I went to the local gun show last weekend just to look around and pick up some ammo cans. I wasn't really needing or looking for another handgun until I came across this one at a small back table. It was on consignment from a recently retired NC highway patrolman who, according to the vendor, was the original owner wanting to downsize his collection.

I know very little about the S&W 686s other than that they are good .357s, they use a "dash" system to signify model changes, and folks do not seem to like the "lawyer lock". In looking it over, the grips were in great shape, the bore was bright, the lockup was positive with little to no wiggling, the cylinder ring was light, and there was no lock hole. Opening it up, it was clean, the cylinder rotation was true, the model number was MOD.686, and the serial number was AALxxxx. I figured, what the heck, a 686 no dash, no lock, in great shape, why not. After a little back and forth with the vendor, I got OTD for $600.

Getting it home and doing a little research I found out that, according to the serial number, it was manufactured in Nov. 1982. Also, the grips were walnut, and it had not been sent in for the recall work for the firing pin and firing pin channel (No "M" marking on the frame). As soon as I get the time I need to see if it actually shoots but so far I'm feeling real good about this gun show find. Any additional input about this model and version would be appreciated.

Very nice and a steal at $600!!!

Great gun! Looks like it is in really good condition! I LOVE older 686's!

$600 would be a fair deal in my area provided it is super clean and all original. I'd say $500 would have been a steal. $600 is fair and I would probably pay it for that pistol as well. Send it in to S&W and they will perform the recall on it or just shoot it.

Nice find

It's wonderful  

these are classics and getting hard to find.

that's a good price if the gun checks out

Pretty sure S&W will still do the "M" recall mod for free ( including shipping)

Great buy!  I went to the academy with a no dash 686 back in 1985.  You are going to love shooting it.  It is the only gun I've ever regretted selling.

As I understand the 'M' change., it was to correct the possibility of softer primers on full power .357 loads backing into the firing pin hole.  There are many 686/586 unmodified
revolvers out there.

Send it in if you want piece of mind.  Mine is a -2, but I found no dash or -1, I wouldn't send it back.  I rarely shoot full power loads

Beautiful gun, amazing grips, nice find OP!

GREAT deal op

Very nice, good find OP!

Woot woot!

Great find. Nice looking gun.

Great gun except for the front sight.
You'll find out what I mean when you
Shoot it outside on a sunny day.

Provided the internals are good, that's a GREAT SCORE

Anymore that is a fair price for one - good pick up.

In Greenville?  I skipped the show as I had way too much on my plate already that weekend, but it's encouraging if the show is getting better than it has been the last couple years.

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It's a very nice L-frame revolver (essentially an N frame with the grip frame of a K-frame revolver), and will hold up well with a steady diet of .357 magnum loads.

I'm a little old school and still prefer the classic 1/2 length ejector rod housing rather than a 1/2 or full under lug, but the 586 and 686 still have very nice lines.

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The 686 stainless Distinguished Combat Magnum came out in 1980 with 4" 6" and 8 1/2" barrels. 3" and 2 1/2" barrels came later on some of the sub-variants of the 686.  

The Goncalo Alves hardwood grips were standard on most versions of the 686 until 1994, when they were replace with rubber Hogue grips.

It was sold in several variations including the Classic Hunter and Black Stainless, beginning in 1988, Target Champion and Security Special beginning in 1992, Power Port, beginning in 1994, the Plus in 1996, and the International DX Competition in 1998.

Dash Numbers:

686-1, 1986 - modified cylinder transport arm
686-2, 1987 - modifications to the firing pin point on the hammer
686-3, 1988 - adjustment to the cylinder arm
686-4, 1994 - changes to the rear sight, the ejector star and adoption of rubber Hogue grips

Very nice find, especially with those grips. I gave $650 for an excellent condition No-Dash a year ago and it had Goodyears on it. By and large, the days of $450 pre-lock are over, save for the occasional sale where the seller doesn't know any better.



On the subject of M or "No M" I would recommend shooting it with a variety of hot loads and see what happens. If you run into issues, then by all means send it off. If it eats through them with no issues, then personally I would not send it in.



My No-Dash ate through some Buffalo Bore 180gr hard cast, some Blazer Brass FMJs and some Lil'Gun 158gr reloads with published data claiming 1600 FPS. All of these loads ran flawlessly in my Desert Eagle, which will not tolerate light loads. The 686 exhibited no problems, so I did not send it in. The way I look at it, there is a certain amount of risk involved in transit to and from the factory. It is not uncommon for parcels to get smashed, destroyed, or outright stolen. Then there's the factor of the quality of work that you receive at S&W. I've had to send back a 66-5 for a forcing cone issue, and the work performed was not very inspiring. If the gun absolutely needs the upgrade, then do it, but if its not having problems, I would recommend just shooting it and testing it out with as many different loads as you can.

Well done OP.

I have a slightly earlier no dash.I have closer to $750.00 into mine. They are going up and it's tough to find one in that condition for under $700 imo.

Love mine. When you pick it up you know you are on to something!

That's a beauty

This Rock-N-Roll   My Favorite handgun

Very nice.