Would you drill and tap a 686 no dash

[Bill M.]

I have a 686 no dash. I am having trouble seeing the sights. I just cannot get enough contrast and sharpness between the ramp front sight and the rear sight. I do not see the edges or top of the front sight.

The newer 686's have a mounting hole in the top frame, For an older 686 like mine is there a reason not to add the additional mounting hole? I guess what I am asking is there any collectors value to leaving it original?

Lots of things go down hill after you turn 80 and pistol shooting is no exception.

 

[westernrover]

What would you do with the mounting hole? What will you mount?

 

[hso]

How much have you shot it and how much wear tells you whether you are damaging the value changing it.

Come old friend with some "character"? "Glasses" won't hurt its looks.

 

[dieselchief]

as my 68 years young body gets goofy i will do anything to keep shooting. for eyes. muscles, joint pain etc. whether its sights, scopes, red dots even if non traditional or even ludicrous. bobn

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

Have you tried black paint on the front blade?

 

[alfsauve]

While some prefer the pre-lock revolvers, I don't think there's any real high collector value, too many. If done right you can always put the iron sights back on and cover the holes.

Or you might want to fit it with an LPA fiberoptic sight that has a rail. Put on and take off the optic as desired.

OR trade to a later model. I don't like some of the earlier S&W models because the front sight is integral.

 

[ericuda]

If well done and a good mrd installed I would not hesitate to say it would be worth a bit more to me with the modifications.

 

[Dave T]

Before I put a scope or a dot sight on a revolver, which completely unbalances the gun in my opinion, I would get rid of the "ramp" front sight. That has to be the worst handgun sight design for seeing it clearly in a variety of lighting conditions. I'm having a retired gunsmith friend get rid of the RR front on a 3" 686+ I have and replacing it with something more like the Novak 1911 front sight blade. YMMV

Dave
PS: I'm 74 and can't see all that well out of the brand new glasses I just paid good money for. LOL

 

[ontarget]

About a year ago I bought a Blackhawk that someone drilled and tapped. Honestly I didn't even realize it was done until I got it home.
It looked like it was done by a pro so it hasn't sent me into convulsions or anything yet.

 

[Dain Bramage]

It's your gun, do what you want with it. If the mods will help you enjoy the gun more, go for it.

You don't owe your descendants or the 686 "community" anything for the future. And if you're the one that's going to sell it some day, the difference in price won't pay the rent anyway.

 

[Bill M.]

Red or green dot.

 

[ericuda]

Lol one of each.

In all seriousness green is not worth the price difference. I can see both better than irons without reading glasses but dot will look fuzzy. I adjust dot as needed and way happier.

 

[Walkalong]

586, and a dash 3, but the red dot sight enables me to shoot to my potential again.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

Dave
PS: I'm 74 and can't see all that well out of the brand new glasses I just paid good money for. LOL

My eyesight has been going downhill too -- I just bought one of these:

https://freelandssports.com/product/3056/

It won't help with contrast, but it can make a big difference when it comes to focus with "old-guy eyes" (presybiopia)

 

[westernrover]

Red or green dot.

I can tell you that I use a Trijicon SRO on my 686 and it works wonderfully. It looks similar to the picture Walkalong just posted. The newer S&W have a consistent sight mount for K, L, N frames and it's easy to find mount plates from the reflex sight manufacturers or 3rd parties like EGW or Allchin. I suggest buying a new S&W, the appropriate mount plate for the sight you want, and put them together yourself -- a few screws and no gunsmithing required.

 

[Pat Riot]

It’s your gun. Enjoy it as you se fit.

I have always had bad eyesight. I have worn glasses since the age of 5. I am 62. Even with glasses I do not see 20/20. Because of nostalgia, tradition, influences by the opinions of others, for whatever reason I resisted fiber optic sights. In the past couple of years they have become a great benefit to me.
Before spending a bunch of money on installing an optical sight give a fiber optic front sight a try. Maybe that might help.

 

[SwampWolf]

I guess what I am asking is there any collectors value to leaving it original?

Yes, altering any gun will usually adversely affect its value to a collector. Your "no dash" model 686 is becoming more and more desirable to not only collectors but to "regular" shooters. If it were me, I'd sell the gun and replace it with one already having a factory mounting hole. My guess is you might even realize some extra money in the transition.

 

[reddog81]

Any loss of collectors value would be minimal. Unless it’s a NIB gun the loss in value might be around $50 at most. If done right, nobody will ever notice unless they are looking for it and if they are looking for it, it’s probably because they want one setup like that.

 

[Dave T]

I'll add to my earlier comments that in 56 years of buying and shooting handguns I have never once given a thought to "collector's value". I buy them to shoot, which I do. When I find I'm no longer shooting them I sell or trade them and seldom for any profit.

Dave

 

[nofendertom]

^^^^^ Me Too ^^^^^

 

[CraigC]

There's really no reason NOT to. Regardless of any perceived value over a new model, there are three holes that are D&T'd in the S&W top strap and they're all covered by the rear sight. It might be different if they weren't.

 

[buck460XVR]

Any loss of collectors value would be minimal. Unless it’s a NIB gun the loss in value might be around $50 at most

I'll add to my earlier comments that in 56 years of buying and shooting handguns I have never once given a thought to "collector's value".

^^^I gotta agree with both of the above statements. What's $50 if the gun is back to being an accurate shooter for you again? Is $50 gonna be a major factor for your heirs when they dispose of the gun?