The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > Hogan's Alley > Handguns: The Revolver Forum

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old April 6, 2013, 02:02 PM   #1
fsfty
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 23, 2009
Posts: 201
S&W 686 Barrel...this can't be right.

I shot my 686 today for only the second time, and while cleaning, I noticed that from looking at the end of the barrel, it isn't round. Its more of a hexagon; I saw a thread from awhile ago that its the rifling, but i don't know. Is this normal? Here is a link to a picture of a 686 with the same issue as me...

http://s688.photobucket.com/user/Hoo...00624.jpg.html
fsfty is offline  
Old April 6, 2013, 02:21 PM   #2
buck460XVR
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 28, 2006
Posts: 4,341
How did it shoot?
buck460XVR is offline  
Old April 6, 2013, 02:22 PM   #3
fsfty
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 23, 2009
Posts: 201
Shot fine...though im new to pistol shooting. Just concerned there is something amiss. I keep reading that its the rifling, but I just want to be sure.
fsfty is offline  
Old April 6, 2013, 02:49 PM   #4
nanewt02
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 25, 2013
Posts: 249
it is the rifling, have the same illusion as the ultralight. find a drill bit that will just slide into the muzzle, you will see that it is just the rifling, what concerns me is it looks like the bore isnt centered with the barrel but it may just be me
nanewt02 is offline  
Old April 6, 2013, 02:53 PM   #5
fsfty
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 23, 2009
Posts: 201
The pictured gun isn't mine. I found a picture of another one with the hexagon effect so I posted it. Thanks for the reply
fsfty is offline  
Old April 6, 2013, 03:14 PM   #6
Mike Irwin
Staff
 
Join Date: April 13, 2000
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 41,374
That is an optical illusion caused by the rifling termination.
__________________
"The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza

Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.
Mike Irwin is offline  
Old April 6, 2013, 03:15 PM   #7
nanewt02
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 25, 2013
Posts: 249
you could have the barrel crowned if its not already, that may help it it bothers you
nanewt02 is offline  
Old April 6, 2013, 04:32 PM   #8
shouldazagged
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 17, 2013
Location: Louisville, KY, USA
Posts: 273
"what concerns me is it looks like the bore isnt centered with the barrel but it may just be me"

I wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't mentioned it, but that's how it looks to my old eyes too.
__________________
"Don't let macho be your epitaph."
---Ed Lovette
shouldazagged is offline  
Old April 6, 2013, 05:15 PM   #9
IDAHOMIKE
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 25, 2007
Location: Gooding, ID
Posts: 348
I have a 629 that has a similar muzzle. I keep threatening to have it crowned, but she shoots good so I never seem to get around to it.
IDAHOMIKE is offline  
Old April 6, 2013, 05:26 PM   #10
Kreyzhorse
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 12, 2006
Location: NKY
Posts: 12,463
If it shoots fine, it is fine. No worries.
__________________
"He who laughs last, laughs dead." Homer Simpson
Kreyzhorse is offline  
Old April 6, 2013, 07:38 PM   #11
James K
Member In Memoriam
 
Join Date: March 17, 1999
Posts: 24,383
It is not like a hexagon, as that would be six sided and S&W uses a five groove rifling, so it is like a pentagon.

Jim
James K is offline  
Old April 7, 2013, 03:13 PM   #12
Japle
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 12, 2004
Location: Viera, Florida
Posts: 1,340
It's not really an optical illusion, it just looks that way.
Japle is offline  
Old April 7, 2013, 03:36 PM   #13
skidder
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 17, 2008
Location: Montana
Posts: 640
Quote:
what concerns me is it looks like the bore isn't centered with the barrel but it may just be me
Yes, the first thing I noticed was the bore was off centered. May not hurt anything, but it's definitely off center.
__________________
Gun permit?? A bread crumb tossed to a sleeping society awoken by the sound of complacency. "They are for your own good", and "you will understand when you see all the lives they save". Yes master, what else will you toss me from your bag of infringements?? Do you want me to roll over and play dead? I do that very well. --skidder
skidder is offline  
Old April 7, 2013, 07:29 PM   #14
AID_Admin
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 1, 2013
Location: Midwest, USA
Posts: 323
Guys, I don't know much about revolvers, at least not enough to dispense any advise, but I do know a thing or two about image editing. Firstly the picture is not taken directly off the center of the bore. It's easily seen if you pay attention at the cylinder. Thus it's taken from an angle that theoretically can cause an optical illusion. Secondly the picture is made smaller in a Photoshop or a similar program. And probably edited for light and contract too. During this process things often get slightly shifted. Taking all that in consideration I wouldn't really think too much about bore being off center based just on one picture.
AID_Admin is offline  
Old April 9, 2013, 12:01 AM   #15
SteelChickenShooter
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 12, 2011
Posts: 863
With fatter metal on one side and thinner on the other side, it looks off center.
SteelChickenShooter is offline  
Old April 9, 2013, 01:48 AM   #16
Theohazard
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 19, 2012
Location: Western PA
Posts: 3,829
Quote:
nanewt02 posted:
what concerns me is it looks like the bore isnt centered with the barrel but it may just be me
It's not you; the bore is slightly off center. But that's pretty common.

The human eye automatically tries to center an object in a circle, which is why peep and ghost ring sights work so well. At the same time, we notice when something is not quite centered in a circle, no matter how slightly off it may be.

Many barrels from many manufacturers have bores that look off center, and that's because they are. But they're only off slightly; the gun usually shoots just fine. For example: next time you pick up a Browning Buck Mark, look at how far off the bore is from the center of the barrel. Yet Buck Marks have a very good reputation for quality and accuracy.
__________________
0331: "Accuracy by volume."
Theohazard is offline  
Old April 9, 2013, 12:03 PM   #17
nanewt02
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 25, 2013
Posts: 249
HA! And people say I have bad eyes, the off center barrel may not affect function or durability to any noticeable degree, but due to my OCD I would still not buy it
nanewt02 is offline  
Old April 10, 2013, 07:29 PM   #18
jdscholer
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 23, 2008
Location: Jefferson State
Posts: 1,197


My 686 is a -6 and it isn't counter bored like that one. The inner chamfer looks kinda crappy, but if it shoots---

Let it get good and filthy with lead and carbon and ya won't notice it so much. jd
__________________
"We're all dummies, just in different ways." Old Okie Philosopher
jdscholer is offline  
Old April 10, 2013, 08:19 PM   #19
nanewt02
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 25, 2013
Posts: 249
I'd go for a recessed crown and make her look all purdy
nanewt02 is offline  
Old April 20, 2013, 10:57 PM   #20
Nick_C_S
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 21, 2013
Location: Idaho
Posts: 5,511
I own three 686's. Yours is fine.
__________________
Gun control laws benefit only criminals and politicians - but then, I repeat myself.
Life Member, National Rifle Association
Nick_C_S is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:28 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.07744 seconds with 10 queries