Half Lug L Frames

1972RedNeck · January 29, 2025, 09:50 PM

Anyone know how many 686 Mountain Guns are going to be made? I have a thing for half lug L frames and this will be the lightest one yet in my collection (619, 620, and 686 5" half lug). If it's going to be a limited run, I might consider ordering two...

Metric · February 1, 2025, 03:05 PM

Not a limited run. It goes until it becomes unprofitable.

Sarge · February 1, 2025, 10:57 PM

The addition of full lugs, to a lot of once handy revolvers, is an abomination rooted in some marketing scheme to hawk dollar store pythons.

rodfac · February 2, 2025, 06:02 PM

Quote:

The addition of full lugs, to a lot of once handy revolvers, is an abomination

Yep, they make range use more comfortable mitigating heavy recoil, but for those of us who are carrying afield, they add weight where it is not needed...YMMv and that's OK too. Rod

**4V50 Gary** · April 2, 2025, 10:54 AM

Concur with rodfac. Recoil control via additional mass. If one shoots a steady diet of magnum or +p or is a target shooter (like PPC), the additional weight is appreciated. Faster follow-up shots is the obvious benefit for competitors.

Jim Watson · April 2, 2025, 11:08 AM

It is a Plus 7-shooter.
USPSA Revolver needs 8, IDPA SSR only gets 6.

I don't know what led me to buy a Plus, but I eventually paid S&W to put a six shot cylinder in it so I could get some use out of it.

Blue Duck · April 2, 2025, 10:22 PM

Well crap! I don't like 7 shooters very much, I wish it was the standard 6 shooter. I just always thought the action was a lot better on the 6 shooters.

Blue1 · April 17, 2025, 11:20 PM

Theoretically, 7-shot revolvers (given the same cylinder diameter) should have a slight advantage due to having to rotate the cylinder 12 degrees less, requiring less work for the trigger to do.

bamaranger · April 18, 2025, 01:21 AM

When I arrived at my last duty post with the NPS, I was pleased to learn they had acquired brand spanking new 686's. When the agency went from the +P+ Treasury Load to honest to gosh .357/125-110, it was appreciated even more, but.......

The full lug L-frames were heavy. My issue L-frame revolver was a couple of ounces heavier than my N-frame .44 Mtn Gun and seemed a wee bit heavier than a M28 as well. A real switch from K-frames. An all up duty belt with the radios of the day, OC , '2x cuffs, steel collapsible baton, and 18 additional rounds weighed a ton.

I was not a subchaser. I cruised into troubled waters and repelled boarders.

The Happy kaboomer · April 21, 2025, 10:08 PM

May the engineer that designed full lug barrels rot in hell.............The FIRST FL from S&W was the L frame.

Blue Duck · April 28, 2025, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blue1

Theoretically, 7-shot revolvers (given the same cylinder diameter) should have a slight advantage due to having to rotate the cylinder 12 degrees less, requiring less work for the trigger to do.

In theory maybe, but the 7 shooters are not as smooth to me, at least in stock form.

Pumpkin · April 29, 2025, 09:03 AM

The 696 with a tapered (624 style) bbl would have been a sweet little gun.

TheFlash · May 10, 2025, 11:06 AM

I have both an early 686 with the 6-shot cylinder (first revolver I ever bought) and also a 686 Plus (7-shot). Both with 4" bbl.
Took the 686 Plus to the range last weekend and it was easy in both SA and DA to chew out the bullseye at 15yds.
Very accurate and easy to 'stage' the trigger in DA mode.

January 29, 2025, 09:50 PM	#1
1972RedNeck Senior Member Join Date: December 8, 2015 Posts: 367	Half Lug L Frames Anyone know how many 686 Mountain Guns are going to be made? I have a thing for half lug L frames and this will be the lightest one yet in my collection (619, 620, and 686 5" half lug). If it's going to be a limited run, I might consider ordering two...

February 1, 2025, 10:57 PM	#3
Sarge Senior Member Join Date: May 12, 2002 Location: MO Posts: 5,494	The addition of full lugs, to a lot of once handy revolvers, is an abomination rooted in some marketing scheme to hawk dollar store pythons. __________________ People were smarter before the Internet, or imbeciles were harder to notice.

April 2, 2025, 10:54 AM	#5
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 22,273	Concur with rodfac. Recoil control via additional mass. If one shoots a steady diet of magnum or +p or is a target shooter (like PPC), the additional weight is appreciated. Faster follow-up shots is the obvious benefit for competitors. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

April 18, 2025, 01:21 AM	#9
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,746	L-frames When I arrived at my last duty post with the NPS, I was pleased to learn they had acquired brand spanking new 686's. When the agency went from the +P+ Treasury Load to honest to gosh .357/125-110, it was appreciated even more, but....... The full lug L-frames were heavy. My issue L-frame revolver was a couple of ounces heavier than my N-frame .44 Mtn Gun and seemed a wee bit heavier than a M28 as well. A real switch from K-frames. An all up duty belt with the radios of the day, OC , '2x cuffs, steel collapsible baton, and 18 additional rounds weighed a ton. I was not a subchaser. I cruised into troubled waters and repelled boarders.

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February 1, 2025, 03:05 PM	#2
Metric Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 2016 Posts: 388	Not a limited run. It goes until it becomes unprofitable.

April 2, 2025, 11:08 AM	#6
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 19,134	It is a Plus 7-shooter. USPSA Revolver needs 8, IDPA SSR only gets 6. I don't know what led me to buy a Plus, but I eventually paid S&W to put a six shot cylinder in it so I could get some use out of it.

April 2, 2025, 10:22 PM	#7
Blue Duck Senior Member Join Date: October 15, 2006 Posts: 411	Well crap! I don't like 7 shooters very much, I wish it was the standard 6 shooter. I just always thought the action was a lot better on the 6 shooters.

April 17, 2025, 11:20 PM	#8
Blue1 Member Join Date: November 30, 2012 Posts: 67	Theoretically, 7-shot revolvers (given the same cylinder diameter) should have a slight advantage due to having to rotate the cylinder 12 degrees less, requiring less work for the trigger to do.

April 21, 2025, 10:08 PM	#10
The Happy kaboomer Senior Member Join Date: October 14, 2009 Posts: 289	May the engineer that designed full lug barrels rot in hell.............The FIRST FL from S&W was the L frame.

April 29, 2025, 09:03 AM	#12
Pumpkin Senior Member Join Date: October 18, 2020 Location: Seguin Texas Posts: 939	The 696 with a tapered (624 style) bbl would have been a sweet little gun.

May 10, 2025, 11:06 AM	#13
TheFlash Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2012 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 105	I have both an early 686 with the 6-shot cylinder (first revolver I ever bought) and also a 686 Plus (7-shot). Both with 4" bbl. Took the 686 Plus to the range last weekend and it was easy in both SA and DA to chew out the bullseye at 15yds. Very accurate and easy to 'stage' the trigger in DA mode.