Smith 686 ?

Yes it's generally a great revolver. Size wise, it's bigger than the K frame which generally only supports long term use of 38 SPL, but smaller than the N frame which support 44 MAG, etc plus 7 or 8 rounds of 357. Grab it if the price is right and it's not beat to hell.

Its a really good revolver with an outstanding trigger. The L frame will handle as many .357 mag rounds as you want to shoot through it.
The L frame is stout enough that they use it for their model 69 .44mag.

Driftwood Johnson should be along in a bit. DJ is a wealth of S&W model info and will hopefully fill you in on a bit of S&W product history.

I like my 4” 686+, the stainless 7-shot version of the L-frame 586/686 family. I have owned it for nearly 20 years, and I even carried it as a duty gun for a bit.

For whatever reasons that are still unknown, I only have two L frames, the 686+ and a 4.25” Model 69 .44 Magnum… but I have several each of the J, K, and N frames.

I think I will need to address this deficiency at some point soon.

Stay safe.

$500. That is an outstanding find!!

Just a personal perspective, but the 586/686 revolvers are the sweet spot in S&W's wheel gun inventory. Congratulations. Helluva buy!

I really love the K frame revolver, which is been around almost forever. Driftwood would know the start date, but when the original K frames were introduced, a 38 Special was considered a powerful round.



Even in the 90's prison guards carried 38 Specials



But times changed, and post WW2, Cops wanted more power, but not in a N frame. Bill Jordan was a Border Patrol Policeman, and he lobbied S&W to introduce a 357 Magnum version of the K frame. And it is a great pistol



Pretty much, Police shot 38 Specials in their Model 66's for practice and only occasionally used 357 Magnums, and if 357 Magnums were used, they were the 158 grain bullets. Which was fine. However the 125 grain bullets received a reputation for being the magic bullet in a 357, and they had to be driven hard. I think it was the late 1970's when IPSC and other quick draw "Combat" games were created, and civilian shooters were shooting ungodly amounts of ammunition through their revolvers in practice and competition. And, there was this "Major" and "minor" category. Major was equivalent to the momentum of a 230 grain bullet going 800 fps. That is, the major standard was based on 45 ACP ball, because the 1911 was God's gun to the combat crowd. If you wanted to make major with a 38 or 357, you had to push that 125 grain bullet hot. And since light bullets meant less recoil, and less recoil meant quicker recovery time, and the guy with the low time through the course won the game, the 125 grain bullet was common in revolver class.

The old K frame revolvers could not take it. A ten times PPC champ told me, he had a K frame 38 Special crack the forcing cone in front of the cylinder. The rules of the games he was shooting in required rounds to make "major", and the constant heat and pounding cracked the barrel. I remember the times, and the story was floating around that K frame 357's would crack forcing cones. I don't remember the exact year S&W introduced the L frame revolver, must have been mid 1980's but S&W beefed up the pistol, so it does weigh more than a K frame 357 Magnum, but it is not as large as the N frame. N frames are like a boat anchor on your belt. Heavy, wide, in the way.





For a competition pistol, the L frame is a great pistol. I know for a period the Police around here carried fixed sight L frame pistols. But not for long. Eventually all revolvers when in the ash heap for Law Enforcement when the high capacity 9mm's came out. These are pistols you load on Sunday and shoot all week without changing magazines!

I think the L frame killed off the Colt Python. A Python was $200 to $300 more, same size, and the lock works were less durable. The Trooper, I never knew of any Police force carrying them, surely some did. Considering the MKIII"s went out of production in 1982, and the MK V's in 1985, I doubt any Police force was interested in buying them after the production lines stopped



I heard they have their own reliability issues with the lockworks, the S&W lockworks were very reliable.

$500 for a NIB 686…did you also buy a lottery ticket?
You got a winner!

Good deal! Thats about 1/2 off the going rate for a 686 today, most used ones are about $800 for a beater to a grand for a good one around me locally.

Let us know how it shoots for you when you get a chance to shoot it.

Stay safe.

If I found a 686 for $ 500 I wouldn't hesitate to buy it.

savagelover said:

I bought it. It's new in box. 500.00 bucks. Another guy was looking at it,but I beat him to it.

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Yeah, you absolutely stole that gun. Especially considering today's prices.
Congratulations on a great buy.
IMHO the 686 is about perfect for the .357.
I would choose a 686 over a Python every day.

The 686 is very solid, Ive had a few and recently bought a 686 "International", nice gun.

Considering current MSRP, I'm kind of surprised S&W would even sell that cheaply to a distributor. I wonder how the store came by it at a low enough price as to not lose money selling it to you?

But hey, good deal. I hope you enjoy it.

savagelover said:

Is this a pretty good revolver. It's a 38/357. Why is it called a L frame. Is it made for heavy loads for deer hunting,etc. Thanks.

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No, they are terrible, run away!

Just kidding......

My favorite revolver.

A 500 dollar four inch 686 is exactly what I need! Pass some luck over here, ya did great. Enjoy your new wheel gun in good health, and hopefully you get some nice ammo for it.

It'll handle 357s just fine, but it's a real peach with 38 +p and standard pressure rounds- plenty for self defense against a man.

And versatile as a sidearm if you head into the back country.buffalo bore sells some very good 180 grain hardcast 357 rounds. They are very dear though in price. You would probably do well with any off the shelf 158 grain 357 rounds.

I keep their 158 grain lswc hp 38 +p in my L frame for the house.

With standard pressure 38s any member of the household can be very fast and accurate with an L frame.

158 grain jsp magnum rounds are enough for deer with good placement. Depends on barrel length is yours a 4 inch barrel? Congrats.

Walkalong said:

L Frame is just a size, larger than K Frame, smaller than an N Frame.

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Right, the L frame is larger than the K frrame but S&W kept the grip frame on the L frame the same as the K frame.

So, except that the L frame is a bit heavier than a K frame, it feels the same when gripped.

The L frames are great revolvers.

Best doggone 357 they ever made, overall. Big enough to be durable, small enough not to be cumbersome and cool enough to outperform any Python ever made. I have a 686+ and have had about every version of Python, 27, and 28 made since 1968 and the only one left in my "arsenal" is the +. And a SP101, Security Six 2 3\4" and a Blackhawk SS 357, but,...... you know