686 vs 686+...about to buy

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streetshot

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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!
 
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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.
 
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.
 
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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.
 
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!
 
sinbad71 said:
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.
Click to expand...

+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!
 
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.
 
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!
 
Welcome to the forum!

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

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.
 
Kernel Crittenden said:
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.
Click to expand...

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?
 
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!
 
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
 
at_liberty said:
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?
Click to expand...
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.
 
I also have one of each (but don't tell my wife - she thinks they're hers). The "+" model is a -4, the 6-Shot is a -5. If I could only have one, my preference would be a 7-shot -5.

Now I bought my 686+ used and did have a minor issue with it. The previous owner must have shot a lot of .38 spl in it because there was quite a bit of carbon fouling in the chambers. Occasionally, the cases wouldn't easily slide forward past the fouling and would jam against the frame nearly locking up the cylinder. A very heavy trigger pull was required to overcome this when it happened. This was resolved simply enough by scrubbing the chambers clean with a .40 cal brush. I just wonder if the geometry of the 7-chambered cylinder makes the "+" models more susceptible to this issue?

What do you plan to do with the gun? If you ever want to play gun games like IDPA, you might want to go with the 6-shot. Don't get me wrong, you could use the 7-shot, but you'd only be allowed to load it with 6 rounds - this would make reloads tricky cause you'd probably want to index the cylinder to the empty chamber before closing.

If it's for home defense, I'd say go for the "+" and have an extra round on tap.

If it's just for the range, take whatever you can find a better deal on.
 
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I just bought one of the Performance center guns. It's a 686+ 2.5 inch. The 7th chamber is out of time. It's first + I have owned and just got off the phone with S&W and it's going back. May be just a fluke as there sre other issues with the gun.
JR
 
For what it's worth, I bought my 686+ a year ago and the first time at the range shooting Hornady 357 Mag I had a trigger fail to fire in DA. Sent it back to S&W and they replaced a couple of springs.Two months ago again shooting Geco 357 Mag the gun worked OK but after some cleaning the cylinder would not close,again sent it back and this time they replaced the ejector rod assembly.

I'm thinking a brand new little used gun should work perfectly without having to send it back to the factory twice in the first year.

JMO
 
For general use, and as a range gun the 686+ works just fine.

If you plan to ever shoot in IDPA (SSR Division 4" barrel), or ICORE (Classic Division 4" or 6" barrel) you will want the 6 Shooter. As was said above the Safariland Comp III, and Jet Loader's are only made for the 6 shooters.

The 5 Star is a very good general purpose speed loader, however for competition use it is not in the same league with Jet Loaders, or the Safariland Comp III.

I own several revolvers. I own 3 that are not 6 shooters. My LCR22 holds 8, and my two SP101's hold 5. I have Jet Loaders for the SP101's.

If you do not plan to shoot in revolver competition either will make you a great revolver.

Bob R
Big Creek Kydex Speed Loader Carriers
 
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Don't worry about inherent strength between 6 and 7 shots.

More basic is the issue of whether 7 shots is worth a dime compared to 6 (or 5) shots.

I wouldn't give a nickel more for a 7 shot as compared to a 5 or 6 shot revolver for sd : I've no interest in a bulky revolver that is harder to conceal than a handier handgun.

Zombie fantacies aside, if you need more than 2 or 3 shots in a sd situation , you have a problem one or two extra shots are not going to solve.

Learn to hit what you're shooting at.

Having the ability to shoot an extra shot or two won't change your first 5 or 6 misses.
 
At the end if the day, with all the advice and pontificating about a 6 or 7 shot, either one is an excellent choice and if, as you said "I like the idea of 7 rounds", then go for the 686+ and put your mind at ease that it is a fine quality revolver.
Like others have said, it's a personal choice and you can't go wrong with either one.



Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
I had a 686+ 4" and ended up selling it. I have a Ruger GP100 wiley clapp that I kept over it thinking they fit the same role. Now I'm trying to reacquire a 686 4" again for a fair price but have thus far come up empty. I wouldn't hesitate buying a 6 or 7 shot if one came up for the right price.
 
686 or 686+

I have a 686+ 3 inch and a 686+ 2 1/2 inch. My only 6 shot 686 is an SSR I bought for IDPA. If you are not shooting in competition that limits you, I'd definitely go for the 686+
 
PDD said:
For what it's worth, I bought my 686+ a year ago and the first time at the range shooting Hornady 357 Mag I had a trigger fail to fire in DA. Sent it back to S&W and they replaced a couple of springs.Two months ago again shooting Geco 357 Mag the gun worked OK but after some cleaning the cylinder would not close,again sent it back and this time they replaced the ejector rod assembly.

I'm thinking a brand new little used gun should work perfectly without having to send it back to the factory twice in the first year.

JMO
Click to expand...

I don't like "quality by rework" either, but at least it didn't cost you anything, and I'll bet the gun wasn't gone for long. Most of my guns, whether bought new or used, have been works in progress, until I had them to my liking at my cost or the manufacturer's.
 
Get the extra round 686+. Also never heard about any problems with cylinder wall thickness. The 7-shot cylinder is bigger in diameter than the 6-shot version...it's not like they drilled an extra round into the base 686 cylinder and were left with thin areas...the cylinder is physically bigger in order to maintain critical thicknesses​
 
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