Clint Smith’s Last Ron Power Grand Master Deluxe S&W 686-2 .357 Revolver
SOLD FOR: $6,026.01
LSB#: LSB260703CS011
Make: Smith & Wesson, custom built by Ron Power / Power Custom, Inc.
Model: Model 686-2 / Power Custom Grand Master Deluxe PPC
Serial Number: BBC5627
Power Custom Number: PC #40800
Year of Manufacture: 1987 / Modern. The Power Custom Grand Master Deluxe conversion was completed in December 2010.
Caliber: .357 Magnum, also accepts .38 Special
Action Type: Single and Double Action, 6-Shot Revolver with Swing-Out Cylinder
Barrel Length: 6″ heavy slab-sided barrel with a full-length under-barrel weight and approximately 8″ Grand Master Deluxe sight rib.
Sights / Optics: The revolver is fitted with Ron Power’s patented Grand Master Deluxe competition sight system. The system consists of a long ventilated rib with a square Patridge-style front blade and adjustable square-notch rear sight. Both the front and rear sight assemblies provide adjustment. The rib is marked with U.S. Patent No. 4,208,821. An original Grand Master Deluxe Sight System instruction sheet is included.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are Mina custom two-piece smooth walnut stocks. The grips show scattered light handling marks. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips rate in Fine Plus condition.
Type of Finish: Polished and Satin Stainless Steel
Finish Originality: Original to the Power Custom conversion.
Finish Condition: The revolver retains approximately 97% of its custom metal finish. The polished and satin stainless surfaces show scattered light handling and operational marks. There are fine scratches and a light turn line on the cylinder. The custom barrel, sight rib, under-barrel weight, frame, and cylinder remain attractive, and the engraving and logos are crisp and well defined. Overall, the metal rates in Fine Plus condition.
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 9/10.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The double-action trigger pull is exceptionally smooth and the single-action break is crisp. Timing is excellent. The cylinder locks up solidly with very little play in each position. We did not fire this revolver. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: Included are the Power Custom Certificate of Authentication signed by Ron Power and Randall Power, Clint Smith’s signed provenance certificate, original correspondence from Ron Power to Clint Smith, Grand Master Deluxe sight-system literature, and a photograph of Ron Power holding the revolver. The Clint Smith certificate references the included Rafter holster.
Our Assessment: The Smith & Wesson Model 686 was an ideal platform for the highly specialized PPC revolvers of the late 20th century. Manufactured in 1987, this example was transformed in 2010 by legendary pistolsmith Ron Power into his top-tier Grand Master Deluxe configuration. Power had been building heavy-barreled Smith & Wesson competition revolvers since the late 1960s and, in his December 16, 2010 letter to Clint Smith, noted that he had completed more than 4,000 heavy-barrel alterations and roughly twice as many custom action jobs. At nearly 72 years old and after more than 50 years working on Smith & Wesson revolvers, Power wrote that he was honored to make Smith the last “Grandmaster Deluxe” PPC revolver. BC5627 features the classic full-house Power treatment with its 6″ slab-sided heavy barrel, substantial under-barrel weight, patented approximately 8″ Grand Master Deluxe adjustable sight system, and extensively refined action.
The provenance is what elevates this revolver beyond an already exceptional Power Custom build. Clint Smith, founder of Thunder Ranch and one of the most recognizable American firearms instructors of the modern era, personally owned and shot the revolver, while Power’s correspondence documents that it was built specifically for him. Power also recorded that Aaron Hogue supplied the grips, and the accompanying photograph of Power holding the completed revolver provides a direct visual connection to its maker. With documentation from both Ron Power and Clint Smith, BBC5627 represents a particularly compelling intersection of PPC competition, American custom pistolsmithing, and Thunder Ranch history – and a documented closing chapter in Ron Power’s Grand Master Deluxe revolver work.