Should I get a Smith & Wesson Model 19 or a 686?

[dahermit]

Should you get a M19 or a 686? If you plan on carrying it, get the M19. If you want to shoot it (double action), get the 686. The M19, having much less mass in the cylinder does not feel like a 686 (or a .357 N frame). The heavier cylinder guns build momentum that gives a smoother double-action feel when shooting rapidly. The M19, on the other hand, feels short and snappy, lacking the smooth carry up of the larger cylinders. Shoot both, feel the difference.

 

[Tuzo]

Agree with IrishBluEyes about .357 mag being too much for home defense.

Actual incident:
Iraq veteran son was handling (playing with) my snub Taurus 85 and off it went. Sent a 158 gr soft nose bullet through two layers of sheet rock, one layer of base board, carpet and foam pad, felt floor pad, plywood underlayment, and stopped by a 2x rafter in the second story floor. More than enough penetration? Absolutely. Son was not deafened by the blast and sufffered no ringing in his ears. If he had let go with a .357 mag his hearing would have suffered a great deal and the bullet would have ended in or on the first floor. By the way, he rationalized the negligent discharge as not having any training in revolvers. My wife and I wondered what evil the house did to him forcing him to fire at the poor house.

 

[hairyjames]

Lots of great comments. I don't own any more "L frames" . . . selling off even my limited Performance Center 646 racegun that S&W made back in 2001.

For ME, when shooting competitions I discovered that the K frames pointed and balanced perfectly, which allowed faster times between double action shots against the clock.

The "L" frames added more mass but this also required that the frame be a little taller . . . thus raising the bore axis higher above the grip, which increases the flip and recoil factor a little. S&W compensated by adding the weight of a full-underlugged barrel on 686.

As others have said en mass, the K frame is perfection in the hands.

I'll never buy a 581/586/681/686 again . . . but a nice K frame? In a heartbeat!

Wish you could fire both specimens and see what you like more.

BTW, if you want a great looking 686, find a nice 586 . . . it is the bright blued version! And, if you want a K frame Model 19 .357 in stainless, that version is called the Model 66.