I am looking for a 357mag 6" barrel. The couple I have seen are S&W 686, and Ruger gp100. I was wondering some opions about these and any others that would be good (quality, accurate, feels good, etc.)
-9r

686 hands down!! Great gun, shoot like a dream, super accurate, great trigger right out ofthe box, and most of all, its a Smith!! :D

thats the one I was leaning toward in a 6" but maybe a 4" not sure though. I want something accurate, but not too awkward when carrying it around.

What kind of frame is the 686 anyway, I see people talking about frames and holsters are designed for certain framed guns. but I cannot find what kind the 686 is.

thanks

-9r

How about a 627? im personally not sure, i THINK the 686 is a K frame and the 627 is an N frame, but i may be mistaken.

Ditto on the 686. It's an L-frame, and the smoothest trigger you can get out of the box.

686. Not the Ruger.

The 686 Is A Fine Handgun! It Is Built On The "l" Frame, Or It Is Inbetween The "k" And The "n" Frame. The "k" Frame Is Built For 22/32/38/357 Sized Cartridges. The "n" Frame Is Much Larger And Is Home To 357/41/44/45 Caliber Cartridges. The "l" Frame Is In The Middle Of Those Two. I Believe, But Are Not Positive That The K And L Frames Share The Same Grip Size. The 686 Was Built To Be A More Durable And Longer Lasting Frame Size For Continued Use Of 357 Magnum Cartridges. They Are Beefy! As Are The Ruger Gp 100.
The Smith Mod 19 Is Nice...not As Durable As The 686.
The Smith Has A Noticeable Smoother Trigger.
I Am Partial To S&w, But I'm Not Spending Your Money. There Are People Who Would Own Nothing But A Ruger.

Bottom Line....try Them Both And See Which Fits You The Best.

Pro Carry.....not Pro Kerry

SORRY, THE L CAME OUT AS A LOWER CASE....LOOKS LIKE AN i. SUPPOSED TO BE AN L.

How about a 627? im personally not sure, i THINK the 686 is a K frame and the 627 is an N frame, but i may be mistaken.


66 K-Frame 686 L-Frame 627 N-Frame

Ah, Thank you much, now i feel stupid :p

686, or maybe the 687 (7 shot?), most definately. I wish they still sold a 5 inch model (correct me if I'm wrong, I thought it's been discontinued), but if it's a target/hunting gun, then get it in 6 inch.

You could always look into a Taurus... www.TaurusUSA.com

They make a Tracker model with a 4", 6" and 12" barrel (7 shots) the Model 608 is an 8 shot that comes im 4" 6.5" and 8 3/8" the model 65 is a 6 shot in 4". the only problem i have had with ones i shot was one of them had a nasty trigger pull, needed an army to shoot it DA! but thats one of the 4 Taurus's i've shot.

The seven shot is actually the 686p or plus...ive seen a few 5 inch models, but VERY VERY few. Just get the 6inch...i think youll be happier in the long run with it...i carry mine when out hiking and the difference in size and weight is neglegable.

thanks all I will look into the 686 6" even more (the one I was leaning toward anyway)

and SFT http://firearms.smith-wesson.com/store/index.php3?cat=293566&item=865428&sw_activeTab=1
this is what I have found on their website so maybe its still around.

One of the guys at a local gunshop said the 'P' in 686P is for ported, but the S&W website says they hold 7 rounds instead of 6 (interesting).

The p is definetly not for ported :rolleyes: but is an indication of the 7 shot instead...both are excellent guns and i wouldnt hesatate to buy either one. I personally got the 6 shot just becuase i got a better deal on it, but if i could have gotten the same deal on the 7, i probably would have taken that...can never have too many shots!

I have used the N frame model 27, a 4" K frame model 19, 3" K m10, 2 1/2" K m66, and 4" L m586. For heavy duty use with max loads the N frame is excellent especially with heavy bullets over 158 grs. The L frame is easier to carry than the N frame and nearly as strong. they are on the heavy side though and if your going to do alot mre carrying than shooting your better off with the K frame. A 4' 19 or 66 is a great belt gun and not bad for concealed carry in a shoulder holster. It won't take as many full house rounds as an L frame(586,686,or686+) but you would really have to work at it to wear one out with reasonable loads. We used 66's when I worked nuclear security and we qualified every 30 days and we never had any problems with them. I used a 586 4" for private security and often cerried it in a shoulder holster when working "unarmed " jobs. I traded it for a 2 1/2" 66 a while ago and much prefer it for civilian concealed carry as the 4" barrel is akward in an inside the waist band holster, eapecially when driving. I also lost 10 oz. of weight, doesn't seem like much but it really makes a difference at the end of the day. Ruger makes good guns but personally I find them overly heavy for the caliber ,and not as finely made or finishedas S&W's. The barrel length is a personal thing as a 4" will shoot as good as a 10". For strictly hunting a 6 or 8 is good, but I've come to love the 4" for al around use.If you can find a 3" 66 it would probably be just about perfect as an everyday carry gun in city or country, but they are rare.

You wouldn't go wrong with either a 686 or GP100. The 686 will probably have a better trigger, but the GP can be very smooth.

If you want to look on the used gun market you might try finding a Colt King Cobra, good solid accurate guns. Or cheaper and easier to find a 6" Ruger Security Six.