If you had to choose between a S&W 686 Plus 4" and a S&W 910S with 15 round magazines to use as a home defense gun, which would you use? The user has experience with both guns and they have been proven reliable. The gun will be periodically maintained, but seldom fired.
686 or 910 HD?
- Thread starter MR.G
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JoelSteinbach
Member
686 hands down, you don't have to worry about feeding, magazine springs holding the weapon tight enough for the next round to chamber.
Lucky Derby
Member
In my mind a revolver is better for the intended purpose.
420Stainless
Member
Either would be fine. Not sure what the flash and bang of .357 Mag. is indoors, (even out of a 4" barrel), but he could always load with .38 specials or +P. I tend to gravitate to semiautos for HD just because its easier for me to tuck a flatter profile under a shirt while investigating suspicious noises or outside activities. However, if you carry in a holster around the house that would not be an issue. I don't often because I spend a lot of time rough housing with the kids.
In my opinion, the 686 is a very accurate gun. Loaded with .38s the recoil is not only manageable, it's almost non existent. Personally, I don't think that .357 is a good round for home defense due to over penetration and excessive 'flash'. So if you go with the 686, I would load it with .38s. Unfortunately, .38s and .357 will be more expensive to practice with than 9mm so that may be a consideration. If you want to carry the gun the 910 would be a better choice.
FWIW my very first home defense gun was a Smith & Wesson 686 (6 shot). It's a really really nice gun. I would probably go with the 686 if you are looking strictly for a home defense handgun.
FWIW my very first home defense gun was a Smith & Wesson 686 (6 shot). It's a really really nice gun. I would probably go with the 686 if you are looking strictly for a home defense handgun.
SwampWolf
Member
Though I have many self-defense oriented handguns to choose from, my choice for a bedside, home defense gun is the 686 plus with a 4" barrel. Hard to beat a reliable revolver stoked with seven rounds of .357 Magnum or .38+P loads at the ready. No compressed springs, levers to manipulate in the dark or malfs to contend with. If for some reason a round fails to go off, a simple pull of the trigger rotates a fresh one into battery. Finally, a revolver is uncomplicated enough so that any member of the family who has been trained with it can put it into play without doing anything else besides acquiring a proper sight picture and grip and employing a straight-through (da) trigger pull; seven times if need be when firing the plus version of the Model 686.
madwell
Member
between the two I'd take the 686. My current HD gun is a GP100 very similar to a 686. It's a gun that I shoot well and it's the only gun I own that my wife likes to shoot so it's really a no brainer for my situation. Is there a reason you couldn't keep both ready in your house? As they say one is none.
wnycollector
Member
I own a Model 910 as well as several K and N frame .357's. Either will get the job done if push comes to shove. I do shoot revolvers slightly better than my model 910 at ranges past 15 yards...but the longest shot inside my house is 12 yards, so the point is moot.
wow6599
Member
I would go for a new 910. You could use the extra $200+ you would save and buy a couple extra mags, holster and a few hundred rds of ammo.
I'm a big fan of 9mm and .357 Mag, but for HD I like the 9mm +P 124 gr (Golden Saber, Gold Dot, Ranger, etc.).
I'm a big fan of 9mm and .357 Mag, but for HD I like the 9mm +P 124 gr (Golden Saber, Gold Dot, Ranger, etc.).
ETXhiker
Member
When you say, "well maintained, but seldom fired," I immediately think the revolver is the better choice, due to its simplified operation. However, full house magnum loads indoors would be a problem on the shooter's end due to flash and blast. The Remington "Golden Saber" 125 gr. .357 load (1200 fps) is somewhat reduced, but I have never fired it after dark, much less indoors. All in all, I would go with +P .38's for the 686. Oh...and practice.
glockman19
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Not even a choice the 686
hexidismal
Member
Of the two guns, I much prefer the 686 ( my favorite revolver ) but not for home defense. If I had to choose between the two, I'd use the 910 for that. If I had any choice at all, I'd choose neither.
Have any of you ever actually heard and seen a .357 magnum fired indoors with no hearing protection and low lighting ? I have, and it's not something I'd like to experience again. Waaay, too loud and too much flash to have to use in the middle of the night in a standard home sized room. One shot and you'd be totally dazed. And if you're going to load it with .38, then you may as well take the much larger mag capacity and mag change speed of the 910.
Personally, I'd much prefer something with a rail to mount a quality light on to either of those options. That and preferably a .45 for it's relatively low muzzle blast and flash.
Have any of you ever actually heard and seen a .357 magnum fired indoors with no hearing protection and low lighting ? I have, and it's not something I'd like to experience again. Waaay, too loud and too much flash to have to use in the middle of the night in a standard home sized room. One shot and you'd be totally dazed. And if you're going to load it with .38, then you may as well take the much larger mag capacity and mag change speed of the 910.
Personally, I'd much prefer something with a rail to mount a quality light on to either of those options. That and preferably a .45 for it's relatively low muzzle blast and flash.
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If both are available, why choose one? I think a double-stack autoloader makes an excellent back-up for a good fightin' sixgun. Yes, that does mean I would prefer the sixgun, but in a true nightmare home invasion scenario, there may be need of more than six rounds, and a second gun postpones the need to open that cylinder for a reload.
After it became mandated that I carry an autopistol in my duty rig, on the PD job, it was, and still is, OK for me to carry a sixgun for back-up purposes. From 2000 to 2007, I kept a .357 sixgun cased, in the front seat area of my patrol car. Several felons have
looked up the barrel of a big GP100 while the duty auto remained holstered.
I am not not anti-auto, I just prefer sixguns for certain things.
After it became mandated that I carry an autopistol in my duty rig, on the PD job, it was, and still is, OK for me to carry a sixgun for back-up purposes. From 2000 to 2007, I kept a .357 sixgun cased, in the front seat area of my patrol car. Several felons have
looked up the barrel of a big GP100 while the duty auto remained holstered.
I am not not anti-auto, I just prefer sixguns for certain things.
Old krow
Member
I'm with the revolver guys. I have a SW 620 which is very similar to the 686 in a 4" barrel. I have mine loaded with .38 SPL +P. For most applications I think that they work very well.
I agree. Sometimes re-gunning is easier than reloading.
I agree. Sometimes re-gunning is easier than reloading.
Sam Cade
Member
Since springs do not "lose tension" by just sitting around an autoloader has zero disadvantage in long term storage vis-a-vis a revolver.
Choose the weapon that the user can put the most rounds on target in the shortest amount of time with.
Choose the weapon that the user can put the most rounds on target in the shortest amount of time with.
cerberus65
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I just bought a 586 so I'd take the 686.
TheGunFever
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Those are two very different guns. I have shot both, and can say that either one would be a good choice. Personally I am a bigger fan of semi-autos than wheel guns, so I would pick up the 910s. Steel frame, so its pretty easy to handle follow up shots, and if capacity is an issue than this would certainly be the choice. At the same time nothing stops quite like the magnum calibers. Price is also a big factor, with the 686 almost double the 910s. Something to think about.
Old krow
Member
That's a good point.
For versatility and power, obviously the 686 wins. If you plan to use the handgun outdoors too, as a companion for woods walking, again the 686 wins. If you just want it for home defense, the 910 wins. As pointed out, you have 15 shots, and a fast fumble free re-load. The Smith&Wesson 3rd generation autos are very reliable weapons with modern 9mm defensive ammo.
High capacity 9mm > revolver, for me.
I would pass on the $400 910, and buy a higher quality police tradein 5906, for $350, that is made from real steel parts (the 910 has a lot of plastic parts inside, as well as other corners cut to keep cost down).
http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?item=F1SW5906&groupid=3
I would pass on the $400 910, and buy a higher quality police tradein 5906, for $350, that is made from real steel parts (the 910 has a lot of plastic parts inside, as well as other corners cut to keep cost down).
http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?item=F1SW5906&groupid=3
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