The 686

S&W 686 cracked frame

I have a 686 with a cracked frame. It runs from the hammer slot along the right side to the bottom of the cylinder well. Can this be welded or repaired? Can the revolver be shot at all? Appreciate the help. Steve
After thought, my 686 is serial # AAB 50xx. I would like to get some wood grips. What frame would this be and what grips would fit it. This is the 1st Smith & Wesson I have owned and it is all new to me. Love the weapon tho', Thanks again, Steve

Well, I've just joined the 686 club. Did the paperwork this morning. (Excedrin headache number 104, buying a handgun at cabela's, but thats a topic for a different thread) Because of the 3 day waiting period i dont get to pick it up untill sunday, but i'm excited none the less.

Is there anything i should do with my 686 before i shoot it? It's brand spankin new, never fired, saw the seal broke in front of me. Does it need oil or can i take it right to the range?

Also, i remember hearing a while back that one of the S&W frames was too light to shoot alot of .357 mag and should be used mainly with .38 specials. I think it was either the L frame or the K frame, does anyone know?


Oh, and g5, what part of california? I was born while my father was stationed at Vandenberg AFB in Lompoc.


Thanks,
Guzz

Guzz, the L Frame is the beefed up version of the K Frame. Your 686 will be fine with a steady diet of 357 Mag. The K's run into more problems with lighter bullets - 125 gr - than heavier - 158 gr - in the full magnum loadings.

I'd clean the protective oil off and lightly relube with a good gun oil - I use breakfree or Mobil 1 motor oil. Make sure that the bore and chambers are free of oil as well. Then hit the range.

I bought a 4" 596-3 almost 2 years ago. It has become my favorite .357 mag. A great shooting, well balanced, accurate, tough, great looking revolver.

I know you guys said 686, but there should be a place for the blue, too.

Mark

EDIT...Yeah, that's supposed to read 586-3. Thanks.

...a 4" 596-3...

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Dogngun, I certainly would have no problem with including other similar models (like the blued version of 686), but then I'm not the president of this club (or even on the board of directors ), so don't have the final word. I know that on the 642 club , other similar models are discussed, so I suspect something similar will apply here. (But again, I'll let others, notably G5, set those criteria.)

I am curious though: is the correct model of the blued version of a 686 a "596"?

I wondered if that was a typo and should have been "586" instead.

I find a "586 L-comp" model on Smith Wesson's page, but find only two references in google to "Smith Wesson Model 596", and one of those (on the Smith Wesson forum) is dead link.

Just curious. You know your gun's model number better than me.

Nem

686-1 w/ 4 inch barrel

Yes I do own a S&W 686 - 1, one of the first w/ a 4 inch barrel. It has the large oversize Walnut grips. It is, (JMOHO - without reservation), one of the BEST Revolvers of all times. It is one of the best 'Service Revolvers' ever made.

I have a 686 with a cracked frame. It runs from the hammer slot along the right side to the bottom of the cylinder well. Can this be welded or repaired? Can the revolver be shot at all? Appreciate the help. Steve
After thought, my 686 is serial # AAB 50xx. I would like to get some wood grips. What frame would this be and what grips would fit it. This is the 1st Smith & Wesson I have owned and it is all new to me. Love the weapon tho', Thanks again, Steve

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Sorry to hear about your 686. I'm almost 100% certain that a cracked frame can NOT be repaired. I most definitly would not shoot it until I had an experienced gunsmith look at it. Since it has a lifetime repair policy, I'd consider sending it back to S&W. They will most likely give you a new one. If you don't like the new ones, you can sell it to buy an older one.

Nem,

The blued version of the 686 is the 586. The 696 is an L Frame stainless 44 Special. I'd assume if S&W ever made a blue L Frame 44 spl, it would have been called the 596, so maybe that's what dogngun was referring to - but he called it a 357? Oh well, I dunno!

Already a member here but I long to be a member of the "627 Club" ... or unless S&W decides to release the 10-shot .357Magnum with the X-frame first!

Can I sign up?????

Nematocyst-870

WRT cases sticking: Work the extractor more forcefully. Also "flicking" the revolver (rotating the muzzle upward) right as the ejector is almost fully depressed should cleanly extract .38 and .357 empties. You should use enough force to temporarily leave a little circle imprint on whatever finger you use to operate the ejector rod. It should stay there for 10-20 seconds, depending on how calloused that digit is.

Gently pressing the ejector while holding the revolver stationary isn't going to pop the .357 empties out. If the extractor were long enough to do that you'd be having spent-case-under-the-star troubles. It likely won't knock all six .38 empties out, either. I assume the stuck .38s you're getting are the 2-3 chambers closest to the rollmark on the frame?

tankusaz

You're sure that "crack" isn't the sideplate seam?

Misc

The sticky at the top of the forum (Jim March's revolver checkout) also has some good info.

Depending on how interested you newer guys are there are books by kuhnhausen as well as other resources available on the web, such as this checklist on the American Pistolsmiths Guild website. Geared mostly toward armorers/smiths, the second checklist should get you started. Many items on the list are subjective. Asking "how much" in this thread (or a new thread) should produce a ballpark answer. Same goes for unfamiliar terms. ("Singing" will probably be a new one to most. An explination is in the last post in this thread.)

Joined today.

Would anyone in this thread recommend a 4" 686 for primary self-defense? I am considering selling an XD45 to purchase one of these guns, but want to gather some opinions first.

That's why I purchased mine--it will be shot a lot, but it will be the 'nightstand' gun every night from now on.

Sean D,

My (and I suspect others') answer to your good question will depend on how you define "primary self-defense". In particular:

• Will it be a carry gun - and if so, concealed or open carry - or will it mostly stay on the night stand?
• Is self-defense here in reference to bi-pedal hominids or does it include larger toothy tetrapods?

For example, my 686 will not likely be an EDC outside of camp and wilderness travel. I find it just too massive for city carry. I don't even keep it on my nightstand; the 870 is my "go to" for bumps in the night.

Once I get CCW permitted (I'm working on that now), I'll EDC my 642, but for late fall, winter and early spring, may also carry a K-frame (likely a Mod 60; exploring options now for potential future purchase).

Nem

Sean D,

My (and I suspect others') answer to your good question will depend on how you define "primary self-defense". In particular:

* Will it be a carry gun - and if so, concealed or open carry - or will it mostly stay on the night stand?
* Is self-defense here in reference to bi-pedal hominids or does it include larger toothy tetrapods?

For example, my 686 will not likely be an EDC outside of camp and wilderness travel. I find it just too massive for city carry. I don't even keep it on my nightstand; the 870 is my "go to" for bumps in the night.

Once I get CCW permitted (I'm working on that now), I'll EDC my 642, but for late fall, winter and early spring, may also carry a K-frame (likely a Mod 60; exploring options now for potential future purchase).

Nem

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It will be a nightstand, car, and purse gun. I conceal my 638 in a IWB all the time. The larger 686 would be for "off the body" carry, which is fine because I have a man bag I take most places also. But in the car, at home, or places where I have my bag, I'd like to have a larger .357 ready, but still have the .38 in my waistband.

sounds like this is the gun for me, though.

sounds like this is the gun for me, though.

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Given what you just wrote in response to my query for clarification, I agree.

Speaking of "man bags", check out the Versapacks by Maxpedition.

Speaking of "man bags", check out the Versapacks by Maxpedition.

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I own the black Fatboy already

I also have this for more casual use, the Gravis Sidearm
http://www.zappos.com/n/p/p/7252281.html


And I ALSO have the jack bauer CTU bag, complete with CTU monogram.

Sean,

My primary nightstand gun. Hate to be the BG coming face to face with this !

686+ 4"

Thanks for invite to the 686 club.
I recently purchased a model 686-6 with 6" barrel and Powerport option.
The gun came with Hogue grips which are outstanding.
I like the partridge sights, as i do a lot of target shooting at the local range.
I currently load my own with the following components:
Case is starline 357 mag
Primer is Winchester small pistol
Powder is W231 at 3.2 Gr
Bullets include 148 Gr hollow base wadcutters, bevel base wadcutters and double bevel base wadcutters.
All shoot great in this 686.
I do not have a picture yet but plan to take one and i will upload in near future.

10xforever,

How are you liking the powerport? I recently purchased a -4 with powerport and it is now my favorite 686. It is a 6" like yours and has the patridge sight.

My last range session was really fun with it. I do not reload, but it handled all of the factory ammo I had with aplomb, both .38 and .357.

WJR