Retiring the 686

[S&W Fan]

I've posted a few times about the 4" 686 no dash I inherited when my dad passed away in '92. I have the box, all docs, even his receipt (Sept. '81). He had an action job with polished trigger done to it and bead blasted. I believe this work was done by Frank Glenn. He had also sent it back for the "M" modification as it was binding with some ammo.

Well after all these years, riding on my dad's hip and saving his hide, using it to teach my sons how to shoot a handgun, lots of fun times at the range as well as home/vehicle duty I've decided it's time to give it a rest.

I also have posted about a 2.5" no dash Lew Horton 686 I got back in February and just today picked up a sweet 4" 66-2. So I'm good on mid bores. The 66-2 looks like it spent it's life in a glove box or something similar. It cleaned up very nice, took some Flitz to a couple of small spots here and there. The grips are a little rough-I cleaned them with a solution of Murphy's Oil Soap diluted in warm water and then put on a coat of Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil (thanks to Thom-sasaberanger-but they really could use a complete refinish) and there's a ding or two on the back of the grip frame but it locks up TIGHT! No movement at all when in battery. Hitting the range on Sunday to see how it shoots.

If the 66 is as good a shooter as I'm expecting I'll definitely put the 4" 686 on "deep reserve" duty .

 

[murphydog]

Thanks for the story. Sounds like a good situation to fire a few rounds on a birthday every year, your dad's or the gun's.

 

[kbm6893]

Thanks for the story. Sounds like a good situation to fire a few rounds on a birthday every year, your dad's or the gun's.

Exactly what I was thinking. I doubt my children will cherish a plastic gun left to them by their father, but a Smith revolver is a whole different thing!

Congrats on the 66, but that 686 hardly needs a rest! It's barely winded! Shoot it in memory of your father. His hands curled around those stocks.

 

[brucev]

Wonderful post. Beautiful revolver. Have a 66... simply excellent revolver. Have a 686... six inch ... bit longer sight radius. Just about the ideal .357 S&W Magnum revolver. With any kind of normal SAAMI loads, not likely anyone could actually wear one of these revolvers out. Still, understand not shooting it hard. Got a six inch 28-2 that was given to me by my identical-twin (deceased) brother. It gets shot but not as hard as I once routinely would have used it. Sincerely. bruce.

 

[Terry]

I retired my Model 66-4" years ago when I retired from Law Enforcement. It saved my hide many times but my biggest mistake was selling it. I do have a 4" 686 now which I really like along with 6 other S & W revolvers. I still carry and shoot them on a regular basis.

My favorite carry though is my 642 Performance Center Talo Edition 38 Spcl +P.

 

[ken158]

Thinking you are retiring the wrong gun.... The 686 is much stronger of the two. No knowledge of a PD wearing out a 686 but lots of PD's dumped 66's due to various issues and those guns were absorbed by the market. Now, people are paying crazy prices for an old 66 that needs rebuilt.