 686's?

Man, was that ever smart to get both the 6" AND the 4"!

I've thought of having S&W rebarrel my 6" into a 4". But I'm guessing that, in the long run, I might be nuts to do that...
 
There are still lots of nice pre-lock, pre-MIM 4" 686s available. Check sites like GunBroker.com - I was lurking there yesterday and saw at least a dozen.

Below is a photo of a -4 I bought on GunsAmerica last year for $450.

Ed
 

Attachments

  • 686 4 A.jpg
    686 4 A.jpg
    46.3 KB · Views: 46
Mine

This is my one and only. A 686+-5. Looking for a 4" to go with it and another and another, etc.
 

Attachments

  • 686.jpg
    686.jpg
    22.2 KB · Views: 49
Andy, are those Pachmayr grips I see on those two 686's?

Man, was that ever smart to get both the 6" AND the 4"!

I've thought of having S&W rebarrel my 6" into a 4". But I'm guessing that, in the long run, I might be nuts to do that...
... yep both are wearing Pachmayr Gripper Professionals.

I have wanted the 6 inch for years but only got off my hands this year to locate the right one. Some small cosmetics (that the bead blast fixed) but other than those it has had next to no use and all it has had was .38 target loads. I would not change your six to a four when you can get into a second hand four for pretty reasonable coin in the US if you shop around.
 
Here's my no dash, 1985 vintage. 1st gun I acquired when I decided I wanted to get back into S&W's.
686002.jpg

Oops~! Mine is a 4". Oh well.
 
Last edited:
I guess these don't count.:rolleyes: Coupla "No Dashes" Still workin on the light box thing.
attachment.php

attachment.php
 

Attachments

  • DSCF2847.jpg
    DSCF2847.jpg
    32.5 KB · Views: 1,019
  • DSCF2862.jpg
    DSCF2862.jpg
    36.4 KB · Views: 1,030
Last edited:
Back
Top