Smith 686 barrel bulge

TTB4570

TTB4570

Member
Rating - 100%
11   0   0
Location
Southern BC, Canada
Hey folks,
Feel like a turbo idiot so I thought I’d ask the intelligent people on here.

Today while cleaning my 686-3 I noticed the patch jumped a bit right at the muzzle and was surprised to see, when held at the right angle or while running my finger over it that there was indeed a bulge on the last inch of the barrel. Now the perplexing thing is I haven’t had a squib in at least a dozen range sessions, and it’s be shooting fine up until now.

I don’t see any cracks but a ring it’s definitely visible when the barrels bright and shiny. Should I cease shooting this? Are barrel swaps even possible in this legal environment?

Thanks!
 
changes are it's fine if it still shoots straight, I did have a nice spare 6 in 686 barrel, but sold it couple years ago.
Finding a spare is not easy, when we had a good werrenty depot it was not too bad, now its a pita.
Legal wise, no problem if you can find a barrel.
You could have one imported , cost would be high
If its at the end on a 6 in , you could chop it back to get past the bulge, as long as you stay over 4 1/2 in I prefer 4-5 in myself.
Sight replacement is the tricky part. need to find/ make a sight. or a red dot. there is a company that makes a plate or these, wish I had one, I do have a weaver mount for scope, but its big.
 
There shouldn't be an issue with shooting it, the barrel bulge will likely reduce pressure rather than increase it. Get a gunsmith to check it if your concerned. I have seen a couple old model 10 revolvers with barrel bulges that shot pretty good.
If it is a 6 inch barrel I would save up and cut it to 5 as that is my favorite revolver barrel length.
 
marshall said:
changes are it's fine if it still shoots straight, I did have a nice spare 6 in 686 barrel, but sold it couple years ago.
Finding a spare is not easy, when we had a good werrenty depot it was not too bad, now its a pita.
Legal wise, no problem if you can find a barrel.
You could have one imported , cost would be high
If its at the end on a 6 in , you could chop it back to get past the bulge, as long as you stay over 4 1/2 in I prefer 4-5 in myself.
Sight replacement is the tricky part. need to find/ make a sight. or a red dot. there is a company that makes a plate or these, wish I had one, I do have a weaver mount for scope, but its big.
Click to expand...
Sleeper said:
There shouldn't be an issue with shooting it, the barrel bulge will likely reduce pressure rather than increase it. Get a gunsmith to check it if your concerned. I have seen a couple old model 10 revolvers with barrel bulges that shot pretty good.
If it is a 6 inch barrel I would save up and cut it to 5 as that is my favorite revolver barrel length.
Click to expand...

Appreciate it guys,
I think I'll take a caliper measurement for now, and shoot it as is. sometime in the future I'll probably get it cut back to 5 at some point or another. Does it matter what kind of ammo I shoot? I shoot pretty much just a medium power .357 mag load (158 @ 1100).

Or god willing I'll go get another 686 once the current legislation gets reversed and have a pair of them!
 
You probably got a bullet stuck near the end of the barrel and the next bullet fired pushed it out along with itself. The type of ammo doesn't matter but "I haven’t had a squib in at least a dozen range sessions" definitely isn't a good standard. Are you reloading? If so, what's the load exactly?
 
On my MC-312 noticed a bulge after shooting 25 slugs - next time ai went to Canelas looked at one on the rack and it was the same as the one I have. I wouldn't worry too much about it.
 
IvoB said:
On my MC-312 noticed a bulge after shooting 25 slugs - next time ai went to Canelas looked at one on the rack and it was the same as the one I have. I wouldn't worry too much about it.
Click to expand...

That's a little different than actually finding a bulge. You thought you had something you didn't, he has something he knows he didn't have.
 
If your shooting outside in the cold I have read some time in the past that there are powders that Have significantly reduced performance in the cold.
If my memory serves (don't bank on it)
H110/Winchester 296 is one of them.
 
I'd probably be more concerned if the bulge was closer to the breech, but close to the muzzle you're probably fine to keep shooting it. Probably would never have noticed based on performance.
 
TTB4570 said:
Appreciate it guys,
I think I'll take a caliper measurement for now, and shoot it as is. sometime in the future I'll probably get it cut back to 5 at some point or another. Does it matter what kind of ammo I shoot? I shoot pretty much just a medium power .357 mag load (158 @ 1100).

Or god willing I'll go get another 686 once the current legislation gets reversed and have a pair of them!
Click to expand...

That's a great idea :)
 
Don't make assumptions or rely on information you find on the internet. No one here knows the actual condition of your 686 based on your discription and your apparent level of knowledge. There's a possibility that the damage is far greater than what you're aware of.

Get a competent gunsmith to check it out before firing it again. The consequences of a blow-up in your revolver is far greater than the temporary inconvenience of not being able to shoot it.
 
Yea, I had a barrel bulge on a Ruger Bisley 357, my fault not Ruger. It was just in front of the frame, after the gunsmith checked and said just shoot it. Never made a difference. The barrel was the same size Ruger used for 44 mag in outside diameter.
 
If it still shoots okay - shoot it... It will not harm anything. If the accuracy is lacking, rather than cut the barrel have a smith use a piloted reamer and counter bore from the muzzle removing the bulged bore. Then it will shoot fine and no need to make ugly changes on the exterior of the barrel.

Bulges that end in the muzzle affect accuracy badly... bulges down the bore a ways not so much.
 
Hey man, definitely stop shooting that 686 until you get it checked out. A bulged barrel means the steel has stretched, and even if you’re not seeing cracks now, it’s structurally compromised. Keep shooting it, and you’re risking a full-blown rupture.

Sounds like you might’ve had a squib at some point without realizing it—doesn’t matter if it was a dozen range trips ago, a past obstruction could’ve weakened it. Overpressure loads can also do it, but a bulge at the muzzle usually points to an obstruction issue.

Barrel swaps are possible on a 686, but it’s not a DIY job unless you have the right tools (barrel vise, frame wrench, etc.). You’ll want a competent gunsmith to check it out and see if replacing the barrel is a good option. S&W sometimes has replacement barrels, or you can find one through parts dealers/custom shops.

Bottom line—don’t risk it. Get it inspected, and if it’s shot, look into a barrel swap or retiring it. Better safe than sorry.
 
4n2t0 said:
You probably got a bullet stuck near the end of the barrel and the next bullet fired pushed it out along with itself. The type of ammo doesn't matter but "I haven’t had a squib in at least a dozen range sessions" definitely isn't a good standard. Are you reloading? If so, what's the load exactly?
Click to expand...
I agree lol
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom