Smith & Wesson 686 International 357 Mag

This Smith Wesson International Mag revolver, catalogued as the 686 International in 357 Magnum, arrives pre owned in perfect condition with a soft case and a Hogue Big Butt grip already fitted. It is a six inch barreled L-Frame with adjustable sights, a six shot un-fluted cylinder and a bead blasted stainless finish. In other words, a serious wheelgun ready to shoot today.

Pre owned does not mean tired. This one has been cared for, and the package it comes with adds real value on day one.

What the Smith Wesson International Mag Revolver Offers

The L-Frame exists because Smith and Wesson needed a frame that could digest a steady diet of full power 357 Magnum without the wear that lighter frames suffer. L-Frame revolvers are built to suit the demands of the most serious firearms enthusiast, with a strong, durable frame and barrel built for continuous Magnum usage. As police officers and hunters will attest, this family of revolvers is made to withstand heavy use.

That makes this gun a natural for the range, for the woods, for handgun hunting inside sensible distances, and for anyone who simply prefers a revolver. The six inch barrel gives you the velocity and the sight radius that shorter guns give up.

Features of This Particular Revolver

What you see here is a well specified example rather than a base model.

• Six inch barrel for a long sight radius and full velocity from 357 Magnum loads.
• Adjustable sights, so you can zero precisely for the load you actually shoot.
• Six shot capacity in an un-fluted cylinder, which adds mass exactly where a Magnum revolver wants it.
• Bead blasted stainless finish that cuts glare and resists corrosion.
• Hogue Big Butt grip fitted, filling the hand and softening the recoil impulse.
• Soft case included, so it travels protected from the first day.

Reading the Specifications

Chambered in 357 Magnum, this Smith Wesson International Mag will also safely fire 38 Special ammunition, which is the quiet secret behind the cartridge’s enduring popularity. You can practice all afternoon with mild 38 loads and then step up to full house Magnum rounds without changing guns.

The un-fluted cylinder is more than a styling choice. Removing the flutes leaves more steel around each chamber, which adds weight to the front half of the gun and helps settle the muzzle between shots. Combined with a six inch barrel and the oversized Hogue grip, the result is a revolver that shoots Magnum loads far more comfortably than its chambering suggests.

Shooting, Care and Ownership

Double action revolvers reward practice more than almost any other handgun. Dry practice the trigger stroke until it is smooth and continuous, then work on staging the trigger for precise shots. A good grip like the one already fitted here makes that far easier to learn.

Maintenance is simple but specific. Clean the bore and the chamber faces, keep the crane and ejector rod free of unburned powder, and check that the ejector rod stays tight, because a loosening rod is the classic revolver stoppage. Wipe the stainless down after handling and store the gun outside the soft case for long term storage so moisture cannot linger against the finish.

If you are building out the rest of the kit, browse our firearms collection for companion pieces, and remember that a good gun belt and speed loaders transform how a revolver like this handles at the range.

A well kept Smith Wesson International Mag in 357 is the kind of handgun people hand down rather than trade off. This one is priced as a pre owned gun and shoots like a new one. Like every firearm, it ships to your local licensed dealer for transfer after your background check.