Okay Paul...and the cat from Kentucky....I gotta gripe.


Finally found a 686 with the 4 inch barrel. Its the 6 shot version.


This is my second S&W handgun. Bought a 5 inch 629 classic about 4 years ago.


Never handled a vintage Smith...so I cant compare them with todays offerings.


I can however compare it to my 629 that is only 4 years older.


Holy moly..what a difference. I am sure that my 629 is not a nice as the older ones....but it is finished WAY nicer than this 686.

I should have left it at the gun store.....but I wanted to shoot it!



The longer I look at it, the less I like it. Things like the front screw on the side plate being so proud that you can get your finger nail under it.


The pin under the barrel was missed twice when installing it. Two dings next to it.

The front sight is dented. The red insert is cockeyed. There is a very noticeable gap all the way around the side plate.


The metal on the frame behind the cylinder on the off side is so sharp that it feels like it could cut you.


I can see a lot of daylight between the barrel and frame. The stamping is uneven.


The polishing and buffing and melting is horrid.


No doubt I will find other things wrong with it.



Kind of disappointing.

I really should buy old ones instead.



Its gonna work for what I want, but sheesh!

Post a picture of the side plate side.. I'd love to see that.

Give S&W a call. Ask for a return shipping label and send it back to them with your list of issues.

Do the Lab Man deal ^^^^^

Agree. Call Smith and have them fix it.
It would be good if you could post some pictures.

So you got to handle the gun before you bought it? Agree, send it back.

I bought a new model 69 online. When I got it the action felt gritty and the cylinder was locking up when shooting double action. I took the sideplate off and the action was full of metal dust and shavings. Cleaned that out and the pistol is much better.

Yeah, I picked it up in the store. The buffing job was crummy, I saw that much. Noticed the other stuff when I got home.

I am pretty sure it was dropped and kicked across the floor.


I shouldn't have bought it....but what would Smith and Wesson do about it? Mine cant be the only sub par pandemic revolver they have produced.

I got the 586 when it first came out, very nice revolver, I like it.

Maybe RCBS would make it right.

Is the barrel/ sights canted?

The new Conrad from Montana

I left an Academy with a brand new Smith once and when I got home I noticed the crown was completely fugked.

Smith sent me a pre-paid shipping label and had it back to me within 10 days.

E-mail them.

UPS right ?

Make certain you demand a new one. It’s the Campfire way you know.

Yes.

Atta boy..........

Have you considered having your wife return it to Costco?

S&W has a reputation of making things right. Yeah, it should not have left the factory that way, but apparently it did. Let them make it right. They will. You do not have to live with that.

A couple of those complaints make it sound like the sideplate isn’t fully seated.

Got a dremel?

Gee, that sounds like a crap basket.

Wish you the best.

Like others have said .
Email
Detailed description of QC

Tell em their workers are fuuucking stoned.
QC inspectors are pencil whipping schit.
And their friends and family hiring program ain't working out.
Tell em to tell their workers they ain't gunsmiths like the bullschit they tell everyone outside the plant.
Just merely assembly workers who install parts at their little stage of assembly.








Maybe not include the stuff below the detailed description part....

They will get offended by the truth of the rest of it, and your revolver QC issues will probably never get resolved.


🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

Seen a m60 pro and 686 recently at a shop. Polish job was horrible. Dunno what else was wrong with em.
Like a drunk w a scotchbright pad did it.


Have seen others w crooked bbls, sights and other.

For me its prelock N or L frame

renegade, that won't be necessary. S&W will take care of it.

I've only sent one of my S&W's back to the factory (light primer strikes) and it came back with the sweetest trigger job.

They will either repair it or, given what you described, replace it. They are good folks IME.

This and other stories make me wonder if S&W is going to the Ruger quality control model - let their customers do the QC.

They (both companies) are selling handguns as fast as they can make them, to lots of first time or less experienced buyers who don't know what a really good firearm looks and feels like or perhaps just don't care.

Lots more profit to be made shipping them out the door at maximum rate and then fixing the few that come back vs. actually taking the time to be sure each one is 100% before leaving the factory.

The only thing that I’ve ever sent back to S&W was an M&P 15-22 that I bought used and launched the extractor and jammed the brass in the chamber when it fired out of battery, it turned out to be a known issue with some of the early 15-22’s. As others have said S&W has a good reputation for repairs. I was given a pre-paid shipping label and they took care of it. I don’t remember the turn around time but it was reasonable.

Are you sure some Bubba didn't get his paws on it before you bought it?

A dremel tool and a 12 pack for motivation. That’ll fix it😁

A few years ago when I transitioned from Glock to S&W for duty guns, I bought a spankin' new M&P 2.0 from one of my pet gun dealers. Go it back to my hotel and one of the first things I did was to test the night sights. The tritium lamps in the front and back were dark. Called the dealer and he said to bring it back. On the way there he and an employee checked the rest (6) in the display case. Four of of the six had dead sights. He swapped out my slide for one that had working sights on it, then called and growled at the distributor. Other than that, my experience with what few S&W products I've messed with has been great. I shoot the M&P much better than the Glock.

The sights on it now are starting to dim noticeably. I'll be replacing those with Night Fission Glowdome sights.

Mark the price up 200.00 more. Let them talk you down on price and sell it asap.

Alot of companies seem to be this way.
Throw the dice and on the way.

Leupold comes to mind also.

Replacement warranties also speak of products in many ways also.
With no repair available.
Must still be profitable for em to do a 1 for 1 exchange for the simplest things.
Back to factory with it.
Disassemble for good parts to install back on the line or recondition for resale.

have a 38 chief special like that.

It's probably just a gasket.

Definitely send it back Jim

Second S&W handgun?

At your age?

I've been known to buy two during one trip.

Isn't that great ...you have to send a new Smith back to the factory.

My Mother always said "You have to look at everything you buy"

Haha!


Sorry Jim.


This past year I bought a new model 340PD, a 586 and a 63. Shot them each once and back in the box, no issues that I noticed.

Shot the 340PD a couple times actually, it's a hoot.

Guilty.

You and Sam, Fugkin high rollin cow punchers buying brand new pistolas…. Must be nice. I’m stuck buying 80’s and 90’s model S&W’s.

I tried the 'auction' deal on a couple older SW's but it didn't work out.

One of them was a sweet 586 and I even called the guy for the buy now option but he'd already sold it.

JB weld, uncle mikes nylon clip holster, GTG

Never had an issue with a s&w handgun. Every one ive bought has been on point. Only gun i ever sent back was a savage 17 wsm, when it first came out. Piece of garbage. They said it was unfixable and sent me a brand new gun which i promptly sold without ever taking it out of the box. That one was unexpected, as all my savage rifles are fantastic guns. Everybody can throw out a lemon now and then. If theres a gun manufacturer on the planet thats never sold a fuggd up gun, id like to hear about it.

Could be worse. It could have a trigger like my new python.

I looked at a 686 7 shot for a shooter after I tried the trigger on my python. The local store had a new one that looked like it was polished with crushed gravel. Had to pass on that one.

Bb

New guns are gay.

A lot of new budget guns are more accurate than high dollar classics. If shooting sub moa is gay, pass the kawks

Didn't take the OP long to suffer buyer's remorse...

Can't go wrong with a vintage Smith.

Life’s too short to own cheap guns.

After both of the last two Smith's I purchased had to go back to the factory for similar issues, I tossed new S&W revolvers aside forever.
Kimber and Colt are currently the quality leaders in the revolver realm, in my opinion.

Clod popper.

Lifes too short to own inaccurate guns

Glad I have my old Smith's but the old 29's were fragile

Hard to beat an old Smith. If looking they can be had at or less than retail on the new stuff of which I have zero experience.

I picked up this old smith shoots great..

Have never shot this 500, have had it14-15 years. Ruger SPS 3inch for scale.



Have killed several hogs with the 4-inch 629 though.

Shot it a little bit more this morning.

The other day I shot some handloads through it. Fairly warm.


Every shot I got hit in the face with stuff.

Even the kids standing behind me got hit.


So...I tried some factory rounds this morning. Same thing.


That don't sound right eh?


I better email them. Cosmetics are one thing....getting pelted by lead and powder makes me sure the gun isn't safe.

Mr. Sam, you take some of the most beautiful pictures put up here.

Doesn't sound like the cylinder matches up with the forcing cone.

Sounds like the cylinder is out of time.

I do have a buddy who tunes and times cylinders, but SnW should fix that.

I say shoot it another 100 rounds or so.

Hahaha!

You suppose?

Send it to Blackheart, he's a Master Gunsmith.

The lead/powder spitting was one of the issues I had with one of the aforementioned revolvers that I had to send back. S&W's report said that they "recut the forcing cone".

Why not send it immediately? Sending an e-mail stating the problem is just going to end up with them wanting it back anyhow.
I’ve had two over the years sent back for issues and was treated superbly by the Smith folks. A hunting client of mine sent one back and Smith was far beyond fair with him as well.
Send it. They will make things right.

Osky

Well...I guess because the guys here said to send and email and Smith would send a shipping label.

Even quicker is to call them directly, they'll get your email address and have a prepaid label to you almost before you hang up.

Customer Support

2100 Roosevelt Avenue
Springfield, MA 01104
Tel: 1-800-331-0852, ext. 4125 • 413-781-8300
E-mail: [email protected]

Thanks Jim. I will do that.


It's the damnedest thing. Maybe I am being too critical....but the damn cylinder is hard to open and sometimes the action won't fully cock in single action. It just skips and you have to go to the next chamber.

That must be bad timing.

I’d be letting one of the kids do the shooting just in case something goes haywire. Which one you like the least? Wife maybe?

Does your ol lady know you bought this pistol?

Estelle get over here women shoot this damn pistol! Why Jimmy I don’t know anything about this thing?? Women I said shoot it! Ok Jimmy I will commences shooting soup can with all 6 shots.. then does some doc Holliday chit with says she watched tombstone

Yeah...she is trying to buy me off with it.

Have you tried shooting it, while mounted on horseback you know like a cavalry charge type scenario??

No. We did find some covered wagons though. We shot into them and then burned em up.

How long did you have to agree to go without asking for sex?!

That issue was removed from the negotiations table many years ago.

I’ve had similar problems if the ejector rod isn’t screwed in all the way.

Should’ve bought a 586 like Rezdawg.

No kidding.

Wonder if he would sell it?


He just uses em as photo props anyway....

Big Jim only has Shetland ponies….

Feet drag….

Though he could do some shooting off a motorcycle.

Kinda like in that John Wayne movie….


You got any steampunk googles?

I'm guessing we'll see a number of quality issues out of Springfield MA from employees not too happy about the move to Tennessee.

I always wanted a leather bomber helmet....but they don't make em in my size.

After the post about bullet spall and powder hitting you and the kids.

Send that ill built POS back.
ASAP.
Tell em your fired the thing.
The issues with that.
Then cleaned it and seen other
QC issues.
They either make it right or send ya one in lieu of that might have actually passed rudimentary QC for function and appearance.

Sounds like they have alot to do to that revolver to make it " right"

Google fu on the stuff you have mentioned thru out this thread has alot of hits.
So you ain't the only one to have schit going on with these guns.

Customer QC is what is going on...

Sell 100
5 send em back and say fix this fuuucked up schit.
5 other guys just take it knowing it is fuuucked up.
90 are happy or dont notice or dont care.
10 of those 90 go to a "smithy" to fix it on their own dime.


You need to be in the 1st group of 5.

Got my 686 back today.

Lots better. Only complaint is that the side plate screw is very proud.

Might try filing it down.


The work order came back as....

Cut Forcing Cone

Refinish Complete Gun

Replace Sights

Replace Cylinder.

So...I guess my gripe was legitimate.


Tried it out just now with some new Starline brass, 6 grains of Unique and a store bought 150 grain cast bullet from Missoula.


Functions just fine.

Damn.

They should have just gone and hand picked you a nice, new one and sent it to you...

I was worried that I was just being picky!

Save the paperwork. You’ve a custom now.

hahaha!


Sad but true!


And the 586 has the stupid lock which basically makes it worthless.



On a serious note glad you got 'er fixed up cuzzin'!

Hope you have eye pro and latex gloves when you go to clean it.

Damn dude, where’d you get it ?

New at a North 40 Store.

This is an example of why I only consider pinned and recessed models. Very few folks today take pride in their work. It is sad.

What's the comparison in price?

I gave 850 for this revolver.