S&W 686 or Ruger GP100 which one and why

[PacMan]

Take the price out of the equation to start with. Now tell me and others why you pick one over the other and your experience with both that swayed your thinking.

[FergusonTO35]

I'm a big fan of the Ruger double action mechanism. Also I think it doesn't have the key lock yet.

[dmize]

****!!! Thats a tough one.
I personally dont own a Smith but I shot a lot a 686 A LOT when I was a cop, I own a GP100 and an SP101 and love them,its like strapping an anvil on your side. BUT a 686 is the single sexiest small caliber double action pistol I have ever seen and OMG the double action trigger...........

[btroj]

I have a GP100 and really like it.

I don't own any Smith and Wessons so I can't say. I do own a fair number of Ruger handguns.

Might be from having a FIL who dislikes Smith and Wesson?

[Lefty SRH]

I compete with my GP100. For me being left handed it is easier/faster for me to hit the cylinder latch (being button style) for speed reloading. I have a hard time manipulating the Smith because you have to push it forward.
I the feel and more tuneability of the Smith trigger but I have to say my GP has one of the smoothest and lightest DA pulls I have found so far.
Both are very accurate! Nothing to say there.
Ruger fits and points a little more natural for me.
Some will argue that Ruger are stronger than Smiths, I can't agree nor disagree. LOL I've never felt like getting intot a destruction test between the two.
Thats my .02 cents on the matter.

[Salmoneye]

Six of one, half dozen of the other...

I have both...

I think everyone should...

:mrgreen:

[Lonegun1894]

I have a GP-100, a Security Six, and a SP-101, but no S&Ws. I have yet to see a Ruger shot loose, but have seen several S&Ws that were owned by friends that were shot loose. The only S&W I have owned went to live with a friend who got it for his wife to shoot light .357s and .38s through, because I didn't want to ruin a nice gun with an incredible trigger by using my standard .357 loads like my Rugers take without any problems, and I would bet that they will continue to digest them for at least my lifetime, and then outlast my kids if I ever have any.

[paul h]

If you're going to be running full patch 357 loads, and the 357 needs all it can get for hunting, then the Ruger gets the nod for being able to digest the heavy loads.

But it all starts and ends at how well you can shoot the gun, so if you have buddies that can let you shoot each type of gun, or a range that rents each type, shoot both and see what you can hit with best.

[fecmech]

Only advantage I see is the DA trigger on the 686. I chose the GP over the 586 when I bought mine and that was because the 586 had the full lug and weighed a bit more. My SA trigger is a nice clean 2 lbs and I no longer shoot PPC so DA pull doesn't mean much to me.

[Hamish]

"S&W 686 or Ruger GP100 which one and why"

Let me rephrase the question:

"Lincoln Continental or Chevrolet Impala which one and why"

There, that's more for better.

[btroj]

The Impala gets me around just fine, cost me less, is cheaper to work on, and keeps runs like a Swiss watch. And no body will ever think I am a pimp!

Yep, that puts it I perspective.

[2ndAmendmentNut]

I owned a GP 100 at one point and have fired a friends 686. Personally I found the 686 to have a better finish, and better trigger, but accuracy was about the same. I would not turn down a good deal on a GP100 or a Security Six, but if I was saving my money for a nice 357 I would go for a S&W 686.

[Hamish]

(Shame on me for a little harmless poking of the sleeping canine)

I've owned abuncha WBR's fine products, a fella could go his whole life with just Rugers and be a happy man.

But, the GP100 that I owned was more like a Ford F-150 with the nice interior than a luxury car. Hard to say that about a Smith.

[imashooter2]

The 686 is a forged steel beauty with lines finer than Gina Lollobrigida and a trigger smooth as glass. The GP100 is a great ugly lump of cast steel with a trigger pull that makes the baby Jesus cry.

...but I might be a little biased. [smilie=1:

[btroj]

Hmmmmm , sounds like a bias to me.

In the end here is no right answer. Both can be a very good revolver.

I happen to own a GP100 and I really like it. If I was in the market for a new or used revolver and got a good deal on a 686 I certainly wouldn't turn it down.

The 686 is more often then not going to be better finished and have a nicer trigger pull. The GP100 is built like a tank and will last forever even if fed lots of full 357 mag loads.

Get whichever feels better in your hands. You won't regret either one.

[Rod1911]

I have owned both and they shot great, so flip a coin.

[Matthew 25]

Get a Smith in .357 and a Ruger in .44.

See? perfectly logical.

[Moondawg]

I have owned both, I still have two S&W581s (the fixed sight carbon steel version of the SS 686). I sold or traded my Rugers. The Ruger is hell for stout, but also clunky and has a terrible double action trigger and barely acceptable single action pull. The S&Ws triggers are like oiled glass, plus good balance and excellent fit and finish. I will not live long enough to shoot enough full house 357M to shoot either S&W loose. K frame Smiths were known to shoot loose with a steady diet of hot 357, not the L frame.

[Lonegun1894]

Let me rephrase my previous response and poke a lil fun at the S&W fans. It all depends on which ammo you want to shoot. If you want to shoot .357 Mags, you get the Ruger .357. If however you want to shoot .38 Specials, you get the S&W .357. Perfectly logical?
:guntootsmiley:

You can make a Ruger smoother, but you can't make a S&W stronger and more durable.

[captaint]

If I had to buy one or the other NEW - TODAY, I might buy the Ruger. However, if I had my choice, I'd get an older S&W. Opinions......Mike

[Horace]

Ruger, best grip for my hot loads and can shoot it all day - the run out the door pistol.

Horace

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

[tgator]

If you buy either new, the double action can be improved greatly by filling them with toothpaste and dry firing 600 - 800 times. Tkae em apart, clean them well and use a premium "enhanced" oil. Hard pressed to tell the difference in DA trigger pull. Have done this with 586 and GP101s.


Tim

[Tim357]

Ruger factory stocks seem to fit and feel better than anything S+W ever put on their revolvers. Having said that, Pachmayr Compacs are the only game in town for me. Tho I gotta say, IME, the S+W triggers seem to be better out of the box. If you can, shoot a copy of each, then make your call.

[2ndAmendmentNut]

The GP100 is a tough gun, but by no means is the 686 weak. A 686 will handle more than a life time or two of 357mags that are loaded according to the books.

[got_lead?]

Almost bought a 4" 686 (I think it was a -4 with a pin hammer), then for comparison I checked out a 4" GP-100. Honestly, I liked the feel and balance of the GP better. And the GP has a reputation of being as strong as a battle tank, something you just cant wear out.

As lonegun said, you can slick up a Ruger real nice.

It's just that 686 is so darn classy, and how about the 586, it just doesnt get purty'er than that.

The only problem with purty is, they wind up safe queens.

[Lloyd Smale]

Smith for me. Its like comparing a mack truck to a escalade the ruger is probably a stouter built gun but it lacks the fit and finish a smith has and at least in my history of da guns the smiths will about hands down outshoot the rugers. Nothing wrong with the rugers though, like I said there tough and cost about a 1/3 less.

[GP100man]

I`ve shot all of the big 3 alot , Colts, Smiffs, & Roogars.

Rugers work , they stay .

Nuff` said .

& no I`m not biased I like all Rugers !!

[PacMan]

I think that fit is arguable. I have two and i cannot say that their fit is enough better to make it a deciding point.
I was looking at a Pro Shop 627 the other day in a local shop and i would not have given the 1200 price they were asking for two of them if they were both alike. Fair enough gap in where the fram and crane mated up but the biggest flaw was the barrel to cylinder gap. Needed no gages to tell there was a big diffrence from one side to the other. Must have been cut on friday.The guy that was picking it up never noticed untill i pointed it out after begging a look see.
Are they all like that? Well heck no they arent.If they were S&W would be out of business.

I like them all really and will in the near future pick up a 686 but only after i look at it as with any other gun built now days.

[kysunfish]

In my experience the S&W gets the nod for accuracy. This didn't start with a 686 it went more like 27,28, 19, 13, etc. The Ruger will always have it's share of the market and Bill Ruger was a great innovator. Sunfish

[rintinglen]

Take price out of the equation? If they were being given away, I'd take the Smith in a heart beat, but when the Ruger is over a hundred bucks less, the Ruger suddenly gets a lot better looking. A Smith is easier to get a nice trigger pull on, is usually a smidge more accurate, and might be a shade less sturdy, but it costs 800 bucks. The Ruger runs 640-680 hereabouts. I'd buy the Ruger, cause the Smith aint that much better.

[Rick Hodges]

For a double action revolver that will be shot double action....give me the Smith every time. There is no better double action trigger. (yep, that includes the Colt Python with the typical colt "hitch") The Ruger is a nice gun, less expensive, and may do the job perfectly. My choice is Smith&Wesson.

[Lonegun1894]

$640-680??? Wow! I paid just shy of $450 for my 6" stainless GP-100 not quite 2 years ago. Have they gone up THAT much?

[FergusonTO35]

Around here they are around $500.00.

[rintinglen]

Price at LGS was 799.00 for the Smith 629.99 for the Ruger, both 6 inchers, both stainless, Tuesday last.

[TXGunNut]

Built 586's and 686's for PPC when most folks were shooting K-frame open and stock guns. Saw a few Colts (Reeves Jungkind, Dwight Crawford and mebbe one other) but can't recall ever seeing many GP100's on the firing lines. For everyday use I'd probably lean towards the GP100 but I know how to tune a S&W, DA Rugers are a mystery to me.
Best car I ever had was probably an Impala that I smooth wore out but never much cared for. My old Lincoln made me thankful for my mechanical skills but my Grand Marquis is one sweet ride, FWIW.:kidding:

[youngda9]

I have owned both, I still have two S&W581s (the fixed sight carbon steel version of the SS 686). I sold or traded my Rugers. The Ruger is hell for stout, but also clunky and has a terrible double action trigger and barely acceptable single action pull. The S&Ws triggers are like oiled glass, plus good balance and excellent fit and finish. I will not live long enough to shoot enough full house 357M to shoot either S&W loose. K frame Smiths were known to shoot loose with a steady diet of hot 357, not the L frame.

^^ Sums it up perfectly.

[GaryN]

I have owned both. I liked the Smith and Wesson. It was accurate but it didn't like hot loads. The cylinder would get hard to rotate. The loads weren't that hot either. I bought a GP100. It was just as accurate or more so. I liked the feel of the grips better. It loves hot loads. The trigger is very good. But I don't shoot much double action. I sold the Smith and Wesson.

[BK7saum]

I am a Smith fan and have several .357s. The rugers I have are single action. Haven't had much trigger time behind the GP, but it seems like a solid revolver.

I'd personally get a smith, but that's me.

If you have the chance to shoot both before you buy, I'd try them out and see which one fits you the best. That would make my decision.

[pdawg_shooter]

The 686 is a forged steel beauty with lines finer than Gina Lollobrigida and a trigger smooth as glass. The GP100 is a great ugly lump of cast steel with a trigger pull that makes the baby Jesus cry.

...but I might be a little biased. [smilie=1:

You are right on target...with NO biase!

[Beagle333]

I have owned both. (at the same time) But I kept the GP.
It simply performed and felt better for me.:mrgreen:

[EDK]

SMITH & WESSONS are like Arabian horses; a RUGER is like a Quarter horse...or heavier in some cases. Use them for what they're bred/designed for. A first time buyer is advised to get the RUGER. IF you feel the need for something more refined in looks and trigger pull later, take a look at the S&W...or some high end gunsmithing on the RUGER.

There are more accessories for S&W and an admitted better trigger pull in most cases. Designed and sold for a different market than the RUGER. My 357 double actions are a pair of 1989 S&W 627s; 44s are an elderly Model 29, a 629 and a 624. BUT I mostly shoot Original Size VAQUEROS in 357 and 44.

I have a 2006 IMPALA with 190,000 miles on it. My 1996 Dodge RAM extended cab had 310,000 on it when the grand son rolled it in 2009. Take care of your equipment and it will last a long time.

:redneck::cbpour::guntootsmiley: