US Customs Service 686 CS-1

[Dvan34]

Yep! That's it. It was heavy. We liked it. We didn't have another choice at the time. I carried it for 3 years when I was on the Enforcement Team. As mentioned it was not concealable.

 

[JWM]

Some clarifications. Three inch CS1's were issued to Special Agents, air branch,marine branch. There were no plain clothes inspectors. Three inch guns were also issued to dog handlers (k-9 officers). Qualifications at the time were held 4 times a year normally. The guns that were actually issued for duty use will have had several thousand rounds through them normally. That may be with either the 357 mag or the Treasury 38spl. +p+. I am a retired Chief Inspector from Arizona, and was fortunate enough to locate and purchase my originally issued 4 inch CD1, serial ANS4100. I think I still have the issued HKS speed loaders and pouch.

For awhile, you had plain clothes Inspectors assigned as “rovers” in some airports in plain clothes. Also, I knew some CET guys that worked out of uniform as well. On another note, if anybody ever comes across a 3” CS1, ser# BAU0729, that was my issued gun. Used it to win a 2nd place trophy at an International shoot between RCMP and Customs/INS/BP shooters. Shot factory wadcutters pretty good as I remember. Tagged it when I turned it in for the new,issued autoloader, but I guess it ended up being destroyed.

 

[CH4]

I’ve never seen a CS1 in the wild. I better look harder from now on.

 

[neverenoughguns]

Just curious, don’t see these fir sale very often, what is a 3” version worth. (Non issued, overrun, original wood grips, excellent condition).

 

[Dieseltech56]

I’ve never seen a CS1 in the wild. I better look harder from now on.

I never have either

 

[vegasgunhand]

I am on my 3rd CS-1 3" and none had recessed cylinders......BUT that doesn't mean S&W didn't make it that way. Get it lettered.

Get that lettered as soon as you can. It may very well be one of the guns that was custom tuned by the U.S. Customs armorers at Ft. Benning for the U.S. Customs Shooting team.

 

[ANDY BOUTWELL]

i have a 686 with these marking on it. cs-1 , 2m and serial number of

azb 6378 . it is stainless steel, 3" barrel . is this a real custom service.

thanks for your help.

 

[barbsaurus]

Photo?

i have a 686 with these marking on it. cs-1 , 2m and serial number of

azb 6378 . it is stainless steel, 3" barrel . is this a real custom service.

thanks for your help.

Please post a photo...

 

[SmithNut]

Get that lettered as soon as you can. It may very well be one of the guns that was custom tuned by the U.S. Customs armorers at Ft. Benning for the U.S. Customs Shooting team.

I'm a bit confused about the discussion of a CS-1 that does not have recessed cylinder(s)....

No CS-1 or any other L frame revolver(s) have ever had recessed cylinders....

Or am I missing something??

As for CS-1's made for the Shooting team, those were 6" guns, to my knowledge none of those have ever surfaced in the real world.....

 

[Hoot]

I'm a bit confused about the discussion of a CS-1 that does not have recessed cylinder(s)....

No CS-1 or any other L frame revolver(s) have ever had recessed cylinders....

Or am I missing something??

As for CS-1's made for the Shooting team, those were 6" guns, to my knowledge none of those have ever surfaced in the real world.....

The original post (on page one of this thread) lost something in translation. A subsequent poster changed the details.
"The only thing I am unsure of is the chambers, all six are perfectly chamfered, like you would see on Performance Center gun."

 

[Midnight.Spares]

Did anyone ever find the original order documentation?

 

[jrc1]

Picked this up last weekend. I was looking for a 3”686 this is just a bonus.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Geeorge]

Very interesting and informative thread. Here is mine. Does it have the correct pachmayr's on it ?

 

[TAROMAN]

Friend of mine is a retired customs inspector/firearms instructor.
He says the CS-1 was never well liked.
After they were withdrawn, many were given to the police in Haiti.
His preference was the 3953, also a Customs issue.

 

[Yendor357]

In the pre-internet years, I remember reading about the Border Patrol adopting a special variant of the 686. The three distinctive features were rubber grips, an all black front sight, and a bead/vapor blasted satin finish.

I already had an extremely accurate 4 inch 686. It looked exactly like every other 4 inch 686, which were very popular for a while. I have never been a big fan of the orange plastic insert front sight.Back then I had a young family and could not justify have a second 4 inch 686. But a “Border Patrol” 686 looked so cool.

So I did the next best thing, and I sent my 4 inch 686 to Karl Sokol (I wonder if Karl is still in business). He milled off the front sight, and expertly installed a black steel front sight. Then he applied the satin finish. And then I had my imitation/tribute Border Patrol 686.

As I mentioned earlier, this particular revolver is extremely accurate. I harvested several deer from my old wooden home-made tree stand: AKA the Penthouse. I never felt the need for a 6 or 8 inch gun because in my mind, my Four inch 686-4 will keep up with any handgun.

*The dash fours will always be in my opinion, the pinnacle of S&W, as were the G3 semis. It went down hill from there.

 

[housedog]

... Karl Sokol (I wonder if Karl is still in business).

Great gunsmith, sadly he passed a couple of years ago....