I bought a new 686+ 4" about 2 years ago.
I've shot maybe 100 rounds through it.
I am an autoloader guy...have 3 M&P semi's, but this is my only revolver.
I like the idea of the relatively high capacity of a 357 magnum.
The single action is good, in fact, it's almost scary light...not sure if that's normal on a wheel gun...I haven't owned any others.
The double action, on the other hand, is hard for me to utilize.
To be honest, I am not very accurate no matter how much I dry fire the thing.
This may partly be because I have pretty small hands and it's difficult to use this gun in DA.
First, what shop, or who do you all recommend to make my DA usable?
Primary function will be backup woods carry during hunting season, and target range use.
Secondly, Is there anything to be done to make this gun fit my hand better?
When I was into SIG pistols, I would install a "short" trigger for easier DA reach.
Is there something like this that can be done to help my finger reach?
Thanks!

My first question is, what grips do you have on it? Anything that covers the backstrap gives you a longer reach to the trigger face. Grips with an open backstrap reduce the reach and make DA shooting easier. There are a million options available when it comes to grips, but I have settled on Pachmayr "Compac" grips for my various teaching guns. I have introduced quite a few women and youngsters to shooting with them. When we start I put all the (unloaded) guns on a table, and tell them to find the one that feels the best in their shooting hand. More often than not, they choose the Compac. My hands are on the small side as well, and I have several guns with the same grip. They aren't pretty, but they work well.



Hogue also makes some rubber grips with an open backstrap, those I've tried had finger grooves, which some folks like.



I do 90% of my revolver shooting in DA, it's something I've practiced for many years, and it DOES take time to get comfortable with it. Dry-firing is very helpful, but only if you do it right......the trigger stroke has to be smooth and consistent every time, or you will jerk the gun sideways. Does the trigger stack (bog down) during the stroke? That's something any decent gunsmith can cure, a simple action job will make things smoother and lighter. S&W can do it, or your local gunsmithy can take care of it for you.

Shooting 38 Specials for practice instead of hot 357's will also help with the tendancy to flinch.

Hope this helps.

Why not take advantage of the nice SA trigger and shoot that way. It's the only way I shoot revolvers, depending on barrel length(sight radius), you will probably be more accurate with it than an autoloader.

This may be the easiest fix on a revolver. If your grip on the factory stock isn’t to your liking there are only a few hundred other options available on a S&W. For wood stocks I greatly prefer Ahrends Grips and try to always tell everyone to go there first. I prefer Pachmayr over Hogue for rubber grips since they fit my hand so well. If you don’t prefer finger grooves then I highly recommend the Compac, Compac Pro, or seeing if you can find a Presentation sq butt that will fit your round butt. If finger grooves are ok to you then the Gripper that covers the back or the Gripper Pro that doesn’t cover the back are both good options. Sometimes Pachmayr stocks are hard to fit. Warm up the rubber by setting it in a sunny window, the trunk of your car, or anything but the oven. While it is warm still try fitting it on the gun. Don’t torque the screw down too hard. The more you over do it the more it will squeeze the middle and bend the center which opens the edge. Also, check under the rubber often for corrosion and try to wipe on a thin layer of grease under them. Rubber traps moisture. As for trigger work, if it is gritty then buy snap caps and see if a lot of dry firing will smooth things out. If you know what you are doing when removing the side plate then you can check for a burr and add a dab or oil to the moving parts but not too much to be a magnet for crud. It might be best to just have an action job done local to avoid shipping charge stab you in the back fees.

Thanks for all the help!
I will try to find some Pachmayr grips.
The gun came from the factory w/the Hogue finger grips.
They aren't too bad, but seem to make the gun a bit bigger than it needs to be.
The double action "stacks" pretty badly.
I'm not sure if that is normal.
No matter how much I try, after it stacks, if I pull through, I can't control the backward movement, and I jerk off target.
Anybody near Vancouver WA want to play with it and tell me if It's normal?
Thanks!

Try the Pachmayr Gripper Pro with the open backstrap.