Sell my S&W 686 6"?

[Kevin P]

Keep it! I had a 686 with a 4 inch barrel and regret selling. I also agree that it is a good gun to teach the kids on with 38special loads.

[m4brian]

DON'T sell it. I got rid of a Highway Patrolman several years ago to get a CZ 75B .40. The CZ is FINE, but I really MISS my 357. No... I was not shooting it much, but I should have kept it JUST for the occasional target shooting, sentimentality, etc, etc.

An L frame is a GOOD GUN. Keep it.

[REDinFL]

Upon seeing the header, before even opening the thread, the question that popped into my head was "why'?

It's something to put away if you don't intend to use it, keep lubed, and ready for SHTF, since you mention that as a criterion. In the very long run, you will have to go back to it in that situation. When the dust settles, you'll be reloading. I'd rather reload revolver brass than autoloader brass in most cases, considering the likely circumstances. Get a Lee Classic loader for the real long term SHTF or aftermath purposes.

In the meanwhile, in the real world, the money you get out of that will be dissipated so fast it'll make your head spin and, you won't even see where it went.

[tpd223]

Medium frame .357s are very useful guns.

I'd get snap caps and dry fire the crap out of the gun. Almost no one does as much dry fire as they should.

[Alaskapopo]

I've had a S&W 686-5 .357 mag revolver with a 6" barrel, in stainless steel, for over 10 years now. It's in great condition. Fired probably only about 500 or so rounds. It's a fun gun to take out. Problem is, I rarely end up doing that anymore. I haven't shot it in over 7 years. Anytime I do get to go to the range (which isn't as much as I used to, since I have 2 young toddlers to raise), I'd rather spend the time practicing on guns I'm more likely to use for a SHTF situation.

Is there any real reason I should keep this gun in the long run? The only guns I really practice on lately are my G19, 1911, and M4. Plus I figure, if I sold this, the money could be well used for other things that would be more useful to what I actually practice with (on my list of things to save for the next 2 years are a good steel target, training classes, another Glock 9mm to back up my primary G19, and of course, ammo). I already cleaned out my gun safe of some other guns I will probably never shoot again. I'd rather have guns that actually serve a functional purpose for myself than to just have safe queens collecting dust (although I do have one "collector" gun I will never part with).

Thanks in advance for any feedback!

Sell it to me. Love those guns.
In all seriousness sometimes its fun to go out to the range and just plink with different guns in the collection. Not train or work just relax and plink. I am guilty of not doing this enough myself. I am usually working with my work guns or my competition guns working on building certain skills. But sometimes its just nice to sit back and relax and shoot something for the fun of it like your 686. Its a piece of history. I would put a red dot on that 686 like a Aimpoint R1 (if I could find one) and use it as a target or hunting revolver.
Pat