A Review of the S&W Model 681

[mtngunr]

This seems a good time to mention the infamous 581/681/586/686 recall, of which this 681 no-dash was a member, this gun lacking an M-stamp signifying it was factory reworked under the recall.

Since the .357 was introduced, the advice was always to check function of desired carry ammo to make sure powder load and lacking primer hardness were not going to cause cratering of primer into firing pin hole and tying up the cylinder.

In the early 1980s, despite the US Customs Service doing a 20k rd test with their 158 gr load and having no problems, a rash of reports of guns locking up with assorted agencies began popping up.

S&W issued a recall, and the "fix" was to install a new firing pin bushing in frame, and new hammer nose/pin, both of smaller diameter.

It turned out it was mainly an ammo problem, mainly with light bullet loads using faster powder, and it seems mostly to have been a problem with the always quite hot Federal 125 gr JHP, and seems also to be the problem was due to the same sealant as applied to primers was also applied to bullets, which sealant all by its lonesome took 385 lbs of force to pull a bullet from the case....add that to an already hot load, and you have some extreme pressures, where these loads were reputed to crack new M19 forcing cones in as few as 11 shots....much of this listed in an article on revolverguy, by way of credit.

My 681 as turned out originally by the factory, works perfectly with every .357 load tried to date, including with the still hot Federal 125 gr load.

Forums across the net still have posts up by folk with earlier guns lacking the mod and asking if the gun safe to shoot, and typical internet wisdom regarding the 581/586/681/686 states they had weak cylinders and/or don't shoot the gun until it sent back for the "upgrade" then always follows.

In fact, I never knew of a problem or saw a problem with S&W revolvers breaking hammer noses/pins, until they went to the smaller diameter parts in the latter 1980s....it doubtful they have the parts to work the guns today, anyhow, even the smaller diameter parts discontinued in the late 1990s I believe (1997?).

In short, if you have a 681 or 681-1 lacking an M-stamp, do not worry about it past making sure your batch of carry ammo isn't running a bit overpressure and/or equipped with softer/thinner primer cups from a bad batch, and keep in mind hot weather can change things...all VERY old advice.

 

[osu007]

The Smith & Wesson model 681 is the very weapon I took with me to CLEET way back in the summer of 1990. I qualified with it the very first time with a 78.

After a few other qualifying runs, my score climbed every time to the mid 80's and finally to my best score which was somewhere in the upper 90's.

Mine was actually shooting to the right just a little bit, so I told the coordinator, Glen McEntire about it and he said, "ok, lets go see the gunsmith. He can sight it in for you."

I said, "sight it in? But it's a fixed sight gun."

He smiled real big like the cat that just ate the canary.

We walk into the gunsmith's shop, McEntire told the smitty, "hey this guy's revolver needs sighted in." The smitty grabbed a piece of a wooden broom handle, laid the gun down on his bench and proceeded to pound on the barrel of the gun with the broom handle!

I said, "hey, HEY, HEY!!! What in the hell are you doing?!"

Hey pulled a bright and shiny Smith & Wesson glossy blued model 27 with a 3.5 inch barrel out of his holster, laid it down in front of me and said, "if I leave a single mark on this hogleg, that 27 is yours."

I told him, "pound away my good man!"

After he was finished, it shot spot on and no, there wasn't a mark on it anywhere.

I miss that ol' magnum. Hell...I miss 'em all.

I miss ol Glenn. He may have hard nosed, but he was always that way. I think he kicked me in in the derrière once or busted it at Washington Street Baptist Church I Hobart Ok when he was home on leave from helicopter duty in the tropical paradise of Vietnam Nam. His uncle, Willard Pryor was our RA teacher. Willard bought us boxing gloves for our Wednesday night meetings. I don’t know what happened to Glenn after he left USSA in Tulsa. He was cool to me. I still have a 681. I’ve cleaned and rubbed on to so much, it almost looks nickel. I need to just go ahead and polish it.

 

[Glock 'em down]

I miss ol Glenn. He may have hard nosed, but he was always that way. I think he kicked me in in the derrière once or busted it at Washington Street Baptist Church I Hobart Ok when he was home on leave from helicopter duty in the tropical paradise of Vietnam Nam. His uncle, Willard Pryor was our RA teacher. Willard bought us boxing gloves for our Wednesday night meetings. I don’t know what happened to Glenn after he left USSA in Tulsa. He was cool to me.

My boss was formerly a CLEET instructor who trained under Glenn. Seems like he told me that he passed away a few years ago.

 

[osu007]

My boss was formerly a CLEET instructor who trained under Glenn. Seems like he told me that he passed away a few years ago.

Well, no one makes it out of this world alive, except for those in the rapture. Glenn was always good to me. His uncle Willard Pryor actually raised Glenn. I believe Glenn flew helicopters in the army. Sad to hear about his passing. Anyway, thank you for the info. God Bless you and be safe out there.

 

[Snattlerake]

I LOVE these guns. They are incredibly rugged and dependable. I carried one for years. With all of the new hi-tech, hi-cap, hi-brow semi-auto's on the narket, the revolvers is now the most overlooked gun on the planet.

Just an L framed version of a model 65 which I loved. I've never shot an L frame.

 

[Snattlerake]

Yes, the model 64 and 65 are K frames, but there are two types of K frames. The fixed sight versions: models 10, 12, 13, 64 and 65 which are nicknamed the Military & Police models and the adjustable sight versions: the model 15 and 67 which are dubbed the Combat Masterpiece and the models 19 and 66 which are called the Combat Magnum.

Smith & Wesson have a gozillion different models. I know this because over the years I've just about owned them all.

The model 10 and 64 are both M&P revolvers chambered in .38 Special. The model 10 was available in blued or nickel finish while the model 64 was done entirely in stainless steel. The models 13 and 65 are also M&P revolvers chambered in .357 Magnum, available in blued and nickel (model 13) and stainless steel (model 65).

The models 13 and 65 are highly sought after because they were available in a 3 inch/round butt configuration. Quite possibly the finest carry gun ever. They were also offered in pinned and recessed versions.

The Combet Masterpiece, model 15 was also chambered in .38 Special and available in blue and nickel. It's stainless steel counterpart is the model 67.

The Combat Magnum was the model 19 and 66. The 19 was blued and nickel and the 66 was stainless.

There is also a model 17 which was a K frame in 22LR with a blued finish. They say it was made in nickel but I've never seen one.

That leaves my personal favorite, the model 12. It was an M&P revolver, chambered in .38 Special, offered in blue or nickel but it was actually S&W's very first Airweight revolver. Great little wheelie!

Then you have the L frames and N frames and J frames and I frames and...

Please note the 13, and 65 were also a bull barrel. I had both at one time. I still say Trooper Dan Combs was one of the main drivers behind the 13. He took a bull barrel 10 and bored it out to 357 MAG shell length. He showed the original to me. The 357 ammo came close to extending out the front of the cylinder. He said it was a lot easier to do that than to try to fit a 19 cylinder and having to modify the forcing cone.

 

[Glock 'em down]

Please note the 13, and 65 were also a bull barrel. I had both at one time.

So did I, but they are built on the K frame, while the 681 is an L frame.

 

[Gunbuffer]

I have a nice 6” 686 don’t think I’ve shot it more than a couple times
my k frames fit my hand like nothing else in this earth

 

[sumoj275]

Yes, the model 64 and 65 are K frames, but there are two types of K frames. The fixed sight versions: models 10, 12, 13, 64 and 65 which are nicknamed the Military & Police models and the adjustable sight versions: the model 15 and 67 which are dubbed the Combat Masterpiece and the models 19 and 66 which are called the Combat Magnum.

Smith & Wesson have a gozillion different models. I know this because over the years I've just about owned them all.

The model 10 and 64 are both M&P revolvers chambered in .38 Special. The model 10 was available in blued or nickel finish while the model 64 was done entirely in stainless steel. The models 13 and 65 are also M&P revolvers chambered in .357 Magnum, available in blued and nickel (model 13) and stainless steel (model 65).

The models 13 and 65 are highly sought after because they were available in a 3 inch/round butt configuration. Quite possibly the finest carry gun ever. They were also offered in pinned and recessed versions.

The Combet Masterpiece, model 15 was also chambered in .38 Special and available in blue and nickel. It's stainless steel counterpart is the model 67.

The Combat Magnum was the model 19 and 66. The 19 was blued and nickel and the 66 was stainless.

There is also a model 17 which was a K frame in 22LR with a blued finish. They say it was made in nickel but I've never seen one.

That leaves my personal favorite, the model 12. It was an M&P revolver, chambered in .38 Special, offered in blue or nickel but it was actually S&W's very first Airweight revolver. Great little wheelie!

Then you have the L frames and N frames and J frames and I frames and...

I love my 13 and 65 3” versions. Like you said one of the best carry revolvers ever made. Many try to copy it but not the real deal.

 

[mtngunr]

I love my 13 and 65 3” versions. Like you said one of the best carry revolvers ever made. Many try to copy it but not the real deal.

All the K-frame talk has me again thinking of my time with them, and great carry guns, and also the .357 K-frame duty guns WHEN used as Bill Jordan and S&W advised, with training with .38Spl +P and duty load of .357. HOWever, in the 1970s various agencies and departments started mandating training with .357, and the gun unsuprisingly turned out to not hold up to a steady diet of .357 (ditto the shooters with scores dropping and permanent flinch), with getting beat out of time, frames stretched, and cracked forcing cones. This led to the Ruger Security Six, S&W L-frame, and Ruger GP100 developments. As for fit to hand, the L-frame duplicates the K-frame, just more meat to rest of gun, quite appreciated when shooting full-house .357. As long as I have this 681, it will never see anything else, and would not want a lighter gun, but have always carried SAAs, Blackhawks, GP100s and 1911s, and the L-frame right in the same weight class.