S&W 686 Plus vs Ruger GP100

Status
Not open for further replies.
My understanding is that a GP100 will be preferred if you intend to handload as, in the case of a catastrophic failure, the Ruger will handle it while the Smith may not.
Click to expand...
Nothing personal and sticking entirely to the subject, I have never seen anything that would even HINT at this statement being accurate.

I would further say that anyone who picks a particular handgun over any other due in part because they fear blowing up a handgun with their handloads...should never attempt to handload. Ever. Please.
 
bbqbob51 said:
I chose the 686+ because of the extra shot, my brother chose the the GP100 because he didn't care about the extra shot. We go out and and shoot them side by side and to me they are interchangeable all intents and purposes...except for the extra round!
Click to expand...

If one wants to eventually become good with quick reloads, 7-shot speedloader options are relatively limited (though it can be machined to accept moonclips). And reloading aside, a 7-shot would be a very poor choice if one ever gets the itch to try shooting a local match with it.

Sevens said:
I would further say that anyone who picks a particular handgun over any other due in part because they fear blowing up a handgun with their handloads...should never attempt to handload.
Click to expand...

+1.
 
Eventually you are going to need both if you plan to be any sort of revolver guy, so you might as well get the cheaper of the two for now so that you can lust over the more expensive one.
 
I have the GP100 6", she has made me a revolver man for sure. I like the weight of the gun on my hip. The only s&w I have is a M36 which I use for EDC. If I had the chance I would love to get a 4" 686+, but I wont part with that Ruger.
 
Ah, this is just like the endless Chevy vs Ford debate - BOTH have strengths and weaknesses and both have rabid fans that will defend their favorite ad nauseum.

I have both, earlier 6" models. My 686(no +) has the Power Port which I feel makes it quite a bit more manageable with stout loads. The triggers are comparable, the DA pull is nice on both.

So I guess buy the one you want. Then buy the other.

Next for me is a Dan Wesson 15. :)
 
They're both in same class of handgun and both are excellent firearms.

However I do not think the Smith and Wesson is worth the extra money over a GP100.
 
I have never fired a GP100, but I'm sure they're fine guns. At the end of the day, you're not going to go wrong with your choice.

I have three 686's (no Rugers). An 8 3/8" barrel - and we'll leave that one out of this conversation, since it hardly applies.

I have a 6-shot 4" barrel I bought new in 1986. It's out-of-the-box-stock and I've put thousands of rounds through it; and it's one of my favorite guns to shoot. I shoot IDPA with it on a regular basis.

I recently purchased (NIB) a 7-shot 3" barrel with the "lawyer lock." I've got a couple hundred rounds through it now. The trigger is "funny" compared to the 6-shot I'm so used to. And it (the trigger) even has a bit of a "grinding" feeling just before hammer break. I'm not a big fan of the trigger. That said, however, I have basically gotten used to it and it shoots nice and straight. I enjoy shooting it. And even with the "funny" trigger, I have no trouble knocking the center of the target out with it. I'd still recommend it for anybody who is thinking about getting one. But I will be sending it in for trigger work ;-)
 
re: 7-shot 686+
The trigger is "funny" compared to the 6-shot I'm so used to. And it (the trigger) even has a bit of a "grinding" feeling just before hammer break. I'm not a big fan of the trigger.
Click to expand...
Bingo, same EXACT thing as my buddy's similar 686+, 4" barrel, and you were able to describe better than I could. On a double action pull, the whole works seems to pull smooth until it stops DEAD and the pull weight just rockets up and you have to tug THROUGH the dead spot to ka-CHUNK and discharge the round.

Frankly, I loathe it. :mad: It angers me because it looks like the 686 I know and love, but there's an evil demon living inside it. :( PUKE!
 
Curious. My 686+ no lock has one of the best DA trigger pulls I have ever felt. It is light, smooth & predictable. 7-round speedloaders are easily available in my locality.
 
I haven't owned the GP100 but did own the SP101. I like the 686+ much better than all of them. The 686+ has the cylinder latch in stronger places because of the extra chamber. The DA on mine is like silk. The SA is like snapping a hair. If you can't get into a Python (and who can?) the 686+ with a full under lug is the next king of revolvers. Stop me if you've heard this one before, but I will never sell mine. Ever. I have already sold the SP101.

I'm not sure of the strength of the 686 frame in bigger calibers but in 357 is just a tank of a gun.

And if you are into buying/selling, the 686+ holds resale value better.
-SS-
 
Looking at buying one of these. Probably with a 4" barrel. Would like pros and cons of each. Durability, resale, performance, etc. Anybody have experience with both? Thanks.
Click to expand...


Both are fine guns. Both will suit you well. Both will have similar performance with a slight edge to trigger and finish to the Smith. Resale value, the edge will always go to the Smith. But then, one usually pays a little more up front for them. My advice, pick the one that fits your hand, fits your pocketbook and tickles your fancy. Tale it home, shoot the 'ell outta it and enjoy.

As for the difference in trigger pull between a 686 and a 686+, I have models of both. Since they are generally hunting/range guns, I shoot them primarily in SA. My youngest son that usually only shoots our DA revolvers in DA, prefers the trigger of the plus models over those of the standard 686s, and his personal 686 is a standard. To me, there ain't much difference. Part of the issue I see from some is they are comparing a trigger from a older Smith that has been worn and polished to a trigger on a new gun that has not. My last 686+ had a gritty trigger too, for about a thousand pulls or so. Now it's every bit as smooth as the others.
 
I'm willing to concede that the problem I'm feeling in my friends ILS-equipped 686+ is due -more- to the presence of the lock (or the drop of quality/finishing of newer revolvers) than it is due to the fact that it's a 7-shot cylinder rather than a 6-shot cylinder.

However, if you take the same exact cylinder size and instead add another ratchet so that it's indexing a bit shorter and locking a bit earlier than what you've previously been shooting for a quarter century -- I won't accept any argument that tells me "it's the same, just has one more shot." It is -not- the same.

I bought my 686-3 brand-spanking-new, shipped to my kitchen table FFL from his wholesaler in 1989 and I paid for it with saved up paper route money. This may have been a number of years ago, but man, it did -NOT- have that dead-stop hitch, crunch, and pull-through-to-discharge that my friends (also new) revolver arrived with. It was purchased new, from Bud's in Kentucky.

The newest (to me) S&W I own is a 19-3 and I first came across this revolver four years ago and it was offered as having been unfired and all the evidence with it backed it up. Even if someone had taken 6 shots from it, the point was the same -- it wasn't the difference between "meh, ya shot that one a thousand times and this other one is new" This 1974-built 19-3 had not been run, maybe ever, and the double action on this revolver is what you expect from a Smith & Wesson. My pal's 686+? Sucks. But it's not mine. If it were, it'd be headed to the east coast.
 
I like them both, don't own a GP100 yet but it's going to be my next purchase for sure. I think a 4" GP100 would complement my 8 3/8" 686 nicely. Their both good looking accurate and strong revolvers. You Can't go wrong with either really. They're kinda hard to find right now though.
 
I own and use both, I'd trust and carry either. My gut says the GP-100 will outlast the 686+, but who knows? Try them both in your hand and get the one you like the best. Or buy whichever costs less and use the extra for a good holster and ammo. I don't think you can go wrong with either of them.
 
I will stay away from the lock/pre-lock part of the discussion, because it's my hope that my comments and experience will help the OP and not derail the thread.

I didn’t know that bring up the fact that I didn’t care for the newer lock was a restricted subject here at TFL sorry that I stepped over the imaginary line of some members.
 
I didn’t know that bring up the fact that I didn’t care for the newer lock was a restricted subject here at TFL sorry that I stepped over the imaginary line of some members.
Click to expand...

Ya, you gotta be careful in this new age of "Tolerance". You should only state your opinion if it agrees with the majority. We don't want to offend anybody.

BTW: I hate that stupid lock too.:D
 
Last edited:
I didn’t know that bring up the fact that I didn’t care for the newer lock was a restricted subject here at TFL sorry that I stepped over the imaginary line of some members.
Click to expand...

Don't sweat it Ozzieman. I am the OP and I welcome all comments as long as they are not insults. I have decided to go with the GP100. Now stainless or blue? But I'll decide that on my own.
 
I've shot thousands of rounds through various Smith revolvers over the years (J,K,L and N frames) and many through both the six and seven round L frames and have never discerned any significant differences in terms of da trigger pulls between the two versions (other than what you might expect in terms of differences resulting from manufacturing tolerances and degree of usage between any two revolvers of like configuration) In fact, a friend's Model 686 Plus has one of the best unmodified da trigger pulls that I have ever tried on any Smith revolver. I don't dispute the fact that some people say they have and nobody has to "accept my argument" to the contrary. I'm only reporting my personal experience with the two revolvers in question (686vs 686 Plus) and it's my opinion that the da trigger pulls on each are the same, everything else being equal in terms of usage, wear, year of build, etc.
As others have noted, I don't think you can go wrong with either the Ruger or the Smith. Both are very nice revolvers.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top