I also had am issue with the Talo wooden grips, very uncomfortable when shooting
357. Once I replaced the grips with the Hogue, much better feel and lower perceived recoil.
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I had a similar experience with my L framed 686 Plus. I went with the 5" vs 4" this year. The 5" barrel offers a better weight balance, so glad I chose the longer barrel, gun feels great.
Accuracy is improved also.
S&W 686p Talo 5"
As for as leather holsters to fit the 5" S&W 686 plus (7 shot), the Bianchi 5bhl is a near perfect fit in a hard to find size. Model number is 18492. Expect one half inch play with the gun in the holster, but avoids the tight thumbstrap issues as mentioned in other reviews...