CajunBass
Member
Well, not really "yesterday," I just got it out of layaway yesterday. It's hard to believe, as long as the 686 has been around, and as many guns as I've had over the years, I've never owned one. I think it was as much marching to a different drummer as anything else. I mean everybody and his cousin has a 686 and sings the praises of them, so I have to be the one guy over there all by himself with something different. Then finally a month or so ago, I saw one with a 4" barrel, most I see have longer or shorter, neither of which really interest me, but I do have a weak spot for a revolver with a 4" barrel.
This one was sort of "meah" looking, as I think most SS guns all. The finish was sort of dull, with the big blank right side plate, with the small S&W logo on the left side. You know, just putting the regular size logo, on the right side would have gone a long way toward making this gun look "right" I believe. There were also a lot f fine scratches, like someone had used a Scotch-Brite pad to try to clean it. It's a -6 so it has all the "bad" stuff. MIM parts, frame mounted firing pin, internal lock, and ugly rubber grips, none of which really bug me a bit.
I got it home, and got out the Flitz and cleaned it. One light buffing with that bought back the shine. Some of the scratches are still there, but I'm reluctant to Flitz it any more. I don't want a mirror finish, just a clean one. A couple of coats of Ren Wax, and the old girl started to look presentable in polite company. Not as nice as my Pythons, but nice. No idea how old it is, the SN isn't "in the book" but the -6 came out 2001, so that's the ballpark.
The camera makes it look worse that it does in the real world. And I take really lousy pictures with my phone.
I find the ugly, rubber grips to be quite comfortable, but still I've got a nice set of Altamont "Ropers" for a round butt K-frame I've never use, so I put them on. Naw. They just don't look right, so the ugly rubber ones went back on. I might look for something else, but I'll shoot these first. Who knows? Maybe I'll like them.
Holding it side by side with the Colt Python (2020), the Python wins hands down on looks. The finish is better, the grips are better, the Colt has that beautiful vent rib. On the down side the Colt has that grooved trigger, the S&W's is smooth. Win for S&W there. Now, I can't tell which trigger is "better," at least not in DA. S/A the edge goes to S&W, but I almost never use SA, so "big deal" to me. If you handed them to me blindfolded I don't think I could tell you which was which (at least not yet) just by the trigger. The grips of course would give it away anyway. Loaded with 125 grain 357 dummy loads, they both weigh the same. They have the same style of sights, except the Colt's rear does not have a white outline as the S&W does. The Colt's cylinder does turn the wrong way and the cylinder release is backward. (I'm still a S&W guy at heart).
I'm looking forward to going to the range this weekend where I'll shoot both. I really don't expect there to be much difference in the way they shoot.
This one was sort of "meah" looking, as I think most SS guns all. The finish was sort of dull, with the big blank right side plate, with the small S&W logo on the left side. You know, just putting the regular size logo, on the right side would have gone a long way toward making this gun look "right" I believe. There were also a lot f fine scratches, like someone had used a Scotch-Brite pad to try to clean it. It's a -6 so it has all the "bad" stuff. MIM parts, frame mounted firing pin, internal lock, and ugly rubber grips, none of which really bug me a bit.
I got it home, and got out the Flitz and cleaned it. One light buffing with that bought back the shine. Some of the scratches are still there, but I'm reluctant to Flitz it any more. I don't want a mirror finish, just a clean one. A couple of coats of Ren Wax, and the old girl started to look presentable in polite company. Not as nice as my Pythons, but nice. No idea how old it is, the SN isn't "in the book" but the -6 came out 2001, so that's the ballpark.
The camera makes it look worse that it does in the real world. And I take really lousy pictures with my phone.
I find the ugly, rubber grips to be quite comfortable, but still I've got a nice set of Altamont "Ropers" for a round butt K-frame I've never use, so I put them on. Naw. They just don't look right, so the ugly rubber ones went back on. I might look for something else, but I'll shoot these first. Who knows? Maybe I'll like them.
Holding it side by side with the Colt Python (2020), the Python wins hands down on looks. The finish is better, the grips are better, the Colt has that beautiful vent rib. On the down side the Colt has that grooved trigger, the S&W's is smooth. Win for S&W there. Now, I can't tell which trigger is "better," at least not in DA. S/A the edge goes to S&W, but I almost never use SA, so "big deal" to me. If you handed them to me blindfolded I don't think I could tell you which was which (at least not yet) just by the trigger. The grips of course would give it away anyway. Loaded with 125 grain 357 dummy loads, they both weigh the same. They have the same style of sights, except the Colt's rear does not have a white outline as the S&W does. The Colt's cylinder does turn the wrong way and the cylinder release is backward. (I'm still a S&W guy at heart).
I'm looking forward to going to the range this weekend where I'll shoot both. I really don't expect there to be much difference in the way they shoot.
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