The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > Hogan's Alley > Handguns: The Revolver Forum

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old March 2, 2011, 06:38 PM   #1
goonie76
Member
 
Join Date: March 21, 2010
Location: ft worth, tx
Posts: 22
gp100 vs s&w 686

im new to revolvers and have be browsing the revolver forum quite a bit getting various opinions on these two models, one of which will be my first full size revolver. with price not being a factor in the decision, which of these two revolvers would be a better purchase regarding longevity, ease of maintenance, quality and, i hope it never comes to it, resale value?
thanks for the input
goonie76 is offline  
Old March 2, 2011, 06:44 PM   #2
mikejonestkd
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 3, 2006
Location: Brockport, NY
Posts: 3,723
Here's a bit of reading material:

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=185376

Personally, I own both and the smith has a better trigger, but otherwise both are excellent 357 revolvers.
__________________
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
mikejonestkd is offline  
Old March 2, 2011, 06:57 PM   #3
dgludwig
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 12, 2005
Location: North central Ohio
Posts: 7,486
Both are good revolvers and have their individual advantages and disadvantages. Like mikejonesgkd opined, imo, the Smith&Wesson has the better trigger. Also, the Smith will probably have a better resale value over time.
What is your planned use (i.e., a self-defense carry weapon, a home defense gun, a range/target gun, a hunting gun, a camping/plinking gun or an everything in-between gun?) for the revolver? If you plan on carrying it, the Smith is larger and heavier. On the other hand, you can get the "plus" version of the model 686 and get a seven round capacity, nothing to sneeze at if your intended purpose is for self-defense. Once you decide what you want the gun for, the decision of which one to buy becomes a little more rational.
__________________
ONLY AN ARMED PEOPLE CAN BE TRULY FREE ; ONLY AN UNARMED PEOPLE CAN EVER BE ENSLAVED
...Aristotle
NRA Benefactor Life Member
dgludwig is offline  
Old March 2, 2011, 07:02 PM   #4
goonie76
Member
 
Join Date: March 21, 2010
Location: ft worth, tx
Posts: 22
usage

it will be a plinking/range toy as i carry a colt defender for ccw and keep an hk usp 45 in the night stand

Last edited by goonie76; March 2, 2011 at 07:32 PM.
goonie76 is offline  
Old March 2, 2011, 07:17 PM   #5
SwampYankee
Registration in progress
 
Join Date: November 1, 2008
Location: I can be found on a number of other forums.
Posts: 1,333
Consider a used Security/Speed/Service Six.
SwampYankee is offline  
Old March 2, 2011, 07:34 PM   #6
bossman
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 16, 2010
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 996
If price is no factor I'd say the S&W 686 or even the 686+. Both the S&W 686 and the Ruger GP-100 are excellant guns. I'd say you can't go wrong on either of your choices. The S&W will have a higher resale but you pay more up front so it works out about the same. I never let resale affect my purchace up front.
bossman is offline  
Old March 2, 2011, 09:12 PM   #7
roaddog28
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 15, 2009
Location: Escondido, CA
Posts: 961
Hi,
These two revolvers have been compared many times. There is not a clear cut advantage. I will give you some features on both. I own both a 686 and GP100.
First the S&W 686.
1. Smooth double action pull.
2. Very accurate.
3. Good looking as most S&W are.
4. Better resale value than the Ruger.
5. Will shoot a steady diet of factory 357 magnums.

Ruger GP100.
1. Probably the strongest medium frame 357 magnum made now. In my opinion the GP100 has the stronger trigger group and will last long than the 686.
2. A person can field strip the GP100 without any special tools.
3. Like the Smith this revolver is very accurate.
4. The trigger on most is good. Maybe not quite as good out of the box as the S&W. But the good thing is a gunsmith can slick up the trigger to be just as good as a S&W. That is what I did.
5. Too me the best value in a 357 magnum revolver.
I love both of these revolvers. It really comes down to a personnal decision. Best thing to is rent and shoot both revolvers.

Good luck,
roaddog28 is offline  
Old March 2, 2011, 11:53 PM   #8
BarkSlayer
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 26, 2008
Location: Northwest Ohio
Posts: 265
I found myself considering the same two revolvers several years ago. After collecting all of the same information here, I chose the 686 with a 4" barrel and never looked back. Since then, I've come home with several more Smiths. They really grow on you!
BarkSlayer is offline  
Old March 3, 2011, 12:25 AM   #9
Ichiro
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 16, 2005
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 888
For all practical purposes, they are the same. Pick one and go for it.
Ichiro is offline  
Old March 3, 2011, 07:37 AM   #10
Kreyzhorse
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 12, 2006
Location: NKY
Posts: 12,463
The S&W costs more but has a slightly better trigger. As far as resale value, the S&W will likely resale a little higher. For every thing else, the two guns are basically the same.

Pick the one you like the best and you'll end up with the best gun out of the two. Both of them with proper care will last your lifetime trouble free.

I own a 686. My buddy owns a GP100. I prefer my S&W but if I ever had to replace it, I'd look long and hard at a Ruger before I automatically bought another S&W.
__________________
"He who laughs last, laughs dead." Homer Simpson
Kreyzhorse is offline  
Old March 3, 2011, 07:56 AM   #11
Leejack
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 15, 2007
Location: The Alamo!
Posts: 2,056
Great guns:

The downside:

Smith, the price. Ruger, the looks.

Upside:

It's all good!
Leejack is offline  
Old March 3, 2011, 10:26 AM   #12
LafeHubert
Member
 
Join Date: September 28, 2009
Location: Paradise, Ca.
Posts: 71
I have a 4" bbl S&W Model 586 and a 686 powerport with a 6" tube. I also have a GP-100 with 4" barrel. Of the four pistols the Model 686 powerport is the easiest to shoot full house loads through. If I had to walk off into the woods I would be happy with either the S&W 586 or the GP-100. If I was going to go after black tailed deer in the coastal range, I'd take the S&W 686 and mount a very good red dot sight on it. The Colt Python is the ~same frame size as the GP-100 and S&W 596.686, but I never enjoyed the clunky and stagy trigger pull of the Python or the Trooper.

LafeHubert
LafeHubert is offline  
Old March 3, 2011, 11:01 AM   #13
Walkalong
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 30, 2007
Location: Al.
Posts: 196
I like the single action on the 586/686 better and the double action on the GP-100 better, but both are excellent guns. If you can, you should really handle both of them to see which feels good to you.

Hard to go wrong either way.
Walkalong is offline  
Old March 3, 2011, 11:07 AM   #14
kylen
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 19, 2010
Location: North Florida
Posts: 253
Get the S&W 686!

I was just talking about my S&W 686-5.... check out the thread for helpful info and pics!

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=442851
kylen is offline  
Old March 3, 2011, 12:07 PM   #15
Ala Dan
Member in memoriam
 
Join Date: August 13, 1999
Location: In The HOT, Humid, and Mu
Posts: 6,116
S&W Model 686

At the recent IRC, all but one revolver shooter was shooting a Smith & Wesson;
with most being the 8-shot model 627. This has gott'a tell you something~!
Ala Dan is offline  
Old March 3, 2011, 12:08 PM   #16
joneb
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 10, 2005
Location: Central , OR
Posts: 1,888
I would get the GP-100 over a S&W with the internal lock and MIM parts.
joneb is offline  
Old March 3, 2011, 01:09 PM   #17
dgludwig
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 12, 2005
Location: North central Ohio
Posts: 7,486
I take it then that you prefer investment cast over forged steel . Uh oh, Pandora's Box has just been opened a crack.
__________________
ONLY AN ARMED PEOPLE CAN BE TRULY FREE ; ONLY AN UNARMED PEOPLE CAN EVER BE ENSLAVED
...Aristotle
NRA Benefactor Life Member
dgludwig is offline  
Old March 3, 2011, 01:17 PM   #18
spacecoast
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 14, 2009
Location: Sunshine and Keystone States
Posts: 4,461
When I was buying my first handgun I had the same choice, a new GP100 vs. a used S&W 686-4 at exactly the same price (both 6" barrels). I chose the S&W and have never been sorry that I did since I have never seen a similar S&W at the same shop since. I got lucky, since I didn't know it at the time, but the -4 is the last one they made without either ILS or MIM parts.
spacecoast is offline  
Old March 3, 2011, 05:01 PM   #19
deluxejunk
Junior Member
 
Join Date: April 15, 2009
Location: Fredericksburg, VA
Posts: 8
S&W

Look at a S&W on one of the auction sites if you are price conscious. Both are good guns. I hate to see the debate back and forth from owners trashing one or the other (but not in this thread).

I just made the S&W choice and couldn't be happier, but I got the half lug older versions. Classy.
deluxejunk is offline  
Old March 3, 2011, 05:18 PM   #20
gearhounds
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 20, 2011
Location: M'burg WV
Posts: 332
I have had both as many here have, and found that with much dry firing, the Ruger trigger surpasses the Smith. My agency converted to Semi's in the mid 90's and up til that point, we carried the 686. I carried my own personal GP100, and found it superior to the Smith in every way. Every other officer that handled my GP was amazed at the smooth, grit free trigger. Did I get a one in a 100,000 gun? I don't think so. Again, dry firing it extensively seemed to self polish the inner workings to a smoothness the 686's could not match. A coil mainspring probably helped as well, compared to the Smith's flat one.

My 2 rounds worth.
gearhounds is offline  
Old March 3, 2011, 06:10 PM   #21
breed
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 9, 2009
Posts: 230
it all depends on what it will be used for.if i am just looking for a gun to use for a truck gun boat gun or woods gun. that well basically be beat to heck.then for the right price I'd maybe get a ruger. if i was looking for one for any thing else it would be a s&w. that I'd be proud to pass down to my son...that's just me.
breed is offline  
Old March 3, 2011, 06:57 PM   #22
Garybock
Member
 
Join Date: March 24, 2010
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 97
686

I liked my 4 inch barrel SW 686 so much I bought the 3 inch barrel modell too.
Garybock is offline  
Old March 3, 2011, 07:10 PM   #23
a_just_cause
Junior Member
 
Join Date: March 13, 2009
Posts: 13
I have a 686 no dash 4" in good shape... I'm wondering if this model is seen as a positive or negative in terms of the 'no dash' in comparison to other versions.

I'm asking to help guide me whether to hang on to it or to look at as an option to trade in the near future.
Thanks!
a_just_cause is offline  
Old March 3, 2011, 09:59 PM   #24
joneb
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 10, 2005
Location: Central , OR
Posts: 1,888
Quote:
I hate to see the debate back and forth from owners trashing one or the other (but not in this thread).
Sorry, I was just sharing my opinion

I have a S&W with a lock and it doesn't bother me at all

http://thefiringline.com/forums/atta...0&d=1142700996
joneb is offline  
Old March 4, 2011, 07:44 AM   #25
Amin Parker
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 19, 2010
Posts: 1,118
Its too close to call because both are excellent revolvers. The Smith just has a bit more love.
Amin Parker is offline  
Reply

Tags
gp100 , revolver , s&w 686

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:37 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2024 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.05871 seconds with 8 queries