Model 686 CS 1 4"

[Dino44]

Glashaus, Thank, you for relaying your experience. It certainly does pay dividends, being friends with a gun shop owner. Also being at "the right place at the right time" really helps too. Fortunately, I have experienced the benefit of such a relationship, but not to the same degree. I served in the military from 1983 to 2003. In the 1990's I didn't have the disposable income to enjoy firearms ownership. I envy you gentlemen that purchased firearms at the prices they were decades ago.

 

[Dino44]

I sent off for a S&WHF Letter of Authenticity on 11/19/2023. It arrived today. It turns out that, my revolver #AYF2545 was not one that shipped to the US Custom Service. It shipped on January 27, 1988, to Lew Horton Distributors as seen in the above photos, with checkered Goncalo Alves grip panels.

 

[Masterbuck54]

Thanks for sharing

Dino thanks for the update.

I've got a 4" that I purchased years ago.

I'll have to get it out and see what serial range it is.

What post are you referring to as to the grips (checkered GA) it shipped with?

Masterbuck54

 

[Bruceboy]

I lucked out and picked up a 3" round butt at auction up here in the great white north. Just found a set of factory round butt targets. Looks and shoots great.

Enjoy yours.

Al

 

[Dino44]

Dino thanks for the update.

I've got a 4" that I purchased years ago.

I'll have to get it out and see what serial range it is.

What post are you referring to as to the grips (checkered GA) it shipped with?

Masterbuck54

The historian stated in the letter, that the gun shipped with checkered GA stocks. I assumed that is the grip panels on the gun. No previous post.

 

[BAM-BAM]

The CS-1's were made to U.S.Customs & Border Patrol specs in 1988. That was two years BEFORE S&W cataloged the 686 in 2.5" round butt. Were other round butt "L" frames made prior to 1990?
I am blessed with two 4" CS-1's. Still l@@king for that 3"!

I had a 686 no dash round butted in 1985..action tuned... used the same Pachmayr grips! Was and is my favorite L-frame. the following year built a " companion/trainer" round butt 4" 617

 

[Luke Duke]

Gaurenntee it is a better gun than paying the same price for a new Smith! You did well. That's a great gun.

 

[10mmauto]

Just thought I'd chime in. I retired from DHS in 2011. I started with the US Customs Service in 1980. While it might not seem significant to most of you, to those of us who were involved, it is. The US Custom Service is not the same as the US Immigration (and Naturalization) Service which is not the same as the US Border Patrol - none of which are the same as the Department of Homeland Security. I know - it is confusing. Blame George Bush. I like George Bush - but there was no need to combine all those existing agencies into one huge, bloated bureaucracy - but I digress. I was a firearms instructor with the US Customs Service when the CS-1 was issued. The CS-1 (CS meaning Customs Service) had NOTHING to do with the US Immigration and Naturalization Service (USINS) or the Border Patrol (USBP). It was issued ONLY to the Customs Service. I mention this only because I see people displaying their guns with patches from the Border Patrol and Immigration. This is incorrect. The guns were issued ONLY to Customs personnel - Agents and Inspectors. Agents (investigators - non-uniformed, detective-type personnel) were issued the 3" versions and inspectors (the uniformed personnel who worked at the Ports-of-Entry) were issued the 4" versions. I could go on, but it is Christmas night and I'm tired. Happy holidays everyone.

 

[Shutthefrontdoor]

Fwiw, i recall (it's been awhile) but that the grips were special in the sense that they were earlier models without the Houge logo. Customs got the earlier non-medallion open-slit bottom gripper grips. Overrun and return/for resale guns got the magna's.

Unmarked Houge's are very hard to find and now going on 40 years in use.

Please someone chime in. I'm a big fan and own several including a 4" LNIB.

 

[wheelyfun66]

"I stumbled upon a local gun shop"....
Ha, I'm divorced from doing that too frequently!

 

[S&W Fan]

Actually the grips were Pachmayr without the metal logo disc and a cutout in the base to view the serial number. I bought a 3" when they first hit the open market at a gunshow in Denver. At first I scoffed at the $450 price but when the seller agreed to $450 out the door I took it lol.

Still regret letting that one go

 

[jboboyuma]

Just thought I'd chime in. I retired from DHS in 2011. I started with the US Customs Service in 1980. While it might not seem significant to most of you, to those of us who were involved, it is. The US Custom Service is not the same as the US Immigration (and Naturalization) Service which is not the same as the US Border Patrol - none of which are the same as the Department of Homeland Security. I know - it is confusing. Blame George Bush. I like George Bush - but there was no need to combine all those existing agencies into one huge, bloated bureaucracy - but I digress. I was a firearms instructor with the US Customs Service when the CS-1 was issued. The CS-1 (CS meaning Customs Service) had NOTHING to do with the US Immigration and Naturalization Service (USINS) or the Border Patrol (USBP). It was issued ONLY to the Customs Service. I mention this only because I see people displaying their guns with patches from the Border Patrol and Immigration. This is incorrect. The guns were issued ONLY to Customs personnel - Agents and Inspectors. Agents (investigators - non-uniformed, detective-type personnel) were issued the 3" versions and inspectors (the uniformed personnel who worked at the Ports-of-Entry) were issued the 4" versions. I could go on, but it is Christmas night and I'm tired. Happy holidays everyone.

For the record, my entire U.S. Border Patrol class, class. 293 in 1995, was issued CS-1 686's with the windowed Pach. grips. We were the very last class to be issued wheel guns. Our class t-shirts said; last of the wheel gunners. My firearms instruction at FLETC, by entirely USBP instructors and where I also later instructed firearms, taught us to reload and top off from loops. When the USCS went to Glocks, your agency must have divested itself of these hardly used revolvers. USBP gladly took them. I carried my 686 until I was forced to trade it for the Beretta 96D. I could easily shoot you in the face at 50 yards with it, if not being shot at. Stress complicates things…

I was at the National Firearms Unit in Altoona for armorers school years later and they were destroying many revolvers, mostly GP100's. I'm not sure what happened to the 686's, but they most likely went south or got the saw also. Bigun' Janet Reno saw to that.