Media Day Initial Impressions: Smith & Wesson 986

I’m a huge fan of the Smith & Wesson 586 revolver (it was my first handgun), so when I heard that the storied gunmaker had brought one of their 9x19mm wheelguns to Media Day at the Range, I wasted no time in getting to their booth.

The 986 is just one of Smith & Wesson’s new revolvers for the year. It has a seven-round cylinder cut for moon clips, a five-inch barrel, and weighs just under 35 ounces. Its double-action trigger is crisp and light, and reminds me of my no-dash 586. It has a stainless steel frame and a titanium cylinder. Getting tight groups with the 986 was as simple as pointing the handgun downrange and pulling the trigger.

The 986 will retail for $1,149.

Matt Korovesis

I've been a history and gun enthusiast since I was a kid. I love to shoot just about anything, from silenced bolt-action .22s to fully automatic heavy machine guns, and I love even more when I get to write about them. My main interests are modern small arms and the military small arms of World War II and prior conflicts, with a particular focus on Russian and Finnish firearms. Reading about guns like the Mosin-Nagant rifle in books and on the internet got me interested in collecting, shooting, and writing about them, and I hope to do the same for others through my work.

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