A S&W 686 with a 4" barrel is a fine choice for home defense, and provided you're a large enough person, it would also be concealable. Not easily, but possible. One with a 6" barrel would be fine for both target shooting and self defense, though.

If you're new to handguns, go with a revolver. Semi-autos are reasonably reliable, but with revolvers, malfunctions are more rare. Revolvers are also a bit easier to maintain; flip out the cylinder, clean each chamber, and clean out the barrel. Semi-autos, depending on what you buy, can be relatively simple or relatively complex... but compared to the simplicity of a revolver, they're all more complex.

As always, I'd recommend you look into a .22LR revolver before you get into a .357 Magnum, but a S&W 686 is an excellent gun, so if that's what you've got your heart set on, go for it. Yes, .38 Special will give you less recoil, but you'll want to be sure you clean the cylinders carefully, since a .38 Special casing is shorter than a .357 Magnum. There will be a little more gunk in the chamber when you fire a .38 Special.

Revolvers Vs Pistols

that Smith is a good gun.how long of a barrel? I cant choose a gun for you, a man must choose his own gun.its about the feel. that's what important. that being said, you don't really need a .357 magnum for any of the uses you listed. Its good for home defense but if you use the wrong load,like a 180 grain, and it goes through the intruder and hits someone you don't mean to,it could be a liability. you'll find bullet selection is a major factor in some instances. High pressure .357 loads aren't exactly what you want to shoot all day at the range for several reasons, cost being the main one. .38's would be great for range or plinking, and +P 38's good for home defense. The .357 magnum loads would be good for hunting or if you think youre going to need that extra power on duty somewhere. you might want to check out the .357 Sig caliber,it was built to duplicate a .357 magnum 125 grain load in an automatic.

I own and use both types and each have weak and strong points so lets start with the auto loaders.

Because there are so many variations I wont go into safety catches/decocking levers on autos.

Weak points:

Malfunctions, essentially 4 types requiring significant practice to maintain proficiency at clearing

Ammo sensitivity, not all autos like all ammo

Sensitivity to dirt grime etc.

Strong points:

Magazine capacity

Reload time

Revolvers:

Weak Points:

ammo capacity

reload time

Strong points:

No manual safety to deal with

Malfunction clearance drill: Just pull the trigger again

If the cartridge fits the cylinder it will cycle when you pull the trigger

Unless you have a Python, it doesn't matter if its dirty

As noted you can shoot different cartridges from some revolvers.

Though I am a Ruger SP101 fan, the 686 is a fine hand gun.

The (very) old stock answer was to get a .22 rimfire either revolver or semi-auto, learn to shoot it and when you are scoring 85 or better on the NRA short course, begin working with a centerfire. Nobody does that anymore. The advantages of a revolver are simplicity, reliability and, for a lot of shooters, greater practical = shooter accessible accuracy.

Semi-Autos dominate the current market and are much more numerous. They are also much more funtionally reliable than in the past. The revolver has a remaining advantage in reliability. Leave a revolver in a drawer untouched or several years- or decades. and it will likely be completely functional. With a semi-auto, you never really know. semi-autos are dependent upon perfect ammunition while revolvers can be cycled past misfires and are not disabled by squib loads unless a bullet sticks in the barrel. Springs get weak- particularly magazine springs and most autos require a modicum of lubricant to function reliably. You can physically examine a revolver and get a strong idea about its functionality. With an auto, you are never really sure until you actually shoot it.

The best measure is probably - which type do you like the best? With either type are you motivated to learn to handle/shoot it capably and maintain it

Many people unfamiliar with guns do feel more comfortable with revolvers as a first gun, I think this is due to the familiarity of them thru movies and pop culture. Even someone who has never held a gun in their life, will more or less know how a revolver operates.

An autoloader may seem more intimidating to someone less familiar with guns. A basic handgun safety course, or a day of shooting with an experienced friend or teacher will show you though, most autoloaders are fairly basic in function, and not hard at all to manipulate.

Capability wise, the autoloader wins hands down. With the ability for faster shots, faster reloads, higher magazine capacity, and in general (this is vary from gun to gun) less recoil. I do believe 9mm is cheaper to shoot than .38 special right now. Though ammo prices will vary from location to location.

That being said, the SW 686 is a top notch revolver, and you will not disappointed in the quality of the gun. I happen to love shooting my revolvers. I just enjoy them not because of the capabilities as a weapon, but because of the tremendous nostalgic feeling I get. Its hard to disprove that holding and shooting a large caliber revolver just FEELS awesome. Its the same reason why I like shooting my lever guns, even though I know my ar-15 is a better weapon. Liking what you own/shoot is definitely an important factor.

Where a revolver begins to shine is in the simplicity of operation. As well as the larger magnum round, being able to be used to hunting, and woods defense, if these are applicable to you.

Most modern autoloaders are incredibly reliable. So don't let the revolvers "mythical" reliability reputation be the deciding factor in your purchase. I have personally seen revolver malfunctions in person, understand that no gun is immune to it.

If you plan on obtaining a CCW down the line, full frame revolvers are often hard to carry concealed. And you may want something smaller.

As for caliber selections go, any of the major handgun cartridges are known man-stoppers. Whether it be .357man or .38+ps in a revolver. Or 9mm, .40sw or .45acp in an autoloader. Accuracy and technique trump the minor ballistic differences in these calibers.

I highly suggest taking a local handgun safety class, and shoot various makes and models of guns to get an idea of what you may like more. They will often have both revolvers, and various makes and designs of autoloaders available.

Also look at the price and availability of ammo in your area. For instance, .45acp is more than 1.5x more expensive than 9mm in my area. $25 a box vs $16 a box. Once you get into a higher volume of shooting, the cost really adds up.

Its almost impossible to get a revolver to fail. If the round doesn't go off you simply squeeze the trigger again to go to the next one. this can be important in a self-defense situation.

with an auto pistol you have to clear the round by pulling on the slide to chamber, which is a two-handed effort.

On the other hand reloading an auto pistol is very straightforward compared to a revolver. One way to compensate with a revolver is to use a speedloader but it still requires a good deal of skill to do it quickly.

.357 magnum is a very powerful round, and in a home defense situation the noise and blast could stun you worse than your attacker. .38 special is a better choice. Revolvers can also be a little less accurate, you have to treat them differently than auto pistols when shooting, its not the same technique.

I prefer autoloaders, but that's just a personal preference. I have several revolvers and I enjoy each of them. The 686 is an outstanding choice. You need it to do double duty as a range and home defense gun, but if you just want to get good at shooting, a .22 like a Ruger MK series is one of the best ways to learn.

If you got kids around, get a semi-auto and do not leave it loaded with a round in the chamber. If you do not have kids around, then either would do but a revolver would be a better "first" gun.

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