Pizza Bob
Member
Hey it's a modern Triple-lock. Quadruple lock if you count the detents individually.
Strange holes on a 686-3... factory or strange?
- Thread starter FFJAB
- Start date
Kernel Crittenden
US Veteran, Absent Comrade
It's like they asked, "Where is the frame most likely to crack?"
"Okay. Let's drill not one, but TWO holes, right THERE!"
I'm betting someone intended to work up some really hot loads and wanted to make sure the lock up stayed tight. Maybe overkill.
Is it threaded.......
Are they threaded for Zerk fittings??
Are they threaded for Zerk fittings??
From a lock up point of view that is a much better approach than the normal ball detent in the horizontal axis, in my opinion of course. But then there is the frame integrity thing. If the recesses are well radiused they should not act as stress risers, and there is still a lot of metal left.
Clarke Hammer
Member
FWIW, the Performance Center 686-3 Competitors came with a single ball detent in the same location, and this was from the factory. The removable weights in the barrel lug preclude a traditional lock-up at the front of the ejector rod on the Competitors. This design cannot be all bad if Performance Center engineers saw fit to incorporate it on a factory gun. I don't know if the current generation of Competitors use the same design.
amazingflapjack
US Veteran
He couldn't open it while it was being held at the shop, I guess. Neat set up IMO.
I still don't see what necessitated drilling the two small holes in the crane. 
Somebody was brain storming in their machine shop. If nobody ever experimented where would we be. If one ball detent is good, 2 has to be better? The work does look well done, but I don't get the side holes either. A way to clean out and lube the spring holes? But also a way for stuff to get in. Be interesting to remove the cylinder, install jut the crane and see how solid it locks up by itself to see just how much it helps hold the crane in.
On the comments on messing with the weak spot on the frame, please note that the spots for the balls to lock into are well off center and away from the thin center portion.
Interesting, but, I really can't see the need myself.
On the comments on messing with the weak spot on the frame, please note that the spots for the balls to lock into are well off center and away from the thin center portion.
Interesting, but, I really can't see the need myself.
buck460XVR
Member
IMHO, Doesn't look like an amateur job. Either it was done by a smith that knew what they were doing or it may have been a P.C. distributor model, maybe a Lew Horton. I'd call S&W with the S.N. and see if they knew. Other than that, I'd just shoot it and enjoy.
Big Cholla
Member
I have installed many a crane ball bearing/indent lock in S&Ws, both at that location and down in the pivot barrel. I can see no real need for these two holes to accomplish something as simple of installing one or even two crane locks. I would like to see detailed pictures of this job from all possible angles. Better yet, I would like to discuss this procedure with the pistolsmith that thought it up and then did it. ..........
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