What do you guys think of the 2 new S&W 9 mm revolvers?

[Trooperdan]

The Pro series 986, 5 inch barrel and I think 8-shot plus the Jerry Miculic Perfomance center 929. The quoted retail price on the 986 was $1195, the 929, well, if you have to ask... Looks like both are intended for the competition game, are 8 shot revolvers allowed in ICORE?

Here is a link:

Smith & Wesson starts 2014 with strong new additions to their revolver line up: the 9mm 986 and 929?SHOT Show 2014

 

[Macinaw]

I am super excited! I shoot Steel Challenge. The 8 shot is calling me!

Check out the Brian Enos forum for more discussion about it.

 

[ladder13]

They're great guns for their intended function. I'd like to see another 940.

 

[Jebus35745]

Had the 627 PC and it was very accurate. The new 9's sound interesting. Maybe they will fit in the clips without wobbling like the 357's. Larry

 

[Macinaw]

Had the 627 PC and it was very accurate. The new 9's sound interesting. Maybe they will fit in the clips without wobbling like the 357's. Larry

I know how you feel about the "floppy" rounds in the moon clips. Some venders now have moon clips sized for the correct thickness of the case being used. They don't wobble any more. Some are expensive; some are reasonable.

 

[Jerry N.]

I'm sure they will be great for the intended use but I would have preferred something like a 940 that was for self defense (carry) to go along with the return to a 9mm revolver. I guess that market is just too small and they assume they have the shield for that niche.

 

[M3Stuart]

I tend toward lighter revolvers and have taken a shine to the 986 - 7 shot, titanium cylinder. At 35oz and 7 shots I think it's an L-frame. The 8 shot is 44 oz.

Here's the deal; I bought a 642 pro about a year ago. S&W hasn't had moon clips in stock, at all, in a year. AND if, I stress IF, they did, then they would cost you the princely sum of about $9 APIECE! Fortunately, the 642 works without moonclips.

However, before I would even think of buying a NEW 986 which CANNOT POSSIBLY FUNCTION without said moonclips, I would ensure that I could buy several dozen of said moonclips at a REASONABLE price.

But I'm sure S&W will think about that in advance

 

[colt_saa]

I very much enjoyed shooting the 986 last week. As these models get expanded upon over the years I am sure more folks will warm up to them.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/lounge/354046-shot-show-2014-a.html

 

[colt_saa]

Maybe they will fit in the clips without wobbling like the 357's. Larry

Larry,
The moon clips required for rimmed revolver cartridges are much thinner and more flexible than moon clips for semi auto cartridges.

Additionally, the grooves that the clips engage in a revolver cartridge have no SAAMI specification. This is why certain brass/clip combinations are tight while others are loose. There is even some revolver brass with no grooves that will not fit in moon clips at all.

There is a SAAMI specification for the groove that the moon clips engage in auto loader brass. This is required since that groove has to reliably interact with the extractors in autoloaders.

 

[Engine49guy]

How about a SS version of the 547 and a version with target sites ,
A 686+ MG 7 shot .357 with a spare cylinder for 9mm would be cool too .

 

[IraIII]

At just less than a minute into the video he says that they designed the cylinder to function without moonclips, and the cylinder is not cut for moonclips, maybe a similar setup to the 547 cylinder?

 

[colt_saa]

How about a SS version of the 547 and a version with target sites ,
A 686+ MG 7 shot .357 with a spare cylinder for 9mm would be cool too .

You could always do a convertible yourself.

Here is my 627 Pinto with a 2nd 9x23 cylinder and LPA fiber sights.

 

[wantmoresmiths]

To answer TrooperDan's question, yes 8 shot revolvers are approved for use in ICORE. Without an optic sight, the 8 shot revolvers fall into the "limited" classification. If you choose to add a red dot, then they are classified as an "open" gun. The 6.5" barrel length makes the 929 a good choice for the limited classification because of its longer sight radius, and 2 extra shots. Since the 9mm round is shorter than the 38 special, it should make for faster reloads. If I didn't already own a 627, I'd be giving the 929 some serious consideration.

Oh, and by the way, now with the USPSA rule change that goes into effect on February 1, the 8 shot revolver now becomes competitive in USPSA.

 

[Hapworth]

Every so often I entertain the fantasy of going all 9mm with my revolvers -- selling off the old standbys and putting the cash into some well-preserved 547s and 940s.

Essentially every handgun in the line-up, revolver and semi, consolidated into one caliber. It appeals to the simplifier in me. The effort and the impracticalities ultimately put the brakes to the impulse.

But it has emerged again with the announcement of the 986, most especially with the confirmation that it'll run with or without the moon clips, a convenience I've quickly grown accustomed to with my other moon clipped revolvers.

Too, I don't have any current production S&W revolvers larger than lockless J-frames, but I've been very curious to have at least one in the collection to see how it stacks up against its older brethren.

All this to say, the new 9mm revolvers announced by S&W have very much caught my attention, particularly the 986 versus the more race gun 929. I tend to hold fire and see how things shake out, early reviews and user experience and all, but I will be watching closely -- especially to see what variations might get offered in the line up.

Like a purpose-build defensive 3" 986.

 

[625 Shooter]

Ostensibly, it will be the ticket for ICORE and USPSA (and some other venues, like steel.)

The "usefulness" of the 929 has been discussed ad nauseum in a couple of other threads. Some (mostly non-competitive) folks bashed/whined/cried about it. Competitive (and some other) shooters are quite excited about it.

Me? I would be very excited about the 929 IF I weren't already set up with a 627 shooting .38 Short Colt (for ICORE, USPSA, and steel.) That said, still LOVE the 625!

Down the road, I suspect I'll have to get a 929 too!

 

[epj]

Wonder of the bore on these guns is .355 or .357?

 

[S&W357]

Wonder of the bore on these guns is .355 or .357?

That's what i want to know.. That is a good Question......

 

[epj]

Main reason I raise the question is the comments above suggesting the guns could be convertible from 9mm to .357. I would expect one or the other to suffer from poor accuracy. " compromise " bores usually don't work out all that well either. Then there's the issue of the .357 being considerably longer than the 9mm. I could see a 9x19 and an extra 9x23 cylinder being a possibility.

 

[Pizza Bob]

@M3Stuart - TK Custom lists several options for moon clips for the 642, dependent on the brass you're using. Expensive, but not as expensive as you quote. They appear to be $6.50 ea.

Revolver Moon Clips, 45 ACP Full Moon Clips and Speed Loaders - TK Custom

@IraIII - While the 625, 646, 940 and now the 929 and 986 can be shot without moon clips, it is not advisable unless you are just fooling around at the range, or it's a dire emergency and you have no other choice.

These are all chambered for rimless pistol rounds, so they headspace on the moon clip. Without a moon clip they have to rely on the shoulder in the chamber and headspace on the case mouth. Look at the specs for case length of a given cartridge and then measure a piece of once-fired or new brass. You will find the manufacturers make their brass shorter than max length. Max length is where the shoulder in the chamber will be cut so seldom does the case mouth actually come in contact with that shoulder. When the hammer hits a round, it drives it forward in the chamber. It may go off, it may not. So you may ask, "How do these calibers function in a semi-auto, as they rely on the shoulder in the chamber and headspace on the case mouth?" That's theoretical - in point of fact most semi-autos headspace off the extractor, which holds the cartridge against the breech face as it is being struck by the firing pin.

The other downside to using a pistol caliber in a revolver without moon clips, is extraction. Since there is no rim for the extractor star to push against, empties (those that don't fall out from gravity) must be poked out one at a time with a rod. Not exactly conducive to fast shooting. It was disingenuous of the S&W rep to say that it was, "...designed to work without moon clips." That simply means they didn't bore the cylinder straight through.

@epj - re: Bore diameter. I've seen this question come up often on many forums. There was one video of Jerry Miculek, taken at the SHOT show in Smith's booth, where he categorically states that the 929 (and one would then assume the 986) has a bore sized for .355" bullets. There was a lot of concern about this in the competition community. Why spend >$1K on a gun that is not made to be optimally accurate (i.e. a .355" bullet going through a .357" bore).

HTH

Adios,

Pizza Bob

 

[BigBill]

Not for me I like Magnums