Customer Reviews for Smith & Wesson Model 686 Plus Wood/Stainless 3" 357 Magnum Revolver

Don’t expect it to look like the photos. Showed up with heavy brushed finish, swirls galore, and looking pretty rough.

Love this gun! It's a keeper. Easy to handle (especially with .380 P+), and not uncomfortable with .357 Magnums. Comfortable for EDC in my Falco IWB.

Love Buds hood prices fast shipping

Was told it would be new but the trigger is well worn and discolored, amongst other stuff that points to this gun being used, well used.

Favorite gun! Super smooth pull, great sites. Pretty and functional

Outstanding firearm. Thanks Buds

The firearm arrived in perfect condition even the the sights were accurate. It arrived before estimated delivery date. The gun is nice looking and fun, it packs some power! But not too Much too handle the recoil. I’m keeping it for life.

Thank you buds, this is the third firearm I’ve purchased from you and they all showed up on time in pristine condition. I could not find a better price locally no matter where I looked. Or let alone the firearms I wanted. Awesome selection awesome price fast shipping what more could you want.

Excellent Firearm. 3 inch barrel is an excellent choice.

What is there left to say? It’s a great gun. Well built. Sweet shooting. I love the looks of the unfluted cylinder and the grip, which fits my hand well. I like this gun better than my 627 Performance Center and that is really saying something about how great this gun is!

Buds has delivered again. Thanks to Buds I got what I wanted when I wanted it. i have purchased several weapons from Buds and all have been great just as this one is. I haven't had a chance to get to the range with this one yet but I will soon.

Buds admin/shipping again out did themselves. The revolver is super fine and an excellent shooter. Shot about 190 rounds through it and am happy with it. It makes you smile because it makes you look good at shooting it.

The purchase of this firearm via Bud's gun shop was as smooth as can possibly be imagined and delivery time has exceeded the speed with which other vendors ship similar products. I've purchased several products from Bud's and will continue to do so. I compare prices each time INCLUDING SHIPPING and Bud's beat's them every time. I "grew up" in the world of handguns using a highly customized and action tuned S&W Model 10 for my patrol duties back in the 80's and 90's and as a result of that revolvers have held a special place in my appreciation of guns. It was with this mindset that I purchased a Smith & Wesson 150853 686 Plus Magnum Single/Double 357 Magnum 3 7 Wood Stainless revolver from Buds. It's a beautiful classic; fit and finish are as close to perfect as humans can make it. The grips a attractive and the stippling much appreciated. The trigger is smooth and predictable with a tiny "snick" just before ignition. It's very accurate but the recoil will have most people looking for new grips to extend their shooting sessions. My S&W .44 mag recoil is like catching a wooden bat in your hands swung by a six-year-old. This .357 mag is like catching a smaller bat. The recoil impulse is sharp contrasted with the Ruger GP 100 3" .357 which is more of a thump. I'm oriented to "function over form" so some new Hogues have found a home here. They're no where near as pretty but I can shoot a complete session without "red palms." After shooting my Ruger .454 Casul, I returned to this gun and it felt considerably more tame :-} but the Hogues remain.

Beautiful firearm ... love the unfluted cylinder, the 7 round capacity, and the feel of the wood grips. The 3 inch barrel gives it a much better balance compared to my 4 inch 686. Fired a hundred rounds or so of various 38 special and 357 magnum thru it, all without a hitch. If you are looking for a great revolver, you can't go wrong with a Smith & Wesson and this 686 plus in particular. As usual, Bud's service was excellent, will continue to buy from Bud's ........

Nice solid revolver. Buds shipped promptly as always. This Smith isn't finished near as nice as others ive'd purchased. the stampings are rough & uneven. The S&W logo is so light that it's easily overlooked. Not up to what is on my Ruger SP101. Almost looks like an afterthought. The finish is also not as nice as my stainless Ruger. The gun works perfectly though so it does well what it's intended to do. Just not up to S&W standards in my opinion. Don Shirk

Awesome gun and incredibly fast shipping!

Great deal from Buds as always...great pistol of course never meet a gun that I didn't like...thank you S&W and Buds...

Arrived at my FFL today, unboxed and it looks better then the pictures. It is very dirty, I guess from test firing. Feels great in the hand, natural pointer, and the L frame is just about right if I wanted to CCW. Appears to be a quality piece after a close inspection and I expect nothing less for the price Smith charges for a revolver. Handgun #16 from Bud's and not a hiccup, thanks guys. I would like to use one of several local gun shops to support my town, but none of them can come close to the price Bud's has and they don't offer a layaway plan

Beautiful gun, Great service! Very happy with the gun, love the grips and unfluted cylinder, very good looking. Buds service was top notch as usual! No complaints.

This is a decent firearm. Based on the 686 barrel cant issues I asked Buds to look at it before they shipped it to me. They told me they don't open the firearms and won't look at them, but were very polite and clear that if there was any issue to let them know and not transfer it, that they would let me return it. When I went to the transferree, I was suspicious and while I wasn't "anal" about inspecting the revolver, I did check the barrel for cant, and the front/rear sight for level. I also checked the cylinder rotation through all 7 cylinders to check for any binding. All of these have been 686 issues. I was especially concerned since 2/4 reviews at buds "said" they had cylinder cant. The firearm I received appears to be correct. If there is anything, -maybe- and I say -maybe- a 1 degree under cant, but that's even questionable. I have not fired the weapon, but based on my inspection it appears correct. It cycles through all cylinders with no binding. I was concerned, but appear to have lucked out. If anything would change after firing, I suppose that would be an issue, but based on the product I received I'm very happy. I wish Bud's would inspect prior to ship in rare cases, but I appear to have gotten lucky. Buds is great as always though. They also price matched. Great place to order online.

This my first Smith & Wesson. The 686 3-5-7 talo 3" feels substantial in your hand. Looks bad ass! I love the feel. They definitely nailed it based on the guns appearance. I ordered on a Sunday night, the gun was at my FFL on Thursday, so as good as it gets in regards to delivery from Buds. But, the gun arrived with the barrel canted, and a nice gouge on the barrel that I can't fix myself. The cylinder already had a light turn line, something none of my Rugers ever arrived with. S&W customer service did send me a prepaid FedEx label, so I shipped the gun back today (picked it up at my FFL yesterday). This gun should have never left the factory as I received it. Disappointed yes, hoping they correct whats needed. I'm not picky, but come on, this is a $700 revolver. A straight barrel and a gouge free gun should be expected. Still, I'm looking forward to shooting it when I get it back.

There is something about a 3" revolver that just feels good. This didn't disappoint until I took it to the range. The revolver was shooting way to the left and after adjusting the sights as far as I could, I realized the front sight post was leaning to the right. After a closer inspection the barrel was not installed correctly, needing to be turned another 1/16 of a turn or so. I have heard rumors of quality being a problem at S&W but have never thought much about it as I have never had an issue with any of the umpteen revolvers that I own. I guess I finally get the opportunity to try out their legendary customer service. Great looking gun - finish is excellent. Feels great in the hand, very handy size. I just can't bring my self to shoot 'gangsta' style in order to get a normal sight picture.

I tried a 686 plus at the range and immediately wanted one. Shopping for one led me to this beauty. I really love the styling of the black laminate wood grips and the strong look of the 3 inch barrel paired with the unfluted 7 shot cylinder. Needless to say it's my new favorite and someone has their hands full trying to convince me that there is a better revolver out there.

This is my 2nd S&W 686 I've purchased from bud's. Also have the 6" barrel version, so the quality wasn't a suprise, but was welcome. Snapped this up when I saw it and glad i did,cause I've never seen another like it. The black laminate grips and 3" barrel make for a unique firearm, likely to hold it's value. Firearm arrived in great shape with absolutely not a mark on it and just a little soot from the factory firing which I promptly got anal and cleaned right up. Very happy with purchase.