I just picked one up. A 686-6, and unfortunately, it has that damnable internal lock which I've made it a point to avoid, but this one had a 5" barrel with partial underlug, which I've only ever seen one other time (and that gun also had Ahrends grips like this, making me wonder if Smith & Wesson didn't offer them with this variant). I think I will probably replace the fiber optic sight with a gold bead -- this one isn't terribly good at gathering light -- it only seems bright when you're standing directly under a light fixture -- and I have gold beads on a couple of my other guns and really like them. Also unfortunate is the rear sight; I don't know if this came from the factory like this or not, but the sight is a V notch, which I have never seen on an S&W revolver. I don't like it. Every S&W adjustable revolver sight I have ever seen is a square notch, sometimes with a white outline, and sometimes without. I will put a square notch on if I must; it will be better than this V. But I'd really like a U notch like the one on the Wilson Combat sights I put on my new Python, only I can't find anyone making such a rear sight for the S&W revolver.
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