S&W 686+3"bbl vs 66-8 2.75"bbl

I have been considering getting a new CCW revolver. I had a 66-8 2.75" bbl earlier this year. It shot okay, trigger was extremely heavy and the overall gun seemed too heavy for what it was when compared to my G19.

So I sold it. I absolutely LOVE my M63 3" so I thought I would get something that was similar and I ran across a S&W 60 Pro. It has a beautifully smooth and lightweight trigger, feels like 1/2 that of the previous 66-8 that I had, so I bought it. I love to dryfire the gun and it shoots surprisingly well for me considering.

Unfortunately either due to shape of my hand/age/bad technique/impending arthritis/something, it HURTS my hand to shoot. I have tried the factory wood, the factory rubber, Pachmayr Compac, and Hogue rubber monogrip in that order. All of them result in some hand pain (factory wood the most, Compac the least) I have not found a way to shoot this gun without hand pain whilst shooting just vanilla UMC 130gr FMJ. :( So it has gone up on the sale/trade block. Which I hate to do since such a nice trigger on a J frame seems a rarity, but I don't keep guns I don't like to shoot.

I did not have any pain with the 66-8 and although the trigger was terrible, I didn't mind shooting it, nor do I mind shooting my old 686-4 Powerport. So it must be the weight of the gun that is part of the problem.

So that is leading me to the decision in the title. I know the 686 is slighter bigger in all dimensions and slightly heavier but it does carry an extra round.

Unfortunately the likelihood of me actually finding both to handle is close to nil to compare and there is absolutely no way I will be able to pick out one with a decent trigger. I will likely have to buy it sight unseen, just like I did with the first 66-8.

What says the group?

Alternatively, there is a store local to me that does have the 66-8 in the 4.25" bbl configuration that I could actually inspect and dryfire before purchase. How much harder would it be to conceal the 4.25" bbl model over the two in the title? I have never tried to carry a 4" bbl revolver concealed but I do regularly carry a G19 concealed with no difficulty.

Thanks!

I'm a purist, so the newer 2.75" or 4.25" K frames or 7 shot L frames with the sleeved barrels don't appeal to me.

But if one want to conceal a 4.25" revolver, it could be done if the right holster is used. Inside the waist would be the best to conceal the gun, whether the barrel is 2" or 5", the barrel is hidden. Comfort maybe a different story. But different people's perception of comfort maybe different.

Occasionally I carry a 2.5" 66 or 3" 65 (both K frames) in IWB holster and cover it with a loose t-shirt or any untucked shirt. With proper attire, one can carry a substantial revolver under the most prohibitive environment.

https://i.imgur.com/mDeHPU8.jpg

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Originally Posted by Crow Hunter

I did not have any pain with the 66-8 and although the trigger was terrible, I didn't mind shooting it, nor do I mind shooting my old 686-4 Powerport.

...
Unfortunately the likelihood of me actually finding both to handle is close to nil to compare and there is absolutely no way I will be able to pick out one with a decent trigger. I will likely have to buy it sight unseen, just like I did with the first 66-8.

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If you've owned both then you're already aware of the size delta between the K and L. You sound like you're more concerned about the quality of the action. You're not guaranteed to get a better trigger out of the box with one or the other.

Use your existing experience to pick the frame size and then send the gun out to have a trigger job done. There are no good triggers on an out of the box 2020 S&W save by sheer chance. You have to make it happen. I know shipping guns is a hassle. Consider this part of the ticket price.

What state are you in? You may have a reputable S&W revolver gunsmith close by and just not know it.

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Originally Posted by jh9

If you've owned both then you're already aware of the size delta between the K and L. You sound like you're more concerned about the quality of the action. You're not guaranteed to get a better trigger out of the box with one or the other.

Use your existing experience to pick the frame size and then send the gun out to have a trigger job done. There are no good triggers on an out of the box 2020 S&W save by sheer chance. You have to make it happen. I know shipping guns is a hassle. Consider this part of the ticket price.

What state are you in? You may have a reputable S&W revolver gunsmith close by and just not know it.

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My 686 Power Port has a 6" barrel. I haven't actually ever seen a 3" barreled one. Based on my previous limited ownership of the 66-8, it was noticeably smaller to me which has me leaning towards the 66-8. But I have also never seen a 4" barreled one "in the flesh".

I am in very rural West TN very close to the Big Muddy. No local shops carry Smith revolvers or many revolvers at all. Every once in a while there will be an Airlite but most of the revolvers are Cleetus Taurus Judges or Heritage Rough Riders and maybe an LCR.

There are a couple of shops not too far away that do occasionally have older Smith guns that they are very, very proud of. The type you can't pull the trigger on because they don't want to have a cylinder ring on them.:(

I am very interested/concerned in how they carry. Particularly AIWB.

Can you do a 3" or 4" revolver AIWB?

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Originally Posted by Sam

I'm a purist, so the newer 2.75" or 4.25" K frames or 7 shot L frames with the sleeved barrels don't appeal to me.

But if one want to conceal a 4.25" revolver, it could be done if the right holster is used. Inside the waist would be the best to conceal the gun, whether the barrel is 2" or 5", the barrel is hidden. Comfort maybe a different story. But different people's perception of comfort maybe different.

Occasionally I carry a 2.5" 66 or 3" 65 (both K frames) in IWB holster and cover it with a loose t-shirt or any untucked shirt. With proper attire, one can carry a substantial revolver under the most prohibitive environment.

https://i.imgur.com/mDeHPU8.jpg

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I am REALLY skinny but I can carry a G19 behind the hip with absolutely no printing and AIWB with some printing depending on what I am wearing.

I do remember that the 66-8 seemed to be have a very similar form factor to the G19 when I was playing around with it "Mexican Carry".

Is the extra 1.5" of barrel between the 2.75" and 4.25" enough that it becomes an impediment to CCW?

Is the 3" L frame significantly larger/heavier to the point that it isn't worth it for the extra round?

One of the very few disadvantages of living in a poor rural area is availability of gun browsing. :)

I have a 686+ with the 3” barrel (it’s not sleeved) and love it. The biggest advantage I see to the 3” over the 2.75” is that I have a full-length ejector rod.

Mine shoots great and carries easy in an OWB pancake from El Paso Saddlery.

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Originally Posted by BigDog

I have a 686+ with the 3” barrel (it’s not sleeved) and love it. The biggest advantage I see to the 3” over the 2.75” is that I have a full-length ejector rod.

Mine shoots great and carries easy in an OWB pancake from El Paso Saddlery.

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Actually the new 2.75" 66-8 also has a full length ejector rod now in using the new cylinder locking. It doesn't lock on the end of the extractor rod like the old design. This also no longer has a flat bottom forcing cone and theoretically should no longer have issues with shooting a steady diet of .357.

I actually think the 66-8 is superior in most aspects to the 686 but I am not sure if that 7th round is worth the extra weight/bulk of the 686.

Ideally I would LOVE to have all 3 of them in front of me so that I could handle them, check their balance and their triggers and pick the one that calls to me the most. Unfortunately that ain't happening without driving down to Memphis or something. Which is not something I relish in "normal" times. :)

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Originally Posted by Crow Hunter

I am very interested/concerned in how they carry. Particularly AIWB.

Can you do a 3" or 4" revolver AIWB?

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Pic is a 4" 686 in a Ready Tactical IWB. Not AIWB, though.

I've had the revolver for 20 years, and the holster for a bit over a decade by my hazy reckoning. Currently it's sitting in the holster of my "outside" blue jeans since, due to covid 19, outside clothes don't get worn inside. Due to a confluence of events as the covid-19 thing kicked off it wasn't my only gun, but is the only non-gamer gun I have that I would consider "vetted". (It was my main IDPA gun from 2000-2012 with a round count of 7832.) The mistake I made was selling off several pistols right before the wuhan boogaloo. Should have bought before I sold.

So, I guess in short, it is carryable. I carried it to matches and road trips for over a decade as my primary CCW. That was in my 20s and early 30s, though. As I sit here on the doorstep of turning 40, it's hard to ignore that polymer guns are lighter and easier to carry. How much effort are you willing to put in? Once I get some rounds on my new HK P2000 LEM to make sure there are no obvious defects I will switch to the polymer 9mm as it is generally more pragmatic. Especially since the protests/riots/whatever in downtown Austin passed by a block from my condo.

My timing in selling off my automatics and switching to HK LEM autopistols sucks, but it is what it is.

I did not find a meaningful difference between OWB/IWB carrying a 3" vs a 4" so I sold the 3". AIWB might be different. K frames are noticeably smaller and will carry easier, but either way you will notice the weight of a steel frame gun on your belt.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jh9

Pic is a 4" 686 in a Ready Tactical IWB. Not AIWB, though.

I've had the revolver for 20 years, and the holster for a bit over a decade by my hazy reckoning. Currently it's sitting in the holster of my "outside" blue jeans since, due to covid 19, outside clothes don't get worn inside. Due to a confluence of events as the covid-19 thing kicked off it wasn't my only gun, but is the only non-gamer gun I have that I would consider "vetted". (It was my main IDPA gun from 2000-2012 with a round count of 7832.) The mistake I made was selling off several pistols right before the wuhan boogaloo. Should have bought before I sold.

So, I guess in short, it is carryable. I carried it to matches and road trips for over a decade as my primary CCW. That was in my 20s and early 30s, though. As I sit here on the doorstep of turning 40, it's hard to ignore that polymer guns are lighter and easier to carry. How much effort are you willing to put in? Once I get some rounds on my new HK P2000 LEM to make sure there are no obvious defects I will switch to the polymer 9mm as it is generally more pragmatic. Especially since the protests/riots/whatever in downtown Austin passed by a block from my condo.

My timing in selling off my automatics and switching to HK LEM autopistols sucks, but it is what it is.

I did not find a meaningful difference between OWB/IWB carrying a 3" vs a 4" so I sold the 3". AIWB might be different. K frames are noticeably smaller and will carry easier, but either way you will notice the weight of a steel frame gun on your belt.

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It would not be anything that I would be using on a "normal" basis. If I am carrying it is almost always either a G19 or a G42 (or both). I am on the doorstep of turning 50 and have been selling off guns that I have decided don't have a good use for me. I was almost at the point of just selling off all my .38/.357 revolvers since once I sell/trade that 60 Pro all I will have is a 6" 686-4 Powerport. I have owned it for nearly over 20 years and I almost never shoot it because it is too long and too heavy to do more than play at the range.

I do like the idea of having a 38/.357 around though for trigger control practice but I would also like it to have a functional use too. I don't want to get another one that is just going to sit in the safe for years. So if I could get something that was capable of being a CCW weapon if called upon as well as being a dry fire/trigger control trainer that would be ideal and "worth it" to me.

The G19 with a fully loaded magazine is right at 30 oz and the 66 2.75 is 33.5 oz unloaded and the 4" is 36.9 oz unloaded while the 3" 686+ is 36.8 oz unloaded. Weight wise, I didn't think the 66-8 was that bad. However the other two may be pushing it and is why I am leaning towards just getting another one but before I ordered one online I wanted to make sure I might not be just as good or better off with either of the other two. Especially the 66-8 4" since I know a local shop that has one I could try out the trigger on before I buy.

Right now my plan is to go there and try out the trigger and if it is "fabulous" figure out a way to live with the extra weight/size, if it is not, order other 66-8 2.75" unless I can be convinced that that extra round is worth the weight on the 3" 686+.

To add a wrinkle to it. Back in the late 90's I really wanted a 686 Mountain gun and tried really hard to find one and never did. I have always wanted a Smith with a 4" tapered barrel since but never got around to buying one.

While the 66-8 4.25" wouldn't technically be that, it would be fairly close and a little lighter.

But I still am not sure if it is a practical choice over the other two.