686 factory scoped ??

[ham7777]

Hello all, just picked up a 686 with 8 3/8 barrel. It has a scope set up on the barrel. What year did they make them this way and did they come with factory rings.Any idea on what it is worth.  Thanks Tom

[Graybeard]

To the best of my knowledge the factory never did that. At some point they did begin drilling and tapping the top of the strap for scope bases but I'm not aware of any on the barrel.

I think your gun has been altered which lowers not raises the value of it.

Those long 8-3/8" barrels don't seem to have much of a following. I prefer them myself as the longer sight radius definitely helps me to see the front sight better and I shoot far better groups with them.

I once had an 8-3/8" 686 with the four position adjustable front sight like the M29 Silhouette with 10-5/8" barrel had. In fact I owned both of those guns with the adjustable front sight at the same time. I had earlier owned an M29 with 6" barrel and that four position front sight as well.

I'm kinda sorta on the lookout for an 8-3/8" M17 now and have some interest in an M14 as well tho the M17 is what I want. I've owned three if the long M17s and I think 3 of the long M14s plus a 586 and 686 with the long barrel.