S&W 686+Pro review

Pistola Pedro · July 25, 2017, 02:41 PM

I've had this one for a while now and if anyone cares for my thoughts, I do have a few. This is the 5 inch model. Overall this is a very good multi-purpose revolver. There are some quirks that I am still getting used to and some things that S&W dropped the ball on. I chose this model to have a revolver I could compete with, have fun with, and use for home defense. Obviously a 627 makes a tad more sense here, but that ups the frame size to where my wife is uncomfortable and this gun is mainly for her. She loves revolvers. This gun fit the bill for what I was looking for perfectly. It's too heavy and bulky to be a good carry gun and too light to be a great hunting gun (for me), but is perfectly suited for the quick access gun safe at home and fun range shooting at the club.

In the case is a handsome looking revolver with the normal cable lock and papers, 2 keys, and 2 moon clips. Right off the bat I think this is a place where S&W should have done better. Not the frame lock. That doesn't bother me and my wife loves it. Moon clips are cheap. Very cheap. I'm guessing they can produce 10 of them for well under $3. Why just include 2? At the very least they should've included 5. Why 5? A moonclipped Pro Series should be ready for competition out of the box. 2 moonclips will not get you through a stage of competition. It will also not save you any time at the range as you will spend more time loading them and then stripping the empties from them then manually loading would take.Most competitors will likely be using an 8 shot revolver anyway, but why try to skimp on something so easy?

The gun balances a little farther to the rear than I'm used to and points very quickly. This isn't to say that it aims quickly, but more on that later. I'm used to a little more muzzle heaviness a la Ruger GP100 and grew fond of it, but I'm getting to like the balance on this gun quite a bit as well. The hammer is a superior product on the Smith and I find it easier to manipulate. The cylinder release is ergonomic and textured well. Pressing it forward is every bit as intuitive as Ruger's design that presses in. Both are far superior to models that have the shooter pull back. I love that the Smith keeps the extractor rod captive when there cylinder is closed. No rattle from that part at all (take note Ruger). Extraction is positive and effortless (especially when using moonclips).

The trigger on this model comes from the factory feeling very smooth. This is an obvious upgrade over Ruger. Double action is extremely smooth through the cylinder rotation and only seems to have a tiny amount of grit/rub right before the hammer falls. Single action is flawless. No sear or hammer faults to be felt and very little travel at all. No take up. No over travel. Dry firing it a ton improved the trigger pull a lot. Too much. I could tell something was off. The tension screw worked itself loose. The tension screw was new to me. On the Ruger models the spring is what it is. No tensioning or anything. With the Smith models, less tension might mean lighter pull weight but will also mean primers not igniting. So then you take it apart.

The grips come off easy enough, but then things start getting more complex. The side plate is a 3 screw system and they have different sizes so you need to try and keep them organized for smoother reassembly. This is a more difficult to disassemble/reassemble gun than the GP100. Not horribly so, but it's noticeable. I don't mind that S&W didn't loctite the tension screw or any of the others. I'm thinking they were banking on customers wanting to play with the internals and switch out springs. I do wish that I could trust the tension screw to stay in place without loctite, but I don't.

2 more places I need to condemn S&W before I sing their praises. The grips that come on this gun do not make sense. The normal 686 comes with light finger grooves. This one comes with drastic finger grooves. Why? The finger grooves can be a help in getting a good grip quickly if, and only if, they happen to fit your hand perfectly. If not, it's a hindrance. Hand shapes and sizes are highly variable, so it surprises me that a set of grooveless grips wasn't chosen (note that S&W can't seem to make up their mind on this as you look across their models). These grips don't fit me very well and will have to go. More $.
The front sight will also have to go. Who did they think would like that abomination? This should have been a fiber optic for sure.... Or at least a good bead....or at least a serrated plain sight. Anything would have been better. Instead you get a plain black sight with edges that aren't very sharp and are cheaply blued so that it doesn't provide good contrast to just about anything. It will be easy to change out (not as easy as the GP100, which absolutely nailed the front sight installation method), but they HAD to know that this was a sight that no one wanted. Do better S&W.

Shooting it is fun! I don't think the moonclips have made me any faster at reloading, but certainly is nice for unloading and picking up your brass. I'm a fan of the moonclips. Also the chamfering makes loading smoother. The gun shoots fine without moonclips as well obviously. Accuracy is every bit as good as any 6 inch GP 100 I've owned, and handling is probably faster than any 4 inch I've had. The swept underlug really has more effect than I expected. It begs to go fast. I don't shoot from a rest usually so I won't post group sizes, but it hits where I want it to every time. I like the recessed crown for keeping that accuracy safe. Once I get the gun up and on target (which seems like an eternity to find that front sight), I can usually pull as fast as I want and keep knocking down plates as long as I don't lose that front sight. Using single action makes accuracy too easy. If you practice at all, you really won't even need single action though. The trigger is pretty dang good. Yes, I've been able to make my Rugers have nicer triggers than this, but it took time and effort. This one is great as is. I'm wondering how good I can get it with similar effort as what I put into the Rugers. The cylinder seems to get hotter than any other revolver I've had. That might be because it's a 7 shot and has slightly thinner walls and it might be because I'm shooting it a little faster. Recoil is heavier than on the GP100, but that is obviously due to the weight (2 ounces lighter than the 4 inch GP). It's still a pleasant shooter for me and with .38s you should be back on target before you finish your next trigger stroke (I am and I have a sissy grip and a very fast trigger finger...bad combo)

Overall I'm very happy with it. I don't know that it's worth the extra money over a normal 686 (definitely not if you don't like moonclips) and it hasn't done anything to make me forget the many awesome attributes of the Ruger line, but it's a solid gun. I'm not sure if I want to play with the springs or not just yet. The grips are already being replaced and the only reason I haven't changed the front sight is because I'll be removing the rear sight soon too. I'm going to turn this into a red dot gun and shoot it at Steel Challenge just for fun.

Hopefully this helps someone. Let me know if you have questions.
Pete

Cosmodragoon · July 28, 2017, 03:59 AM

Nice review. I really like this gun. Minus the lock hole, I think it's very pretty and balances well aesthetically. I've become fond of 5"-barrels in general but this full-sized 7-shooter is something special. Yeah, the 627 would give you an extra shot but it's sort of the chunky opposite of everything I like on this gun. If I want to carry a bigger revolver, I'll carry one in a bigger caliber. If I want more capacity, I'll just take a semi-auto. The 686+ Pro is almost perfect for what it is.

Besides the lock hole, my other grippe is with the grips. They are nice and cushy against my fingers but exposed backstraps and magnum loads aren't a good combination in my book. Luckily, L-frames can wear X-frame grips. You might want to handle an XVR at your local gunshop to see how they fit your hand. Besides the difference in surface area and simply covering the backstrap, there is a little pocket cushion similar to what you might have noticed on the LCR grips (as a fellow Ruger fan). The X-frame grip makes the 686 very comfortable to shoot with about any load in .357 magnum. It may also help to alleviate a balance issue you mentioned.

Reader850 · August 5, 2017, 10:36 PM

Excellent review. It applies equally to its cousin, the 5" 986 (9 mm), though I apparently haven't fired it enough to loosen any screws. I don't like the grip, exposed back strap, or front sight. Otherwise it is great. Love the moon clips. It is a fun shooter!

Model12Win · August 5, 2017, 11:15 PM

Needs pichers!!

Pistola Pedro · August 6, 2017, 05:48 PM

Thanks! One question I've been asked is about fit and lock up. I'm not a guy who worries too much about cylinder gap as long as it's consistent. This one is crazy tight and very consistent. Lock up is also as tight as I've felt. No wiggle room yet.

FITASC · August 6, 2017, 05:58 PM

Quote:

I'm thinking they were banking on customers wanting to play with the internals and switch out springs. I do wish that I could trust the tension screw to stay in place without loctite, but I don't.

No, not really. Most folks never take the side plate off. The tension screw should do just fine unless you have been playing too much with it. NEVER use loctite, there are better alternatives.

As for moon clips, they don't know what your plans are; same could be said for ARs - why don't they come with 6 or more mags?

muzzleblast... · August 6, 2017, 08:27 PM

Well written review. I handled one of the 3" + models in the LGS the other day. It almost stuck to my hand. I am still thinking about it.

Pistola Pedro · August 7, 2017, 01:50 PM

Thanks muzzleblast! You'd probably love it!

FITASC, are you speaking on behalf of S&W? Your factual statement implied you are. Either way, I'd suggest to you that the fact that more than one company offers various spring kits for nearly every model of S&W revolver, says that plenty of people take the side plate off. Furthermore, I didn't remove move my side plate until the tension screw came loose from simple dry firing, so I doubt that it can be counted on as long as I don't "play too much with it". Also, despite your warning, I went ahead and put loctite on this gun as I have with several other parts that I compete with. It has yet to fail me.
As far as the moonclips go, I believe I put decent reasoning into my review about why they should include more (they are extremely cheap, a course of fire typically calls for at least 4 or 5, etc.). None of these same things apply to an AR.

I am not sure if you intended for those to be good arguments against what I had said or if you simply like to try and critique people's reviews. What I wrote is to help those looking for information. If you feel the need to disagree, perhaps you should buy one and write your own review.

July 25, 2017, 02:41 PM	#1
Pistola Pedro Senior Member Join Date: May 21, 2005 Posts: 178	S&W 686+Pro review I've had this one for a while now and if anyone cares for my thoughts, I do have a few. This is the 5 inch model. Overall this is a very good multi-purpose revolver. There are some quirks that I am still getting used to and some things that S&W dropped the ball on. I chose this model to have a revolver I could compete with, have fun with, and use for home defense. Obviously a 627 makes a tad more sense here, but that ups the frame size to where my wife is uncomfortable and this gun is mainly for her. She loves revolvers. This gun fit the bill for what I was looking for perfectly. It's too heavy and bulky to be a good carry gun and too light to be a great hunting gun (for me), but is perfectly suited for the quick access gun safe at home and fun range shooting at the club. In the case is a handsome looking revolver with the normal cable lock and papers, 2 keys, and 2 moon clips. Right off the bat I think this is a place where S&W should have done better. Not the frame lock. That doesn't bother me and my wife loves it. Moon clips are cheap. Very cheap. I'm guessing they can produce 10 of them for well under $3. Why just include 2? At the very least they should've included 5. Why 5? A moonclipped Pro Series should be ready for competition out of the box. 2 moonclips will not get you through a stage of competition. It will also not save you any time at the range as you will spend more time loading them and then stripping the empties from them then manually loading would take.Most competitors will likely be using an 8 shot revolver anyway, but why try to skimp on something so easy? The gun balances a little farther to the rear than I'm used to and points very quickly. This isn't to say that it aims quickly, but more on that later. I'm used to a little more muzzle heaviness a la Ruger GP100 and grew fond of it, but I'm getting to like the balance on this gun quite a bit as well. The hammer is a superior product on the Smith and I find it easier to manipulate. The cylinder release is ergonomic and textured well. Pressing it forward is every bit as intuitive as Ruger's design that presses in. Both are far superior to models that have the shooter pull back. I love that the Smith keeps the extractor rod captive when there cylinder is closed. No rattle from that part at all (take note Ruger). Extraction is positive and effortless (especially when using moonclips). The trigger on this model comes from the factory feeling very smooth. This is an obvious upgrade over Ruger. Double action is extremely smooth through the cylinder rotation and only seems to have a tiny amount of grit/rub right before the hammer falls. Single action is flawless. No sear or hammer faults to be felt and very little travel at all. No take up. No over travel. Dry firing it a ton improved the trigger pull a lot. Too much. I could tell something was off. The tension screw worked itself loose. The tension screw was new to me. On the Ruger models the spring is what it is. No tensioning or anything. With the Smith models, less tension might mean lighter pull weight but will also mean primers not igniting. So then you take it apart. The grips come off easy enough, but then things start getting more complex. The side plate is a 3 screw system and they have different sizes so you need to try and keep them organized for smoother reassembly. This is a more difficult to disassemble/reassemble gun than the GP100. Not horribly so, but it's noticeable. I don't mind that S&W didn't loctite the tension screw or any of the others. I'm thinking they were banking on customers wanting to play with the internals and switch out springs. I do wish that I could trust the tension screw to stay in place without loctite, but I don't. 2 more places I need to condemn S&W before I sing their praises. The grips that come on this gun do not make sense. The normal 686 comes with light finger grooves. This one comes with drastic finger grooves. Why? The finger grooves can be a help in getting a good grip quickly if, and only if, they happen to fit your hand perfectly. If not, it's a hindrance. Hand shapes and sizes are highly variable, so it surprises me that a set of grooveless grips wasn't chosen (note that S&W can't seem to make up their mind on this as you look across their models). These grips don't fit me very well and will have to go. More $. The front sight will also have to go. Who did they think would like that abomination? This should have been a fiber optic for sure.... Or at least a good bead....or at least a serrated plain sight. Anything would have been better. Instead you get a plain black sight with edges that aren't very sharp and are cheaply blued so that it doesn't provide good contrast to just about anything. It will be easy to change out (not as easy as the GP100, which absolutely nailed the front sight installation method), but they HAD to know that this was a sight that no one wanted. Do better S&W. Shooting it is fun! I don't think the moonclips have made me any faster at reloading, but certainly is nice for unloading and picking up your brass. I'm a fan of the moonclips. Also the chamfering makes loading smoother. The gun shoots fine without moonclips as well obviously. Accuracy is every bit as good as any 6 inch GP 100 I've owned, and handling is probably faster than any 4 inch I've had. The swept underlug really has more effect than I expected. It begs to go fast. I don't shoot from a rest usually so I won't post group sizes, but it hits where I want it to every time. I like the recessed crown for keeping that accuracy safe. Once I get the gun up and on target (which seems like an eternity to find that front sight), I can usually pull as fast as I want and keep knocking down plates as long as I don't lose that front sight. Using single action makes accuracy too easy. If you practice at all, you really won't even need single action though. The trigger is pretty dang good. Yes, I've been able to make my Rugers have nicer triggers than this, but it took time and effort. This one is great as is. I'm wondering how good I can get it with similar effort as what I put into the Rugers. The cylinder seems to get hotter than any other revolver I've had. That might be because it's a 7 shot and has slightly thinner walls and it might be because I'm shooting it a little faster. Recoil is heavier than on the GP100, but that is obviously due to the weight (2 ounces lighter than the 4 inch GP). It's still a pleasant shooter for me and with .38s you should be back on target before you finish your next trigger stroke (I am and I have a sissy grip and a very fast trigger finger...bad combo) Overall I'm very happy with it. I don't know that it's worth the extra money over a normal 686 (definitely not if you don't like moonclips) and it hasn't done anything to make me forget the many awesome attributes of the Ruger line, but it's a solid gun. I'm not sure if I want to play with the springs or not just yet. The grips are already being replaced and the only reason I haven't changed the front sight is because I'll be removing the rear sight soon too. I'm going to turn this into a red dot gun and shoot it at Steel Challenge just for fun. Hopefully this helps someone. Let me know if you have questions. Pete Last edited by Pistola Pedro; July 25, 2017 at 05:13 PM.

July 28, 2017, 03:59 AM	#2
Cosmodragoon Senior Member Join Date: March 18, 2013 Location: Northeastern US Posts: 1,869	Nice review. I really like this gun. Minus the lock hole, I think it's very pretty and balances well aesthetically. I've become fond of 5"-barrels in general but this full-sized 7-shooter is something special. Yeah, the 627 would give you an extra shot but it's sort of the chunky opposite of everything I like on this gun. If I want to carry a bigger revolver, I'll carry one in a bigger caliber. If I want more capacity, I'll just take a semi-auto. The 686+ Pro is almost perfect for what it is. Besides the lock hole, my other grippe is with the grips. They are nice and cushy against my fingers but exposed backstraps and magnum loads aren't a good combination in my book. Luckily, L-frames can wear X-frame grips. You might want to handle an XVR at your local gunshop to see how they fit your hand. Besides the difference in surface area and simply covering the backstrap, there is a little pocket cushion similar to what you might have noticed on the LCR grips (as a fellow Ruger fan). The X-frame grip makes the 686 very comfortable to shoot with about any load in .357 magnum. It may also help to alleviate a balance issue you mentioned.

August 5, 2017, 10:36 PM	#3
Reader850 Member Join Date: July 6, 2011 Posts: 47	Excellent review. It applies equally to its cousin, the 5" 986 (9 mm), though I apparently haven't fired it enough to loosen any screws. I don't like the grip, exposed back strap, or front sight. Otherwise it is great. Love the moon clips. It is a fun shooter!

August 5, 2017, 11:15 PM	#4
Model12Win Junior member Join Date: October 20, 2012 Posts: 5,854	Needs pichers!!

August 6, 2017, 05:48 PM	#5
Pistola Pedro Senior Member Join Date: May 21, 2005 Posts: 178	Thanks! One question I've been asked is about fit and lock up. I'm not a guy who worries too much about cylinder gap as long as it's consistent. This one is crazy tight and very consistent. Lock up is also as tight as I've felt. No wiggle room yet.

August 6, 2017, 08:27 PM	#7
muzzleblast... Senior Member Join Date: April 16, 2015 Location: Obwat, TN Posts: 285	Well written review. I handled one of the 3" + models in the LGS the other day. It almost stuck to my hand. I am still thinking about it.

August 7, 2017, 01:50 PM	#8
Pistola Pedro Senior Member Join Date: May 21, 2005 Posts: 178	Thanks muzzleblast! You'd probably love it! FITASC, are you speaking on behalf of S&W? Your factual statement implied you are. Either way, I'd suggest to you that the fact that more than one company offers various spring kits for nearly every model of S&W revolver, says that plenty of people take the side plate off. Furthermore, I didn't remove move my side plate until the tension screw came loose from simple dry firing, so I doubt that it can be counted on as long as I don't "play too much with it". Also, despite your warning, I went ahead and put loctite on this gun as I have with several other parts that I compete with. It has yet to fail me. As far as the moonclips go, I believe I put decent reasoning into my review about why they should include more (they are extremely cheap, a course of fire typically calls for at least 4 or 5, etc.). None of these same things apply to an AR. I am not sure if you intended for those to be good arguments against what I had said or if you simply like to try and critique people's reviews. What I wrote is to help those looking for information. If you feel the need to disagree, perhaps you should buy one and write your own review.