It's called Midnight Black, Only 2,876 made. Here is another one. Never shot, box papers and tools.
686 S&W vs 586 S&W
- Thread starter Huntolive
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It's called Midnight Black, Only 2,876 made. Here is another one. Never shot, box papers and tools.
GooseGestapo
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The Python barrels are “choke” bored. Start off at .357”, taper to .355”. One of the subtle reasons they were the “Cadillac” of revolvers. However, the Smiths have potentially much better triggers, with judicial tuning.
From a machine rest, they typically will shoot little better than a “run of the mill” S&W barrel. However, if the S&W barrel is set back, cylinder end-shake minimized, forcing cone and crown recut, (match prepped”), there is little difference.
Brownells used to sell a Barnett barrel, cut and finish machined for installation. Only sights, lock-up bar (if used), barrel faced down to set b/c gap, and forcing cone cut to build a PPC barrel. Last one I bought circa 1996 was $65, iirc.
It’s on my current shooter on a M10-6 reciever. It’ll shoot under 2” at 50yds with HB wadcutters.
I handled Phillip’s gun on one occasion. (it’s at the NRA museum now.). It was built by Bobby Jones of Jackson, MS. Was cut from a 1.25” Shilen s/s Match blank. With rib and lock-upbar/lower rib, it weighed closer to 4lbs. Too heavy for me... I actually shoot my 6” Mod14 w/full lug bbl “Distinguished” gun better than my match gun...
From a machine rest, they typically will shoot little better than a “run of the mill” S&W barrel. However, if the S&W barrel is set back, cylinder end-shake minimized, forcing cone and crown recut, (match prepped”), there is little difference.
Brownells used to sell a Barnett barrel, cut and finish machined for installation. Only sights, lock-up bar (if used), barrel faced down to set b/c gap, and forcing cone cut to build a PPC barrel. Last one I bought circa 1996 was $65, iirc.
It’s on my current shooter on a M10-6 reciever. It’ll shoot under 2” at 50yds with HB wadcutters.
I handled Phillip’s gun on one occasion. (it’s at the NRA museum now.). It was built by Bobby Jones of Jackson, MS. Was cut from a 1.25” Shilen s/s Match blank. With rib and lock-upbar/lower rib, it weighed closer to 4lbs. Too heavy for me... I actually shoot my 6” Mod14 w/full lug bbl “Distinguished” gun better than my match gun...
The differences are:
686
"Stainless" Steel (can be brushed, bead-blasted or polished)
Round Butt
6 and 7 shot
586
Blued "Carbon" Steel (can be nickel-plated)
Square Butt
6-shot cyl
The exception is the 586 L-Comp which is nominally a 586 and has a matte-black finish, but has a round butt and 7 shot cylinder that would otherwise only be found on a 686.
686 and other round butt frames can be fitted with "conversion" grips that give a similar appearance as the classic "Target" style grips, but the backstrap curves into the grip at the bottom.
586's (other than the exception mentioned above) have square butts and cannot accept round butt style grips which are generally accepted as better for concealment. For other intents and purposes, the grip frame shape is a matter of individual preference.
6 and 7 shot cylinders are the same size. Some people mistakenly believe the 7 shot is bigger or requires a different holster etc. The only difference is the holes (and corresponding notches etc.) are more closely spaced in the 7 shot cylinder.
When S&W increased the size of the frame window from the K frame to the L frame in order to allow for a full diameter forcing cone (no flat bottom) and a large diameter ejector rod the end of which serves as the forward lock-up point for the cylinder, the diameter of the cylinder was large enough that seven 357 chambers could be included with still sufficient chamber wall thickness.
The only reason I can imagine S&W makes no other 7 shot 586's besides the L-comp is "tradition." The square butt 586 is evidently aimed at nostaglic tradition the same way as the Model 19, Model 27, Model 29, Model 48, Model 57 "Classic" etc.
The Model 66, 686+, 19 Carry Comp, 586 L Comp, 327, 627 etc. concede less to tradition and are thoroughly "modern" designs. Even if they're not that much different than revolvers from almost 40 years ago, they're not as much like the revolvers from 80 years ago as are the classics.
686
"Stainless" Steel (can be brushed, bead-blasted or polished)
Round Butt
6 and 7 shot
586
Blued "Carbon" Steel (can be nickel-plated)
Square Butt
6-shot cyl
The exception is the 586 L-Comp which is nominally a 586 and has a matte-black finish, but has a round butt and 7 shot cylinder that would otherwise only be found on a 686.
686 and other round butt frames can be fitted with "conversion" grips that give a similar appearance as the classic "Target" style grips, but the backstrap curves into the grip at the bottom.
586's (other than the exception mentioned above) have square butts and cannot accept round butt style grips which are generally accepted as better for concealment. For other intents and purposes, the grip frame shape is a matter of individual preference.
6 and 7 shot cylinders are the same size. Some people mistakenly believe the 7 shot is bigger or requires a different holster etc. The only difference is the holes (and corresponding notches etc.) are more closely spaced in the 7 shot cylinder.
When S&W increased the size of the frame window from the K frame to the L frame in order to allow for a full diameter forcing cone (no flat bottom) and a large diameter ejector rod the end of which serves as the forward lock-up point for the cylinder, the diameter of the cylinder was large enough that seven 357 chambers could be included with still sufficient chamber wall thickness.
The only reason I can imagine S&W makes no other 7 shot 586's besides the L-comp is "tradition." The square butt 586 is evidently aimed at nostaglic tradition the same way as the Model 19, Model 27, Model 29, Model 48, Model 57 "Classic" etc.
The Model 66, 686+, 19 Carry Comp, 586 L Comp, 327, 627 etc. concede less to tradition and are thoroughly "modern" designs. Even if they're not that much different than revolvers from almost 40 years ago, they're not as much like the revolvers from 80 years ago as are the classics.
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JTQ
Member
Is there information missing here or are you indicating all S&W 686's are round butt? My 686 has a square butt, and I can't believe I have the only one.
Zaydok Allen
Member
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- Feb 12, 2011
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- 13,274
No. One's polished stainless, and the other is polished and blued.
There are many differences between older Smiths and newer ones, including the lock. MAny people feel the build quality of the older guns was better than the newer ones. And I have no reason to disagree with them. At the very least, quality control was better in the past.
JTQ
Member
Thanks, I was not aware of that.
Yes. All older, early 80's and prior S&W's are good revolvers. The earlier the better. With possibly one or two exceptions, the recent production guns are a disgrace compared to what came before. It's all very sad really, but at S&W cutting costs is way more important than quality.
Back in the 80's my brother bought a nickel plated 586 & he let me shoot it/try it at many of our range sessions. Liked that 586 enough to go out and by my own.
I owned that 586 for a long time & shot it enough to have to send it back to s&w to have it rebuilt twice. The bbl was finely shot out so I bought a nib 686.
That 686 flat out shoots. The older 586 has nothing on the new with lock 686. I still like the 586's and the 586 l-comp's are fantastic revolver.
I've owned 586's/686 for 3+ decades now, doesn't matter if they're the older models of new. I like them all
I owned that 586 for a long time & shot it enough to have to send it back to s&w to have it rebuilt twice. The bbl was finely shot out so I bought a nib 686.
That 686 flat out shoots. The older 586 has nothing on the new with lock 686. I still like the 586's and the 586 l-comp's are fantastic revolver.
I've owned 586's/686 for 3+ decades now, doesn't matter if they're the older models of new. I like them all
If you discount both measured single and double action pull weights, outright accuracy, and the fact that older models had hand springs and other components pinned, while new models have them tension fit, you may have a point. Some of us do own examples of both and compare them back to back. Open up a 70's era S&W and a new one and the differences are quite obvious.
The 629 & 686's below have been sold - not up to standard when compared to the model older N and K frames.
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