Year of the revolver

Thebear_78

Handloader
Sep 30, 2004
3,047
669
So far this is starting out to be the year of the revolver. After the focus on tactical and MSR style rifles the last few years I have been more into the revolvers. Playing with my dads old 4" k frame motivated me to order a 3" 686+ for concealed carry. I've already got a set of XS sights for it and a falcon holster. I think it will turn out pretty handy.


I've been quite happy with the ahrends grips on my 329 and m19. I'll probably get another set of them for this 686+. I'm also planning on having it cut for moon clips.

The only thing I haven't decided on yet are wether to replace the hammer with a bobbed DAO hammer. Apex tactical and power custom both make replacement hammers and power pro makes a replacement trigger as well.

Any of you guys ever do a DAO conversion to your smith & wessens?

These are my current smiths, 329 NG and m19.
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Nice! It's a good time to be a revolver guy. That Kimber K6s is a nice piece of work and the Colt Cobra (sort of) just make a reappearance. The Smith K Frame M66 is back.

Good times.

I DAO'd a M64 some twenty years ago for IDPA. It was tuned within a inch of it's life but it shot WC ammo into stupidly good groups. It was easy to look good with it.

I've been loving my 329PD as well.
 
I really like my SP101. .357 Mag.

I call it my little flame thrower. If I miss my target at close range, it'll still catch on fire.

I have a S&W 442 that sees a lot of carry time. It's a handful to shoot with the old Buffalo Bore FBI loads.


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The Colt Pythons and Anacondas gives me a woody. I miss those revolvers, sadly they don't make those anymore. I still have the Model 657 Classic Hunter .41 Magnum SS since the '90's.



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I got my 3" 686 and got the XS sights installed. I also got rid of the new safety lock and plugged the hole. I can't stand those safety/storage locks.

It has a pretty good trigger but I'll probably get it slicked up a little. I'm going to send it off to get cut for moon clip. I'm still on the fence on swapping to a DAO hammer.

I also got the galco paddle holster. It's a bit tight but I think it will work well. I am going to keep my eye open for a good tight fitting pancake holster for concealed carry.

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The gold sight filler in the model 19 turned out great. I really prefer the gold to factory red inserts. This gun originally never had the colored inserts but my dad had one installed years ago so it already had the slot.

I don't think you could fit any more into that cylinder!
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Interesting that you posted this. I just made up my mind today to pick up a new wheel gun. Dropping a check off tomorrow for a 686 plus with the 3 inch barrel. I will most likely swap the grips out to more of a boot grip design and have looked at some of the snag less style rear sights from Cylinder and Slide.

I've carried a J frame for the last 23 years and have a model 19 with a 4 inch barrel back at my Dad's place. Several Ruger revolvers but I've always liked the balence of the 3 inch barreled Smith.
 
Replaced my rear sight on my 3" 686 with a cylinder & slide extreme duty fixed sight with u notch. It's the same sight that's on my 329.

As much as I liked that shallow v rear in theory in practice it was much more diffcult for me to use. Maybe I'm just too used to conventional rear sights but I was having a hard time getting centered in the shallow v. The u notched fixed sight brackets that XS dot perfectly and is dehorned so it won't catch on my shirt when drawing.

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I ran into a little snag with the C&S fixed rear sight. It was designed for a shorter front sight. It was shooting 4" low at 10 yards.

Since shortening the front sight wasn't an option I had to figure out a way to raise the rear sight. Measuring the XS rear sight showed that I had to go up .065".

I made a shim this afternoon using a piece of 1/16" flat stock. It worked out perfectly. It brought up my POI to right where it needed to be. Dead center of the bead at 7 and 10 yards and at the tip of the bead at 25 yards. I was even able to break a few clay pigeons at 25-30 yards laying on the berm double action.

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Really nice revolvers.
I've converted, or had converted, most of my revolvers to DAO and don't regret it.


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Seriously considering going DAO on the 686, my only concern is reliability. I have heard light primer strikes can be a problem with DAO conversions.

Where did you get your converted to DAO, also how was your trigger pull effected. I imagine loosing the single action notch might make it a tad smoother.


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For years I used a M10 .38 special that I had the hammer spur removed so you couldn't thumb it making it DAO only, you don't have to mess with the internals to make it DAO. This way if you want to sell it or go back to original form you just need to have a new hammer fitted.
 
Thebear_78":2t10miz7 said:
Seriously considering going DAO on the 686, my only concern is reliability. I have heard light primer strikes can be a problem with DAO conversions.

Where did you get your converted to DAO, also how was your trigger pull effected. I imagine loosing the single action notch might make it a tad smoother.


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The first one, that I've since sold, was done by Andy Canon.

The S&W Performance Center did one for me. When I lived in Tucson a local gunsmith did two Ruger revolvers for me.

The trigger pull is indeed smoother and I've only had a light strike problem with one of them but changing the hammer return spring to the next heavier one solved that.

Vince


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truck driver":2jo5bc4u said:
For years I used a M10 .38 special that I had the hammer spur removed so you couldn't thumb it making it DAO only, you don't have to mess with the internals to make it DAO. This way if you want to sell it or go back to original form you just need to have a new hammer fitted.

I saw Bill Jordan at an NRA membership drive many years ago. He used a Model 10 Heavy Barrel with the hammer spur removed for all his trick and speed shooting. I just have to tell you that man was fast! And accurate too with those wax bullets.
At the time I was carrying a Model 10 Heavy barrel .38 special loaded with Super Vel hollowpoints as a duty pistol. But I didn't cut off my hammer spur.
 
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