500SNW
Member
Round or Square Butt???
Looking at the 686's on the S&W website, it visually appears to me that square butts are installed on 4" and 6" barrels...while the 3" and snub versions appear to be round butt. Is that just an optical illusion? If not, what's up with using two different grip profiles on the same model? I am more fond of the square butt - primarily for the "old school" aesthetics - but I really would like to add a 3" 686 to my collection at some time. Is there some practical reason for a round butt on short barreled models?

Looking at the 686's on the S&W website, it visually appears to me that square butts are installed on 4" and 6" barrels...while the 3" and snub versions appear to be round butt. Is that just an optical illusion? If not, what's up with using two different grip profiles on the same model? I am more fond of the square butt - primarily for the "old school" aesthetics - but I really would like to add a 3" 686 to my collection at some time. Is there some practical reason for a round butt on short barreled models?