Competitor or Custom?

[Grey Nurse 1]

Guys I have a question,

I'm a relatively new shooter who has switched from shooting IPSC with a Sig Legion 9 to Service Match using the club's .38 special 686 in a K. with custom trigger work.

The query I have is whether it would be better to purchase a 686 competitor or a standard 686 in an L and have custom work done by an expert gunsmith?

Ideally, I would like to utilise the pistol for IPSC as well as Service Match in the future

Any experiential advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Hawg Rider]

Welcome to the Forum! I'm afraid that I cannot help out much, but I'm sure that some of our Forum gurus will be along shortly to provide some advice. Although I am a revolver enthusiast, I shoot Action Steel and USPSA Limited with my SIG P320X5 Legion (but haven't competed with revolvers). A friend suggested that I shoot ICORE, but it is not offered at our local club so I haven't tried it out yet. I'm curious, is your club's 686 chambered for .38 Spl. (rather rare revolver) or do they just shoot .38 Spl. in a standard .357 Magnum 686 L-frame revolver? I'm a big fan of the S&W Performance Center (I own several PC handguns) and I believe that the Model 686 Competitor would be a worthwhile investment for an entry-level competition revolver. It has many of the features of a more expensive custom revolver for a fairly reasonable price. If you purchased a standard 686 and had a qualified gunsmith change some parts and tune it you'd probably spend a lot more $ than the Competitor, but then again you might get an even smoother handgun. A third option would be to buy a Competitor and have it tuned up if you wanted even more performance. Hopefully some other Forum members will chime in to share their knowledge. Good luck!

 

[Protocall_Design]

I've been shooting pistol matches with revolvers since 1979, so I have a few opinions.

The Competitor is one of S&W's best creations. It is best suited to the slower paced matches because of the weight and bulk. PPC , NRA Action Pistol and IHMSA field pistol are 3 that I can think of offhand.

IDPA is pretty much limited to a 4" 6 shot (K,L, or N frame).

USPSA and IPSC, ICORE, and Steel Challenge are best served by a 5" M627 8 shot (N frame). You can shoot a 6 shot in ICORE in the appropriate gun categories, but 6 shots is a handicap in the other matches. The 5" 8 shot is the most versatile one gun. It is medium weight and quick handling with fast reloads with moon clips. If you only need 6, you still have 2 backup rounds in case of a misfire or short stroke.

Figure out what matches are available, then get the right S&W gun to do it with. S&W can have the best DA trigger pull of all the different brands. Have that gun tuned up and go get 'em!

 

[DT75]

What do you mean by "686 in a K" and "686 in an L"?
All 686's are L-frames, regardless of chambering (38 or 357).

 

[Pizza Bob]

Not that it makes any of your responses less relevant, but I'm guessing that the OP is not a USA resident. Just for their benefit, USPSA is IPSC in the US, although I believe that there are some small differences.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

 

[Protocall_Design]

He shows east central Florida. Maybe they shoot IPSC there, I don't know, but thanks for the additional information, Bob.

 

[bobsguns]

Life USPSA member here.

To my knowledge, IPSC hasn't existed since the creation of USPSA. I haven't heard of it, read about it or anything since it went away.

 

[Protocall_Design]

Normally, USPSA is in America, and IPSC is the rest of the world, but there seems to be a number of shooters that do both. Those Americans wanting to compete out of country have to practice and get classified in IPSC, so they have to shoot it somewhere here.

 

[Stickgunner]

IPSC is still the generic gamer shooting name, at least for many.