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S&W 686 .357 seven shot revolver
- Thread starter johnyDD
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Guy B. Meredith
New member
I got into the handgun experience about 18 months ago. The 686 plus with 6" barrel was my first handgun and the Ruger MK512 the second. I am now a confirmed revolver enthusiast.
Let me say up front that the 686 plus is pure silk after 7000 or so rounds of .38 spl +P and .357 magnum rounds. I just got a Performance Center 627 8 shot competition revolver (oh God it is beautiful), but am so far better with the 686 plus. Admitedly I need to become as well acquainted with the new 627 as I am with the 18 months old 686 plus, but right now the weight and balance are more comfortable for me. The Hogue rubber grip helps considerably as well and I will equip my 627 with the same.
However, consider why you want 7 shots. I went for it as my wife gave me an excuse to get into handgun shooting for "self defense" and I thought I would get an all purpose round (the .38 spl/.357 magnum combo) and that the 7th round would be a cute surprise to the Bad Guys.
As it stands, I am the only one who uses the revolver regularly and do so in IPSC and PPC style competition. In both events the action actually favors either 6 or 8 shot handguns and the 7th shot is good mainly in the 6 shot neutral events to have the extra follow up.
For competition you will need speedloaders. The HKS speedloader is $8 and the competition grade Safariland lookalike is $30 (compared to the real thing for about $6 for 6 shot S&W). The HKS is a cranky item.
However, an alternative is to have the 686 plus set up to use moonclips as on the 627, 625 and others. This costs $85 for the conversion and less than $30 for a total of 13 moonclips. These devices are a nuisance to load and unload, requiring simple tools to eliminate frustration, but make quick reloading on the 686 plus a dream. My 686 plus will soon undergo this conversion.
Let me say up front that the 686 plus is pure silk after 7000 or so rounds of .38 spl +P and .357 magnum rounds. I just got a Performance Center 627 8 shot competition revolver (oh God it is beautiful), but am so far better with the 686 plus. Admitedly I need to become as well acquainted with the new 627 as I am with the 18 months old 686 plus, but right now the weight and balance are more comfortable for me. The Hogue rubber grip helps considerably as well and I will equip my 627 with the same.
However, consider why you want 7 shots. I went for it as my wife gave me an excuse to get into handgun shooting for "self defense" and I thought I would get an all purpose round (the .38 spl/.357 magnum combo) and that the 7th round would be a cute surprise to the Bad Guys.
As it stands, I am the only one who uses the revolver regularly and do so in IPSC and PPC style competition. In both events the action actually favors either 6 or 8 shot handguns and the 7th shot is good mainly in the 6 shot neutral events to have the extra follow up.
For competition you will need speedloaders. The HKS speedloader is $8 and the competition grade Safariland lookalike is $30 (compared to the real thing for about $6 for 6 shot S&W). The HKS is a cranky item.
However, an alternative is to have the 686 plus set up to use moonclips as on the 627, 625 and others. This costs $85 for the conversion and less than $30 for a total of 13 moonclips. These devices are a nuisance to load and unload, requiring simple tools to eliminate frustration, but make quick reloading on the 686 plus a dream. My 686 plus will soon undergo this conversion.
cornered rat
Moderator
686 plus is my favorite target revolver (I just got a .22 617 to go with it, too). Recently I broke the record of the local pistol league with it. I got the 6-round model first, but upgraded it to 7 almost at once. Reasons: shorter DA trigger pull (less cylinder rotation per shot) and the fact that 5/7/9 shot cylinders do not have the indexing notches over the weakest cylinder part. Probably neither is significant, but I made my choise. Extra round for fighting uses is merely a small bonus.
I cannot recommend this gun enough. One caveat...contured grips might not work for folks with tiny hands...but wooden grips are available.
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Cornered Rat
http://dd-b.net/RKBA RKBA posters
http://dd-b.net/olegv Portrait, nature photos
I cannot recommend this gun enough. One caveat...contured grips might not work for folks with tiny hands...but wooden grips are available.
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Cornered Rat
http://dd-b.net/RKBA RKBA posters
http://dd-b.net/olegv Portrait, nature photos
plateshooter
New member
I can't praise the 686+ anymore than the previous posters. If you like wheelguns, this is the cadillac IMO.
Good shootin
Good shootin
twoinchgroup52
New member
Got my 686+ a few months ago. What a gun!!
Decided to make it look as good as it functions. Sent it to S&W for laser engraving ($65) and put new beautiful round butt, finger groove grips on it. Now it looks like the prize that it is!! Good Luck!
Twoinchgroup.
Decided to make it look as good as it functions. Sent it to S&W for laser engraving ($65) and put new beautiful round butt, finger groove grips on it. Now it looks like the prize that it is!! Good Luck!
Twoinchgroup.
protoolman
Moderator
I am not a big fan of S&W with the hammer mounted firing pin. Iver Johnson did away with thet in the 40's and all revolver comanies except Rossi and Smith changed their designs to floating firing pins. No doubt Smiths are smooth and nice looking but they are very weak mechanically when compared to Rugers or Colts. Some things that contribute to this are a sideplate design, lockup on the end of the ejector rod vesus the crane latch and the firing pin. If you want reliable better get a Ruger. After 300 rounds the Ruger will be as smooth as the Smith.
Guy B. Meredith
New member
Protoolman, the current Smiths have the frame mounted firing pin. Current comments from some shooters indicate Colt is not up to its previous standards.
Rugers are just about indestructable and I will be getting at least one to handle the high pressure silhouette rounds. I think they are also an excellent buy for the price.
However the Smiths have proven themselves and are the standard for International Revolver Championship (perhaps due to Smith and Wesson's lavish sponsership--my Performance Center 627 was one of five given away at the last event)and other major competition events.
Rugers are just about indestructable and I will be getting at least one to handle the high pressure silhouette rounds. I think they are also an excellent buy for the price.
However the Smiths have proven themselves and are the standard for International Revolver Championship (perhaps due to Smith and Wesson's lavish sponsership--my Performance Center 627 was one of five given away at the last event)and other major competition events.
cornered rat
Moderator
686 has a frame-mounted firing pin, as do most current S&W revolvers. The only Smith which I would describe (by reputation only) as weak is their M29 .44 The .357 seems, if anything, overbuilt. Rugers have more massive frames, but their actual strength isn't more than the S&W equivalents.
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