S&W 686+ or Kimber super carry

H

Hunter562yards

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So a friend of mine and I are in a dispute on which handgun is a better concealed carry gun. We are talking about just the smith and Wesson 686+ .357 magnum or the Kimber super carry .45acp. He says to go with the 686+, but I think the super carry. I know there are other handguns out there that would work great for concealed carry, but we are only looking at these two specific handguns.
 
I see several extra debates about this one. Holsters: IWB, OWB? Carry location on the body? Now making these equal, I think the next issue would be overall with of the weapon. I'm taking a shot in the dark here, I'm willing to bet that the 686 is wider and possibly a little heavier. Depending on the carrier, sure the 686 is a excellent conceal pistol.
 
I cherish my 686-1, but have zero experience with the Kimber. The 686 is going to be a rather monumental carry or at least it would be for me both weight and size. If necessary, I would carry my Remington R1 prior to the 686. Neither would be my first choice for a concealed carry.
 
I don't care what type of holster you use, the Kimber is going to be a hell of alot easier to conceal. Back when I didn't know any better I picked up a 686 as my first gun and intended to use it as a concealed carry gun. That lasted all but a week before I bought myself a snub for carry and left the 686 a home for the range or home defense. As lamarw said, neither would be my choice for a concealed carry gun either.
 
At times I wear a vest or jacket in moderate weather as well as a heavier coat during cold. I prefer the 686. It is heavy and will droop in any sort of light pocket. The short barrel 686 in 357Mag with Pachmayer grips has been a favorite to carry.
 
Assuming both guns are equally reliable and accurate, I would think that the Kimber would be overall the easiest gun to carry and conceal.

The thick cylinder on the 686 make carry a little more difficult than a thin 1911.
 
I'm re-thinking my reply at #6 comparing it to the OP. "better in what way"?
Certainly the Kimber will be easier to conceal as you get farther away from longer or heavier clothing. But I was just thinking of the round itself, and the fact that I prefer a revolver over a semi-auto for personal protection. I favor a 357Mag cartridge. I guess if I ever actually had to fire what I was carrying, it would be the 686 (short barrel). So the OP doesn't specify if "better" means easier to hide or if it means something else like knockdown power or reliability if needed to draw. I'd hate to have a stovepipe or failure to feed and those sure would not happen in a 686.
 
I don't quite get the 686+ unless totally dedicated to that size gun and only that size gun in a revolver. Plenty of other .357 revolvers exist that are smaller and easier to carry. True, recoil will be more but who notices recoil in a dire situation. As a Weatherby rep once said about the belted Magnum rifle rounds, no one ever complained about recoil when faced with dangerous game.

And yes, you can practice with .357s. Not necessarily pleasant, but if training for a life/death situation, a shooter will deal with it, at least for 5 or 10 rounds at a practice session each week. And don't discount a used K-frame Smith especially in the Model 10/64 realm or even a Model 13/65 if .357 is thought needed.

A plusP .38 can be considered just as effective as a lot of .45 ACPs.

Myself, I'd go plusP .38 in a J-frame/Ruger 5-shot (including the 101). Although I'd prefer the .45 auto.
 
Reminder: the OP did specify 686 or Kimber.
I agree with what was said, and I do carry my M&P snubbie 357Mag more than anything. But other guns were not on the table in the OP.
 
I have a pancake holster that conceals a 4" 686 very well under a jacket or shirt but it isn't comfortable. I don't think a pancake with a 1911 is going to be any better. So far the most comfortable is a 642 in an iwb or in a pocket. I wish Texas had open carry.
 
I wish Texas had open carry.
Click to expand...

Of all states in this country you would fully expect Texas to be an OC state. That's a real surprise.

UncleEd said:
True, recoil will be more but who notices recoil in a dire situation.
Click to expand...

Recoil isn't as much of an issue as it being uncomfortable as it is about quicker followup shots.
 
I carry S&W revolvers on occasion, but find my Kimber Ultra Crimson Carry II on my hip most of the time now.

I say get the Kimber.
 
A 686? As in an S&W L Frame!? And you guys who are not uniformed officers FORCED to carry one carry it concealed??? Sure you do...

I have a nickel 586. Bought it with a shoulder holster. Added others over the years. Am bigger than average. And I wouldn't think of carrying it if I didn't have to. Not a 1911 fan-atic but the Kimber has to be a better alternative...
 
686

I have a S&W 686 with a 6 in barrel, this is the last gun I would opt to carry.
It is heavy to say the least and it is wide.
I don't own a Kimber but I do own and carry a S&W M and P in 45 acp.
I prefer the M&P for several reasons but magazine capacity is a biggy.
Don't get me wrong the 686 is a jewel .Mine is a 686-3 ,was made in 1981 it polished stainless and is a read dream to shoot but not to carry.
 
I haven't tried carrying a 686.

I have carried Ruger GP100s, which are very similar in size, in 4" and 3" lengths. (I have a 3" GP100 behind my right hip as I type.)

I have also carried 1911s, in full and Commander lengths.

The 1911 is slimmer, there is no doubt about that. The 1911 may be lighter. However, the cylinder width of an L frame will only really make a difference, IMO, for IWB carry. For OWB, while it is slightly wider, a good holster contour can blend the curve in very well.

What I find more challenging about semi-autos is the grip. I personally find that a round butt revolver grip - assuming the revolver is in a holster that tucks the butt into my body, prints less under shirt fabric that does the angled butt of the typical semi-auto.

If worried about capacity and speed of reloads, in the OP's case, the Kimber would have more capacity, and be capable of faster reloads.

If worried about concealability of spare ammo, .357 or .38 in speed strips are very concealable. Two 6rd speed strips (I don't know if 7rd strips for the 686+ are available) can be hidden in an empty Altoids tin.

I have found almost all the 1911s I have owned have been picky about SD ammo. Gold Dots have had the worst feed reliability, among my normal choices of carry ammo; DPX and Golden Saber have had the best. This will vary from one gun to the next, but if the OP chooses the Kimber he had best ensure it will feed whatever he chooses to load and carry.

(Note: Most of my other auto types are much less picky about ammo. One of my CZs won't feed 147 gr 9mm, but the other CZs will; a Beretta I used to own shot 115 gr ridiculously low, but it would feed anything.)

The 686+ should fire just about anything. Function testing should be for point of aim vs point of impact, tightness of groups, and controllability vs power.
 
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