I have been wanting a S&W .357 for a very long time but for the past few years every extra cent I have scraped together has gone to the kiddos for some reason or another. Out of the blue last night my wife says to me you should get that revolver you wanted. After I got over the giddiness the dilemma hit me.

For the longest time I have been going back and forth between the 686 SSR and the 686 Plus 4".

- I do mostly target shooting
- I also want something I can pack on a day hike.
- I don't need a concealed carry I already have a 442.
- I have a concern about the finish of the SSR I hear it is hard to clean
- I also wonder if the SSR has enough weight behind it to absorb the recoil of full load .357. I am not afraid of recoil but I don't want a sore hand at the end of the day either.

So if you guys could give me your 2 cents which would buy?

I also know there are a lot of other options out there like the 627 and 629 but I really have my mind made up on either the SSR or 686 plus 4".