Choosing a 686

[ChazMan_03]

Guys-
    I am a beginning handgunner looking for my first centerfire handgun. I will be using it for target shooting and general hunting and shooting. I have gravitated towards the revolver format for accuracy reasons, and, after handling a few, have pretty much decided that a Smith and Wesson is what I will end up with. I like their finesse compared to the Ruger, although I cannot write off the Ruger's beefiness. The Smith seems to have a better trigger all around, and more consistently smooth action. Now, the only question is which one to choose. I really like the 686 series, but there are 4 models I am torn between. I like the idea of the 8-inch barrel for the increased  sight radius and velocity, as well as the reduced muzzle flip/recoil. I was told the barrel would be too long to carry much, though. I also like the 686 PP, with the port, for the same reason of reduced muzzle flip, except that I was told the port will make the muzzle blast more pronounced, and is not needed for a .357. What do you guys think? Now next we have the 686 P with a 7-shot cylinder. It has no port, but the extra round is tempting. Everyone seems to think the extra round is worth the extra $30. Last, and most definitely affordable, is the 686 6". It is only a 6-shot, but comes out to less than $500. I have not quite filled out yet, and I worry about my wrists since CTS runs in the family. Do I need the porting or the weight? Is 8" too long? Do I need 7 instead of 6? Are speedloaders that much harder to get for the 7-shot? (I was told they were, but by a retail salesman on comission) Is the recoil on a big .357 really that bad. Or the muzzle flip? Any input whatsoever to any of these questions, or anything that I've forgotten, would be most appreciated. I am new to this so I know like nothing. Thank you all
-Charles

[John Traveler]

Here you go, Charles:

I'm a S&W enthusiast as well, and after some 30 years owning and shooting dozens of revolvers and a coupple years in PPC competition, my favorites are as follows:

1.  6" barrel for all-around usefullness.  4" is a little easier to carry, but that extra 2" of barrel makes for better sight radius, accuracy, and muzzle velocity.  Forget the 2 1/2" snubbies for anything but CC.

2.  I favor the N frame .44 Magnum and .45 Colt calibers, but for the .357, the L-frame 686 gets the nod.  The favorite K frame was the M19/M66 .357.  The S&W L frame was created to compete with the Colt Python-sized gun that was reputed to be more accurate in PPC.  S&W now dominates revolver competitions.  L-frame durability is very well established.  It will last for tens of thousands of full magnum loads, unlike the M19/M66 series.  It will shoot indefinitely with .38 spl class loads.

3.  Muzzle blast and kick are moderate from the longer barrels.  Porting is NOT needed, and it complicates cleaning and side blast.  You won't see the 8" in duty holsters, but for hunting use, a shoulder holster carry is good.

4.  .38/.357 is an excellent first centerfire handgun choice.  With the experience that you get shooting it, the bigger magnums will be easy.

[chk]

Charles, I have a 6" 686 with the adjustable front sight. I chose this model for the front sight as I didn't want the red insert front sight that was standard. I have a power port .44 and I really like the feature and think it's worth while. You can have a McGivern front sight made by the S&W custom shop for a few dollars and I had one made for my .44. It has a flat faced brass bead mounted in the face of a patridge sight even with the top of the sight. It works great for hunting. With a six shot 686 you can get Safariland speed loaders for it too. I like them best for ease of use and speed of reloading.  Dave

[volshooter]

I have a 4" and a 6" 686 (.357) and love both. I can reccomend both. I have taken game with both. The 4" is easier to carry but not as sight friendly as the 6. Either is a fine choice. I cannot help but to say I cannot see any reason to port a .357. The recoil of .357's in small comparied to the 44's, .45's ect.
Rick

[Tacoma]

I've had allot of 38/37 revolvers. 4" -6" is about right. Anything much longer or shorter is getting into special purpose use and will be disapointing as an all round handgun.  I doubt you'd go too wrong with either 686 length. As for porting, some people just don't like it. I wouldn't buy a ported gun till you try one. Also, if you have anny intent of ever competing with this revolver in organized IDPA/ IPSC matches, you should check the regs first. I know 4" is max barrel length for IPDA revolver class and I believe the porting has limiting ramifications as well. ( Was 5" untill last year)
Another thought is that most competitions are based on 6 round capacity/courses.
Consequently, I'd go w a 4,5 or 6" 6 shot revolver base on my expectations for use.

FWIW, I have a plain old 686 4" and like the ballance allot. I've just ordered a 4" 625 N frame 45acp revolver as another all round shooter/competition gun. This latter gun used moon clips which load faster and are much cheaper than speed loaders.

Hard to beat a plain old S&W 6 shooter IMHO.

[Buck]

If you plan on doing hunting, I'd pick the 6" barrel over the 4" (my father-in-law's advice).  8" is too long.  As for 7 vs. 6 shot, speedloaders are harder to find for 7-shot revolvers, and how much more valuable is that extra shot?  I have a Model 66, but I prefer the 686.  My wife, however, finds the 686 too heavy to comfortably handle.

[exflatlanderNH]

Unless you plan on using the gun only for target use, do not by the 8" - you'll regret it later.

6" is plenty for hunting and target use, and if you plan on carrying it a lot - buy the 4" - personally my do-all wheelgun of choice is a 4" GP100.

Muzzle flip doesn't mean much to me in a .357, and all porting does is put the dirt on the inside of the barrel on the outside of the barrel.

[les hemby]

i own the stainless 686 6'' non ported i dont think they build a finer handgun accuracy fit finish all excellant i shoot 38 wadcutters fer squirrel and hornady 158 gr for everything else since most hunting is done without earplugs i suggest you shoot a ported gun before you spend 500 a 357 is loud anyway but with ports i would rather throw gun at deer than shoot it 357 is light recoil anyway so ports give little advantage while increasing noise to a very unbearable level just my .02

[Old Griz]

Like most folks, I don't think you need the porting on the 686. If it's just a fun gun for plinking and hunting, the 6" will be the best all around. As for speedloaders, any gun dealer can get you 7 shot speedloaders without any trouble. Midway USA has them as would almost any shooters' supply catalog.

[Hcliff]

I think the 6" is the way to go.  That was my first handgun 6" 357 but in th Ruger GP 100 instead.  The 686 is a great package.  You will not need the porting.  Buy some 38 and have fun knowing the gun.  Shoot up close like 15-20 feet so all of your shots are on the paper and you can see how you are doing.  Dry firing is also very helpful when you get a new gun to "get use to " the new trigger.  Dry firing in a safe enviroment is great practice too.  You can have fun playing a game with the new magnum.  You get a box of 38 and a box of 357 and shoot both to see the differences.  Then take some empty cases and put two or three on the cylinder and put in three of the loaded shells.  Mix them up.  Spin the clyinder and shoot if you flinch on the empty chamber. I still play this game.

Have fun

Hcliff

[Majic]

Since you mentioned that you are new to this, try restricting your hunting to small game at first. A .357mag is a marginal caliber for big game hunting. It can and has been done, but requires a more selective shot than the larger bores.

[myronman3]

well from reading your original post,  it seems obvious that you have researched your options well.    the thing to remember is that recoil is alot more hype than it is a reality.   any caliber can be loaded to be a fun shooting pussycat.   my freind and i were out shooting the other day (our 44 mags)  and with the light loads and heavy guns it was almost like shooting 22's.    although i am not a s&w guy,   i suggest you go with the 6" six shot, unported gun.

[BWT]

I have owned a 4" and the 6" and loved both guns. If I was not going to do any hunting I would opt for the 4" version, it is the best all around gun. If you plan to hunt or do serious target work, then go for the 6" model. I recommend non ported six shot and just a suggestion, if it doesn't come equipped with the Hogue monogrips with the finger groove, then seriously check out that grip for this gun. Good luck!

[ironfoot]

Law enforcement officers routinely carried 4" S&W revolvers in .357 magnum before semiautos became so popular. The 4" .357 is sort of a standard. It is a good all around choice for most things. For practice, shoot .38 special loads for low recoil. For hunting, a heavy cast bullet. For self defense, the 125 grain hollow point in .357 magnum is rated as good as any pistol round. A 6" barrel will give a little more velocity for hunting loads, and will give a longer sight picture which is good for target shooting. I haven't had an 8". I think that would be mainly for a scoped hunting gun, or for silhouette shoots. The 8" barrels are for specialty work.  If you ever want to shoot in IDPA competition, you should get the 4" 6 shot. IDPA only allows 6 rounds in the gun and maximum of 4" barrel. For hunting, I wouldn't think it would matter whether a 6 or 7 shot. For a self defense carry gun, an extra shot could be reassuring. I like to shoot in bowling pin shoots. I use a 6" 686 Plus. If one option was always best, I suppose that would be the only option offered. It depends on what you plan to use the gun for. For a first handgun, to learn with, a .22 revolver is often recommended as a good choice. Be safe. Have fun.

[RollTide]

I bought a 6" 686 way back in the day when they fist came out.  I really loved that gun.  The only thing that made me give it up was  a Dan Wesson.  I now own 2 Dan Wessons in 357.  They have interchangeable barrels so you can have anything from 2 1/2", 4", 6", 8" and 10" on the same gun.  The Dan Wesson is very similar to he 686 in feel to me, but you don't have to choose between barrel lengths or buy several different guns.  You can change from a 2 1/2" or 4" carry gun to a 8" or even 10" hunting gun in about 5 minutes.  It is very easy, even for a new handgunner.  Dan Wessons are also the most accurate out of the box double action revolvers ever.  

You can take a look at them on this site if you are interested:
http://www.danwessonfirearms.com/

You can usually find new and used guns at a good price on Auctionarms.com or Gunbroker.com.  Extra barrel assemblies are usually found on ebay as well.  

Just a thought,

Roll Tide

[gunnut69]

I to love the S&W revolvers.  The 'K' frame guns (M19-M66) are great for extended carry and are controlable, but the recoil is exaggerated by the lighter weight.  Some say the life span is reduced but it is still many thousands of rounds and even more if practice is restricted to reduced power loads or 38 Specials. Still I agree with John Traveler for the most part.  The real advantage of the 'L' frame guns is the improved life ('N' sized cylinder frame though shorter) and the 'K' frame grip frame size.  I really prefer the 'N' frame grip frame size.  They simply fit my hands better and as a plus the 'N' frame guns in 38-357 are nearly indestructable, while a bit heavier.  I have an old M27 in 6" that's a joy to shoot and a 4" M28 that I carry on my nearly daily jaunts to the woods.  For general carry I prefer a 125 grain JHP(usually Remington).  For small game I use the 170 Keith style cast bullet.  I don't condone hunting deer sized game with the 357, much prefering the 44 mag, not to say it can't be done but more that it's a game for very experienced shooters.. When carrying in an area where heavier game or bears may be present I much prefer the heavy cast Keith bullet loaded heavily and cast from tempered wheel weights.  Even from the 4' M28 penetration with this bullet is astounding.  I could really almost switch to the cast load for everything but the 125 stops anything struck so quickly I just can't.  For self defense the 357 excels with the 125 JHP.  I see the difference between the 'L' and the 'N' frame as more a difference in hand fit..either will last a very long time..  Just one cautionary note.  S&W's service department, once the best in the world, has really taken a step backward.  They no longer stand behind their products as well as in the past.  My last experience with them really soured me.  I would think long about looking at Taurus revolvers.  They are basically copies of the S&W action with coil springs where S&W still uses some leaf springs.  But the biggest difference is their customer service.  They will do whatever it takes to make the gun right, not so S&W.  As a bonus the Taurus weapons are a bit less costly.  You might check them out before buying...  if you go with S&W you may save some bucks by going with a used weapon..  M28's, 686's, etc are available in some quantity and prices are usually less than half of new.  Just remember,,  no matter what S&W says, they really have a very poor service department..  good luck!!

[ChazMan_03]

Hey everyone-
     Thanks to all who posted their thoughts on my handgun choice. I have since posting arrived at Michigan Tech where I am a range officer for the Pistol club here, as well as a member of the Competition Rifle Team and doing well in both. Unfortunately the costs of a college education proved prohibitive to my purchase of a handgun this semester, but I am hoping to do so perhaps next semester or even sooner. I will remember to read the posts carefully again before any purchase.
Thanks again to everyone,
Chaz