The revolver has a storied history in American law enforcement. Throughout this history, Smith & Wesson has continuously played an integral role in arming our peace officers across our nation. In an homage to the company’s place in revolver history, Lipsey’s reintroduces the Smith & Wesson Model 686 Plus Mountain Gun after a 27-year absence.
History of the S&W Model 686 Plus Mountain Gun
During the first fifteen years of my law enforcement career, the .357 Magnum revolver “ruled the roost” with uniformed officers. The .357 Magnum dated back to 1935. However, it didn’t really start to fill the holsters of lawmen until more inexpensive and lighter-framed revolvers in that caliber became available in the late 1950s.
One of the “Top Guns” in that era was the Smith & Wesson Model 19 Combat Magnum. It was a K-frame .357 Magnum that was portable, yet powerful. It ran fine when fed a diet of .38 Special cartridges with the occasional use of Magnum rounds. However, as LE agencies began to train and qualify with their duty ammunition, it was found that the K-frame wasn’t up to it.
S&W solved this problem in 1980, with the introduction of the Distinguished Combat Magnum Model 586/686. These revolvers were based on the new beefed-up L-frame and were designed to stand up to full-time .357 Magnum use. They were an immediate hit with LE agencies and stayed popular until wheelguns began to be replaced by semi-automatic pistols in the late 1980s – early 1990s.
The First Model 686 Plus Mountain Gun
My introduction to the Model 686 came in 1988 when I was issued a 4-inch barrel version called the CS-1 as a U.S. Customs Inspector. This revolver was produced for the agency and featured a dull gray, bead-blasted finish, pinned black ramp front sight, and a round butt.
It came with Pachmyr Presentation/Compac rubber grips installed. The grips had a slot in the butt so the revolvers serial number was visible.
About this same time, I began to write part-time for Combat Handguns magazine. As a budding gun writer, I was exposed to many new and different handguns being introduced by the various manufacturers.
In the mid-1990s, S&W introduced a special series of revolvers they dubbed the “Mountain Gun.” The common denominator of these guns was their tapered, half-lug barrels that cut down on the revolver’s weight. I tested an N-frame Mountain Gun in .45 Colt, another N-frame Mountain Gun in .41 Magnum, and an L-frame .357 Magnum Mountain Gun.
What Makes It Different?
What made the .357 Magnum Mountain Gun different was that its platform was the Model 686 Plus. This model first appeared in 1996 and had a 7-shot cylinder. Otherwise, it was like the standard Model 686 with a full underlug barrel.
In 1998, S&W introduced the Model 686 Plus Mountain Gun, which featured a tapered, half-lug barrel similar to the others. Of course, I had to get my hands on one of those. When I did, my first thought was, “Wow, I could have used this ten years ago!”
Its model designation was 686-5, and it featured a satin stainless finish, a pinned black ramp front sight, a black adjustable rear sight, color case-hardened hammer and trigger, and Hogue combat-type Mono-Grips.
My test gun did not have the much-maligned internal safety lock, and it weighed 35.5 oz. This was a bit less than the standard 4-inch Model 686. It was a special run for S&W stocking dealers, and production only lasted for a year.
The Model 686 Plus Mountain Gun Returns
Lipsey’s pays close attention to the firearms market. So, at the 2025 SHOT Show, I was overjoyed to see that one of their new Exclusives included a S&W Model 686 Plus Mountain Gun (686-7).
At first appearance, it looks much like the 1998 version, but there are several notable differences.
Going from muzzle to butt, the first “eye-grabber” is the pinned black patridge-style front sight with a gold bead. Less obvious is the barrel, which at 4.25 inches is 0.25 inches longer than the original. Next, looking at the half-lug, you won’t see the locking pin that engages the tip of the ejector rod.
Like all newer S&W revolvers, the forward locking point has been moved to the yoke/crane, which has a ball-detent lockup. Additionally, the ejector rod itself is also thinner. The barrel forcing cone is reinforced on the new 686 Plus Mountain Gun, with less of it exposed outside the frame.
The 7-shot cylinder has been beveled on the front edges and the frame. On this new version, the hammer and trigger have been flash-chromed. What really stands out are the Tyler Gun Works Bear Hug grips, crafted from walnut and featuring palm swells.
Fit and Finish
The new rendition of the .357 Magnum Mountain Gun has an empty weight of 35 oz. It has a brushed stainless finish, and my examination indicated that the metal-to-metal and wood-to-metal fit was top shelf.
The smooth-faced trigger is 0.312 inches wide, and the hammer spur is the narrow style and deeply checkered. My Lyman Trigger Pull Gauge indicated the single-action pull weight averaged 5 lbs. 3 oz. Correspondingly, the double-action pull was 11 lbs. 7 oz.
The SA pull is best described as crisp, and the DA pull is straight-through and even. Unlike most of the 21st-century S&W revolvers, the new Mountain Gun has no internal lock. It comes in a blue plastic, foam-rubber-lined carrying case with a safety padlock and an owner’s manual.
Feeding the Historic Wheelgun
I used three .357 Magnum loads and two .38 Special loads to test the Model 686 Plus Mountain Gun.
Black Hills supplied its HoneyBadger Ammunition in .357 that features a 127-gr. solid copper bullet. It has an X-shaped nose and flutes to penetrate barriers and transmit bullet energy to the target.
Doubletap sent its .357 load with a 140-gr. solid copper hollow-point that’s maximized for 4-inch barrel revolvers.
My third .357 load was from PPU Ammunition (Serbia), and it carries a conventional 158-gr. exposed lead nose JHP bullet.
For a practice load, I selected Remington-UMC standard pressure .38 Special cartridges that have a 130 gr. blunt-nose FMJ bullet.
Finally, for a bit of nostalgia, I had some old duty ammo from Winchester. It’s a .38 Special +P load, with a 110 gr. exposed lead nose JHP bullet.
Strapping Leather
I feel like the new Mountain Gun is not too large to carry concealed if you use the right holster. My choice from Galco is the Combat Master Belt Holster, made from premium steerhide. It’s a high-ride, open-top, pancake design. It features a butt-forward cant, hand-molded for security, and two 1.75-inch belt slots.
I paired the holster with a Galco SB2 Casual Holster Belt. It is also premium steerhide, double-thick, 1.5 inches wide, has seven holes, and a brass buckle. Both the belt and holster are tan.
A new product from Simply Rugged Holsters is its Sidewinder Speedloader pouch. It carries a single speedloader in a leather tunnel, which is reinforced at both ends, and has a snap closure. It fits on the belt using a Kydex loop that is 1.75 inches wide. I mated it with an HKS Model 587 speedloader.
Shooting the Model 686 Plus Mountain Gun
At the range, I set up a bullseye at the 15-yard line, took out a box of Black Hills remanufactured .38 Special 148 gr. wadcutter loads, and checked the sights on the new 686 Plus Mountain Gun. Elevation was fine, but I had to move the .140-inch notch rear sight several clicks to the right.
Next, I set up my Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph and got velocity measurements with the test ammo (chart below). For accuracy potential evaluation, I ran double bullseye targets down to 15 yards, and put my Ransom Steady Rest on top of the bench.
I shot three 5-shot groups in SA with each of the 5 test cartridges. I wasn’t surprised when my best 5-shot group was with the mild-shooting Remington .38 Special load. It measured 1.43 inches.
One group with the Black Hills .357 HoneyBadger had four shots in a 0.83-inch cluster. However, a stray opened it up to 2.06 inches. The overall average for the fifteen groups was 2.36 inches (performance table below).
Just for fun, I brought along my 1998 Model 686 Plus Mountain Gun. I pitted it against the 2025 Mountain Gun, using the Black Hills wadcutter cartridges. Shooting was from the bench, SA, five shots with each revolver. I held 6 o’clock of the red center aiming point of the target.
Interestingly, with the 2025 Mountain Gun, I had four impacts that measured 0.99 inches, with a flyer opening it up to 1.92 inches. Same with the 1998 Mountain Gun. Four shots in a 1.35-inch cluster, and one an inch south of the rest, for a 1.48-inch group.
I did find that on bullseye targets, my 70-year-old eyes preferred the black serrated ramp front sight of the older Mountain Gun. I felt the two revolvers more or less tied.
Practical Shooting
For some practical shooting, I used an FBI Q silhouette target. My course would consist of 21 rounds, with shooting distances at 5, 7, and 10 yards.
To begin, I loaded the new 686 Plus Mountain Gun with seven rounds and holstered it. Then, I loaded the HKS speedloader with seven rounds and put it in the Sidewinder pouch. At 5 yards, I shot four rounds from a point shoulder stance, strong-hand only, sans sights. Then, I transitioned to my support hand and fired the remaining three shots.
Doing a speed reload, I scanned for bad guys and re-holstered. I also re-filled the speedloader and moved the target to seven yards. Here, I drew the revolver and, using a two-handed, isosceles stance, fired three aimed shots, center-mass. I assessed the situation with the gun at high-ready, then re-engaged with three more shots center-mass, and one head shot.
Again, a speed reload was made, and the gun was holstered. The target was then moved to 10 yards, and I repeated the 7-yard drill.
Parting Shots
The first time I shot this course, I used the Remington .38 Special loads. All my shots were in the silhouette, but the pattern was bigger than the standard paper plate. Plus, my two head shots would’ve made furrows in the bad guy’s scalp.
I was disappointed, so I did the course again with the Black Hills .357 Magnum HoneyBadger cartridges. They were a bit more difficult to insert into the cylinder with the speedloader. But my shot pattern was about three inches smaller, and my two head shots were much improved.
Before the T&E, I was a little concerned that the Tyler Bear Hug grips would make shooting Magnum loads uncomfortable. I’ll admit, I used a thin ProAir shooting glove, but the recoil just wasn’t that bad. The palm swells helped tame the muzzle flip, too.
The Mountain Gun ran without incident (something near and dear to a gun writer), and the cases ejected just fine. Nothing came loose or broke. If I were back in uniform, I wouldn’t feel the least bit uncomfortable or under-gunned, with the Lipsey’s S&W Model 686 Plus Mountain Gun holstered at my hip.
Lipsey’s S&W Model 686 Plus Mountain Gun Specs
| Mechanism | Traditional DA/SA revolver |
| Caliber | .357 Magnum/.38 Special +P |
| Capacity | 7 cartridges |
| Barrel | 4.25 in. |
| Overall Length | 8.01 in. |
| Empty Weight | 35 oz. |
| Sights | Black patridge w/ gold bead front, fully adj. rear |
| Finish | Brushed stainless-steel |
| Stocks | TGW walnut Bear Hug |
| MSRP | $1,199.00 |
Performance
| Black Hills .357 Mag. 127 gr. HoneyBadger Fluted-Nose Solid | |
| Average Velocity | 1371 FPS |
| Best Group | 2.00 inches |
| Average Group | 2.21 inches |
| Foot Pounds Muzzle Energy | 530 FPE |
| Doubletap Ammunition .357 Mag. 140 gr. Lead-Free SC-HP | |
| Average Velocity | 1358 FPS |
| Best Group | 1.65 inches |
| Average Group | 2.26 inches |
| Foot Pounds Muzzle Energy | 573 FPE |
| PPU Handgun Line .357 Mag. 158 gr. Semi-JHP | |
| Average Velocity | 1256 FPS |
| Best Group | 2.38 inches |
| Average Group | 2.74 inches |
| Foot Pounds Muzzle Energy | 553 FPE |
| Remington-UMC .38 Special 130 gr. FMJ | |
| Average Velocity | 849 FPS |
| Best Group | 1.43 inches |
| Average Group | 2.05 inches |
| Foot Pounds Muzzle Energy | 208 FPE |
| Winchester Super-X .38 Special 110 gr. Semi-JHP +P | |
| Average Velocity | 995 FPS |
| Best Group | 2.09 inches |
| Average Group | 2.54 inches |
| Foot Pounds Muzzle Energy | 242 FPE |
NOTE: Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in feet per 15” from the muzzle by a Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph, and accuracy in inches for three 5-shot groups at 15 yards. FPE based on bullet weight and velocity.
