Shopping for 7rnd GP100, 686 purchased lowest seen

wild cat mccane · June 1, 2018, 07:26 AM

Heads up -

Buds currently has the 686 4" 7rnd for the lowest price I've ever seen (even with the $50 rebate).

I was looking for the GP100 with the new 7rnd cylinder, but this deal could not be beat.

Only a few left...

Doc Holliday 1950 · June 1, 2018, 08:43 PM

I bought the 686 plus in a 3". The DA is over 11.4 pounds so I'm getting a trigger job on it to bring i down to 8.5 pounds. If I'm going to stay with a Smith, then
the DA ought to better than the Ruger. My 3" cost $715. What did your 4" cost?

UncleEd · June 1, 2018, 09:16 PM

12-pound DA triggers on Smith revolvers has been
standard going back to the early 1900s.

The standard is as much for total reliability as is
humanly possible in a manmade machine and also
to protect Smith and its buyers from lawsuits.

Ruger has about the same standard. Actually,
I don't remember Pythons having a standard DA
action pull of less than 12 pounds.

The main difference between guns, be they Smiths
or Rugers, is how smooth triggers are in a straight
through pull in DA use. That smoothness often depends
just on what day and what assemblers did on a given
day. MIM parts have introduced a uniformity that
is better than when revolvers such as Smiths were
essentially hand-fitted one at a time.

wild cat mccane · June 2, 2018, 07:52 AM

$590

wild cat mccane · June 2, 2018, 08:11 AM

They are just different triggers. The GP100 is two stage in feel. The 686 is just straight back and boom.

UncleEd · June 2, 2018, 09:35 AM

Never found Ruger GP-100s to have two stage triggers
but people are different in their perceptions.

The GP DA trigger can be staged back for a SA-like shot but
I am also able to do the same with a Smith if I choose.

Nor do I experience a "stacking" of the GP trigger which
is certainly more prevalent in the Colt actions such as the
Python.

DPris · June 2, 2018, 01:35 PM

A few years back Smith & Wesson "drop-safed" their revolver line with re-positioned mainspring seats to provide more hammer drive energy to the firing pin, which they shortened.

They said this was to increase the safety factor in a drop.
What it actually did was mostly make for a heavier trigger.
The action can be lightened, and you can buy a longer aftermarket firing pin to maintain ignition reliability.

This is another area where current manufacture differs from older revolvers.
Good luck on getting it down to 8 pounds DA. :
Denis

Gats Italian · June 3, 2018, 01:12 AM

A 686+ would have to be free for me to take it and flip it. Just say no to the Hillary Hole or S&W will never remove that “feature.”

Blue1 · June 7, 2018, 09:46 PM

I did a simple Wolff spring swap and my 686 Plus has an 8.5# DA trigger and less than 3# SA.

Fires all factory loads and my handloads.

One sweet revolver.

shurshot · June 8, 2018, 04:42 AM

My new 3" GP100 feels, to me anyhow, 2 staged... which makes slow deliberate double action shooting feel like single action shooting. Different than my S&W's, yes, but not bad, just different.

wild cat mccane · June 8, 2018, 06:32 AM

Yeah...once you get the hammer back in DA on the GP100, it's like an new trigger steps in to drop the hammer.

The 686 is like most others, just straight pull.

Dave T · June 9, 2018, 10:20 AM

The lowest price is not always the best deal, just the cheapest.

I refuse to own a newly manufactured S&W with the floating firing-pins and the Idiot Lock. The one I have now was bought used and I've tried to sell it twice. I will probably have to take a real financial beating on the (expletive deleted) thing to sell it. For now it is collecting dust in the safe.

Dave

Dave

June 1, 2018, 07:26 AM	#1
wild cat mccane Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2011 Posts: 3,623	Shopping for 7rnd GP100, 686 purchased lowest seen Heads up - Buds currently has the 686 4" 7rnd for the lowest price I've ever seen (even with the $50 rebate). I was looking for the GP100 with the new 7rnd cylinder, but this deal could not be beat. Only a few left...

June 1, 2018, 08:43 PM	#2
Doc Holliday 1950 Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2014 Location: Bout as south as it gets Posts: 1,238	I bought the 686 plus in a 3". The DA is over 11.4 pounds so I'm getting a trigger job on it to bring i down to 8.5 pounds. If I'm going to stay with a Smith, then the DA ought to better than the Ruger. My 3" cost $715. What did your 4" cost? __________________ Shoot well and be Accurate, Doc

June 3, 2018, 01:12 AM	#8
Gats Italian Senior Member Join Date: November 12, 2008 Posts: 451	A 686+ would have to be free for me to take it and flip it. Just say no to the Hillary Hole or S&W will never remove that “feature.” __________________ Leave the gun, take the cannoli.

June 9, 2018, 10:20 AM	#12
Dave T Senior Member Join Date: April 16, 2000 Location: Mesa, Arizona Posts: 1,456	The lowest price is not always the best deal, just the cheapest. I refuse to own a newly manufactured S&W with the floating firing-pins and the Idiot Lock. The one I have now was bought used and I've tried to sell it twice. I will probably have to take a real financial beating on the (expletive deleted) thing to sell it. For now it is collecting dust in the safe. Dave Dave __________________ RSVN '69-'71 PCSD Ret

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

June 1, 2018, 09:16 PM	#3
UncleEd Senior Member Join Date: April 13, 2013 Location: N. Georgia Posts: 1,150	12-pound DA triggers on Smith revolvers has been standard going back to the early 1900s. The standard is as much for total reliability as is humanly possible in a manmade machine and also to protect Smith and its buyers from lawsuits. Ruger has about the same standard. Actually, I don't remember Pythons having a standard DA action pull of less than 12 pounds. The main difference between guns, be they Smiths or Rugers, is how smooth triggers are in a straight through pull in DA use. That smoothness often depends just on what day and what assemblers did on a given day. MIM parts have introduced a uniformity that is better than when revolvers such as Smiths were essentially hand-fitted one at a time.

June 2, 2018, 07:52 AM	#4
wild cat mccane Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2011 Posts: 3,623	$590

June 2, 2018, 08:11 AM	#5
wild cat mccane Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2011 Posts: 3,623	They are just different triggers. The GP100 is two stage in feel. The 686 is just straight back and boom.

June 2, 2018, 09:35 AM	#6
UncleEd Senior Member Join Date: April 13, 2013 Location: N. Georgia Posts: 1,150	Never found Ruger GP-100s to have two stage triggers but people are different in their perceptions. The GP DA trigger can be staged back for a SA-like shot but I am also able to do the same with a Smith if I choose. Nor do I experience a "stacking" of the GP trigger which is certainly more prevalent in the Colt actions such as the Python.

June 2, 2018, 01:35 PM	#7
DPris Member Emeritus Join Date: August 19, 2004 Posts: 7,133	A few years back Smith & Wesson "drop-safed" their revolver line with re-positioned mainspring seats to provide more hammer drive energy to the firing pin, which they shortened. They said this was to increase the safety factor in a drop. What it actually did was mostly make for a heavier trigger. The action can be lightened, and you can buy a longer aftermarket firing pin to maintain ignition reliability. This is another area where current manufacture differs from older revolvers. Good luck on getting it down to 8 pounds DA. : Denis

June 7, 2018, 09:46 PM	#9
Blue1 Member Join Date: November 30, 2012 Posts: 66	I did a simple Wolff spring swap and my 686 Plus has an 8.5# DA trigger and less than 3# SA. Fires all factory loads and my handloads. One sweet revolver.

June 8, 2018, 04:42 AM	#10
shurshot Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2006 Posts: 1,819	My new 3" GP100 feels, to me anyhow, 2 staged... which makes slow deliberate double action shooting feel like single action shooting. Different than my S&W's, yes, but not bad, just different.

June 8, 2018, 06:32 AM	#11
wild cat mccane Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2011 Posts: 3,623	Yeah...once you get the hammer back in DA on the GP100, it's like an new trigger steps in to drop the hammer. The 686 is like most others, just straight pull.