I will attempt to keep this short and to the point. A little over a month ago I picked up a NIB S&W 686-6 from a local gun shop. First revolver I've ever owned as well as the first S&W product ever owned. Everything was just peachy at first and I couldn't wait to put some rounds through it. Two weeks after purchasing it I finally got a chance to take it out and shoot it a bit, I put 50 rounds of PMC .357 158gr and 50 rounds of Winchester .38 120gr through it without any noticeable issues. Later on I got it out to do a thorough cleaning and found this:   Some significant damage to the frame around the forcing cone and burring on the forcing cone itself. I immediately contacted S&W customer support and within a day they got me a return label and it was on its way back to them. Within 2 weeks of returning it they had sent out a new 686 to my FFL for transfer. As soon as I picked up the replacement 686 I immediately noticed there wasn't something right about the barrel and the sight picture. The barrel on the new gun wasn't properly aligned with the frame (I apologize for the poor picture quality) on top of the apparent alignment issue I also found some minor pitting/tooling marks around one of the barrel pins These are perhaps minor details for some, however I find it kind of ridiculous that S&W quality control would allow a firearm like this to pass inspection and get sent out to replace a previously already defective firearm. I perhaps wouldn't be as upset if this kind of quality came from a less renowned name and for a firearm that was half the price of what the 686 retails for. I guess my only option now is to contact them again and wait another 2-3 weeks to receive a replacement and eat more FFL transfer fees. Has anyone else had such a poor experience with any of the new production S&W wheel guns?

I own four S&W  handguns and have had no issues. I'm on two S&W forums and q/c does seem at times to be an issue. Send it back and if you have to send the next one back send it. Make them satisfy you. They will. It may take some work. Nice choice for a pistol by the way.

Dang, let us know how it turns out. Make them eat some of that transfer fee somehow.

Barrel alignment has been an issue at S&W for ages now, if you return it, don't expect it to come back much better.

Cracked frame from 158gr factory ammo........... good thing you bought an S&W and not one of those inferior GP100'S with a cast frame. Sarcasm, for those that can't tell.

I've purchased four new guns in the past couple years. They've all been damn near perfect.

This was the worst of it and this gun was returned for repair. It was sent back promptly with not only the sideplate repaired, but the entire gun looking better than ever.


I've never seen a steel framed gun cracked like that. It is sometimes seen in high mileage alloy framed guns.

As for the replacement that's just bad luck. Some folks complain about barrels that are almost imperceptibly canted. Yours is just ridiculous. That gun should not have been accepted.

The 686 is well respected and to many represents the best and most practical revolver that can be had today. Getting a blatantly defective one is rare and getting two is just aweful.

A lot of folks complain about the tiniest imperfections that have no bearing on function or performance, but you've got about the worst of the worst there...twice.

Holy crap that's some horrible luck.  I only have one S&W revolver and one Ruger, but thank God neither have had issues like those.  Knock on wood

I had the same frame crack on this beautiful first year 642.



S&W replaced it for free, but I don't fully trust the new ones now and a Glock 43 took its place.

There is a lot of stress in that area. It is rare but that is we're they crack when the frame fails. Kind like the weak point in the ar15 bolt were the cam pin rides. When the bolt breaks in ar15 it's usually at the bolt cam pin area. I had to send back a repair on S & W revolver twice it was a different issue and I was paying for the work. S&W took care of me no charge fixed the firearm and gave me a quicker turn around. Are they giving you a new gun with a deferent s/n each time? Is that where the FFL charge is coming in to play?

Don't mak'em like they used to.  I still have a 1975 4" M66 with 35,000 rounds through it.  The guts were just replaced for the third time in May and the cylinder/crane has been stretched to accomodate frame window stretching, but it is still 100% a shooter.  Gaps still in loose end of spec and no need to set the barrel back.  Yet!  

Half the rounds were +P+ and some .357 with the rest wadcutter.  The +P+ was the most accurate so I used it most.

Smooth is the word.  Just no more SS repair parts to fit as new.

While that is true in some ways the are better.

Some lemons get out the door now was they always have.

All these screwed up guns you see on the net are pretty rare in the wild. People love to post problems but few people with good guns bother making a thing of it.

That is some bad luck.  I can relate.  I have a few guns that have given me fits too and it's irritating.  But so far not my Smith's.  I have one new and one old.

I had a new custom shop 45 snubby revolver with the same problem after about 65 rounds.
I sent it back and got a replacement. That one lasted about the same number of rounds before
the frame cracked in the same place.

My brother has had two model 617 22 revolvers crack in the same area as well as a model 317.

I think they are tightening the barrels too much - but that is just a guess.

A friend broke a Super Black Hawk in .45LC just like that.  Forcing cone cracked down all the way through the frame.

 

These were heavy factory hunting loads. Ruger gave him a new one.

Bought a 22-4 in 2010, only used factory FMJ in it, and after several hundred rounds it locked up tight, the cylinder wouldn't rotate nor would it open.  I managed to get it open and dumped the moon clip.

Silly me closed it again with an empty cylinder to diagnose the issue and I think I remember the side plate being removed to get the cylinder released.  Needless to say it went back to S&W, they fixed it, sent it back, and never did reveal what was repaired/replaced.

Certainly a frustrating experience for the money invested.  However, it has run like a champ since.  Most likely a few thousand rounds down the tube with nary a hitch.

The 2nd and 3rd Gen autos in my safe... they're a different story

Lots of junk the last few years and no manufacturer is immune, when you get a bad one to two you pretty much have to stay with it until it either works out or doesn't. My last Smith Revolver was from 1993 (great gun) but there won't be anymore of them.

You should know, like everything else, the older models are the well built ones!  The new guns are JUNK, NO matter the mfg!  For S&W mfg years, 1980 is the latest you want to go.

I disagree with this. S&W was making excellent revolvers through the mid/late '90s. Many of the models from the '90s had all the updates you want, but the quality of parts from the old world were still there until the costcutting switch to MIM around 1998. I think they still make quality revolvers, but I don't own anything later than 1997.

I would buy an MIM gun if the price was right, but I avoid lock guns on principal. The lock is ugly and it serves no purpose. They are going up in price, but prelock guns with forged parts can still be found for reasonable prices if you do the footwork. Until that changes, I will stick to them.

My guns range from 1952, 1954, 1980, 1998(2), 2009, 2013(2), and 2015(2). They all vary and they're all good,  but none have had a problem mechanically. The newest (2009 up) have been the cleanest inside and out, as far as machining and chatter marks. The triggers with some use are also quite good. The worst thing I've had to deal with is a proud side plate on the 2009, and S&W fixed it promptly. Some A hole screwed up the trigger on the 1952 but it was easy enough to fix.

I don't care what year it's from...you get a lemon every now and then.

Five of those were ordered in, which is always a gamble. I prefer to check 'em out first, but apparently I'm lucky.

This new guns are all junk stuff sentiment is mostly foolishness.

Holy smokes, that's terrible luck!

I hope S&W takes care of you, but at this point, I think I'd cut my losses and request a GP100 or Match Champion in exchange.

Oh yeah, very familiar with these issues. Not just one revolver either. Two for me, 625 & 686. Over rotated barrel and forcing cone not even deburred before being installed in the frame. It seems S&W has outsourced their quality control to the buyer. "Whatever, just send it back, we'll fix it" It's a damn shame Smith & Wesson sells revolvers on their name alone, especially to people new to wheel guns. After all what's the name synonymous with revolvers, right?

As a kid in the late 70's, early 80's I remember going to the factory twice with my dad to get some pretty obvious issues fixed (one with a big burr in the forcing cone; forgot what the other was). That's like 2 out of 8'ish.  So it's not like the old ones were flawless.  But by now, the old ones have been shot enough that any issues have been weeded out.




 

It seems as though Smith and Wesson is no longer a quality name in firearms. For what these weapons cost there really is no excuse, they are simply cutting corners and riding their previous good name.