S&w 696-1 44 spl

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smee78

New member
Some days you just walk into them,

So I was out running down my "honey do" list and it brought me near a gun store that I stop into from time to time and I thought why not just for a minute, it was busy, busy, busy and there was even a local TV station there doing some filming in the back when I walked in but I made my way along the counter (staying clear of the video guy) and saw a gun sitting in the back of the case I was looking into and could not see the tag well because it was covered by another gun, I saw it was a 44 something and it was pre lock so I asked to see it. Man was I surprised to see it was a 44spl 696-1, it looked like someone carried this one often, not bead up but it has been used, already a long story, I got it on law-a-way (did not plan on getting a gun today) for $625 OTD. I know its not a bad price but how did I do? I will post pics when its out of law-a-way, if you have pics of yours I would love to see them. Also what is your favorite pet load for yours? Thanks everyone.:)
 
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Quincunx

New member
Excellent deal, Smee!!! BTW, what did you say the GPS coordinates of your house were? And the combination to that gun safe? Surely you remember that you asked me to drop in on that 696 occasionally, just to make sure it's all right.... LOL As for loads, the wife likes either Silvertips or GDHP's in her Taurus 431's. I never feel unprotected when she's around. :)
 
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smee78

New member
Thanks everyone, I reload so I wont be buying very much factory ammo but may pick up some personal defence ammo. The 696 will be in good company with a S&W 296 & Rossi 720 in the safe with it.:D
 
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mavracer

New member
696s are sweet you got a great deal. IMHO they're such a awesome gun any reasonable price is a good deal. I love good old unique for my big bores. I load 7.0 under 200gr lead RNFP or 200gr nosler JHPs and have Georgia-arms golddots for carry. I'm looking at either getting a 200gr full wadcutter or a short button 215gr SWC for a general purpose woods target load.
here's my 696
SANY0850.jpg
 
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oldhunter

New member
Purchased my 696 close to 15 years ago for $395 in 98% condition. Bought and sold several revolvers & pistols since then but the 696 remains my favorite handgun. Very accurate, comfortable to shoot and I love that big hole at the muzzle. Practice ammo is currently PMC 240 gr LFP but shoot most quality ammo on sale. Carry ammo is Hornady 180 gr JHP XTP and always shoot a couple cylinders of these at practice sessions. Although the 696 is heavier than most carry guns, I still carry this a lot once the weather changes in Western NY and coats are necessary. This will never be sold in my lifetime!

oldhunter
 
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drail

Moderator
Been carrying a 696 daily since they first hit the shelves. Do not subject it to any kind of +P heavy loads and avoid light bullet high velocity loads. The forcing cone is very thin and won't tolerate much high velocity stuff. If you trash the barrel there are no more available and S&W isn't going to make any more. A 200 to 215 gr. bullet moving at 850 to 900 fps is perfect in this gun and easy to achieve in a 3 in. bbl. Almost identical ballistically to the .45 ACP. I use the Speer 200 gr. Gold Dot over 7 to 7.5 gr. Unique. The rifling is a type of polygonal rifling and will be not stabilize some cast bullets. The 215 gr. cast SWC that is offered by a lot of casters works very well if it is sized at .430. It is a great carry gun. You is a lucky man.
 
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drail

Moderator
Just look at one. S&W started using this "modified polygonal" rifling about 1996 to 1997. At least in certain models. It's not like the rifling in a Glock barrel but it is not cut rifling in the traditional sense. It looks like it was formed around a mandrel. The walls between the grooves are angled, not perpendicular to the lands. They refer to it as "polygonal". There have been several articles published about how the rifling will not stabilize a cast slug unless it is a fairly tight fit. Mine seems to work well with cast and jacketed slugs.
 
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drail

Moderator
Any holster made for a 3 in. 686 .357 will fit a 696 perfectly. They made a lot of holsters for those guns.
 
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DFrame

New member
Mavracer that looks great, I will also be putting a set of Ahrends on mine.
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Kim Ahrends makes the best S&W stocks in the world. My favorite is the ones he made for the "Thunder Ranch" S&Ws. Everything you need and nothing you don't.
 
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mavracer

New member
Thanks, The great thing about Ahrends is while they look great, they feel even better.
I'd be hard pressed to say that they're any better than Badgers though. I have a couple sets of each and it just depends on the gun.
 
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