[kmingea]

After firing my new revolver for the first time, a Smith & Wesson 686 Plus - brand new, I’ve now noticed new cracks. are these normal?

from the trigger over to the cylinder and down the cylinder to the cylinder release screw.

I have not dropped it I do not believe over abused it.

 

[blazermark]

sideplate - its removable

 

[kmingea]

I’m guessing that means “yes it’s normal’?

 

[blazermark]

yep.. My First Journey on the Inside....

 

[mrerick]

Yes. It is normal. This is the side plate. It's fit so close that it looks like a crack in the metal. It's not. It's normal.

Enjoy your L Frame S&W. It's one of the finest handguns ever made.

 

[kmingea]

Thanks guys. I was in the military so I have some experience but this is my first revolver thanks. Just needed to make sure. Excellent firing, great gun. Just cleaned it for the first time so first time I noticed. 😁. Hit the bullseye at 15 yards, after about 5 minutes practice. Love this revolver.

 

[Wiregrassguy]

Welcome to The Forum from the Wiregrass! Don't fret a lot of folks with these revolvers have the same issue when they get a Smith & Wesson. The side plates on these guns are swaged to the frame. That makes for a very tight fit and the seam is almost unnoticeable. In fact one of the ways to tell that these guns have been refinished is the buffing that makes the seam more prominent.

Guy

 

[MWAG]

The question comes up occasionally. Hairline cracks above trigger guard

 

[KevinMichael]

Many years ago, I thought the same thing with a model 19-5 nickel.

 

[Thewelshm]

Greetings mate...


thewelshm

 

[WendyZXZ]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Charlie686]

Welcome. Great choice for a 1st revolver...Can you tell I am a big fan of the 686!

 

[jb59]

gunblue490 on YouTube will show all about the S&W revolver

 

[OMCHamlin]

Welcome to the forum. As the lone, dissenting vote, I recommend JB Weld...

 

[kmingea]

I was impressed with the accuracy of the 6” barrel. I thought I might need the 7” barrel but my local gun shop had a 6” in stock so I didn’t have to wait and order one. I had only fired the 3” barrel before and I thought the accuracy was terrible (maybe mostly me), but, that 6” barrel was right on at 15 yrds, so I’m very impressed and very happy with my purchase.

😊

 

[hemiram]

I had a friend buy an S&W 19 or 66, can't remember for sure, off of Gunbroker and he picked it up and started cleaning it when he saw the "crack". He was almost hysterical, as he's pretty cheap and the gun was, like $500. Of course, it was the sideplate. How he could have carried an S&W 686 for a couple of years as his duty pistol and never seen the sideplate seam is beyond me.

 

[Curt360]

Welcome to the forum! Congrats on the new 686, I have a 6" 686 no dash and love shooting it. Enjoy it and post some pics when you get the time, we'd like to see it.

 

[jeepnut]

Welcome to the forum from NE Georgia. Love my 686 6" barrel. If you like the performance at 15 yards, wait till you try it at 75 yards.

 

[jimg11]

Over the years of selling S&W revolvers at the local gun shop I have probably had a dozen people find a small crack on their new revolver. Most times they are shown where the side plate is and are happy with their S&W revolver but at least twice the purchaser would not believe my explanation until I removed the screws and grips and took off the finely fitted side plate. It has always been a wonder to me how beautifully those side plates fit.

 

[kmingea]

Welcome to the forum from NE Georgia. Love my 686 6" barrel. If you like the performance at 15 yards, wait till you try it at 75 yards.

75 ? 😮 OMG.