The 686 plus 4" is it for me

W

wild cat mccane

New member
Wow. The 686 is the one.

I sold all lengths of GP100s and Taurus 66s after deciding I had look envy for the 686. I found the GP100 to be huge, has the barrel profile of the ugly Taurus Tracker series, and triggers weren't super-even with a spring kit. The Taurus 66 has a better trigger than the GP100, all samples I had, but the Taurus ownership wasn't doing it for me. That said, I would recommend the Taurus 66 as a revolver to anyone not wanting to spend to the 686.

The blue "case" of the 686 was laughable straight out of the Fedex box. It's huge, clumsy, isn't molded, cheapest plastic imaginable, and collapses 1" into itself when pressed lightly. I have been less disappointed with cardboard boxes :)

The trigger? Oh my. I had to turn it sideways to watch if there was any travel at the break. Almost none by the eye and none by the hand. When the 686 hammer drops, the trigger has no detectable movement at the break. Incredible. Slightly lighter than the 66. About a mile difference from the GP100.

The finish is great. The 66 and GP100 finishes, bead blasted and roughed, did nothing for me. No need for mirrored, but too silver without any appearance of reflection of light made them too grey for the 66 and too white for the GP100. I Mother's all of them to mirror finish but found that to be just a tad over what I wanted. The 686 is polished to just under mirrored that you will get using Mothers. Essentially the 686 finish is perfection. Top strap is bed blasted with anti glare tracks.

The grip is actually small in circumference great thing as I found both the 66 and GP100 grips to be torturous to hold. Too big, too long.

7 rounds like the 66.

Don't like the blued hammer and trigger. I have read these are hardened and that's why they have this appearance. Not totally sure that explains it, but fine. The contrast isn't unhandsome or detracting. Meh.

Finished lug to the end of the barrel did not disappoint. This look does it to me compared to the sculpting on the 66 and GP100.

Anyways, I know the GP100 is great, I think the 66 is the best deal in the world, but I don't see selling this 686 for something else.
 
I like my 66 as well as my 4" barrel Model 686. The only difference is I am referring to my S&W Model 66 with a 2 & 1/2 " barrel.

The next time you decide to polish your 686 try some Mothers Billet Polish. It is milder than the mag cleaner. Afterwards apply a coat of Rennaissance wax.
 
I like the plus, but for me, the timing required for the extra cylinder feels odd to me, after so many years of the original 686's. The DA pull seems strange. But I'm old school. Get off my lawn. :)
 
I'm not sure we can tell you if it is for you or not. That seems to be your decision. I have the Taurus Model 66, Revolver, .357 Magnum, 4" Barrel, 7 Rounds. It is a great pistol, accurate, recoil not all that bad because it is a heavy pistol. One of my kids borrowed it last year to wear as sidearm backup when he went Hog shooting. He still has it !!
 
Trigger weight is very subjective in my experience.

I find the GP 100s of recent manufacture very good.

As good as the S&W?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

S&W in my experience can vary quite
a bit in new manufacture.

I like the 586/686.

But as a dedicated double action
shooter, I lean toward the GP 100.

For the money, can't be beat.

But the OP made a good choice.

His comments about grips just doesn't
hold water. He must have had one of the
Hogues. Not the so-called Letts through
Altamont with the wood inserts. They
are comparable to the some of the
Smith issued ones.

Regarding Hogues: I can do without
the finger grooves but Find them the
best because they fill in the gap
between the grip area and trigger
guard so my fingers are not mashed
by heavy loads on recoil during single
or double action shooting.

Again I have both Smith in 586
but still favor the GP 100.

'nough said. :):)
 
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I'm a Ruger fan GP100 , Security Six and LCR all in 357 mag .. But the S&W 686+ is a great revolver .. and it is always a great choice..
 
Glad you find your revolver.

I'm a single action guy, but I went though quite a few before I found 'miss right'.

Got a press?
 
I've only ever shot one, and it was very sweet. But, for me I just can't stand a full lug barrel. I can't get past the sleek classic look of all my S&W pinned and recessed revo's. I have made one slight compromise though, on my 4" 627 the small tapered under lug is barely acceptable. But it's also a gun that I shoot exceptionally well, in fact if I could only keep one this would be it.
 
IMHO, the 686 is the standard to which all other modern manufactured .357 revolvers are measured. As for their blue factory box, still better than the cardboard box they used to come in.

I have 686s in 4", 5" and 6". All are very accurate and a pleasure to shoot, even with legitimate .357 magnum ammo. Kinda what the are all about and why they are so popular. IOWs, they ain't just for you.
 
buck460XVR, I agree but disagree at the same time. I do like my 686-1, but I can not say it is better than my S&W Model 27-2 or even my 28-2. The Standard was set back in the mid - 1930's with the S&W Registered Magnum.

The Model 27 is simply a magnificent piece of art and a marvelous mechanical tool. Then the Model 28 is of less glamor and again a master of a great functioning revolver.

One has to step back in time to get the really great revolvers.
 
lamarw said:
buck460XVR, I agree but disagree at the same time.

One has to step back in time to get the really great revolvers.
Click to expand...

If you read my post, you see it says,
IMHO, the 686 is the standard to which all other modern manufactured .357 revolvers are measured.
Click to expand...

Still, FME, new production 686s are every bit as if not more, accurate as my older Smiths and just as reliable, even with the dreaded lock. While there are great N-Frame sized .357s, IMHO, I believe the medium L-Frames are the standard most of us think of when we think of .357 and .38. Everyone thinks what they have is the best........generally why they have it. No argument from me that the old blued finished were prettier than newer stainless finishes for the most part, but the functionality, and lower maintenance of Stainless Steel is attractive to me also. Not every gun is THE gun for everybody. Thank goodness the freedoms in this country give us the option of so many.
 
I think you and I will just have to agree that "We Agree". I have an N-Size Mountain Gun that actually weights a couple of ounce or two less than my 4" barrel 686. Then when you load it with .45 Colt it ends up a couple of ounces heavier than my 686 loaded with .357 Magnum. My point here is there is not a lot of difference between L and N size S&W's in my opinion. I too like SS firearms but they are normally a little heavier.

As we discuss often, the additional heaft is good for recoil sensitive folks.

I do admit to being a bit ignorant of the modern day revolvers since most of mine are on the older side.
 
I have never been a PLUS fan. I prefer the 6 shooters. I have a 4" 686-1 Power Custom Combat done by Ron Power many years ago. I also have a 4" 686-5 Power Custom Combat that is not marked, as Ron ran out of the do-dads he uses to engrave them by the time he did this one.
I also have a 3" and 6" GP100. Both have been worked on, and both work just fine.
If you want a good looking GP100 get an Adjustable Sight Blued one and get a set of Altimont Grips with Rose Wood inserts with checkering.
Smiths or Rugers? I have several of each and like both brands.

If I were to buy a 686 Plus I would have it moon clipped first thing so that it could be reloaded in a hurry.

Just My 2 Cents

Bob
 
I like the plus, but for me, the timing required for the extra cylinder feels odd to me, after so many years of the original 686's. The DA pull seems strange.
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This definitely has not been my experience. Though the trigger pull on most any double-action revolver might be different, even in small ways, from its "identical" sibling (i.e., a Model 686 compared with another Model 686), I have never discerned any differences of consequence in trigger pulls between the Model 686 and the 686 Plus other than what might also be felt in different revolvers of the same model.
Just citing my own personal opinion based on having fired more than a few Model 686 and 686 Plus revolvers over the past several years.
 
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I too like SS firearms but they are normally a little heavier.
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I may be interpreting this wrongly but are you saying that stainless steel is different enough in weight (heavier) from non-stainless steel in otherwise identical revolvers that you can tell the difference between the two? Just curious...
 
686 is a great revolver, no doubt about it. Enjoy!

The GP100 is also a great revolver and can have an exceptionally great, butter-smooth, light double-action pull. A small amount of trigger work makes the difference with either the 686 or the GP100.

Here's my favorite GP100 with polished action and polished barrel (to remove bill board)
26939677959_9929f7bc95_b.jpg


And, my favorite 686 is actually a Custom 681-1:
38712297341_12d406f6df_b.jpg
 
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