686 vs 686+...about to buy

[streetshot]

First, I am incredibly grateful for this forum. I'm a relatively new handgun owner after owning long guns since the early 80's and this forum is an amazing resource around the S&W landscape.

I've just spent a lot of time reading posts in the many 686 threads and it seems there are some wide opinions around which is better...the traditional 6 or the newer 7 round versions. Since this is my first wheel gun I want to get this right and I really like the idea of 7 rounds - my Shield is also 7/8 rounds and its a good number.

The questions come down to the cylinder wall strength, how quickly the gun cycles shot to shot, and overall function. I confess after reading a lot I'm as uncertain about these things as when I began...and my Saturday morning has flown by (not a waste of time by the way, it was entertaining.)

What conclusions have you all come to around the difference between these two models?

Again, thank you for an informative and amazing forum!

 

[Ceapea]

Hello, and welcome!

I have a pre-lock 6" 686+ from 1999. I absolutely love this revolver. Very accurate, fairly smooth action, though not as smooth as some older guns.
I don't believe that there are too many (if any) stories of cylinder failure due to being too thin.
It depends on what you want this revolver for. I bought mine for home defense and casual shooting/plinking/practice. When I discovered PPC, this 7 shot would not work for me. So I have since purchased something that is more appropriate for PPC.
That said, for home defense and general shooting, you can't go wrong with the 7 shot. If the 8 shot were available back when I bought mine, I would have gone that route.

Good luck in your decision. You just might end up with both eventually.

 

[RGPM1A]

I have both. As far as trigger pull and function they are the same to me. The only real issue for me is you have a much less choice in the way of speed loaders for the 7 shot. A 7th shot is nice though but you are stuck with slower types of speed loaders for a reload. Safariland doesn't make a Comp II or III for a 686 plus.

 

[sinbad71]

First off, WELCOME to the forum. I know of no cylinder strength issues or concerns with the 7 shot 686. As far as cycle speed, I doubt there is a measurable difference between the 6 and 7 shot. Therefore, the choice of 6 or 7 rounds becomes a personal choice issue. I, myself, have a 3" 686 Plus that I shoot as often as I can and use it as a part time concealed carry gun. As with all my Smith's, I love it. Pretty much your choice to make. There are several companies that make speed loaders for that gun. I happen to use 5 Star loaders with my 7 shot. Good luck.

 

[streetshot]

Thanks!

Sounds like I can't make a wrong move...I like that. Now to decide.

And you all are right...I'll probably end up with both after a while.

Again, many thanks everyone!

 

[rwsmith]

Buy the one you want.

Blowing up guns with loads to Saami specs isn't a problem with any 686. It sounds like you want the plus model. Then get it.

 

[Ceapea]

First off, WELCOME to the forum. I know of no cylinder strength issues or concerns with the 7 shot 686. As far as cycle speed, I doubt there is a measurable difference between the 6 and 7 shot. Therefore, the choice of 6 or 7 rounds becomes a personal choice issue. I, myself, have a 3" 686 Plus that I shoot as often as I can and use it as a part time concealed carry gun. As with all my Smith's, I love it. Pretty much your choice to make. There are several companies that make speed loaders for that gun. I happen to use 5 Star loaders with my 7 shot. Good luck.

+1 on the 5 star loaders! They are the only way to go with the 7 shot guns. I have had (and still have) many of the HKS loaders. The walls are so thin, that after just a few dozen cycles, they start to crack and the cases get stuck in them...sometimes.
HKS will replace them for free, but it happens so often, it becomes a hassle to send them in. They recently replaced 5 of them for me. The first time it happened, they replaced all four that I had at that time. I opened one of the five recent replacement packages, then decided to go with the 5 Star product. They will not be breaking!

 

[Kernel Crittenden]

More than one article I've read over the years has theorized the 7-shot cylinder is actually STRONGER. It has to do with the bolt notches. On a 6-shot cylinder the notches are over the chamber - the thinnest part of the cylinder. On the 7-shot cylinders the notches fall between the chambers - the thickest part of the cylinder.

 

[bbqbob51]

Never heard of any strength issues with 686+ and I figure that 7 shots are always better than 6. That's why I chose the the 686+ when I bought my 4" bbl 686+. I liked it so much that I bought another with a 6" barrel!

 

[riverrat38]

Watch this first!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn2XX81_kPU

He really likes his 3 inch plus model. And boot grips, just like me.

Best,
Rick

 

[M3Stuart]

Welcome to the forum!

As others have already said; no issues with cylinder wall strength, so it's just a personal choice.

 

[ElToro]

Can an older 6 shot be retrofitted to 7 ? By the sw custom shop ?

 

[wildenout]

To be honest, there is not much difference besides the extra shot and the bigger cylinder, and the weight. Personally, I am a fan of the 6 shot since it is just more traditional.

 

[Collo Rosso]

Biggest problem for me with my 686+ is remembering that seventh shot. Wish all my problems were this bad.

 

[BAM-BAM]

Never went with the 7 shooters..... I've got too many years on a 6 shooter .....I know I would fire 6 and dump the 7th LOL

I also have a bunch of speed-loaders.......

But this is your first revolver so a 7 shooter should not be a problem...... don't wait too long for that 6 shooter or you will learn to ......

bang, bang, bang, bang, bang bang, click

 

[at_liberty]

To be honest, there is not much difference besides the extra shot and the bigger cylinder, and the weight. Personally, I am a fan of the 6 shot since it is just more traditional.

Is the cylinder really bigger, or are the chambers closer? That diameter is a fixed dimension in a given frame, I thought. The length could vary.

 

[at_liberty]

More than one article I've read over the years has theorized the 7-shot cylinder is actually STRONGER. It has to do with the bolt notches. On a 6-shot cylinder the notches are over the chamber - the thinnest part of the cylinder. On the 7-shot cylinders the notches fall between the chambers - the thickest part of the cylinder.

This point makes it sound like blowing a chamber is a real possibility. Are there any actual cases (with rational loads), or is this a notion developed on the internet?

 

[azvoiceman]

I also agree, and own both, and have had no problems with either. In fact, both guns were purchased used, and I have put many a round down range and both still function flawlessly.

With that my suggestion is to buy both!

Good shooting!

 

[Pizza Bob]

As long as you are using SAAMI spec ammunition there is zero danger of a blown cylinder.

I postulated the 7-shot bolt-notch theory, but then rethought it. Even though the bolt notches are not over the chamber - the chamber walls themselves are thinner because of the extra hole. Yes, cylinder diameter is a constant, so it just means the walls get thinner as the chambers are moved closer together.

The downside to the 7-shooter has also been pointed out - gun games. There are no games that cater to seven-shooters. It's either six or eight. The upside is the extra round for SD situations. I am much more likely to get involved in gun games (actually I am and shoot revolvers almost exclusively) than to find myself in a SD situation. I'd go with the 6-shooter. Even in SD, six rounds is already one-up on a J-frame. At the range I usually only load five at a time (throwback to bullseye).

Even if you aren't involved in games now, the 6-shooter gives you that option down the road. It can get awful boring standing in a port shooting at a static target.

You ask one question about cyclic rate. Theoretically, the only limitation with a revolver is how fast you can pull the trigger, whereas with a bottom-feeder, you have no control over how fast the slide cycles, which becomes the limiting factor. A gross oversimplification I'm sure, but points out this, like cylinder wall thickness is just something else you don't have to worry about.

Buy whichever tickles your fancy and fits your needs now and in the future.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

 

[Kernel Crittenden]

This point makes it sound like blowing a chamber is a real possibility. Are there any actual cases (with rational loads), or is this a notion developed on the internet?

The fact that the notches are between chambers on the 7-shot, and over the chambers on the 6-shot, is not an internet notion. That's a reality, just look at them. Consider how deep the notches are and how thin the chamber is at that point, there's not a lot of metal left between them. But, it's apparently not a problem (critics and competitors have pointed to this as a supposed "weakness" of S&W's going back long before the L-frame was ever made). The 6-shot M586/M686 has been with us for nearly 35 years, and and the 7-shot for about 20. History has shown both cylinders are certainly strong enough. The M586/686 has a well earned reputation of durability with full power magnums.