I have the 686+. I would love to have the 627 but if I were spending that kind of money I'm not sure that's the gun I'd spend it on. The 686 is a very nice .357 Mag. I bought mine new in 2007 at a price in the neighborhood of $620.00. I imagine the 627, today, will cost you close to double that amount. In other words for the price of the 627 you could have the very fine 686+ and a decent J Frame back up gun to go with it. It just depends on what you want and can afford. Either gun is sure to make your day.
S&W 627 357mag is it worth the money over the 686?
I am looking to buy a 4" 357mag and I have narrowed it down to the S&W 627 or 686, just wondering why one over the other, the 627 is more money and 8 rounds with moon-clips which has some useful purpose. I am not sure the larger frame and built more for competition 627 is it practical for woods gun and target use.
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NO , while I do not like the looks of the 686 ( I love the looks of the model 19 ) , the 686 is the quintessential hand gun . I got mine , prepared not to be impressed , but time and again it has proven to be more than I ever expected it to be. Mind you I collect S&Ws ... I see no way that the 686 can be improved on , than perhaps a 629 or another bigger caliber gun. Get the Hogue grips and you will find that you now have the ultimate .357 ... I even retired my Ruger Black hawk because of the gun.
I have a 686 that I bought used at Gander Mtn for $400. The gun was in very good condition and will probably last forever. Can a 627 be that much better? The 627 is going to be larger and heavier. Speaking for myself, I wouldn't be afraid to go into the woods (eastern US) with six rounds of 357 magnum. Or course, the Rockies or Alaska are going to be a different story.
Whichever one does not have the internal lock. Otherwise, +1 for the 686.
Another vote for the 686.
(And this is coming from a Ruger GP100 guy!)
(And this is coming from a Ruger GP100 guy!)
Timely question
This is a timely question for me, in that I was just advising my son regarding a revolver purchase, and he was trying to decide between a 686 and the more expensive 627. I own two 686s, and advised him that the 627 doesn't offer sufficient advantages to justify the large price difference.
Smith and Wesson is in the difficult position of wanting to charge a lot more for the 686 that they can get away with, given the large inventory of used 686s in the market, selling in the $500 to $600 range. This constrains S&Ws pricing latitude in the newly produced 686s. With good care these guns will last a very long time and not depreciate.
Here are my two 686s, which are among my favorite revolvers:
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This is a timely question for me, in that I was just advising my son regarding a revolver purchase, and he was trying to decide between a 686 and the more expensive 627. I own two 686s, and advised him that the 627 doesn't offer sufficient advantages to justify the large price difference.
Smith and Wesson is in the difficult position of wanting to charge a lot more for the 686 that they can get away with, given the large inventory of used 686s in the market, selling in the $500 to $600 range. This constrains S&Ws pricing latitude in the newly produced 686s. With good care these guns will last a very long time and not depreciate.
Here are my two 686s, which are among my favorite revolvers:
The 627 will shoot heavy hot loads for its life and make for a better long term handgun. The mid size frame revolvers can be shot loose with 357 mag loads so do more practice with lite loads or 38's. The 686 will carry better for sure.
Got a 627 UDR
I have a 627, 2 5/5" barrel and it handles full buck and roar magnum loads very well. It was quite expensive, almost 900 dollars. I wanted the gun, but would have to say the 686, especially the 686 plus, offers a far better value for all the reasons stated.
I like having the 8 round capacity, and carry it mostly during colder months. It is a fantastic shooting gun, but definitely a bit pricey.
I have a 627, 2 5/5" barrel and it handles full buck and roar magnum loads very well. It was quite expensive, almost 900 dollars. I wanted the gun, but would have to say the 686, especially the 686 plus, offers a far better value for all the reasons stated.
I like having the 8 round capacity, and carry it mostly during colder months. It is a fantastic shooting gun, but definitely a bit pricey.
Sensible in theory but I'm quite sure I couldn't afford to pay for enough .357 loads to ever shoot my L Frame 686+ loose. Even if I could I would probably come loose before the gun did. The point is, will paying the price of a new 627 give you enough extra durability, or whatever, above what you get with a 686+ at $650 to justify the extra cash outlay? The last time I checked the price was close to double. The 627 is no doubt a sweet gun to own but the extra money required seems like a lot of bucks to lay out for an 8th round.The 627 will shoot heavy hot loads for its life and make for a better long term handgun. The mid size frame revolvers can be shot loose with 357 mag loads so do more practice with lite loads or 38's. The 686 will carry better for sure.
I love the 686 and my favorite which they discontinued the {model 66}, get a Ruger GP-100 and save about $200 ! The Ruger is built like a bull and could handle the heaviest of 357 Mag Loads. I have a 4 inch model and it's actually easier to carry than some of my semi-autos ! I like S&W don't get me wrong, they just got too expensive ! I think $629 for a model 10 is a bit ridiculous ! I do crave a 686-357 snubbie or a Performance CTR model with the unfluted cylynder in 44 Mag.
S&W has became the new Colt in prices ! If im going to spend $800 for a S&W 357, I might as well get a Ruger Redhawk in 44 Mag, 4 inch BBL or 6 inch.
S&W has became the new Colt in prices ! If im going to spend $800 for a S&W 357, I might as well get a Ruger Redhawk in 44 Mag, 4 inch BBL or 6 inch.
I do love those grips ! They give the gun so much more character, enough to actually name your gun !The 686 + hands down. Get a set of Badger grips and don't give the internal lock a second thought.
View attachment 54633
wmhawth Guess if it would depend on if you are gona use it hard and still keep it for your life and pass it to a son or daughter. Or if it is gona be a plinker and safe queen. You know a 100 rounds a year. I bought a DW back in 76 just because of the issue with some S&W. 8000 rounds of 180gr loads and have no idea of 146gr stuff later its still tight. I used it like a .22lr. Just depends on what it is really be used for. I never did buy a firearm cause its purty. And the 868 is that.
These two guns are in different classes. One is a work horse. The other is a competition gun with upgrades that allow shooting with more consistency. It still doesn't compare to my Python but I acquired a 627 4" 357.
The trigger is smoother. The action is more consistent. It's a larger frame allowing for easier controlled pairs. The relative smaller size still allows it to be a decent outdoor carry gun. 8 shots is a darn good capacity approaching semiauto capacities and loading moon clips is faster for me than speed loaders or speed strips.
Will it make me shoot better? For me, yes. Will I be more confident? Yes. Will I be more consistent? Yes. You buy what suits your style. If a $300 Taurus Snub works then that's awesome. It's what I had for 15 years (college through my medical school, residency and payback years). For a poor student that was more than enough.
However for expensive guns, It's not for everyone. So for me, the 627 was worth it. Back then a $300 gun worked for me. So in the modern times, If a $700 gun works, then more power to you and more change in your pocket for ammo.
Lifetime NRA Member
The trigger is smoother. The action is more consistent. It's a larger frame allowing for easier controlled pairs. The relative smaller size still allows it to be a decent outdoor carry gun. 8 shots is a darn good capacity approaching semiauto capacities and loading moon clips is faster for me than speed loaders or speed strips.
Will it make me shoot better? For me, yes. Will I be more confident? Yes. Will I be more consistent? Yes. You buy what suits your style. If a $300 Taurus Snub works then that's awesome. It's what I had for 15 years (college through my medical school, residency and payback years). For a poor student that was more than enough.
However for expensive guns, It's not for everyone. So for me, the 627 was worth it. Back then a $300 gun worked for me. So in the modern times, If a $700 gun works, then more power to you and more change in your pocket for ammo.
Lifetime NRA Member
This is why I have a Colt Python in 6 Inch Barrel Length for CCW in my shoulder holster with 3 Dade Speed Loaders stoked with Remington 125 GR Golden Saber Bullets. Got Speed Loaders, if they are Not Dade Speed Loaders then you have to do the push and then twist to get them into the gun. Me, I just have to push into the cylinder and close and fire! Yes the movie "Magnum Force" bought a lot of guns and those of us who could find Dade Screw Machine Products got the reloaders way before the other folks made them.
627 is the way to go
I went to my LGS to purchase 4" S&W 686+, before the shop owner showed me the 627 5" performance center revolver. The 627 is a very sweet gun but costs about 50% more than a 686+. I decided to go for it on March 3rd. After purchasing the gun I decided to buy 500 share of SWHC Smith & Wesson Holding Corp which is up ~16% since I purchased the gun so I basically got the gun for free and still own 500 shares of SWHC,
I went to my LGS to purchase 4" S&W 686+, before the shop owner showed me the 627 5" performance center revolver. The 627 is a very sweet gun but costs about 50% more than a 686+. I decided to go for it on March 3rd. After purchasing the gun I decided to buy 500 share of SWHC Smith & Wesson Holding Corp which is up ~16% since I purchased the gun so I basically got the gun for free and still own 500 shares of SWHC,
The Walking Thread :dead1:
Ive put 1000s of 357 magnum loads through my j-frame 357 magnum (60-15), including some hot ones. Ive had the gun for about 9 years, Mechanically it works fine, and the cylinder is tight, no play. The gun isn't as shiny as it was brand new, but that's because its been used a lot.The 627 will shoot heavy hot loads for its life and make for a better long term handgun. The mid size frame revolvers can be shot loose with 357 mag loads so do more practice with lite loads or 38's. The 686 will carry better for sure.
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