PC: 327 2" VS 586 L-comp for CC.

[Cerick]

Hey guys. Thinking of a gun to get just in case that NJ Shall issue CCW bill passes. At first I was gonna get a 340 but now I want some more ummph.

The 2" 327 has 8 shots for a .357 mag and good concealibility, where the 586 L-comp only has one shot less, and would be more comfortable to shoot.

Also I think the 327 looks a decent amount more badass. Any thoughts would be appreaciated, especially from those who own one or both of the guns.

327
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e45/dutchmaster151/327snub.jpg

586 L-comp
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e45/dutchmaster151/586Lcomp.jpg

[STAGE 2]

I have the L-comp and while I love it, I don't think I'd ever carry it. Its compact but in all the wrong ways. The grip is too short which makes the gun top heavy, and for a gun of this size, heavy it is. If you had a proper holster then it might work, but then again a proper holster would make a fullsize pistol good to carry which would negate the point of carrying a smaller gun.

Dont get me wrong, I absolutely love my L comp. But between the two, I'd definately go for the other pistol.

[Wayward_Son]

I've been drooling over the 586 L-Comp for a couple months. It would definitely be my pick between the two.

[rogertc1]

I have a 2" 327 on its way from Buds to my FFL as I write. Has a lot of neat features on it.
As a collector I don't plan on shooting this one but I found it attractive. S&W sells a holster.

[Evyl Robot]

OK. *cracking knuckles*

I was actually considering both of these guns when I was looking for a CCW. They are both tuned-action precision machines. The 8-shot is really cool. I love N-Frames. The thing about N-frames though, is that they shoot better than they carry. If you don't mind having a cylinder protrusion the size of a large lime under your cover garment, go for it. When you go from the 3-in tube down to the not-quite 2, you are giving up a lot of barrel, but not really making the overall size of the gun any easier to carry - which defeats the advantages of an N-frame in the first place.

This is why I wound up getting the L-Comp. It is a nice compromise on so many different levels. I don't like either set of grips that comes with it, but your mileage may vary. I've loved the crisp action from day-1. I've learned that moonclips really are faster than strips or loaders. I've learned to love the tritium dot, and to tolerate the ported muzzle. This gun balances well and has a lot of meat to absorb recoil. I think I might actually prefer it to be bright blue or stainless as opposed to the matte blue, but that's a very minor complaint.

In fact, I love the 586 so much that I had to get a second. As sweet as the first one is, my second one is just slightly sweeter. It's like the action is just slightly more precise and lighter than the action on the first. The first one gave me troubles with light primer strikes, but a little nail polish on the mainspring screw threads fixed that problem. It had been backing out after about 50 or so shots. The second one has given me no such problems.

I was shocked at how comfortable it is to wear both guns. I have them in mirrored, home-grown, pancake holsters at 4:30 and 7:30. They are heavy, but with the proper belt and holsters, I forget they are there. For stowage (when I have to put them elsewhere to go into the school to get the boy, or post office, or whatever), the moonclips are wonderful! They both shoot well, left- or right-handed. POA to POI is not quite as intuitive as my wife's 627PC, but it's not far off from that level.

I had thought about getting a 686+ and having it tuned, cut for 'clips, and install a night-sight, but at that point, I would have paid for the L-Comp and then some. I don't know for certain, but I believe they only made 1000 of these. Others are certain to correct me if I mis-speak on that one.

So many of these threads where the OP asks should I get this gun or that gun, my response is to get them both. Not this time. Get the 586. You will love it. If you want an N-Frame, then ALSO get an N-frame, but not that one. Get a real N-Frame as a range gun. The 327 snubby is an oddity that doesn't really fit in a niche in real life. It's neat as a novelty, but it's the answer to the question that nobody asked.

IMHO,

--Michael

[J32A2]

327 is my CCW piece
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o312/bvh1980/test9-08007.jpg

[Technosavant]

You might be surprised as to just how manageable the 327 is to shoot. Mine has a 5" barrel (the TRR8), but I doubt 3" worth of barrel is all THAT taming. It's remarkably easy to shoot (I load mid-powered magnums for it; 158g XTP propelled by about 14g of H110)- far easier than standard pressure .38spl in a 642.

The only issue is hiding that grip and thick cylinder so it doesn't print- not terribly simple.

[Cerick]

That would probably be one of my winter carry guns. Wouldn't be easy to carry that concealed in the summer.

[azredhawk44]

I like the looks of the L-comp better. I'm a big fan of 3-4" revolvers over their 2" brethren. I've got a 3" SP-101 that gets carried a lot more than my 2" 642-1.

I also like the slightly smaller cylinder diameter of the L-Comp as well. I will carry my 4" Redhawk around town once in awhile, and it isn't the cylinder that's a problem for concealment... it's the grip length. The L-Comp has a truncated grip and the height from grip-bottom to top strap is less on it than the 627.

That and I hate the space-age silly look of contrasting frame finish from the cylinder and barrel.

[20nickels]

Not to drift, but I looked at both and split the difference with the 386 L frame. Yeah, I shoot an N frame like no other gun I've ever handled, but I'm giving up very little. I do plan on moonclipping it and maybe porting eventually.

[Evyl Robot]

20Nickles, I had actually considered going that direction as well. The NG386 (http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=10001&productId=67973&langId=-1&isFirearm=Y) is pretty sweet! It's got the 2.5-in barrel without an extra hole, and it's an attractive weight for carrying and shooting. Dish the cylinder and tune the action on one of those, and I would call that a winner! :cool:

--Michael

[20nickels]

Small world. Truth be told I bought a 386 SC/S (tks, Denpro!) and would be very interested in finding the same Trijicon sight as found on yer 586 L-comp although I have not looked down one. What is your opinion of it? Is it big/bright enough at night? Tks.

[Evyl Robot]

20N,

The Trijicon dot on the L-comp works very well at night. In low-light conditions, it sights in very efficiently. For full-light shooting, I kind of wish it had the white ring around it. Then again, the bad guys usually do their deeds in the night, so I suppose it's ideal for a defensive gun. I've thought about putting some model paint or something on the ramp, but have not.

--Michael

[rogertc1]

I got my 327 yesterday from my FFL via Buds. Waiting on a S&W hoilster and I'll give it a carry. Really light weight andf ballanced. No regrets on getting it. Fantastic trigger. The Preformance Shop really worked it over.