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I have an opportunity to buy a H&R 686 22 mag 7 1/2" barrel ,good/bad ? Thoughts many been a S&W guy but tempted ,reliability/accuracy?

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One of the best shooting beater handguns I ever had was a H&R 949. I'd love to find a reasonably priced convertible of the same pattern.


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Originally Posted by SargeMO
One of the best shooting beater handguns I ever had was a H&R 949. I'd love to find a reasonably priced convertible of the same pattern.
That's the 686. I've owned both. The 949 was excellent-my first handgun. I didn't shoot the 686 much, but I'd give an educated guess it's decent.

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Originally Posted by RickcNY
I have an opportunity to buy a H&R 686 22 mag 7 1/2" barrel ,good/bad ? Thoughts many been a S&W guy but tempted ,reliability/accuracy?
My thought is that somebody has lost the .22 cylinder for it. The whole thing weighs on how much money it costs. The problem with H&R's now is they are almost as high as a Ruger. Personally I'd rather have an H&R as opposed to the pot metal Wrangler monstrosity Ruger is coming out with. If the Wrangler ends up having pretty good longevity, it will probably always outsell an H&R resale-wise, so there is that to consider if you're a trader or don't like the H&R. But back to earth, the last time I looked, H&R's on Gunbroker were nearly as high as a Single Six and certainly the Single Six for close to the same money, is the better play if not the better gun. The downside to H&R's as opposed to a Ruger is they are harder to fix-gunsmiths seem to hate them. I'd want to get into it for half or less of the cost of a Single Six sans cylinder, judging by recently closed auctions on Gunbroker. If you just didn't mention the other cylinder, but it is there, then bump that up a little maybe, depending on how cool you think the H&R is.

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Another thought...you can't compare the H&R to same-vintage Smiths. I guess you'd put it up against the model 17. This, even though the 686 or 949 is double-action. The Smith is just a much better and more refined weapon. Even though the Single Six is single action, I feel like it's a better comparison. Another good comparison is the Heritage Arms Roughrider or whatever whoever now makes it is calling it. IMO the Single Six is the best of the three with the H&R's in the middle and the Roughrider last-mainly because it lives up to its name.

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Originally Posted by RickcNY
I have an opportunity to buy a H&R 686 22 mag 7 1/2" barrel ,good/bad ? Thoughts many been a S&W guy but tempted ,reliability/accuracy?

Their quality was pretty good. I don't like the styling of the 686, but they had a good reputation. Some of their lines had styling I liked, but not that particular line.

The Model 732 was cool.

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Count me as a gunsmith that hated them. They’re fine until they aren’t then they’re a nightmare to find the right parts and work on. They sometimes made internal changes mid production and apparently didn’t document it or at least nobody that sells parts knows when the change happened. Then when you knock the pins out and all the little dainty flat springs and tiny stamped parts fall out you have to more or less guess how they go back in. Then get them in without bending, springing, or breaking anything and get all the pins back in and hope for the best.

The S&W is easily 5X the revolver and if that’s not in the budget then it’s time to call on the Single Six.

Maybe my view is a little jaded because nobody brings their perfect functioning gun to the gunsmith so I didn’t get to see the good ones. But I sure had a hatred for the bad ones.

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I've got a fancy one! smile

Round butt, nickle.

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It needs a new cylinder hand though. frown

Got it from my FIL. I doubt he ever shot it. Probably forced the cylinder in with the hand engaged, and broke it off before he ever fired it. He stuck it in a drawer.


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Originally Posted by RickcNY
I have an opportunity to buy a H&R 686 22 mag 7 1/2" barrel ,good/bad ? Thoughts many been a S&W guy but tempted ,reliability/accuracy?


I have a 686 with the LR cylinder. It's okay, but I use it as a beater to whack things that need to discretely die. The convertible barrels are a compromise bore that allows one to shoot both .22LR and .22WMR. I think they shoot the magnums more accurately since there's a little slop when shooting .22lr.

I don't have a WMR cylinder for it. Been looking, but they're scarce.


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I would love to find one with both cylinders. I saw an ad or article somewhere about a new Heritage that is a clone of the old Hi-Standard double-nine only with adjustable sights and an extra .22 mag cylinder to go with the .22 L.R.

I realize that the Heritage guns are alloy framed and not in the same league as a steel framed gun but I'm hearing that they work. Whether they still work 10 years from now is another question.

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