The Smith & Wesson Performance Center Model 686 Plus 5"

Maine living is an acquired taste. Winter is still a few weeks off, but we’ve already had our first snow fall. Subsequently, the all of the outdoor maintenance and winter prep has been completed. The tractor is parked in the garage, facing outward; tuned up and serviced, snow chains and wheel weights in place and a hundred yards of driveway have been drift marked. Snow shovels and roof rakes have taken over the garage and mowing decks and lawn maintenance implements have been stowed in the shed.

All that is left is for snow to arrive. Winter temperatures will drop below -20º F, winds blowing up the mountain will  produce chill factors of -50º F and, while the average annual snowfall is 65″, the very recent record is 76″ within a span of 10 days. “Joe, why in the world would you want to live there?!…!”. Nice people, the shop has a two hundred yard range I can use at any time and the backyard is heavily trafficked by wildlife. So after availing myself of these resources and after some days of shooting the S&W Performance Center Model 686 Plus 5″….

No vacuous beauty…

The Smith and Wesson Model 686 has previously appeared on Real Guns in the form of a SSR Pro. The SSR Pro was found to be an accurate, reliable, not bad looking and of quality manufacture. The subject Performance Center Model 686 Plus adds a few touches for the competitive shooter, features that translate also into increased utility for hunting, recreational target shooting and self defense. This particular model has a 5″ barrel, however, it is also available in a 4″ version.

The Performance Center five inch barrel version, at least from my perspective, has better balance than the four inch barrel SSR Pro. I would attribute this to the over and under barrel fluting, the vented barrel rib and the decrease in cylinder weight, resulting from the seventh chamber… although the absence of cylinder fluting may make the latter a push. In any event, the PC Model 686 Plus is slightly muzzle heavy and very sight steady when held in a high grip.

The Model 686 Plus fits 7 rounds into an unfluted cylinder that has the same 1.600″ outside diameter as a other 6 round Model 686. The cylinder outer walls check a beefy 0.081″, 0.061″ for connecting walls and cylinder notches are located between cylinders so as not to encroach into chamber wall thickness. The space for the extra chamber is created by reducing the space between chambers. A traditional cylinder latch has been replaced with a Performance Center speed release thumbpiece to facilitate rapid reloading.

I do not shoot in competition, so I would be the wrong person to value the speed release feature. After very little use, the thumbpiece did not get in the way, but muscle memory had me wanting to twist the revolver in my hand to actuate the cylinder latch and push open the cylinder.If I were younger, still had much hair on my head and my ass wasn’t always looking for a place to sit down, I am sure hard charger shooting events would underscore the usefulness of the speed release thumbpiece.

Frame, barrel and cylinder are matte finish stainless steel. The smooth faced trigger and teardrop hammer are chromed. This model received the Performance Center Action Package which yields a super smooth trigger pull; 3 lb 7 oz single action and 10 lb 2 oz double action. It is an excellent trigger that caused me never to reach for the hammer to cock and shoot single action.

The rear sight is adjustable for windage and elevation, the front sight is orange as supplied, but pinned inserts are interchangeable. My first thought was that the orange sight would glow in sunlight and create a fuzzy sight picture, but it did not. The front radius of the orange insert is coated white, which somehow seems to leave the insert with a very sharp outline, regardless ambient light conditions.

The Hogue Monogrips are slab sided, but still recoil absorbing and the moderate grip circumference makes for comfortable finger – trigger positioning for medium to large hands. Most revolvers end up muzzle high in my hand with a natural grip. Not so with the S&W Performance Center Model 686 Plus where poking my fist out toward the target, placed the sights very close to where they needed to be. No weird wrist action or major compensation required.

Recoil was very mild with my favorite handloads; 158 grain hard cast SWC over 9.5 grains of Power Pistol for 1,358 fps. Muzzle jump was a noticeable, but not substantial as to excessively slow follow up shots. I can not say enough good things about the trigger. I do not shoot double action revolvers single action, as that kind of defeats the purpose of them being double action, but doing so requires practice with a specific firearm.

Typical double action pull is resistance stacking with a good bit of dwell when the cylinder is indexed. The S&W seems to be relatively uniform and it is easy to pull smoothly through to sear release. Outdoors and in the cold, rather than shoot bullseye targets, I tossed out a small foam rubber filled 4″ square box and was able to rapidly pop it out to 25 yards from a two hand hold. Works for me.

With current schedule time constraints, I did not have the opportunity to shoot the 686 Plus a great deal, but at least a couple hundred rounds of the previously indicated handloads. Nothing shot loose or rattled, sights stayed where set, no cylinder rock developed and cylinder gap began and ended at a tight slip 0.006″. My shooting hand, wrist and arm showed no ill signs of fatigue or getting banged around.

Stainless gets black after a bit of shooting, but I kind of like the look; a hard working revolver. Better yet, it is an easy clean with bush, path and solvents and a wipe with a lead removal cloth…. and I am sure I will get around to it before I am done.

Moon clips were not tried with the volume of ammo consumed, but loading seven instead of six isn’t much of a stretch.  The extra round is convenient and as it does not increase the size of the revolver over six, it seems good use of otherwise dead space.

The Smith and Wesson Performance Center Model 686 Plus is an easy fit for the hunter, or trail walker or for someone looking for a good revolver for self defense. Not overly large, not unnecessarily truncated, it is what a good 357 Mag should be and at a reasonable price for a quality firearm..