I love 3" Smith Revolvers

[Mitchell, Esq.]

PC640 and PC13, from back in the Liebenberg/French Performance Center days...

Lust...

I have it...

[jh9]

Keith and Skelton loads aren't outrageous level loads in 357.

The L frame guns were supposed to be a big step up from the K's, and are in the aspect of the barrel thickness at the bottom where K's would crack, but some of the guys here that had scads of them in their departments seem to feel they werent quite as much of a big step up in overall longevity as has been reported in the gun media and in legend.

I sure like mine, but if I was going to shoot lots of heavy 357 loads (heavy not meaning crazy, simply full power level) I'd want an N. Just wanting to use a caliber to its full potential wouldn't necessarily mean one wants a larger caliber.

I'd be interested to hear what problems they had in more detail. I just compared my 627 to one of my 686s and the forcing cone *is* thicker, though I've never heard of an L letting go like a K. I suppose anything's possible.

I've got 3 of them, a -4 with about 9k on it, an early -5 with 7832 according to my roundcount.txt (primary IDPA SSR gun off and on for several years) and a 681-2 with about 3200 on it. Most of the IDPA loads were .38s, but over book max (+P+) titegroup in order to make PF while most of the 9k on the -4 were equally hot .38s or regular magnums (because I had just started reloading and #2400 was cheap locally). Not a lot of shooting compared to some but it's more than semioccasional plinking with wadcutters.

Of course, if I see threads on the usual fora tomorrow asking if Ls will blow up if you shoot a box of Double Tap through it I'm coming right back here and blaming you.

[Wheeler]

If you're beating a 686 down with your handloads, I humbly suggest finding a bigger caliber.

Ruger's got a deal on 5" .480s you might want to look into...

I ran a grand total of six 1800 fps, 125 grain loads (as chronoed through a 6" barrel for the original load data.) The other 22,000 or so rounds were standard pressure .357's and +P .38's. those six rounds caused a timing issue, most likely from slamming the case bases and cylinder against the recoil shield.

I traded into a 4" Model 28-2 specifically for working with the heavy .357 loads in a pistol after that. Thus far the model 28 has not had any issues with the heavy loads although I shoot them sparingly.

Trust me, I'm not into cranking up hot hand loads for the express purpose of having the loudest, most obnoxious gun in the range, I was chasing down a specific load for handgun hunting. On a slight tangent, my Winchester 94 AE digests those particular loads just fine.

[Dagga Boy]

For today....3" Model 10-5 square butt export gun with the standard barrel. Grips by Nill.

[rsa-otc]

As I remember Keith & Skelton were using N frame guns when they worked up their loads.

125 Grain. 357 rounds are historically hard on guns @ 1400 fps, I can just imagine how hard 1800 fps rounds would be. The only L frame sized gun that I heard would stand a steady diet of 125 Grain factory .357 were the GP100s. I wonder how one would hold up shooting 1800 fps handloads.

Of course you have the same issue with .40 S&W in loads of 150 grains and lighter beating up guns.

To me it appears screaming light weight bullets are just hard on guns.

[rsa-otc]

For today....3" Model 10-5 square butt export gun with the standard barrel. Grips by Nill.

nyeti how big is your gun vault. My lord I want to come by and play.

[Dagga Boy]

nyeti how big is your gun vault. My lord I want to come by and play.

For those who have seen it, the words "Oh my God" are usually the first thing uttered. Don't worry, I have a couple more I am saving in case Tam drops something like the PC13 again.

[rsa-otc]

Not to drift the thread, but ....... Does anybody know if the 586 standard ordinance steel blued version of the 686 exhibit the same problems with hot rounds that it's stainless steel brother did. It was my understanding at the time S&W had to adjust the stainless alloy content in their guns because stainless has a grain and when machined the frame would warp causing too many to be thrown away as unusable. It's one of the reasons their guns will corrode sooner than most stainless products. It always seemed to me that Smith's stainless was a bit soft. I actually have a few guns in inventory that the side plate deformities like a stick of soft butter that you ran a curved object over. I have never seen that with blued guns. This "may" be why a 686 doesn't hold up under a steady diet of 125 grain .357s. The softer frame material may be distorting.

[Sheep Have Wool]

nyeti how big is your gun vault. My lord I want to come by and play.

I always envisioned it like that scene from The Matrix, except it's all S&W revolvers and HKs.

[Tamara]

A square-butt 3" 36-1...