got it down to 686 or gp100!?

another ford vs chevy argument.....

Honestly both are great weapons, both are egineered for hard use.
Despite what people say the 686 is built for all heavy .357 usage.
An extremely tough gun, and the ruger cant handle anything the
smith can't. Your always going to have guys tell you that what
they have is the best (usually its just because they have it).
Either will serve you, and your children, and their children, get it?

Pick up both, and make your decision based on what your comfortable
paying, how the feel in your hands, and which one gives you a warm
fuzzy feeling.

Me I went with the 686+, but the gp100 is a great gun.

Heres my smith.
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the ruger cant handle anything the smith can't
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General consensus says the Ruger's stronger but I've never seen anyone do a side-by-side pressure test with both revolvers to see which one blows first. Until someone does, statements like this one will remain unsubstantiated--pure opinion and nothing more.
Either will serve you, and your children, and their children
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I agree.
 
John SKA

The other side of that coin is neither can be proven to be stronger, which
if you think about it is pretty much what I was saying. General consensus
is usually very hard to quantify into actual engineering terms.


Bottom line, there is no better choice, when these two are compared,
there is only "your choice". Which in the end is made for your reasons
and makes it the right choice. :D
 
The other side of that coin is neither can be proven to be stronger
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To my knowledge neither HAS been proven stronger--that doesn't mean that neither CAN BE proven stronger just that nobody's spent the money or taken the time to do it.

Until someone does, you can do like I did and say that the general opinion is that the Ruger is stronger (I'm telling you what most people think but without stating it as a proven fact) or you can state your own opinion (I think the S&W is just as strong as the Ruger). You can't truthfully state as fact that the guns are equally strong or that one is stronger than the other unless you have some evidence to back the claim.

Also, there clearly IS a better CHOICE (which I posted 4 or 5 days ago and which you put in your first post in different words) although perhaps it may not be clear which is the better GUN. The better choice is to pick the gun he likes the best and shoots the best.

You may think I'm picking nits, but actually I'm trying to prevent just exactly what you were in your initial post. Too many people answer these threads by telling the poster what their FAVORITE gun is and then stating a bunch of unsubstantiated opinions as fact. That's understandable, but what happens is that batch of opinions will (to some extent) gain some credibility unless someone challenges them.
 
I have both a 686 and GP100 and had a 66 and all had the max amount of work done action wise including setting headspace, cyl. gap, firing pin protrusion etc. The 686 is about 0.5 pound lighter in double action. Single action is about 2.5 pounds on both set to insure a decent trigger return. The difference is the Ruger has a bit larger hammer arc and locks up quicker so trigger feel is different than the Smith. Depends which one prefers-I like the GP myself a bit better but probably am in a minority but like tuned Pythons, too (now there is a really long arc). If one wants a really short arc consider a Dan Wesson 715. As others have said try them all and see what your prefer.
 
I think it's more that S&W shooters buy a gun for the trigger, and Ruger guys go for, I don't know, blocky squarish styling?

And Ruger STILL won't sell you, lowly citizen that you are, an 11 round magazine for your 10-22. William B. Ruger, the man who declared that no honest citizen needed a magazine that holds more than 10 round, has a legacy that lives on in his company. Give them some money, go ahead.

Larry
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Its been said, if you bought a gun based on politics, you'd have a very slim to none choice. That, and I might add your first comment comes from pure ignorance and arrogance. Fan boys suck.
 
John SKA

I think we ARE splitting hairs here, and probably drawing away from the
topic of this thread. So since we've stated our opinions lets leave it alone. :)
 
Another possibility? . . .

What about the new S&W Model 620?

I own a 4" GP100 and a 4" S&W Model 620, and really enjoy both.

I've held both the 686 and the 620 side-by-side, and I like the "feel" of the 620 better. The 686 feels muzzle-heavy to me, and the 620 (half-lug barrel) feels more balanced. The 620 is a 7-shooter and has a shorter DA pull than the GP100.

I had the GP100 tuned (by Clark Custom Gun in Louisiana). The Model 620 is being tuned now. I expect that I'll like the Model 620 better when I get it back, due to the shorter DA pull.
 
Finally made a decision – S&W 686 vs. gp 100

Well Folks, I’d like to thank you all for your opinions. I finally, after much soul searching, (and driving my wife and friends crazy with endless rationalizations) decided to get the S&W 686-plus .357 with the 6-inch barrel. I’m very happy with this gun. Went to the range twice this weekend and put 200 rounds through it. On Sunday a friend came along, bringing his Ruger 357 security six with a 4 inch barrel. We swapped off guns a couple of times shooting .38s and I found the S&W to be much more enjoyable than the Ruger. The 6-inch barrel also made a significant difference in my ability to control and group my shots. There also appeared to be considerably less kick with the S&W than the Ruger. Got to admit though I do kinda feel like I’m betraying a friend by getting the Smith since up to now most of my other guns are Rugers. But I’m sure I’ll get over that. Once again thanks, I enjoyed and appreciated the discussions. Now given how much I like shooting this thing, I think it might be time to get into some competition shooting and learn to reload. :D
 
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The Security Six is similar in appearance to the GP-100, but it is quite a bit lighter, IIRC--even comparing similar bbl lengths. It's not surprising that a 4" Security Six recoils more than a 6" 686, but that isn't a good measure of how a 6" GP100 would feel.
probably drawing away from the topic of this thread
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Comparing the 686 to the GP100 is drawing away from the topic of this thread? I don't get it... :confused:
 
The Security Six is similar in appearance to the GP-100, but it is quite a bit lighter, IIRC--even comparing similar bbl lengths. It's not surprising that a 4" Security Six recoils more than a 6" 686, but that isn't a good measure of how a 6" GP100 would feel.
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I had the opportunity to buy a Security Six in SS for 150, the gun was in great shape. Shot 6 rounds through it to try and thought, "Screw this". Recoil was annoying with the full power .357 mag, and the flip was comparable to that of my SBH, and I can get accurate shots off faster with the SBH for sure. Now I know why the guy only wanted $150 for it ;)
 
drvector - Now that you have the gun, the next step is to start reloading.
It is my opinion that the best pistol loading press is Dillon's Square Deal - they give a lifetime no BS warranty and the gear is good and reliable. I have 2 of them and have loaded countless thousands of rounds through them.
I suggest you get the Winchester loading guide to get an idea of what you can load. For starters, buy or somehow obtain once-fired .38 brass then buy some WST powder and some 138gr BNWC (Button Nosed WadCutters) projectiles, preferably 'coated'-then some Federal 'Small Pistol' primers.
Also use a taper-crimp die rather than a 'roll-crimp.' For target loads up to 50yds 4gr WST works a treat. You will also need a reloading scale. Both of mine are RCBS and they work well - some others are just as good. I have no preference.
As for competition shooting - definitely do it. You will learn a lot by talking to the other shooters and it will be helpful for all the other shooting you might do. I recommend the FBI Combat Match or similar.
 
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