Original 686 or original King Cobra

I picked this one...

Why not Ruger?

I hate these "you gotta pick one" scenarios because I live in America.

I do not have only one option.

Current Colts are very nice: good SA triggers and in the King Cobra .22 Target I have, Colt finally figured out how to make a good/excellent DA trigger. Older Colts just not so. And getting one worked on or finding parts for one is realistically impossible.

Smith's...you can take their SA triggers and probably 90% of their DA triggers and do good work right out of the box. Parts...there are plenty. Gunsmith help...lots of it. Accuracy...of the two dozen + that I've owned, only one would not hold sub 2" groups at 25 yds from a rest with good loads. (guessing now as it's been 55 years since I bought my first one) The one lemon was a 4" M-25 when they first came out: throats were 0.458" and the groove dia. was 0.452"...I could toss walnuts in tighter groups than that revolver would shoot. A trip to Springfield's factory service desk (I had a friend there at the time), revealed that the oversized throats were to factory design. Several years (decades?) later Smith finally figured it out around the dash 6 or 7 revision, IIRC.

So, for the OP's mandated choice: an original Smith vs Colt...I'd go with S&W's 686, but with the caveat that it's going to be HEAVY on the waist belt, padnuh.... Best regards, Rod

The Model 686 over the King Cobra any day.

Rodfac has stated the situation very well.

From the very first in the 1980s the S&W Model 686 proved a winner
in the revolver market and through various engineering changes
remains extremely popular today.

The King Cobra was one of Colt's last attempts back then to stay
in the revolver business but it was no go. .

BOTH!

you are welcome

For resale the King Cobra . For shooting the 686 .

I dunno, both are pretty awesome, but I can buy 3 vintage 686s for the cost of a single classic KC......

NIGHTLORD40K said:

I dunno, both are pretty awesome, but I can buy 3 vintage 686s for the cost of a single classic KC......

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Oooh… Classic King or Modern King? I thought the comparison was Classic S&W vs Modern King

edit: I just read it

686 all the way, they will be the new Colt Classic in a few years

eddiememphis said:

Why not Ruger?

I hate these "you gotta pick one" scenarios because I live in America.

I do not have only one option.

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American exceptionalism

NIGHTLORD40K said:

I dunno, both are pretty awesome, but I can buy 3 vintage 686s for the cost of a single classic KC......

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And have 3 better revolvers .

shoebox1.1 said:

American exceptionalism

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look so DANG good!

They do. Colt look My-T-Fine as well. My 2019 KC 3 inch is probably my most carried piece

Both is the correct answer.

I have both. One is as good as the other. The right choice is the one you like best.

No 686 here.
681 is as close as I can get.
The only L frame S&W I have

You can't tell me what to do. I choose Hammerli 215 / 208 neener neener!

357smallbore said:

Ya gotta pick one. Original 4in S&W 686 or the original 4in Colt King Cobra.
Will be a carry/ home defense revolver.

I'm in the 686 camp myself. Had both, loved both. But my no dash 686 is still with me.
My opinion only. I think it's the best 357 made.

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These type of questions are a waste of time because most don't understand how multiple choice questions work, so they're going to blurt out options not on your list lol....

Put of those two options, I'd go with the 686. I have a modern-day 3" Colt King Cobra (KC) and a 2.5" and 3" 686+. I'd still choose the 686. The KC has the better trigger hands down, but the 686 has more factory and aftermarket parts and accessories and a plethora of grip options. More gunsmiths know how to work on Smiths and there's much more DIY smithing data in books, on YouTube, and online in general.The 686 just feels more robust and instills more confidence. The 686 can be with an extra round. The orginal KC will not have a warranty and will be harder and more expensive to fix or replace.

I feel left out.... Why no semiautos???? Out of the options you gave OP, I'm going with option #3 - the Glock 19x.

I'm a newcomer to the 686, but even with only a few hundred rounds of wadcutters through mine, I'd have to rate it up pretty high. I know nothing of the classic Colt Cobra, so I couldn't even offer an opinion of it, but I put the 686-6 I've got as pretty much neck and neck with my 2020 Colt Python AS A GUN. I shoot one just as poorly as I do the other. The Python, (not the Cobra understand) edges it out on things like appearance, and just plain "panache" but that's all.



The 686 I bought used, so it was less expensive, but I didn't mind paying extra for the Python. I wouldn't choose one over the other really. One is not "better" than the other. Just different.

357smallbore said:

Ya gotta pick one. Original 4in S&W 686 or the original 4in Colt King Cobra.
Will be a carry/ home defense revolver.

I'm in the 686 camp myself. Had both, loved both. But my no dash 686 is still with me.
My opinion only. I think it's the best 357 made.

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Why choose one? When I can choose all three stainless 80s era fantastic!

686.

The cylinder latch in the Colt operates the wrong way.

cfullgraf said:

686.

The cylinder latch in the Colt operates the wrong way.

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I cam work Colt, S&W, and Rugers with equal dexterity, one handed. Everyone says you can't work a Colt one handed.



That's a quick video I did back in February with my D-Frame King Cobra (the current production model).

I love my 686 but I have never fired a colt.