Ran across one I couldn't walk away from. This is the M686 SSR Pro Series. My only S&W with the internal lock. An L frame without the full underlug barrel. I really like the feel and balance of that. I'm a sucker for slab sided barrels...

Slick wheelgun MOCG.

Man that’s nice…but it seems like the slab side makes them think “even bigger billboard for our name”. I like em…I’d like em even more clean! Oughta be a nice shooter. Congrats on the new addition.

Doc_Holidude

Yeah, I agree with the billboards comment. Ruger is really obnoxious with the Match Champion barrel.

Mice snag

Beautiful revolver, sir.

Now to find good ammunition for a 357. Geez that stuff is hard to come by.

I handload. Hopefully it likes 158 gr. XTP's because my old M19 6" loves them and I have a pretty good stash of them on hand. What shocks me while prowling around the local shops is how hard it is to come by revolvers - period. A few shops have the usual S&W and Ruger small frame .38 snubbies in stock, but 4" and 6" mid frame or larger bore sixguns can't be had around here. Shop owners tell me they can't get them and when they do get one it is sold within the week. Crazy times when a staple handgunners item like a 4" .357 is like finding a Unicorn.

I like that too.

Looks pretty damn good!

The older I get the more I appreciate a good revolver. My last one was a Colt King Cobra 3 inch. The next one will be their 22LR. I can’t decide between the 4 or 6 inch model.

I would have bought it too. On M-60s, that profile barrel is the “Pro Series” or something like that.

Nice!

That's very nice......and not easy to find at all......good luck with it.

Nice looking revolver. Can you disable the safety?

Yes. And after being plugged it is hardly noticeable that there was ever a hole and lock there.

Me too. Picked this up a local pawn shop yesterday. I added the red dot and mount. A new lease on life for aging eyes.

Bet that thing will shoot lights out. And if a critter gets a little too close you can Wyatt Earp him on the noggin!

MOGC, nice pickup! Like those a lot. They are like hen's teeth here and highly sought after.

Lol, at the typical 25yd pistol range it's not even fun, have to double the range to get more than one hole in the target! Years ago I had a 629 44 Mag w/ 8 3/8 bbl. That was a lot of fun, this reminds me of the bigger brother without the recoil. It's a chunk of steel for sure, wouldn't like to get hit over the head with it.

I'd kind of given up on handguns until I tried a red dot on my 4" 686. They really are a new lease on life when shooting handguns with aging eyes.

FWIW: I get about 1150fps from my 4" 686 w/ 15.5gr of H110 & 158gr XTP, with this 7" it was getting just under 1300fps. Nearly 50fps per inch of barrel.

My old 6" M19 likes 14.5 grs. of #2400 under the 158 gr. XTP. I'll chronograph it but I'll hazard a guess the 4" barrel will run around 1200 fps with that load. If it shoots well and gives me about that much velocity I'll not fiddle around looking for another load.

Where did you get the plug for safety? Or did you have your gunsmith do it?

It’s hard to beat a S&W 357 - no matter which model. That’s a nice one.

I have not done that yet. It's likely to happen at some point in the near future. From looking around there are at least a couple guys making a plug/lock delete kit. It looks to be a simple project and looks good when done. About the same as taking the crossbolt safety off a Marlin lever action and installing a plug. Pretty simple and really looks clean from the outside.

The only thing I have done is change the front sight. Standard issue is the typical S&W red ramp front sight. I swapped that out this morning for an SDM Super Sight with a smallish green fiber optic insert. The green fiber optic dot is a big improvement for my eyes over the old dull red ramp insert. With S&W's DX front sight system changing the front sight blade is a piece of cake.

Good lookin' gun, MOGC. May your bullets fly straight.

👍👍

The only thing I have done is change the front sight. Standard issue is the typical S&W red ramp front sight. I swapped that out this morning for an SDM Super Sight with a smallish green fiber optic insert. The green fiber optic dot is a big improvement for my eyes over the old dull red ramp insert. With S&W's DX front sight system changing the front sight blade is a piece of cake.
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Good move on changing the front sight. I did the same on my M-69 with a HI-VIZ green fiber optic. Mucho improved. I wish I could do the same with my M-19, but it is older and doesn't have the removable front sight.

I just remembered, the first and last one I saw a few years ago at a Texas gun shop, had a canted front sight.

That’s a sweet wheelgun. I have been thinking about the same model.

I've had a bunch of good .357s, but my favorite was a 686 4" CS-1, a contract overrun for the Customs Service. It had an all-black .1" wide front sight (slightly narrower than normal), a round butt, and lordy, was it slick. I could shoot DA with it better than I could SA, even with magnum loads. I had Pachmayr Compacs on it, because they fit my hands pretty well. It was a sweet rig. I never should have let that guy talk me out of it. It was a perfect size for carrying, and I did carry it quite a bit back then.

Shame that one got away, ratsmacker. I can understand the reverence, though. I've got a few .357's. But, an immaculate no "-" 4" 686 is particularly close to my heart.

That will shoot well.

Good grab.

None better, IMO.

I took a year off paper pushing and worked a gun section of a great LGS. We got some of the first 686s that were shipped, and I picked one out of the twenty guns. It's butter smooth and still tight.

I,too, prefer the Pachmayrs to the stock concalo big grips.

The gun here, the 686 SSR Pro comes with two sets of grips. A set of S&W marked rubber finger groove Hogue grips and the wood grips pictured. The wood grips that came on the gun feel really good. I haven't shot it yet, the weather here is hovering around the 100* mark about every day with humidity to match so going to the range doesn't have much appeal right now. But I suspect the wood grips on the gun are going to be pretty good under recoil. I never cared for the finger groove Hogues. Hogue grips with no finger grooves feel good to me but I don't match up well with the finger grooves.

Have not heard of a single one of those that didn't shoot well.

I think that was a good grab. Looking forward to your shooting report. I haven't heard anything negative either, but no actual experience.