Smith 686 2.5"

[azcatdoc]

I was wondering if someone would be able to educate Me on something I saw today. I was looking to trade a pistol for a Smith & Wesson 686 plus. I met a guy who had one listed on a local board here in Arizona. He told Me there were less than 300 rds. down the pipe but I saw 2 things that caught My eye. First, I noticed what I describe as pitting where the grooves meet the lands. It almost looked like a skidding pitting. Additionally I noticed where the forcing cone meets the cylinder it appeared as though the metal on the forcing cone had been eroded or possible peaned over on the left and right sides when looking down the barrel from the cylinder end. I checked the timing and lock up and as best I know they seemed to be fine. It also appeared as if somebody had tried to buff the turn line in order to disguise something. I went with My gut on this one and decided not to make the trade. Thanks ahead of time for the help!

 

[khclark]

It's hard to fully understand what you are saying without pictures. I have a model 41 that has "skidding" in the bore. Looks like maybe the rifling broach shuddered inside the bore (pure speculation on my part). It shoots fine (more accurate than me, anyway), but it came that way and I wish it had not. Not sure about the peeining near the forcing cone. It's pretty hard to wear out an L-frame with honest use, but abuse can always ruin a gun in subtle ways. If you're gut told you it was iffy, you were probably wise to skip on it. It's not like you won't find another L-frame somewhere/sometime else...

 

[surveyor47]

Beware of Katrina guns. There are a lot of them out there. Many have been recondition, some better than others. One telltale sign is rust in the little circle where the firing pin protrudes, which is nearly impossible to get out.

If you suspect a gun of being a KATRINA VICTIM, do not buy it. Sea water changes the crystaline structure of steel. Frequently, the stench of chemical, seawater, death and sewerage remains in metal to this day. Uptown New Orleans still has that lingering stench. It was simpler to junk immersed items than find a way to store them outside, remove the rust and put up with the stench that never goes away.