When you come to S&W forum and ask if a Colt is better than a Smith what do you think you are going to hear. Of course a bunch of Smith collectors are going to say that Smith's are the best. Rdr has just said a lot of the things I have heard and thought before.

Pythons have a sort of mystique about them. I own a blue 4" one and people give me the "oh, really" look when I tell them I own one. I have never got that look when I talk about my 4" 586. I mostly have to explain that it is the blue version of a 686. Then usually it's something like "yeah, I've shot my brothers 686. It's nice." I also have a 627 that I like better than both of those guns because it has 8 holes in the cylinder and a gold dot front sight.

The python has the best action/trigger of the three but I also hate it's sights. The back sight is fine but I like gold dot front sights and haven't been able to find one for my python. The factory stocks also feel funny but a $20 set of rubbers fixed that. I don't care so much that the cylinder rotates the wrong way as much as it annoys me that the cylinder release is backwards.

I have no real complaints about the 586. It's just a good shootin' gun and I also have a set of rubber combats on it to make it feel right. I plan to look for a no lock 686 to be its kiss'n cousin. I hate always worring about scratching the blue.

My 627 feels good in my hand shoots great and was worth every penny. As far as N-frames being ultra tough, it also the only one that I have shot out of time. That is not any kind of catastrophic failure but is annoying being that it was wizard tuned by performance center from the factory. I like its sights and it came with small finger groove wood grips and a set of rubber hogues. I think it is the best value for dollar.

If you are thinking about shooting any kind of competition(which I recommend because its fun) buy a 686. revolver classes usually have some sort of six shot rule. The 686/586 handle nice and are tough. It is still made and is serviceable. The 627 is a great gun. And if you shoot bowling pins or steel you get two more chances before a reload. They are awsome guns. If you occasionally shoot and like to wow other occasional shooters buy the python. It will almost always bring the money you spent on it unless you absolutly needed that $2000 1958 n.i.b. to turn into a shooter or store it in a brine tank. They all are nice, accurate and can be tuned. It all depends on how you want to spend your hard earned $.
Ryan