New to me 686-5 on the way to S&W already

[Captain Skip]

Just picked up my "new" used 686-5 from my FFL Wednesday. Took it out back yesterday to try it out and ran into a problem, it won't hit where it's aimed. I checked the rear sight and it was off. I adjusted it and things still weren't right. I was an LEO for 40 years, 25 of those years a firearms instructor so I've used a few guns in my time and know how to adjust sights and shoot properly. I closely examined the revolver and found that the barrel was misaligned with the frame. I still have my S&W Model 19 that I was issued when I went to the police academy in 1975. I compared the model 19 side by side to the 686 and the difference in the barrel alignment is very noticeable. I would say that it probably left the factory like this. I took several photos of the frame and barrel and emailed them to S&W. They got back to me right away and sent me a FedEx pickup label for the gun. FedEx picked it up today so it's on it's way to Springfield. I don't know who had the gun before me (I bought it from a dealer on Gunbroker) but either they never shot it or they aren't as OCD as me. S&W said 2 to 4 weeks to get it back to me, hopefully they adjust it correctly.

 

[RGNewell]

That sucker is way off.
Good luck

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[armorer951]

Looks like it shot to the right, based on the cant of the barrel. Too bad that S&W now relies on their customers to do final inspections and function testing.

Hope it comes back in good shape, and with a properly indexed barrel.

Baffling to me how, using a laser, we can measure the distance from the Earth to the Moon to within millimeters, but we still haven't learned how to properly secure and align a revolver barrel to the gun's frame.

 

[HorizontalMike]

How Does It Shoot?

My question(s) is:

1. How does it shoot?
2. Is the accuracy within the adjustable rear sights range?

 

[Mrnurse]

Hummmm alignment looks ok to me. As Ive aged I shoot to the Left.... same concept I think here as the weapon looks fine.

 

[psquarejr]

I can see how that little bit of misalignment can make your shots miss their mark. I'm glad to hear S&W is going to take care of the issue. Enjoy the revolver when you get it back.

 

[Neversink n Klapperthal]

seems to be a 686 thing. Seen it numerous times

 

[steelslaver]

I just don't get it. It is not that hard to get them straight. If the nitwit doing barrel installs would have backed that one off and put about 8 small punch marks around the barrel shoulder area of the frame or the barrel and then tightened it up the upset metal around the punch marks would have made it tighten up just right and stayed there. If the barrel installer had a small tool that threaded into the frame or on the barrel extension and then a collar on it was twisted and a small wheel similar to the wheel on a Zippo for the flint attached to the collar turned around the shoulder flat it would knurl up a small amount of metal and cause it to torque up sooner also.
That is out maybe 5 degrees. Thats just .00039 of material.

Time is money, yes. But customer satisfaction and your reputation are too. Plus, now they are going to spend way more time. Put it in fixtures, remove barrel, do something to adjust shoulders and then re install. When the install it in fixtures time was already spent. How many here have rejected a S&W or are leery about the newer ones because of this exact issue?

 

[joebuck]

I just don't get it. It is not that hard to get them straight. If the nitwit doing barrel installs would have backed that one off and put about 8 small punch marks around the barrel shoulder area of the frame or the barrel and then tightened it up the upset metal around the punch marks would have made it tighten up just right and stayed there. If the barrel installer had a small tool that threaded into the frame or on the barrel extension and then a collar on it was twisted and a small wheel similar to the wheel on a Zippo for the flint attached to the collar turned around the shoulder flat it would knurl up a small amount of metal and cause it to torque up sooner also.

Time is money, yes. But customer satisfaction and your reputation are too. Plus, now they are going to spend way more time. Put it in fixtures, remove barrel, do something to adjust shoulders and then re install. When the install it in fixtures time was already spent. How many here have rejected a S&W or are leery about the newer ones because of this exact issue?

Great point. I had a 629 that it took S&W 2 trips to home base to get the barrel lined up. Oh well, at least they did it all for free. Gotta like that. Don't know what the other members see but that barrel is WAY off.

 

[Captain Skip]

My question(s) is:

1. How does it shoot?
2. Is the accuracy within the adjustable rear sights range?

Shot way to the right, had to crank the rear sight way to the left. I'm too OCD to let things like that go.

 

[Protocall_Design]

That one is way off. No way would I try to use it like that.

 

[RGNewell]

I concure

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[shocker]

Sort of takes the fun out of blasting S&W when you see than -5 dates to the 90's.
Personally, I'm a big fan of the sleeved barrel. I'm sure the production folks are too as the one piece barrel clocking thing is a PIA.

"The biggest sin of engineers is optimizing something that doesn't need to exist".