Which 586 or 686??

[65Whelen]

I'm like minded here an apparently, alot with of company. If and when I see a 568 4" I'll be buying. A 686 just doesn't appeal to me the way a blued model does.

What I don't understand, wanting A nickel 586. Why not just buy a 686? That just me.

 

[ezb57]

And despite an above post neither was ever pinned and recessed. My 686 was bought new by my late dad in Sept. 1981, AAB prefix. I can’t say how many thousands of magnum rounds let alone 38s have been fired and it’s still running just fine with no issues.

Yes, I was going to point out that fact as well but decided to let it slide.

 

[ezb57]

I'm like minded here an apparently, alot with of company. If and when I see a 568 4" I'll be buying. A 686 just doesn't appeal to me the way a blued model does.

What I don't understand, wanting A nickel 586. Why not just buy a 686? That just me.

If you get a chance, behold them side by side. Also, I just dont think the stainless alloy is as hard as the carbon steel used in blue guns. Maybe thats from a bad experience years ago with a Model 63 I had.

 

[BAM-BAM]

I have a couple L-frames; favorites are a 4" 586-4 factory round butt and a 4" 686 no dash I had round butted in the 80s.

The 686 is my go to .357; the 586 w/ Spegel Birdseye maple grips is my BBQ gun!

 

[lkabug]

There's a certain beauty in a blue 586 with those wood stocks that just isn't there in a 686.

 

[got2hav1]

Here's my Nickel 586 No Dash vs. my 686. I like the Nickel better myself. But I will give the durability edge to the 686.

 

[lppd4]

I have 5 L frame 586/686 guns all of them have a 4” or a 6” barrel. It just doesn’t get much better than these.

 

[Palmetto Sharpshooter]

686 no dash no M. AAD serial

 

[Sistema1927]

I found the heavy barrel full lug 686 to be a little front heavy for my liking. That's why I'm excited about the new tapered barrel half lug 686+ that was introduced at SHOT last week. I have already asked my dealer to get one for me.

 

[Rock185]

I had been carrying a model 66 in uniform, but bought a new 586 soon after they were introduced. A fine revolver, but I soon replaced it with a 686. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the 586 or 686 pre lock guns for your accumulation/collection. I still have a couple 686s.

I did have one 686-6 with the lock. It had a warranty issue, but the lock wasn't the problem

 

[M29since14]

You can't go wrong with either the 586 or 686. I have both and really like them. Great dependable guns. Just a matter if you prefer blue or stainless.

I second this. If you are going to wear the gun in a holster, I’d favor a 686, but for the purposes you mention, I’d buy the nicest blue or nickel 586 you can find.

I’d also second the “most used” statement. I have “a few” .357s and the ones I’ve always enjoyed firing the most have been L-frames. They strike a nice trade off between the recoil “violence” of a K-frame when used with magnum ammunition and the excess (MHO) weight of the N-frames. That said, you ought to have at least one of all of them.

 

[Ameshawki]

I have a 586 no dash, a 686 Pro, a 681-1, and a 686-6 Plus.

They all work. The 686 Pro is probably the best of the lot.

 

[Harry Callihan]

This is one of my 686 no dashes and my favorite. It is a retired police duty gun from a small suburban department near me. The wood grips got replaced with the Pachmayr grips back in the day.. I left it like this, it's cool history. The timing and lock up are great on this gun despite being an old LE duty gun. The police department that carried these guns did so with full magnum loads.