While I have (all mine are unlocked) 2 586's and a single 686, I have to tell you that the 'little bit of difference' in the two guns is...in my mind...quite a bit. For me, the difference is major, and so that I will always use my 2 1/2in or 3in K frames in .357 rather than a 586/686 for covered carry. The 586/686 is a grand gun but in 4in, and if I'm gonna do that I might as well get 'right' and do a 4in N frame since it buckles on my pants now and not IWB. The fact that I have a 4in N frame modern M22 without the grip loc (don't ask...they changed the barrel on a M1917) it is satisfying for me.

I DO like the 586/686 but not enough to CCW one.

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Run Fast, Bite Hard!

Groo here
Keep both.
Carry the 66 and treat it with TLC.
Shoot the **** out of the 686.

The 686 is a good gun, but only in a barrel length of at least 4". I did own a 4" 686 once, but I have piles of K-Frames and it never did anything but sit in the safe. If you are shooting heavy .357 Magnum loading screen, shoot the L-Frame, but anything from mid-.357 loads on down to any .38 Specials, the K-Frame wins.

I must admit I am very biased towards the K-Frame. When I got my Massachusetts LTC at 18 years old (law changed to 21 now) I could legally carry but couldn't buy a handgun or handgun ammo, so I was carrying one of my father's handguns. When I turned 21, Karl Sokol (you should all know who he is, if you don't, LEARN!) built me my first of many Sokol K-Frame carry guns, a 3" Model 65. In my younger days, I shot almost daily, and not just a box of ammo either. I was handloading max 158gr .357s and I ended up shooting that 65 loose after 8 years and 20,000+ rounds. It had severe flame cutting on the face of the cylinder and topstrap and was extremely loose. No big deal, I just had Karl build me several more! Wearing the gun out was a lot of fun.

I would highly recommend a 3" barrel over a 2-1/2". I own a few 2-1/2" 66, one a Sokol custom, but my Sokol 3" guns are used a lot more. The barrel length itself makes no difference to me, but not having a full length ejector rod on anything shorter than 3" is a liability. You can sometimes rely on momentum to eject .38 Special casings, but it won't reliably happen with the higher pressure of the .357 Magnum. The last thing you want to be doing while reloading your wheel gun trying to save your life is picking spent shell casings out of your chambers since your ejector rod is too short!

And your feeling of not wanting to carry or extensively shoot your 66 snub because it's not made anymore, I just don't get it. Guns are meant to be shot. They are tools. I have plenty of K-Frame snubs (3" and shorter) and I have no reservations about carrying any of them.

Just my opinion from decades of experience, keep the K, dump the L. But you have to go with what works best for you.

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Will work for ammo.

i am a longtime fan of the K-frame S&W revolver and in this instance the Model 66 would easily be my choice.

Wow,back from the dead thread.

Anyway, I totally disagree. I love shooting my J frames, even the Airweight ones. Even my wife enjoyed shooting my 642, so I don't get the whole J frame shooting hate. The recoil is very manageable to us, it's not that bad, really.

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Still carrying my S&W 642

I have several 66's with short barrels and shoot them really well. I have a 686-4 Plus and it's OK but I don't like it as well as my 66's. My favorite 66's are a 66-1 2.5" and a 66-3 3". I don't have any problem shooting them a lot.

I dunno...I change underwear every month, needed or not. But I'm debating between buying a Model 66 or just carrying my 3" 686, so I'm glad the thread got a bump to the top! Heck, I need to carry my 4" 29, just to see if anyone notices..

The Snub Club, silver member division. My model 66 is the center gun in each picture. Ther others are an M37 (nickeled) and an M686. The other picture is an M64, M686, and my mighty M629. Missing is my M640-1, because I carry it the most.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

I already have a 686 no-dash and a -6 and I don't have a m19 so I'd keep the 19 but I would still carry my 642-1 .38 sp +p.

I have more than one of both. If you’re only keeping 1 for CCW and both are 6 shot, I’d go with the 66; however, if the 686 is a 7 shot, I’d go with the 686.

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213th FBINA

Did you notice this dead thread is 6 years old............................ and was buried 3 years ago!!!!


PS Nice guns

If shooting the 66 too much is a concern then by all means keep the 686. I once owned a snub 66 and probably should not have traded it. Currently have a 686-4 7 shot snub which I do not carry.

Between your choices for a carry gun for myself I would take the 66.

Considering aestetics of both, the Model 19-model 66 21/2 barrel wins,by far!!!!!, if you intend to fire exclusively .357 Magnum ammo I would go for a 686/586 21/2" barrell, I would carry .38 Special ,+P or +P+, for defensive purposes in a 19/66 21/2" barrel!! nevertheless "sometimes" I shall shoot some light .357 Mag in 158gr SJSP only, in a rate 90 .38 special to 10 .357 Mag to make this gun endure!!!!

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"Off we go..."

I sometimes carry my 686+ 3" and don't consider it too heavy, but that's mostly in the woods or on the water. Most carried is a P365 because it conceals better.

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Foster Positivity.

Wonder if the OP made up his mind yet. Zombies. Lol. I think I’ve replied to this thread before. 686 plus!!!!

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No gold. Only lead. Bobby

He did, with his last post a month ago. Glock 26?!

Carrying Concealed really Does Mean Concealed

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Ha, thread back from the dead!
I've likely owned both a 686 and a 66 twice over since I started this thread!
(and...Sig, Beretta, Glock, HK, 1911's, etc..)

I have calmed down my buy/sell/trade methods since this thread was started, but.... only a little!

OK. I'll give you my opinion.
The M19 was originally called the 'combat magnum' and was an extension of the model 14 but in .357 instead of 38 special. It was designed specifically at the suggestion of Bill Jordan, a Texas law enforcement officer and revolver competitor. This means it was designed to be lighter than an N frame so it could be more easily carried on a regular basis. The M66 is the same gun in stainless. I own a 4" version.
The M19/M66 eventually developed a negative reputation due to forcing cones splitting at the flat, bottom section which had been flatted off so the crane would clear the forcing cone (as on the earlier 38 special guns).
However, it is also true that:
1. The guns that failed had been shot alot, often with hot magnum loads using light bullets. Many cops shoot alot for both practice and competition.
2. I have seen photos of many split forcing cones on these guns. In all cases, there was very heavy forcing cone erosion present. The erosion eventually leads to cracks, which begin on the inside and propagate towards the outside. The thinnest cross section of the forcing cone is at the bottom (the flat), so that's where the failure will occur.
The M586/M686 were designed to 'overcome' the cracked FC issue seen on the M19/M66 by enlarging the frame to allow for a thicker barrel forcing cone that does not have an identifiable weaker surface like the older guns. But in my view, given the exact same treatment as the old guns got the newer ones would eventually fail somewhere. It would take longer for the cracks to reach the outside.
I think the golden rule is to check your forcing cone often and if you see erosion, think about changing your load to stop it from happening further.

If you want to carry your M66, I'd suggest avoiding light bullets and excessively hot loads. If you reload, choose a powder that does not promote erosion. Avoid Blue Dot in .357 loads, even though it performs well it will erode your F.C. Unique, H110, and 2400 (among others) work well.

I have, carry and love both, but unless the 686 is a 7 shot why carry the extra weight and bulk. If I shot both equally well, I’d carry the 66-4.

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213th FBINA

DEAD THREAD!

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Personally I love my 3" 686+ and carry it more than any other gun I have this past year. I'm a bigger guy so it conceals easily in a Milt Sparks summer special and a loose fitting shirt. I've always liked my guns with a lil heft to them and shooting the 686 with full power ammo is much easier.

I wear an XXXL sized glove so i'm not in the average category I guess. The short 686 is no problem for me personally.

Here's my 2 1/2" Model 686+. This grip setup works just fine for me. I've carried this OWB for over 6 hours and after awhile it just pretends not to be there.

While the K frame is certainly lighter to carry, I don't trust it with full .357 loads, hence my reliance on the L-Frame.

I have to admit that I've never understood the "buy it, then turn around and sell/trade it" mentality, especially when people turn around and purchase the same/similar firearm again (and again).

When I purchase a firearm, it's for a reason, and is purchased to fulfill that want/need, thus it is staying with me.

I'm all for "you doing you", and all that, but I just have to say I've never understood the mentality.

I guess the saying is true, the world would be a boring place if we all liked/did the same things..........