m19 to 66 to 686?

alphabrace · #1 01-03-2010, 09:18 AM

Hello,
Is this the correct progression of these pistols? Is the 686 frame the same as the 66? I have read of many people loving the 686 and I was wondering how it differs from the 66. Thanks for your replys!

Lomax Anderson · #2 01-03-2010, 09:29 AM

same grip size but the 686 frame is bigger and stronger by a little...I am no expert but that is what I know...

IraIII · #3 01-03-2010, 10:00 AM

Models 19 and 66 are K frames, models 586 and 686 are L frames. 19 and 586 are blued, 66 and 686 are stainless. K and L frames have the same grip size, but L frame has a larger cylinder, and frame window around the cylinder.

Wee Hooker · #4 01-03-2010, 10:11 AM

IraIII hit it on the nose. I would add that the only other significant difference between the 66 and 686 are to full lug worn by the 686.

alphabrace · #5 01-03-2010, 11:07 AM

Thanks for your quick responces, I would imagine the added weight of the 686 helps in accuracy. I'm going to gun show today, what would be a good price to pay for one?

scooter123 · #6 01-03-2010, 12:22 PM

A good price for a used 686 should be in the range of 500 to 600 dollars, all dependent on condition and features. Brand new you can pick up a 686 for about 750 dollars if you shop around.

Personally, I am not a big fan of the fully lugged barrel in a length of 4 inches or more. The do have there uses but for me it impedes my rapid fire shooting. Yeah, they do have less muzzle flip but that extra mass in the muzzle makes it difficult to bring the gun back to point of aim quickly. For rapid fire DA drills the gun I shoot best with is my old tapered barrel model 67. Because of this, my choice for a 686 would either be a 3 inch or 2 1/2 inch gun. However, I enjoy the challenge of rapid fire DA drills.

If you don't have any need for wheelgun you can shoot well with at speed, then the 6 inch version is a great choice. You get a nice long sight radius and that heavy barrel does help cut down the recoil when shooting a full house Magnum. They are also a great training gun for a newbie because the 38 spl. is a powder puff round in a revolver this heavy. Finally, it is a great training gun for rapid fire DA shooting, just not ideal for an actual match. Fighting all that mass forward will build strength in the wrists, so when you hit a match with one of the short barreled guns it will feel like a featherweight.

Bottomline, you really can't have just one. Treat yourself and get two. Personally, I would recomend the 3 and 6 inchers, however the 3 inchers are pretty hard to find. So, if you see a bargain on a 2 1/2 inch 686, snap it up.

stevieboy · #7 01-03-2010, 06:31 PM

I have a 686, a 66, and a 27. The 66 and 27 are 4-inchers, the 686 is a 6 inch gun. In the past year or two I've gravitated heavily towards four inch revolvers and, as a result, I've shot the 686 less and less frequently. Compared even to the the 27, a pretty massive gun in its own right, the fully lugged 686 feels heavy and cumbersome.

But, what a shooter it is!!! Yesterday I took it to the range for the first time in a couple of months and gave it a real workout. I started out with .38 special rounds and at 10 yards was cloverleafing my shots. At 15 yards I was still able to put everything in the 10 ring, and at 25 yards, nearly everything was nines and tens. Then, I switched over to 158gr. magnum rounds. The gun handled them easily and just as accurately as the .38s. Recoil was noticeable, but extremely manageable. I topped off the session by shooting some 125 gr. magnums. They shot a little lower than the .38s and even the 158 gr. magnums, no surprise there. But, everything was in tight groups and, although the noise and muzzle flash were something to behold, the recoil wasn't significantly more than with the 158s.

I'm convinced that, as a target gun, and probably, as a hunter, the 686-6" has no peer.