S&W 686

L

loknload

New member
Hello all, I was at my 2nd favorite gun emporium today and picked up a used S&W 686 .357 I needed a DA .357 for my collection. The gun was in excellent condition and I paid $329. Good deal?
What are your thoughts on these? The trigger on this is really smooth and lite. It had the finger groove Goncolo grips on it and a 2 1/2 barrel. Any thoughts would be appreciated. ;)
 
Congrats on the 686. I bought one used with the 4 inch barrel a while back for $299 in excellent condition, and it's definitely one of the best 357s out there. I did some shopping too today, and picked up a used but LNIB S&W 36 snubby.
 
The 686 is great. Normally very accurate, and normally not load sensitive. The old style S&W wood finger groove grips are, IMHO, way better than any of the aftermarket grips.
 
Stephen, Congrats on the 36, They are great little guns. I have both the 36 and the 37. My 36 is a nickel heavy barrel.
The 37 was my first CCW, great piece.
Good luck with it and I hope it serves you well ;)
 
I, too, have several S&W L-frames...all stainless--either 686's or 696's--except for ONE blued 586...which is, coincidentally, the oldest and most-fired of the lot. The "old man" among my "L's" has fired in the neighborhood of 35,000 rounds in the last 17 or 18 years...in dire need of re-bluing, it's nearly as tight as the day it left Springfield! It "takes a licking and keeps on ticking", to borrow a phrase...I've had no trouble out of my Stainless "L's" either, tho' none have the round-count of "the ol' man"...but I don't really anticipate any problems with them, either! IMHO, the S&W L-frame revolvers are truly "modern classics"...everyone should own at least one!!!....mikey357
 
I know this will seem weird, but............I prefer the 'feel' of my Ruger triggers.




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"all my weirdness is Ruger weirdness (and oh yeah, I really like my EAA Witnesses, too)"
 
Ruger Triggers

No WESHOOT, I don't consider that weird. That is why they make vanilla and chocolate. A taste for everyone.
I own and shoot Rugers and I like their triggers also, but I like the Smith better.
Whatever works for you is the best for you ;)
 
I love my 686. I just started competing with it in large-bore silhouette matches at 50 yards. With a 4" barrel and unscoped, offhand groups are about 4-5", which places me at the top of the crowd in the matches. Of course, I shoot .38's out of it for competition, but the accuracy is impressive IMO. Also, this is not a "plus" version, so I'm sure the groups are even smaller with one of those.
 
686

Hey thanks for the comments guys, I've been playing with it off and on all day, I'm really taking a liking to the feel of the thing ;) I hope to get it to the range sometime Monday.
 
Of the three revolvers I own, the 686 is my favorite. The Rugers are nice , but the trigger on the S&W's is nicer. Next revolver will be a Ruger SP unless S&W is sold and recants.
 
Ah yes...686 Smith...the best!

My first ever handgun was a 6" 686, & I still have it. One of the finest out of the box triggers I have ever pulled. Accurate, too.

I almost picked up a used one at a show last Saturday. They were asking $225, it was a 4" and looked well used. Since I am still trying to recover from the 1911 buying binge I've been on lately, I decided to pass.

It was the only decent deal I saw at the show!

I almost sold mine about 18 months ago, but at the last minute decided not to. Since I won't buy another new Smith under the current conditions, I'm glad I still have it.
 
semi-related question

Hi,

This is a dumb newbie question. I was looking at the S&W product line and noticed that one of the 686 models has a compensator. Can anyone explain what a compensator is/does? Thanks.
 
baj,

You were probably looking at the 686 Power Port. This has a cut in the top of the barrel just behind the muzzle. The idea is that just as the bullet exits the barrel some of the gases are released through the vent to counteract the tendency for the muzzle to jump upward and overall perceived recoil. This allows for quicker reacquisition of target and follow up shots providing you are not shooting at night and blinded by the flash.
 
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