deciding on which 686

[lx2008]

hello,
in the market for a 686. i`m either going with a 3in bbl ( plus ver. w/ 7 rd cyl) or 4in bbl w/ 6rd cyl.


i only like to shoot full power rounds & was wondering about the strength of the 7 rd cyl. i was thinking that since the 7 rd cyl might be thinner in some places & hence not as strong as the one w/ the 6 rd cyl.


thanks for any info.

 

[bigwheelzip]

hello,
in the market for a 686. i`m either going with a 3in bbl ( plus ver. w/ 7 rd cyl) or 4in bbl w/ 6rd cyl.


i only like to shoot full power rounds & was wondering about the strength of the 7 rd cyl. i was thinking that since the 7 rd cyl might be thinner in some places & hence not as strong as the one w/ the 6 rd cyl.


thanks for any info.

I only have 7-shot 686s but I've read that there is actually a greater thickness of metal at the cylinder charge holes on the 7-shot because ...

The cylinder stop notches in the 7 shot versions occur between the torpedo tubes rather than on top of them

Don't have a 6-shot to compare, but here is the cylinder charge holes of a 686 Plus.

Sent from my motorola one 5G using Tapatalk

 

[Shark Bait]

The 7 shot 686 can handle any factory 357 mag load out there. I find the 3 inch to be nearly perfect for my needs.

 

[armorer951]

Not that it makes much difference, but the six round cylinder is quite a bit thicker. I'm sure either of these variants would probably serve you quite well. The L frame is indeed, very strong.

 

[pantannojack]

The cylinder stop notches in the 7 shot versions occur between the torpedo tubes rather than on top of them

 

[357 shooter]

hello,
in the market for a 686. i`m either going with a 3in bbl ( plus ver. w/ 7 rd cyl) or 4in bbl w/ 6rd cyl.


i only like to shoot full power rounds & was wondering about the strength of the 7 rd cyl. i was thinking that since the 7 rd cyl might be thinner in some places & hence not as strong as the one w/ the 6 rd cyl.


thanks for any info.

Never heard of a cylinder failure of either the 6 or 7 round 686 shooting factory 357 ammo or ammo loaded with data from reputable sources. I shoot the same reloaded magnum ammo through both my 6 shot 686s/586 and my 7 shot 686 with no worries.

 

[UncleEd]

Either one.

Questions are how many full charge
.357s can you tolerate in a session
and frequency of those sessions?

 

[ultratec00]

I own two 686+ (3-5-7) and am very happy. Would not discount the 5" as it is a very good compromise.

 

[One Holer]

Either one.

Questions are how many full charge
.357s can you tolerate in a session
and frequency of those sessions?

Fair question, but for most people shooting .357 magnums out of a duty-sized revolver isn't bad. They are loud and produce a heck of a flame, but they don't really kick all that much. But then again it really depends upon one's experience and perspective. They don't kick much to me as I'm used to shooting .44 mags out of light for caliber guns. YMMV

 

[robertrwalsh]

I have a 586 6 shot 4" and a 686 7 shot snubbie. I find that I shoot the snubbie more. However, I am old enough I no longer get my rocks off turning my hand into a semi-articulable train wreck. I shoot the nasty stuff once a year when I rotate my ammo, otherwise a midrange load. What can I say, I am getting old and feeble.

 

[wproct]

I have always preferred the 6 shot revolvers, part of it just being old school I guess. Just one other factor to consider, the 6 shot revolver should be heavier, helping to absorb recoil. Maybe that is only miniscule.

 

[lx2008]

thanks for the replies guys. my model 69 seems to be manufactured in the same way the 7 shot cyl`s are with the notches between the tubes so i think it would be very strong also.

 

[Mehutch]

love my S&W 686-4 2.5" barrel, and my 4", and my 6" seven shooters. Never ever had any problems with heavy magnums

 

[scruffy]

My 686+ 3-5-7 with 3" barrel has been flawless in fit and finish and mechanically. Action is super smooth and the 3" barrel balances very well for me.

 

[SWFan27]

hello,
in the market for a 686. i`m either going with a 3in bbl ( plus ver. w/ 7 rd cyl) or 4in bbl w/ 6rd cyl.


i only like to shoot full power rounds & was wondering about the strength of the 7 rd cyl. i was thinking that since the 7 rd cyl might be thinner in some places & hence not as strong as the one w/ the 6 rd cyl.


thanks for any info.

I LOVE my 4 inch version. I would not personally be interested in the other two.