S&W and a new 3" 686 and 3" blue 36?

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So sad. What have they done?

I too will only buy pre-lock/pre 2piece barrel S&W's. And the prices are climbing. Within a few years the prices on the used guns are going to be higher than the already ridiculous prices on the new ones.
 
If you don't like the internal lock, here's what you do.

Take a photo of it with your digital camera. Take a photo of the side of the gun with the lock.

Import the photo into your computer, call up your photo editor and select the clone tool. Using the surrounding metal, clone it onto the lock portion. Then do a "Save." Your gun will look just as it did before, but in the photo the lock will be GONE!

Don't hesitate to use this and other workarounds as I find them.

Enjoy!
 
Brasso,they should be higher than the new ones.Which would you rather have??
Click to expand...


I agree.

With all these supposed "money saving" changes they have made, you would think the prices wouldn't be so out of control. They make cheap cuts and tell us it's to keep the prices reasonable, but then they go ahead and raise them to levels that are higher than before.

Look at the performance center guns. Do I really want to pay $400 more to have the letters "Performance Center" engraved on the barrel?

But they are the nicest revolvers made right now. Still, for my money the used market is where I'm shopping, in addition to the Ruger Distributor.
 
The US Customs service had 3" 686's. They were designated CS-1 by the Customs service and S&W. They were made with 3" and 4" barrels. They all had "CS-1", stamped on the frame above the model number. All of the 3000 or so, were finished in a bead blast finish, rendering them a gray color. They all featured a pinned, thinner than standard, black blade front sight. Do a search over on the S&W forum, for CS-1, to see pics, and get more details. This "new" 686 isn't even close to the CS-1. Do you think they will sell the 3" barrels seperately?
 
The Customs Service used a 686 3" round butt for plain clothes and 4" square butt for uniforms. and Yes the FBI did use a 3" 13 K frame.

If you can find an original 686 CS-1, it will be pricy if the owner knows what it is. It was a 6 shot 3" full lug barrel and a 1/10" front sight blade. Made for a very nice carry gun and fighting revolver.

The Cs-2 was the 4" version.
 
I did not realize they had made the 3" barrel a two piece. Well, at least I don't need to try and order one then. Thanks for the info.
 
I have a 4" CS-1 and a 3" CS-3. The new guns definitely do not compare.

That being said, if the new ones did not have the lock, I would be in line to buy one.

Like others, I choose to spend my money in the used market.

WJR
 
have joined only recently and seen only used, not new, S&Ws...

can someone please explain or point me to an explanation of this internal locking system? i am not familiar...

thanks so much.
 
Can you please provide the proof to support this statement?

"To bad the new barrel is one of those ugly 2 piece contraptions and not a nice pinned unit."
 
Perhaps one day....but for now, I'm sticking w/ the vintage guns w/o the internal lock & the unnatural key hole :scrutiny:
 
I was talking to a fella at lunch today. We were lamenting the demise of the S&W revolver, and the lack of interest in the new Safe T Hammer products. I was talking about how nice a 3" 686 would have been. He told me that I should go to an old mom & pop store by the interstate, and see the one they had. I went by there on the way home. The lady reached under the counter, and brought up a blue cardboard S&W box. There was a white sticker on the box. It said United States Customs service. My hands were sweating when I lifted the lid, and pulled out a dull gray 3" 686, with a skinny black ramp front sight. Yep, swing out the cylinder, CS-1 right on top of the model number. No, I ain't living right, and no, I didn't try to dicker with those folks. I gave them full asking price, $450. I don't reckon it matters to me, what kind of barrel those Safe T Hammer folks put on those key lock guns.
 
Thaddeus Jones,

Please post pics!!! Great pick up. Congratulations.

What grips were on it?

WJR
 
WJR thanks. This old country boy dosen't have a digital camera. I'll see if one of the ladies in the shop will put a picture up for me Monday. It has rubber pachmyer grips on it. They look and feel kind of small. I saw a picture on the S&W forum of a similar CS-1. I guess these are the original grips it came with. I think I might change them out. The trigger is a little stiff, but I think a few hundred rounds will fix that.
 
Yes, you are correct. The Pachmayrs did come standard on some of the CS-1s. Some others came with wood grips.

Please sweet talk one of those nice ladies to snap a few pics.

WJR
 
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