chrisf8657
Member
How many rounds do you think a current production 686 (standard 6 round model) will withstand before needing to be overhauled or discarded/replaced with Full-house 357 Magnum loads (14.8g 2400 158 grain reloads)
Current production 686 life?
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Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
Really tough to say. Maybe 30K rounds. Maybe 50K.
My fairly recent production 629 has somewhere between 15K and maybe 18K and seems to be approaching a rebuild in no hurry whatsoever.
'Course, I don't put many teeth-rattling rounds through it, so you can probably wear out a gun a lot faster if you're trying to knock dishes off the neighbors' walls with your muzzle blast.
My fairly recent production 629 has somewhere between 15K and maybe 18K and seems to be approaching a rebuild in no hurry whatsoever.
'Course, I don't put many teeth-rattling rounds through it, so you can probably wear out a gun a lot faster if you're trying to knock dishes off the neighbors' walls with your muzzle blast.
scf4003
Member
I've fired 1000s of hot reloads through my 686+ from 125 to 158 grn bullets using Winchester 296 and Alliant 2400 powders. It still looks and functions as if brand new.
It is completely dependent of what kind of loads are fired in the gun. 110 - 125 gr. max loads can trash a barrel's forcing cone in less than a year. I say that because I have seen it done. So have a lot of other smiths. There are quite a few photos in Jerry Kuhnhausen's Ruger DA revolver shop manual. With moderate loads you won't wear one out in your lifetime unless it came with a defect from the factory.
ColtPythonElite
Member
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You will likely not wear it out. After a few tens of thousands of rounds you may have to have the barrel set back, though.
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
How old are you now?
Do you shoot in the back yard, or rent range time?
Do you ever clean your guns?
Do you have to drive 30 miles into the desert to shoot?
If so, Average Gas mileage of your vehicle?
How much money do you make?
What percentage of your after-tax income do you plan to spend on ammo in your shooting lifetime.
So many unanswered questions!
So little time!
Bottom line?
If you can afford to shoot often enough, and long enough, to wear out a S&W 686?
S&W's Lifetime Warranty will repair or replace it for you free.
SO, Fuggedaboutit!
Worry about something that is worth worrying about.
That right there isn't it!
rc
Do you shoot in the back yard, or rent range time?
Do you ever clean your guns?
Do you have to drive 30 miles into the desert to shoot?
If so, Average Gas mileage of your vehicle?
How much money do you make?
What percentage of your after-tax income do you plan to spend on ammo in your shooting lifetime.
So many unanswered questions!
So little time!
Bottom line?
If you can afford to shoot often enough, and long enough, to wear out a S&W 686?
S&W's Lifetime Warranty will repair or replace it for you free.
SO, Fuggedaboutit!
Worry about something that is worth worrying about.
That right there isn't it!
rc
Zekest Crowe
Member
rc has it right.
Your wrist and elbow joints will wear out before the S&W 686 does.
~zeke
Your wrist and elbow joints will wear out before the S&W 686 does.
~zeke
Lucky Derby
Member
More than most will ever shoot them.
If something does happen, the warranty will cover it.
FWIW, I own and shoot a S&W .44 Hand Ejector made in 1921, and it is in excellent shape. Now granted, I don't often shoot heavy (read Kieth) loads, but I don't go out of my way to baby it either.
If something does happen, the warranty will cover it.
FWIW, I own and shoot a S&W .44 Hand Ejector made in 1921, and it is in excellent shape. Now granted, I don't often shoot heavy (read Kieth) loads, but I don't go out of my way to baby it either.
With 158gr bullets...even if you're pushing them to a max velocity in the loading manuals....that gun will easily last 250,000 rds in my opinion ...before I'd even think about worrying about it.
I shoot close to max power reloads...all 158gr ...in all of my .357 mag S&W revolvers....model 19's, 27's, 686's, 28's....and while I shoot the model 27's probably more than half the time...I shoot them all / and I go thru about 5 cases of montana gold bullets ( 158 gr JHP ) a yr or just under 15,000 rds a year in .357 mag ... thru my guns...
I keep a rough log on each gun ...mostly to keep track of if, or when, I've had any parts replaced...stripped them down to a bare frame...etc...and my 686's are well over 20,000 rds in the last 10 yrs...( I didn't keep very good records on my guns before that )...they're both 1986 mfg guns...so I'll put both of my 686's a 4" and a 6" at 40,000 rds + ..../ I shoot more now than I used to ....more time, more disposable income, but more guns too ...
I know the newer versions have more MIM parts in them than any of my guns...but I doubt that's going to be a factor / and shooting a 158gr round is more fun in my view - and way less wear on the gun than the lighter and faster bullet options some guys seem to prefer. I'm old school ...I like the Montana Gold 158gr JHP bullet...
I shoot close to max power reloads...all 158gr ...in all of my .357 mag S&W revolvers....model 19's, 27's, 686's, 28's....and while I shoot the model 27's probably more than half the time...I shoot them all / and I go thru about 5 cases of montana gold bullets ( 158 gr JHP ) a yr or just under 15,000 rds a year in .357 mag ... thru my guns...
I keep a rough log on each gun ...mostly to keep track of if, or when, I've had any parts replaced...stripped them down to a bare frame...etc...and my 686's are well over 20,000 rds in the last 10 yrs...( I didn't keep very good records on my guns before that )...they're both 1986 mfg guns...so I'll put both of my 686's a 4" and a 6" at 40,000 rds + ..../ I shoot more now than I used to ....more time, more disposable income, but more guns too ...
I know the newer versions have more MIM parts in them than any of my guns...but I doubt that's going to be a factor / and shooting a 158gr round is more fun in my view - and way less wear on the gun than the lighter and faster bullet options some guys seem to prefer. I'm old school ...I like the Montana Gold 158gr JHP bullet...
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chrisf8657
Member
Thanks guys, I kinda thought it's tough to wear a gun out LOL.
It's VERY hard to ever wear one out, even with heavy use in practice using standard ammo.
BTW, lets say you DID wear one out after only 50,000 rounds or so. Assuming you pay $15 per box of 50 rounds: $15 x 1,000 boxes of 50 = $15,000 worth of ammo.
ALWAYS, the handgun is the CHEAP part of this sport, and if I ever wear out any of my S&W revolvers, I'll just replace it. So far, at age 61, I haven't done this even once yet, although I shot competitions for years, putting tens of thousands of rounds through some of them in practice.
Just avoid the 125gn. stuff and, if you want to see maximum life as a competition shooter who shoots hundreds of rounds per week into a revolver, do what virtually all competitors do . . . invest into reloading equipment to save tons of ammo money . . . and also "download" your hand-loaded ammo to lower velocities vs. combat/self-defense velocities. It is easier on the gun . . . and easier on the shooter too!!!
Enjoy your 686 and shoot the snot out of it. They'll almost certainly still be running long after someone inherits it from you!
BTW, lets say you DID wear one out after only 50,000 rounds or so. Assuming you pay $15 per box of 50 rounds: $15 x 1,000 boxes of 50 = $15,000 worth of ammo.
ALWAYS, the handgun is the CHEAP part of this sport, and if I ever wear out any of my S&W revolvers, I'll just replace it. So far, at age 61, I haven't done this even once yet, although I shot competitions for years, putting tens of thousands of rounds through some of them in practice.
Just avoid the 125gn. stuff and, if you want to see maximum life as a competition shooter who shoots hundreds of rounds per week into a revolver, do what virtually all competitors do . . . invest into reloading equipment to save tons of ammo money . . . and also "download" your hand-loaded ammo to lower velocities vs. combat/self-defense velocities. It is easier on the gun . . . and easier on the shooter too!!!
Enjoy your 686 and shoot the snot out of it. They'll almost certainly still be running long after someone inherits it from you!
ArchAngelCD
Member.
I own a M686-2 and I have no idea how many round are through it because I bought it used 8 years ago but it's still tight as a drum.
A friend has a M686-no dash and bought it new. He has well over 20,000 magnum rounds through it and it's still tight but does show a lot of wear. I'm guessing a M686 will last the common shooter a lifetime. A competition shooter will probably fine the time to wear one out.
A friend has a M686-no dash and bought it new. He has well over 20,000 magnum rounds through it and it's still tight but does show a lot of wear. I'm guessing a M686 will last the common shooter a lifetime. A competition shooter will probably fine the time to wear one out.
bikerbill
Member
686+ is an amazing gun ... I've been shooting mine pretty steadily for about five years (not all .357 rounds tho) and it looks and shoots like new ...
doc2rn
Member
The gasses cutting the top strap is what varies the life expectancy of your revolver. Most will outlast you, so like rc said "forget about it" and just go shoot it!
W.E.G.
Member
Flame-cutting on the top strap only goes a small distance, and then it stops.
NOBODY has ever cut a top strap in two from flame-cutting.
Its a cosmetic concern only.
NOBODY has ever cut a top strap in two from flame-cutting.
Its a cosmetic concern only.
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chrisf8657
Member
One thing I've wondered if all that pressure is on the steel, over and over, why it doesn't crack after a few hundred rounds...must be VERY tough steel.
My guess is that it's because steel has pretty good fatigue limit, meaning so long as it doesn't bend beyond a certain point (it's fatigue limit), it can cycle (i.e. bend within this limit) indefinitely. Aluminum, on the other hand, has a very low fatigue limit, so every little bend continues to weaken it, so after some number of cycles it'll fail.
CajunBass
Member
If you manage to wear one out...brag about it.
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