Finally a wheelgunner! (Need grip recommendations)

[swampcrawler]

After considering it for quite a while, I finally picked up a revolver. A Pro Series 686 with a 5 inch barrel, cut for moon clips. Unfortunately I’m offshore at the moment with really slow WiFi and can’t get a pic to upload. Here is the link to S&W product page.

https://www.smith-wesson.com/firearms/performance-center-pro-series-model-686-plus

I was a happy fat man. I think it’s a gorgeous gun, and it shot pretty well for its first quick outing. But then, upon cleaning, I noticed what I should have noticed before leaving the store with it. The bore has some horrible tooling marks across the top of the lands. Each land looks like a little ladder all the way from throat to muzzle. Also the crown had a burr all the way around it that’s both visible and can be felt with a fingernail. Pretty disappointing on a gun in this price range. So, off to the Warrantee center it went. I also managed to convince my wonderful wife that sense it’s making the trip anyway, it might as well go to the Performance center for their “master revolver package”. So, while I wait on that (estimated 2-3 months with the holidays and what not), I’m ordering holster/sights/moon clips/ reloading components/ grips and so on.

I’ve got most of it figured out, except grips. There’s just so much out there! My first choice was a set of VZ grips tactical diamonds, which are a round butt finger groove style.

But I also see a ton of suggestions for Ahrend grips and some of the Hogue options.

My issue with the supplied monogrips is that the grooves don’t fit my sausage fingers, and a clip full of empties sticks to the grip upon ejection.

So I’m looking for something to fit a huge palm with kind of stubby fingers, that won’t interfear with moon clip loading and unloading.

Also I’m looking for a nice Tritium front sight that’s compatible with the factory adjustable rear. Can’t seem to find a front that doesn’t come with the rear.

Thanks guys!

 

[Coyote3855]

Sorry to hear about your experience with the 686. I have small hands so stock Magnas with a Tyler T work for me. I did order two sets of Ahrends and sent both back because of poor fit on K frame. No recommendations otherwise.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I have Pachmyer grips on my 686s and like them.

 

[MrBorland]

Pachmayr’s typically fit big hands.

Grips aren’t immutable- take a razor or dremel to parts that don’t agree with your fingers or moon clips.

Finally, look into “conversion” (to square butt) grips. RBs are for carrying, but many find SBs much better for actual shooting.

Congrats on your new revolver!

 

[Terminatorret]

Factory wood with a Tyler T-grip.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Nill Grips makes a variety of nice grips of different sizes for the 686. One of them might work for you if you are willing to spend some money.

Mac Tech sells them. I really like them for my Smiths.

 

[Bo]

Here's a picture of my 586. I put Hogue grips on it. They cover the bottom of the trigger guard and prevent the knuckle busting.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

The bore has some horrible tooling marks across the top of the lands. Each land looks like a little ladder all the way from throat to muzzle. Also the crown had a burr all the way around it that’s both visible and can be felt with a fingernail.

Howdy

I don't know how 'horrible' those tooling marks are, but it is typical for the lands of a rifled barrel to have tooling marks running across them. When a barrel is drilled, the first thing that happens is the hole is drilled, or bored, using a rotary tool. Usually a special gun drill, that feeds oil to the tip of the bit. But it is still a rotary tool that leaves tooling marks behind, not much different than the tooling marks any drill will leave in a hole.

After the hole has been bored, the rifling in cut. There are a few techniques used to cut rifling. In the old days of flintlocks, it was a steel cutter that was dragged through the bore, making a thin cut, one pass at a time for each groove. After the cutter made a pass on each groove the cutter would be crept out a few thousandths and fresh cuts taken. It took several hours to cut rifling this way. For a long time 'button' rifling was cut, with a hardened tool passing through the bore, cutting all the grooves at once. There are other techniques too. But once the rifling has been cut, the tooling marks at the bottom of the grooves run lengthwise to the bore, because the cutter was dragged through the bore. After the rifling grooves have been completely cut, the lands are the part of the rifling that was not touched by the rifling tool. So the original boring marks left behind by the drill remain on top of the lands.

Time has always been money. Some gunmakers, and barrel makers will take more time in the original boring operation, using a slower feed rate, so the machining marks will be finer. A more rapid, time saving, feed rate will leave coarser marks behind. That is why there are usually horizontal marks left on the top of the lands of a rifled barrel, they are the remnants of the original bored hole.

Notice I have used the words bore and bored repeatedly. That is why the 'bore diameter' of a rifled barrel is the diameter the hole was originally drilled, and the groove diameter is the diameter to the bottom of the rifling grooves.

Regarding the burr on the crown, that is pretty unacceptable. However S&W has been cutting down on their in process inspections for years now, so I am not surprised that things that were unacceptable years ago make it out the door today. The other half of that equation is, if S&W were to put back more time into the manufacturing process, the price of the finished product would go up accordingly.

Bottom line is, although I am a S&W collector, I do not buy anything they have made in the last 20 years or so.

 

[RealGun]

Since this is a Performance Center gun, there is no excuse for any defect whatsoever. My PC 625 had a forcing cone cut off axis, which I had my gunsmith take care of. Shoots exceptionally well now.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

From what I have heard, Performance Center guns don't get any more special treatment than anything else. They are just more limited edition models.

That's what I've heard, anyway.

Might not be so.

 

[CraigC]

I've probably used every grip imaginable and even found some expensive customs that didn't work well. What I've found in DA designs is that Hogue is about the worst. The shape makes no sense whatsoever. Too thin at the top and bottom with the terrible ambidextrous palm swell. The Ahrends retro target grip is pretty good for what they cost. I don't care for the flat across the back strap. The old S&W smooth presentations are pretty good. For me, the best of the bunch are the Herrett's Roper design, shown here in fancy walnut and a similar grip from Culina, shown here in ivory micarta.

 

[WestKentucky]

https://www.altamontco.com/pistol-grips/smith-and-wesson/k-round/

I bought a set for my j frame and fell in love. Altamont makes incredible grips. I suggest the altai grips. I have big hands, average fingers. Fits well. I have shot k frame with altai grips and liked it a lot.

 

[RealGun]

From what I have heard, Performance Center guns don't get any more special treatment than anything else. They are just more limited edition models.

That's what I've heard, anyway.

Might not be so.

"
About Performance Center


From hand cutting to fine tuning for precision, Performance Center firearms are top performers. Products from the Performance Center are the ultimate expression of old-world craftsmanship blended with modern technology.

Feature-rich and enhanced for better performance, our firearms maintain production line integrity. Whether you’re shooting a pistol, revolver, or rifle, you can be sure your Performance Center gun is made with a close attention to detail for your best shot yet."

S&W has set the expectation as well as a higher price range.

 

[MrBorland]

About Performance Center


From hand cutting to fine tuning for precision, Performance Center firearms are top performers. Products from the Performance Center are the ultimate expression of old-world craftsmanship blended with modern technology.

um, yeah…no. That's S&W marketing. It might've used to describe PC revolvers, but no longer, IME. Current PC & Pro revolvers are merely revolvers in configurations that aren't available in their standard lineup. Little, if any, extra TLC, no forged internals, etc.

 

[RealGun]

um, yeah…no. That's S&W marketing. It might've used to describe PC revolvers, but no longer, IME. Current PC & Pro revolvers are merely revolvers in configurations that aren't available in their standard lineup. Little, if any, extra TLC, no forged internals, etc.

But buyer expectations rightfully remain consistent with S&W claims.

 

[CraigC]

Myths & legends die hard in the shooting community. Same for grudges.

 

[Mn Fats]

Altamont makes incredible grips.

Yes indeed. My few revolvers that were purchased that came with rubber were immediately replaced with altamonts. My sp101 snub couldn't be replaced with wood (fully) so off she went. Just hate rubber grips on a wheel gun.

 

[swampcrawler]

Thanks for all the info folks!

I understand the processes used to create rifled bores, but of all the firearms I’ve ever owned, including cheap stuff, the bore on this thousand dollar revolver was far and away the worst. Hopefully they will correct it rather than just tell me “it’s normal”. As it was when I sent it off, I have no doubt that lead and copper fouling would be an absolute nightmare!

I think I will end up going with some Altamont Altai grips, similar to these.

 

[stonebuster]

Too bad the trend with most gun manufacturers now is to speed up production , cut costs and poor quality control. I hope Smith CS takes good care of you. It's an important consideration when I buy a new gun that the CS dept. has a good reputation as Smith and Ruger do. The 586/686 is a fine revolver and is on my bucket list if I do buy another 357. My first GP had to go back to be rebarreled due to forcing cone wear/erosion and is showing signs of wear again. Ruger CS had it back to me in about 2 weeks and paid for everything including shipping. My second GP had issues I was able to fix myself. In the future I plan to buy lightly used older revolvers from a gun shop where I can inspect the gun before I buy. Congratulations and good luck with your new 686 PC.

 

[Armored farmer]

My good friend has an older PC 686. It is super smooth, and excellent accurate revolver.
It was not your stock, off the shelf S&W. It is the only revolver that I have shot that even compares to my Colt tuned Python.

 

[If1HitU]

Here's a picture of my 586. I put Hogue grips on it. They cover the bottom of the trigger guard and prevent the knuckle busting.

View attachment 772670

Very nice 586,and nice grips.