GUN TESTS GRADE: A
$1129
Nearly double the cost of the RIA, and a step up in performance, is the S&W 986. The 986 comes out of S&W’s Performance Shop, and it looks and performs like S&W took some thought about creating a 9mm revolver. The 968 is built on S&W’s L-frame, which was originally designed for the 357 Magnum cartridge. The barrel is extended into the cylinder frame so the cylinder can be shorter and better matched to the length of the 9mm cartridge. The bullet does not have to leap nearly as much as it does in the RIA and Taurus guns. The barrel is stainless steel and slab sided to reduce weight, even though it still sports a full underlug. It is also decoratively milled on the top side. The muzzle has a counter-bored crown and extends 0.3 inches into the cylinder window. The rifling is also well matched to the 9mm Luger cartridge, with a 1:10 twist rate. S&W’s 38 Special/357 Magnum twist rate is 1:18.75.
| Action Type | Revolver |
| Trigger | DA/SA |
| Overall Length | 7.5 in. |
| Barrel Length | 2.5 in., 1:10 in. twist rate |
| Sight Radius | 4.1 in. |
| Overall Height | 5.9 in. |
| Maximum Width | 1.5 in. |
| Weight Unloaded | 31.04 oz. |
| Weight Loaded | 35.12 oz. |
| Cylinder Gap | .004 in. |
| Capacity | 7 |
| Frame Material/Finish | Matte stainless |
| Barrel/Cylinder Material/Finish | Matte stainless/titanium |
| Frame Front Strap Height | 2.6 in. |
| Frame Back Strap Height | 4.0 in. |
| Grip | Laminated wood, textured, finger grooves |
| Grip Thickness (max) | 1.1 in. |
| Grip Circumference (max) | 5.3 in. |
| Front Sight | Serrated ramp with red insert, removable |
| Rear Sight | Adj. notch |
| Trigger Pull Weight Double Action | 11.0 lbs. |
| Trigger Pull Weight Single Action | 4.8 lbs. |
| Trigger Span Double Action | 3.3 in. |
| Trigger Span Single Action | 2.8 in. |
| Safety | Hammer block |
| Warranty | None written |
| Telephone | (800) 331-0852 |
| Website | Smith-Wesson.com |
| Made In | USA |
What is smart is the 986’s cylinder is made of titanium, so it is lighter than a cylinder made of steel or stainless, as are the RIA and Taurus cylinders, respectively. Less cylinder weight means you can fire the 986 more easily in double-action mode because it is lighter. The cylinder locks up in two places; one is a detent in the underlug and the front of the ejector rod and the second is the ejector pin in the frame. There’s hardly any wiggle in this revolver.
Overall finish was an excellent matte stainless. The hammer and trigger have a hard-chrome finish, which help give the trigger a smooth slickness. The trigger i
s wide and smooth, and no doubt helps make the actual 11-pound double-action pull feels less. The single-action pull weight is a very crisp 4.8 pounds. It also has an adjustable trigger stop built into the rear of the trigger. It is adjustable via a hex wrench. We left it at the factory setting. The hammer is tear-drop shaped for better concealability and well checkered for secure cocking.
The matte-black serrated front sight has a red insert similar to the Taurus but better executed. It is also dovetailed into the barrel, and like the front sights on the other guns can be swapped out. The matte-black rear sight is adjustable, and the base of the sight is serrated to reduce glare.
The laminated wood grip is thin and long with finger grooves and stippled texture. Because the grip is so thin — 1.1 inches — it produces more concentrated recoil to the user’s hand when using hot loads. We felt more recoil with the Hornady and SIG ammo. We also discovered the 986 liked the Hornady Critical Duty 135-grain FlexLock ammo. It gave us our smallest group, 0.63 inches. Wow. Best group with training ammo was the SIG Sauer 115-grain FMJ with an honest 2-inch group. Average groups across all ammo ranged from 1.25 to 2.8 inches. In speed shooting, we encountered some muzzle flip, but the good trigger kept holes clustered, and the larger sights allowed fast target acquisition. Interestingly, the 986 loaded weighed the same as the Taurus 692 unloaded.
Our Team Said: The 986 has all the Performance Shop signature features we expect, such as premium slab-sided barrel, tuned trigger, and lighter cylinder. The 986 checks all the boxes for a sweet-shooting revolver, but it is costly. If you want a dedicated 9mm revolver with premium features, buy this gun.
9MM LUGER RANGE DATA
| Armscor 115-gr. FMJ | Taurus Tracker 962 | RIA AL9.0 | Smith & Wesson Model 986 |
| Average Velocity | 1057 fps | 1051 fps | 916 fps |
| Muzzle Energy | 308 ft.-lbs. | 304 ft.-lbs. | 214 ft.-lbs. |
| Smallest Group | 2.05 in. | 1.08 in. | 2.08 in. |
| Average Group | 2.75 in. | 1.17 in. | 2.38 in. |
| SIG Sauer115-gr. FMJ | Taurus Tracker 962 | RIA AL9.0 | Smith & Wesson Model 986 |
| Average Velocity | 1052 fps | 1047 fps | 960 fps |
| Muzzle Energy | 283 ft.-lbs. | 280 ft.-lbs. | 235 ft.-lbs. |
| Smallest Group | 1.90 in. | 1.62 in. | 2.00 in. |
| Average Group | 2.05 in. | 2.02 in. | 2.08 in. |
| Hornady Critical Duty 135-gr. FlexLock | Taurus Tracker 962 | RIA AL9.0 | Smith & Wesson Model 986 |
| Average Velocity | 991 fps | 958 fps | 961 fps |
| Muzzle Energy | 294 ft.-lbs. | 275 ft.-lbs. | 277 ft.-lbs. |
| Smallest Group | 2.97 in. | 1.75 in. | 0.63 in. |
| Average Group | 3.08 in. | 2.17 in. | 1.25 in. |
| Winchester Defend 147-gr. JHP | Taurus Tracker 962 | RIA AL9.0 | Smith & Wesson Model 986 |
| Average Velocity | 945 fps | 918 fps | 855 fps |
| Muzzle Energy | 292 ft.-lbs. | 275 ft.-lbs. | 245 ft.-lbs. |
| Smallest Group | 2.00 in. | 1.81 in. | 2.76 in. |
| Average Group | 2.32 in. | 2.03 in. | 2.83 in. |
357 MAGNUM & 38 SPECIAL RANGE DATA
| Taurus Tracker 962 | Hornady Critical Defense 357 Mag. 125-gr. FTX | Armscor 357 Mag. 158-gr. FMJ | Blazer 38 Special +P 125-gr. JHP |
| Average Velocity | 1227 fps | 997 fps | 858 fps |
| Muzzle Energy | 418 ft.-lbs. | 349 ft.-lbs. | 204 ft.-lbs. |
| Smallest Group | 3.28 in. | 1.90 in. | 2.38 in. |
| Average Group | 3.42 in. | 2.83 in. | 2.69 in. |
