how many rounds to wear in a 686 Plus?

[old lady new shooter]

Happy to report that my 686 Plus should be mine in about two weeks (gun store first has to take delivery, then comes the 10-day waiting period).

About how many rounds do I have to put through it to wear it in?

 

[mnrivrat]

ONE


And that is not a wise guy answer. If a gun wears in within a few hundred rounds for example then how long will it take before the wear is excessive ?

OK - Yes I do know that with usage some guns become smoother operating as the burrs and rough spots smooth out. Stainess guns take longer usualy than those made of carbon steal. If the gun is made properly ,very little noticable change should occure with shooting it. That's why folks send them off to good pistol smiths is to have the burrs and rough machining worked with to smooth a gun out properly.

That's my opinion anyway - others may see it differently.

 

[RON in PA]

In my experience with revolvers purchased new over the last couple of decades, there is a marked improvement in the smoothness of the DA trigger pull over the first 1,000 rounds. Lots of dry firing helps too. The SA pull can be improved by pushing against the hammer (toward the muzzle) while pulling the trigger.

The above applies not only to S&W revolvers, but to Rugers as well.

 

[bannockburn]

Try it out first and see what the trigger is like. It may not need that much time and effort to break in the action. My Model 686 had the best DA/SA trigger right out of the box of any revolver I have ever owned.

 

[Sam1911]

This is a question with several decent answers.

On the one hand, no, your new S&W won't need a bunch of rounds through it to break it in and make it reliable (as some folks say autopistols do). It will either be perfectly functional right off the bat, or it should be sent back and let S&W make it so.

On the other hand, the very best "trigger job" for a double-action revolver is lots and lots and lots of trigger pulls. So as you get used to your new gun and you shoot it lots, your trigger finger will be getting stronger and stronger. That will make the pull weight feel lighter. While you're shooting, you'll be burnishing the bearing surfaces of the hammer and sear and other moving parts, and putting lots of cycles on the mainspring, and the gun WILL "wear in" and become measurably smoother and smoother.

It is a double bonus and a beautiful thing to enjoy.

I have a 629 that I used for several years in competition and put about 15,000 rounds through. A pal dry-fired it a few times and handed it back with the words, "wow, that's like cheating!"

 

[MrBorland]

A pal dry-fired it a few times and handed it back with the words, "wow, that's like cheating!"

heh...my reply is usually something along the lines of "Great. How 'bout showing me some 'cheating' then".

As to the trigger, I agree with Sam1911 that there are manifold benefits to lots of trigger pulls. IMO, though, some guns simply need a trigger job, the action feeling like a stick beiing pulled through pickets. Many trigger pulls later, it'll feel like a smoother stick getting pulled through smoother pickets.

A good action job isn't the same as adding wear to the gun, so if a gun needs an action job, it needs an action job.

 

[Sam1911]

Oh, for sure! Yes, if it NEED an action job, it sure does need one.

 

[tipoc]

The SA pull can be improved by pushing against the hammer (toward the muzzle) while pulling the trigger.

I'm not so sure of this technique. Why would it improve anything? Seems it could make hammer push off a bit easier.

tipoc

 

[murf]

more pressure on the trigger/sear engagement surface will burnish that surface faster (supposedly). probably not necessary with a smith & wesson handgun.

murf

 

[DPris]

Pushing the hammer was taught in a Smith armorer class I went through years ago, called "marrying" the parts.

Sorta an accelerated dry-fire method of mating them & breaking them in.
JUST A HANDFULL OF TIMES ON A NEW GUN OR WITH NEW PARTS INSTALLED!
Not as a regular practice.
Denis

 

[old lady new shooter]

Thanks everybody.

Planning to use it DA only.

Seems like the consensus is just use it and see how it goes.

The reason I asked was that it looks like there will be almost no time between when I actually get it and the class I was thinking of taking starts, I was wondering whether trying to do a class with a brand-new gun would be a Not Very Good Idea. Given all the other stuff I don't yet know anything about I'm starting to think discretion may be the proverbial better part of valor here...

 

[edmo01]

Give the revolver a good look before taking possession of it...

Over the last few years, S&W has had issues with fit and finish on some of their guns namely revolvers. One thing of note on the 686 is the barrel to frame alignment.

Look down the top of the barrel/frame joint and make sure everything lines up. The thing to look for is the barrel not being in perfect alignment with the frame.

If things are not right, S&W will pay shipping both ways to make it right under warranty. However, it kinda sucks to send a new gun right back to have it fixed (ask me how I know).

Good luck with your new gun, I'm sure it will be a good one!

Edmo

 

[MrBorland]

The reason I asked was that it looks like there will be almost no time between when I actually get it and the class I was thinking of taking starts, I was wondering whether trying to do a class with a brand-new gun would be a Not Very Good Idea.

"Break-in" aside, new guns generally benefit from a thorough cleaning and lubing before shooting, IMO. At a minimum, I'd recommend running a solvent-soaked patch (followed by a dry patch) through the barrel and chambers. And test firing it for full function before your class wouldn't be a bad idea, either.

And I agree with edmo01 - inspect the gun for any obvious signs of QC issues before you leave the gun store with it. The "Revolver Checkout" thread in the Library of Revolver Wisdom sticky at the top of this revolver forum is a good resource for this.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

"Break-in" aside, new guns generally benefit from a thorough cleaning and lubing before shooting, IMO. At a minimum, I'd recommend running a solvent-soaked patch (followed by a dry patch) through the barrel and chambers. And test firing it for full function before your class wouldn't be a bad idea, either.

And I agree with edmo01 - inspect the gun for any obvious signs of QC issues before you leave the gun store with it. The "Revolver Checkout" thread in the Library of Revolver Wisdom sticky at the top of this revolver forum is a good resource for this.

Listen to Mr.Borland on this. Every new gun should be thoroughly cleaned and lubed before use, especially if you are taking a class with it.

Make sure your chambers and barrel are dry when you are done oiling it. You don't want extra oil sitting around in the chambers as it gums up the works when powder residue starts getting stuck to it. This can also cause sticky extraction, which is never a good thing.

 

[tipoc]

Pushing the hammer was taught in a Smith armorer class I went through years ago, called "marrying" the parts.

Sorta an accelerated dry-fire method of mating them & breaking them in.
JUST A HANDFULL OF TIMES ON A NEW GUN OR WITH NEW PARTS INSTALLED!
Not as a regular practice.
Denis

I would bold the, Not as a regular practice., as well.

tipoc

 

[buck460XVR]

Dry-firing it will break in the trigger just as fast as live rounds and at a much lower cost. Dry-firing also conditions your hands and finger and familiarizes you to the "break". I do it at home watching T.V. It does not lap the barrel smooth like real firing tho, which is something(IME) new smiths need.......

 

[PJSprog]

I can't speak to the new ones, but mine bought new in 1987 was smooth as silk right out of the box.

Congrats on your new gun. Be sure to give us a range report.

 

[rondog]

And photos too please! We likes to looky at pitchures.

 

[Jim K]

With all the rants about MIM, I don't expect many to see the upside, but there is one. The old S&W hammers and triggers were finish machined by milling crossways. That usually left the trigger with tiny grooves running across the contact surfaces. It was those striations that gunsmiths "smoothed" down as part of a "trigger job". But with MIM parts, there is no milling at all; the surfaces are smooth as they come out of the mold, so much of the concern about "trigger jobs" and "wearing in" and "smoothing up" just don't apply any more.

As for "pushing" the hammer, that was supposed to wear off any burrs on the trigger or hammer left by the machining. It was never a good idea (done wrong, it can ruin both parts), but again with MIM parts it is not necessary.

Jim

 

[Sunray]

"...lots and lots and lots of trigger pulls..." Just puts wear on the internal parts. That isn't the trigger job all new firearms require. Polishing the internal mating parts(note: It's polish, not file.) and changing the springs is a trigger job. Just changing the springs makes a huge difference.
A thorough cleaning and lubing before shooting is necessary because new stuff comes with a rust preventative on 'em. Needs to come off.

 

[Jim K]

And what, pray tell, is the difference between "putting wear" on parts and "polishing" them? They are the same thing, except the latter accelerates the process.

Jim

 

[Panzerschwein]

Get some snap caps and some oil. Lube the gun well, dry fire a few hundred times then clean the oil out. Repeat a few time and you'll have a slick as snot 686.

 

[pefz]

None. It will be fine out of the box.

 

[mnrivrat]

And what, pray tell, is the difference between "putting wear" on parts and "polishing" them? They are the same thing, except the latter accelerates the process

My opinion is the difference is in control of the surfaces. A burr on part A becomes a sctratch on part B if left to wear.

Carefully honing off the burr and polishing the surfaces , and you have part A&B running together in smooth harmany with full surface contact.

 

[joed]

People talk about dry firing new revolvers to make the action better. I've never found that to work. They may get a little smoother as parts wear in. But if you want a great action let a smith go over it.

I owned a 686+ with 2.5" barrel for awhile. It was a nice gun with 7 shots but I just don't like the L frame like I do a good K frame