4 or 6 inch barrel

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cableguy657

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I am looking to buy a S&W 686 .357mag for the target shooting.
my question is what length barrel is better 4 or 6 and why.
 
Well, 6" will give you a little more velocity, which will give you a slightly flatter ballistic curve (meaning it won't drop quite as much as 100 yards). The longer barrel will also give you a longer sight radius, making it easier to shoot accurately.

On the other hand, a 6" barrel will be a bit muzzle heavy(especially with a full lugged barrel like the modern S&W guns have) and it will be awkward in a holster when sitting.

A four inch barrel is a good all around barrel length for everything but a dedicated hunting gun.

I have two 6" barreled guns. One's a Ruger Single Six and the other is an S&W Model 28. On both, I wish I had gotten a 4" barrel, although it's not so bad with the Single Six since I have no holster for it yet.
 
choose the one that "feels" best in your hand as far as balance and steadiness. Reminder: Grips can make a great deal of difference.
 
Which one is more comfortable and steady to hold while aiming?

I prefer the six inch barrel on my 686 as it balances better for me, has less felt recoil and more fully develops the potential of the cartridge. That being said I cannot hit a dang thing with it while aiming at close range (10 to 15 feet). My eye seems to be trained to focus on much longer distances.

If you can shoot someone elses 4 and 6 inch, that will answer your question for you.
 
I prefer the longer sight radius, lower felt recoil, greater velocity and balance of the 6". I also hunt with my 686, so a 6" was the minimum.
 
I know that I am in the minority, but I do not like the 686. The full underlug really throws off the balance for me. For target shooting I like 6" barrels, but for an all around gun the 4" really shines. Take a look at the used counter and see if there is a 19/66 or one of the Ruger Six series revolvers. You might enjoy it.
 
6 in. without qualifications, and if a 10 1/2 is avail. so much the better. I am a firm believer in the longest sight radius possible. Of course, I am older'n dirt, and wearing those "can't shoot with cause they never focus anywhere you need them" progressive lenses. I will take any advantage I can get. :D
 
686 - 1 W/ A 4 ' barrel

I have a 686-1 w/ a 4 inch barrel, I love it, wouldn't take anything for it. If I had to chose just one gun out of all I have, the S&W 686-1 w/ a 4 inch barrel would be it.

First of all its a classic revolver. One of the best service revolvers of it's day. A great shooter, adjustable sights, combat trigger and hammer, what else would you need.

I have kept mine totally original, still has the large checkered 'Walnut Grips' on it.

I shot 357, 38 +P, 38 SPL, 38 SHOT shells. One great camp gun.
 
4" if you plan to ever carry it in a holster.

6" if it's just going to be a range shooter carried in a bag.

I've got a 6" GP100 and love it.
 
Having owned three 686s at the same time - 2 1/2" , 4" and 6" , the 6" is the one I seemed to shoot the most accurately. But it was also my first 686 and actually my first handgun ever. The 4" I later used in indoor 50ft bullseye where one handed shooting was required and won my class with it. The 2 1/2" was suprisingly accurate. Unfortunately I no longer own any of the 3 of my original 686s.:(

But I finally got around to buying one again in 1994 , a 686-4 with a 6" barrel. This has proven to be an extremely accurate revolver.
 
S&W 686 4", It is perfectly balanced. I found the 6" to be a bit barrel heavy for me. My S&W 629 being a heavier gun is in a 5" again perfectly balanced, full lug barrel.
 
Having owned a 6" 586, 2.5" 686 and a 4" 686, my personal preference is the 4".

6" minimum for hunting in California with a .357, but I hunt with a .44 or a .45, so I don't need the .357 for hunting.

The 4" balances perfectly and is quite accurate. The 6" was nose heavy IMO.

Grips are paramount in importance, so whatever you select, get grips that fit.
 
My personal experience between 4 and 6 inch revolvers (Ruger, but I'm sure S&W would be similar)...

Had a 6 inch full underlug GP-100. Great revolver, absorbed recoil well, very controllable. However, the weight out to the end always made it feel a little bit unbalanced to me. Not terrible, but not what I wanted for casual, all around target shooting.

Sold the GP-100 and bought a 4 inch Security Six. I like the balance on this revolver much better, and I don't feel like I lose much in the way of accuracy/recoil absorption, etc. Great for all around target shooting.

Might reconsider a 6 inch barrel if I were to get into some types of competition.

These are just my personal preferences based on limited experience. I'd go along with others recommending you handle/shoot both lengths if possible to see what feels right to you.
 
The shakier your hand is, the shorter the barrell should be, get the 4inch, very little difference.
 
2-1/2"
oh yeah. you can maybe hit a barn while you are in it.
Click to expand...
You might be suprised.:)

I like the balance of 4" guns, but the 6" gun will have a little less recoil and a little more velocity. I don't like full lug 6" guns because they feel barrel heavy to me and I don't like that. That is a personal preference. You will have to try some out to see what you like. A lot of target shooters like barrel weight.
 
For target shooting the 6 inch... old target revolvers IE the model 14 smith which dominated the target realm for decades was usually a six inch. Even most biachi cup guns were 6 inch or so...
 
I've owned a 66 in 6" and a 4" The 686 is probably the finest .357 out there IMHO with the GP100 being the value leader. If it is strickly for target shooting I'd get a 6" -balances great and longer sight radius. That said I preffer 4" in .357 for all around use...rides better and is "long enough" in .44 I like the 5" oddball size. The 686 looks slightly cooler in 6" IMHO as well so for target shooting balance and extra muzzle weight why not! If you find a great deal don't be afraid of the 66 either...it doesn't have the full underlug bbl. but it shoots just as good and some people preffer the feel of the lighter gun. My 6" was a beauty...just too big to do anything with but hunt or shoot paper.

If you want an all around "nightstand to target range" gun get the 4" They aint cheap but the 686 is a fine gun...you'll be happy with either one I suspect. A 4" will shoot just as well as a 6" though IMHO. Just what you like I guess...a lot of people that get 6-7.5" revolvers end up whishing they had 4" models later I've noticed. But I have some customers that preffer even long bbl's!! To each their own...isn't choice great?
 
The six inch 686 is the most accurate revolver I've ever shot. the extra barrel length does help a lot. But after due consideration I've decided to look for a six inch model 27 instead, the balance is just right and the grip fits my hand better. I don't mind heavy pistols but fully underlugged barrels feel unbalanced to me.
 
The whole thing boils down to your eyesight.

When I was young and shooting competition, I could see the front sight on a 7 1/2" barrel Model 41 very clearly, and shoot my best with one.

Now, my old bifocaled eyes do better with a 4" - 5" gun, because I can see the front sight much more clearly now on the shorter barrels.

If you can, try both and pick the one with the sharpest front sight picture.
Thats the one you will shoot best.

1224.jpg
rcmodel
 
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